Pêche. Restaurant — Restaurant in Palisade

For my wife's birthday, I wanted to take her to "someplace nice", somewhere that spoke fine dining, some place where we could enjoy a relaxed meal. Pêche seemed like a great choice! And it was far from a bad choice, though we probably won't be returning.

Let's start with the good. We had mixed drinks to start the meal. I had a Sazerac and my wife had a Negroni. They were brought to the table in what looked like lab specimen tubes. The tubes were unstoppered and decanted into chilled glasses. It was an unusual presentation, but the drinks tasted very nice. Given the presentation, I wondered if the drinks had been pre-made or - even worse - purchased as already mixed drinks. However, we saw a bartender shaking cocktails all night long, so we felt assured that the drinks had, indeed, been made for us.

We thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate. The fois gras appetizer served with a house made peach preserve and brioche toast was amazing. The fois gras had a wonderful depth of flavor. The brioche was a lovely bread. The peach preserve was very good, though the dish didn't really need it. What the dish needed, and didn't have, was a little toast rack. The triangles of brioche toast were precariously balanced on a wooden platter. They almost fell twice as we were being served. A toast rack would have prevented the accidents with less eagle-eyed attention than the waitress had to dedicate to the dish.

I had the Jerk chicken dish which was great. It wasn't as spicy as a Jamaican would prefer, nor even as hot as a true pepper belly would like, but it was well seasoned and very flavorful. It was served with greens and what I think was a roasted peach topping as well as sweet potato chips with a black bean dip as well as an avocado dip. All were just great!

My wife had the oxtail and pasta dish and loved it. It had wonderfully subtle flavors and truly satisfied!

We normally don't eat dessert, but the crème brûlée we saw served to the table next to us looked great - it was served in a broad and shallow ramekin. Once brought to the table a hot flat metal disk was pressed to the top of the crème brûlée, caramelizing the top in seconds! It was a great presentation and a great trick. The crème brûlée was cool and light with a rather pronounced lemon flavor. We're more fans of vanilla crème brûlée, but this one was still very good!

The wait staff was attentive, professional, as well as fun and kind. So far, everything was wonderful. So, now for the ugly.

The decor was fairly stark with little in the way of soft surfaces. This led to the next problem - the noise levels in the restaurant were very high, around 83 to 85db. This is loud enough to make conversation difficult, and loud enough to start causing hearing damage in about 2 hours of exposure. I hope the staff wear hearing protectors. This noise level was largely from the customers enjoying themselves and the hard surfaces of the dining room. The noise levels were not helped by an annoying bass heavy music track. It isn't clear of it was music or some sort of synthesized noise. It was unpleasant. They should treat the room with sound mitigation products and ditch the sound track. The sound levels destroyed our ability to relax and enjoy the experience.

A lesser issue, worth mentioning. The call came as it comes to all and I needed to find the restroom. In the back of the room was a sign on a wall that read, "Restroom", so I headed for the sign. The door next to the sign was labelled, "No Admittance". A glimpse down the hallway revealed another restroom sign, one which mercifully did lead to a restroom. After returning to our table, i saw another person misled by the restroom sign. The sign is an example of poor signage, and should be removed, replaced with a sign that directs people to the back of the restaurant.

The bottom line - for us it was a diamond in the rough. If the sound levels don't bother you, it may be worth a...

A frustrating and disappointing dining experience in Palisade. The restaurant came highly recommended by good friends who are fellow foodies. Looking at the menu online, it can be a bit of a challenge to discern what the dishes actually are as there is very little description. E.g. Not a regular Vietnamese food fan? Good luck trying to decipher the menu dish “Ga”. When we arrived at the restaurant for our 8 PM reservation, we were greeted by…nobody. A hard-working team of cooks, servers, and other staff have a clear line of view of their customers from their open concept kitchen. After a few minutes, someone finally came and greeted us. Our server was warm and attentive and full of enthusiasm. However, despite a couple of explanations of menu items, we were still unclear as to what exactly we were ordering. For example, under the To Share section, there is a dish titled Fig, and the additional ingredients are mascarpone and pistachio. When the item arrived, it happened to be a large salad with only a couple of pieces of fig in it despite my having asked about it previously. A bartender arrived to serve my cocktail with such an angry stinkface that I had to actually ask her how she was doing that evening and greet her rather than the other way around. The menu is kept small so as to highlight specific local produce and creative flavors. Unfortunately, for an 8 PM reservation on a Tuesday night, two of us ordered the pork chop only for the waitress to return and tell us that they were out of the pork chop. We then requested the lamb. The waitress returned to explain that they were then out of the lamb. If a restaurant is going to take international reservations for an 8 PM weekday dinner, they may want to be more careful about supply, or to at least let their customers know before ordering that certain items were no longer available. It also would have been professional had the manager themselves come out to communicate with us. The menu is so small that we were challenged to identify another dish of interest. We ended up with the steak over grilled herbs, which was delicious, albeit salty. Another frustration is that there is no ability to amend an order, and there are no side dishes. So if I wanted a green vegetable to go with my steak, no luck! And if I didn’t want the carbs of french fries, no way to change it! I completely understand what the restaurant is aiming for, and they largely achieve it, but the overall experience in terms of understanding the menu, the attitude of the servers, The inability to order vegetables, and unavailability of their actual star dishes made this a...

A Memorable Culinary Journey at Peche Restaurant!

Nestled in the heart of Palisade, Colorado's renowned wine country, Peche Restaurant is an absolute gem that has left an indelible mark on my palate. From the moment I stepped foot into this culinary haven, I was captivated by the charming ambiance and warm hospitality that awaited me.

Let's start with the food—the hand-cut pasta at Peche is nothing short of extraordinary. Each delicate strand of pasta is a testament to the chef's skill and dedication to perfection. The sauce was rich and velvety and every bite was a symphony of flavors that danced across my taste buds.

One of the highlights of my dining experience at Peche was the tableside s'mores. This interactive dessert was a delightful surprise, and it added a playful element to the evening. The combination of gooey marshmallows, melted chocolate, and crunchy graham crackers created a nostalgic treat that transported me back to childhood campfires. It was a unique and memorable experience that truly set Peche apart.

And let's not forget about the fabulous gin fizz! The mixologists at Peche are true masters of their craft. Their gin fizz cocktail was a sublime blend of botanical-infused gin, tangy citrus, and the perfect touch of effervescence. Sipping on this refreshing concoction was like taking a sip of summer in a glass—it was simply divine.

Beyond the exceptional food and drink, the service at Peche was exemplary. The staff members were knowledgeable, attentive, and passionate about their craft. They went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our dining experience was flawless, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to an already exceptional evening.

Lastly, I must mention the beautiful location of Peche. Palisade's wine country provided a picturesque backdrop for our culinary journey. The breathtaking views of vineyards and rolling hills added to the overall ambiance and made our visit even more memorable.

In conclusion, Peche Restaurant in Palisade, Colorado, is a culinary paradise that should not be missed. The hand-cut pasta, tableside s'mores, and fabulous gin fizz are just a few of the enticing delights that await you. Immerse yourself in the flavors, let the atmosphere embrace you, and prepare to be transported to a world of culinary bliss. Peche is truly a five-star experience that will leave you...