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reviewed on: March 13, 2009
It’s been three or four years since The Old Blinking Light opened in Highlands Ranch, a spinoff of the restaurant of the same name outside of Taos, New Mexico. The original restaurant is named after a blinking traffic light at the intersection where it’s located. The one in Highlands Ranch is named after the one at the blinking light in Taos, which means the significance of its name is pretty well lost on Denverites. Nevertheless, this fun, casual eatery has gained its adherents through the years as word spread that the enticing food of New Mexico could now be had without having to make the trip to Taos.
One of the really smart things the owners of the OBL did was to sign on Chef Joseph Wrede, who had set up the Taos menu, to act as the consultant for the Denver store. If there’s one thing Wrede understands, it’s the food of New Mexico, having two successful restaurants of his own in the Taos area. But over the years, the kitchen in Denver took on a direction of its own, departing from the classic New Mexican fare that the owners wanted.
So now Wrede is no longer consulting. Instead, he’s the hands-on chef in Highlands Ranch, wrestling the menu back to its southwestern roots, and this week we had a chance to sample his new menu.
Physically, nothing’s changed about the restaurant. It still boasts a really snazzy bar area, a display kitchen where you can watch the food being prepared, and gigantic rotating ceiling fans that resemble something out of a sci-fi film.
Like the Mexican food it’s derived from, southwestern fare can be a fiery mish-mash, or it can be a nice balance between flavor and heat and, with this new menu, Wrede demonstrates his ability to walk that fine line, and create some real crowd pleasers. We kicked things off with a Crispy Duck Salad, offered as an entrée, consisting of shredded duck in a mixture of greens, with dates, queso fresco, avocado, and oranges, tossed in a light and tangy vinaigrette.
Equally delightful was the green chile and pork posole served with Navajo fry bread. Then, a colorful trio of peppers arrived, including two jalapenos, one stuffed with cheese and grits, and the second with bacon and cotija cheese, and a red fresno pepper stuffed with silky corn pudding.
And while Wrede proves he can deftly manipulate the complex textures and tastes of southwestern fare, he also demonstrates a playful side with his Frito Pie. If you’ve been to fairs anywhere in the west, you’ve undoubtedly been exposed to this fun dish where the top is removed from a bag of Fritos, and hot chile is drizzled over the chips. While eating it out of a bowl isn’t half as much fun, it nevertheless evokes pleasant memories, and the flavor is great.
In short, there’s lots to enjoy on this menu, including ribs, a chicken leg in pumpkin seed mole, stacked as well as traditional enchiladas, and their signature Duck Fat Fries.
The Old Blinking Light is at the base of the clock tower at the Highlands Ranch Town Center. The easiest way to get there is to exit C-470 at Broadway, go south about a half mile to Highlands Ranch Parkway, then head west. By this time you should have the clock tower well in sight, and the rest is easy.
The Old Blinking Light
9344 Dorchester, in the Highlands Ranch Town Center
303-346-9797
http://www.oldblinkinglight.com/
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