If you find yourself in Colorado Springs, a meal at Natural Epicurean at The Broadmoor is a must. Whether vegan or omnivore, there is something for everyone on the menu. To quote the hotel’s description of the restaurant:
Freshly prepared meals made from locally sourced ingredients fill the plates of Natural Epicurean. The menu offers a variety of healthy, wholesome, organic and natural choices that accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free diners without sacrificing flavor. Broadmoor Farms proudly grows the finest produce, while a living herb wall and working patio garden service the kitchen to provide the freshest ingredients.
The space is bright and airy compared to the more subdued color palate of the hotel itself. The restaurant also has outdoor seating for al fresco dining in nice weather. The clean white tiling throughout Natural Epicurean allows that colors of the cook to really pop and helps emphasize the freshness of the ingredients, especially all the fruits and vegetables at the juice bar in front of you when you walk in.
Imagine going to a restaurant and not having to wonder what substitutions could be made on any given dish. No more waiting for your server to check with the kitchen on what can be done. Instead, you hold all the answers in your in hand. Imagine no more. Natural Epicurean makes this a reality. While the food is excellent at Natural Epicurean, the star of the dining experience was the use of technology to make dining simple for everyone. They have an iPad that contains the full restaurant menu. Diners can see only foods that cater to their particular diets and omit foods containing certain allergens or ingredients. Moreover, you can be shown substitutions that can be made to many dishes to suit your needs. All four of us in our party took some time to play around with the iPad.
When I was looking over the menu I picked up the iPad and asked to be shown only vegan options. To my surprise, the Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl came up as an option. However, I saw that I was able to substitute smoked tofu for the chicken and now a previously undesirable option was calling my name. When it arrived I was presented with a bowl of green Asian vegetables including baby bok choy, snap peas, and zucchini in a sesame ginger sauce served atop brown rice with two pieces of smoked tofu on top of it all. The vegetables were fresh and crisp and the tofu was firm and well seasoned.
Teriyaki Rice Bowl with Smoked Tofu
Ethan made a meal of marinated roasted beets and that day’s daily soup, butternut squash with roasted apple. The beets come with a serving of chipotle pico de gallo , cilantro and quinoa. As he is not a fan of cilantro, Ethan asked to have it omitted and the kitchen readily complied. The portion of beets was very generous and Ethan thought they were great. The soup was rich and flavorful with the apple adding a sweetness to compliment the richness of the squash.
Marinated Roasted Beets with Chipotle Pico de Gallo and Quinoa
Our friend JL, of JLGoesVegan ordered the Italian Vegetable Club. The sandwich is listed as “veg,” meaning vegetarian, but a simple omission of the feta made it vegan. The sandwich contains eggplant, zucchini, tomato, marinated spaghetti squash, white beans and a pine nut “mayo” on rosemary bread. It was so large, that she could not finish it. The vegetable were grilled and lightly seasoned to let their own natural flavors stand out.
Our friend Dave went for the Anasazi Bean Burger. The burger listed as “veg” can be made vegan by simply omitting the cheese and comes with arugula, grilled red onions and chipotle pico do gallo. The patty itself is made from a base of anasazi beans, a bean native to the Four Corners area of the Southwestern United States. Dave loved it and cleaned his plate with no issue.
To accompany our meals we sampled from the restaurant’s wine and beer menus. Ethan and I each had a glass of Syrah, JL went with a Zinfandel and Dave selected a glass of Old Chub Beer to accompany his burger. I also decided to try a drink from the cold press juice bar. I went with the Vitamin C Blast, a tasty mix of orange and strawberry juices and sparking water. It was sweet and refreshing.
The menu at Natural Epicurean was developed in consultation with The Anschutz Health and Wellness Center and features produce grown at The Broadmoor Farms. Fresh vegetables are a feature of almost every item on the menu. The menu as a whole reflects the desire to encourage using fresh ingredients as much as possible. There really is something for everyone on the menu and with a little help from technology, no one has to worry about whether a particular dish works with his or her needs.
The Broadmoor is located at 1 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906. You can reach the hotel at (855) 634-7711. To make a reservation at Natural Epicurean either call the hotel to book online at Opentable.com
