New York-based food industry publication Nation's Restaurant News just announced its 2009 Fine Dining Hall of Fame winners, and Barolo Grill, Blair Taylor's Italian restaurant at 3030 East Sixth Avenue, was one of ten temples of gastronomy inducted into the elite winner's circle.
But while Taylor was "hugely, hugely, truly honored by the news," it came on the heels of a rather lukewarm review from Denver Post restaurant critic Tucker Shaw, who was polite, but pointed in his criticisms. "Yeah, that was a bit of a chastising," Taylor told me, "but from tonight forward, people who come to Barolo Grill will get the best service, wine and food in Denver. We've got to take it up to the top level."
While he's working on accomplishing that, he can take solace in the
fact that he's sharing his hall of fame accolades with some of the top
restaurants in the country, including Bouley in New York City, Michael Mina in Las Vegas, Slanted Door in San Francisco and Boston's Blue Ginger.
"The company we're with is very cool, and even though I've been in the
business a long time, it's still great to feel appreciated," he said.
The
ten restaurants that made the cut were nominated by past hall of famers, including Wolfgang Puck, and ultimately selected by the editors of Nation's Restaurant News.
