Every week, we’ll bring you a recap of the latest reviews from the weekly Independent and daily Gazette.
Flashing some serious distaste, Indy critic Matthew Schniper took down the new PJ’s Stagecoach Inn, the rebooted incarnation of the Manitou Springs mainstay that failed in February. It reopened in July under restaurateur Paul Jakubczyk, owner of P.J.’s Bistro, and hosted Schniper to the tune of $242 over two meals.
“At a recent Tuesday dinner, we begin with a lengthy wait for $12 cocktails that perform like $4 floozies,” Schniper writes. “If you are not at the skill level of a Williams & Graham bartender, someone with the skill of a Nate Windham, Luis Rodriguez or Adam Gasper, you have no business charging $12 for a cocktail.”
The wrap sheet:
• “… a blueberry-basil vodka ‘martini’ exudes synthetic perfume and air-freshener aromas and drinks like a SweeTART mated with children’s allergy medicine.”
• “… broccoli-dominant, freezer-burned patty on a bun that’s ice-cold in the middle.”
• “… we feel a bit robbed by this Stagecoach ride, and by our prior one, too …”
Gazette critic Robin Intemann sought Shrangri-La, where she found an undistinguished strip mall restaurant with “exceptional service and well-prepared food.”
Some highlights:
• “The shell’s crunchiness complements the soft filling, creating a perfect union of textures.”
• “Most of the entrees arrive in domed serving plates.”
• “I was surprised, however, to see that tiny, perfectly cubed carrots and peas, suggestive of the variety found in a supermarket frozen food section, were part of the ensemble.”
