platecolorado.com

This place opened several months ago. It's on the Northside of Briargate Blvd, just a little bit East of the Promenade Shoppes. It's had good reviews, and I've been wanting to try it, but it's on the upscale side...

Then I hear that they you can go to the bar, and they have a special bar menu that's very reasonable. So a girlfriend and I went out last night to check out the bar at Plate..

First, since it is a bar, the drinks: they have a small list of specialty cocktails, mostly martinis, that sounded yummy, an extensive wine list, with a smallish but well thought out variety available by the glass, typically priced (not cheap, but not outrageous). House wines are moastly Penfolds brands, which are always good.
We peeked at their full dinner menu, and the selections looked delicious, With a variety of appetizers, salads, and entrees, arranged by type/geography (French, Asian, Spanish, or Steakhouse). Less expensive than I expected, but still on the upscale side (entrees are all in the $20 range)
Then we looked at the Bar menu. Priced from $7-$12, Selections include both munchies and meals: a Kobe Cheeseburger, Ahi Poke, Snow Crab claws, Kalua Pig sliders, Grilled Bistro Steak, Beef Barbacoa with chips, Manchego Croquettes...
We both went for the "Manchego Stuffed Kobe Meatball" (one giant meatball, cut in half and slightly scooped out, with Manchego cheese melted in the divot, on a bed of pureed potatoes with a sweet onion relish.... ). It was absolutely delicious. Very much comfort food, while definitely scaled up and taken to a gourmet level, it managed to do so without losing the comfort element, and without being ridiculous.

The restaraunt's atmosphhere is very serene. Think elegant simplicity, with lots of warm but neutral colors.The food becomes the real decoration.
.. The bar itself has nice padded stools with backs, plenty comfortable for two people to sit awhile and eat and chat.

One point off because there's no really healthy non-seafood choice on the Bar menu. It would be nice to see a salad or other sort of fresh veggie based choice.

At Happy hour (4-6pm 7days) their Bar menu is half price, with wine, wells, and bottled beer at $2... Wow. At those kinds of prices for that kind of food,this place is truly a gem. I just may have a new favorite place to wind down and grab a bite after work...