Charcoal Restaurant in Golden Triangle Rocks

It’s been a busy 2011.  Linger opened (best views and location… and what a great reuse of a Mortuary).  Ale House opened (best summer beer drinking location).

I’m sure many other opened.   But this past weekend I found my favorite new opening of 2011 with Charcoal.

I won’t repeat their menu.. you can check it out at their website charcoaldining.com.

For simplicity let me just say that among our table of four there was not one dish we didn’t all love from small dishes to large.  It’s a mix of European traditional food and modern techniques.  I loved it.

It is also worth sharing their philosophy on wine.  Basically… wine goes with every meal.  Charcoal helps you to accomplish this by finding affordable delicious wines (or perhaps they just don’t mark them up as much as most restaurants) and offering smaller size glass options.

Thanks Charcoal.  I’ll be back.

Here is the summary from their website on who Charcoal is…

The story of Charcoal Restaurant is based on a single premise: Offer great food and wine with excellent service in a fine dining atmosphere at affordable prices. The team of Charcoal Restaurant absolutely believes it is possible.
OUR STORY
Our food is contemporary European cuisine cooked with classic and innovative techniques.

CLASSIC. The classic comes under the direction of Executive Chef Patrik Landberg and his team.  Chef Landberg’s extensive culinary credentials makes Charcoal Restaurant a fine dining experience of the first caliber. The kitchen only uses the highest quality ingredients prepared in a simple and clear presentation style. Our goal is to let the primary ingredient be the star, not mask it through too much sauce or garnish. Many items on the menu are carefully prepared to be as flavorful and healthy as possible. The menu is designed to allow you to have a selection of small, appetizer or full size entrees.

INNOVATION. The innovation comes from the custom designed “Bincho” grill.  Bincho cooking is believed to have originated in the 8th century and, while used throughout Asia, is often identified with Japan. The making of Bincho charcoal is time consuming involving multiple refining steps of burning the wood over a kiln until it reaches temperatures of 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit and several days of curing. The end result is charcoal that burns at an extremely high temperature and is virtually smokeless in comparison to other charcoal. We only use charcoal that comes from sustainable forests and contains no fillers or volatile substances- just pure hardwood. Because of the high temperature, food is cooked quicker. Meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Vegetables retain their flavor. Many of our signature dishes are prepared on the Bincho grill.

SERVICE. Our staff, led by Front of the House Manager, Aric Sandoval, is trained not to be pretentious or overly formal. They are trained to help you relax and enjoy the dining experience while still providing expert and informed service. We want all customers to be treated equally with warmth and respect.

WINE. Wine should be drunk with every meal. However, the pretentiousness and often-stratospheric price makes, for many, wine a special occasion. At Charcoal Restaurant, you can have a flight, half pour, full pour or bottle at affordable prices. We choose our wine, not just on taste, but also on what offers great customer value. Our custom designed Napa wine dispenser allows you to sample many wines by the glass.

ATMOSPHERE. We created a restaurant that is refined, yet comfortable. A mixture of old and new. Relax in any of our zones of comfort: the patio, lounge, bar, dining room, grill or, for a truly exquisite experience, reserve our private dining room. For a lucky few, in the dining room, reserve our chef’s table and interact and enjoy the culinary expertise of Chef Landberg and his team. We hope you notice our antique chandeliers from South America as well as our Colorado custom designed grills. We did not overlook the small details like changing tables in the bathrooms and purse hooks throughout the restaurant. The sound system was specifically designed to provide different acoustic levels throughout the restaurant so no matter where you are, you can enjoy our thousand song music library.

THE SPECIAL TOUCHES. If you feel like dining at home, use our convenient on line ordering of delicious Bincho boxes, filled with specially prepared kitchen creations. Lastly, to make your arrival and departure extra comfortable, use our reserved parking close to the restaurant.

We are proud to open our first restaurant in the Golden Triangle. We will be good neighbors.

Read the Charcoal Dinner Menu.