During my family’s visit to Wheaton, we stopped in to have a drink at a local bar. Muldoon’s is an Irish Pub and Restaurant, not exactly the type of place one would expect a good Margarita, but I figured I’d give it a try anyway.

This is a pretty simple review. It was a standard “bar” Margarita. It was fine, nothing special. It probably was a pre-made mix, not that I was expecting anything amazing, but hey you never know. That’s the fun in taste-testing a Margarita everywhere you go.

Muldoon’s Margarita gets a 6.5. That being said, the bartender and the servers were all gracious and very fun. I’d definitely go back to Muldoon’s to try the food and have another drink next time I’m in Wheaton.

My sister lives in Wheaton so periodically we drive up to visit her. On previous trips we had eaten at a restaurant called The Bank and I had written about the Margarita there back in February. To say we really like the restaurant is an understatement, so of course we ate there again this visit.

I’m happy to say that the food and the Margaritas were both still amazing. It is hard to describe the flavor of the Margarita, but it is a combination of subtle citrus, bold sweetness, and strong but not overpowering tequila. It all combines into a “soft” but full-bodied taste that feels like it fills up your mouth when you take a sip. This is definitely a Margarita where a second round is in order, so of course I had a second that night. My only complaint with the Margarita that night was that some of the sips were too salty. I deduced that the glass may have simply been over-salted and some of the salt fell to the bottom of the glass. I usually specify no salt for my Margaritas, but I forgot to do so that night, so I won’t count against it. As before I give The Bank’s Margarita an 8.5.

I often visit places based on the recommendations of friends. Some friends that live near Mi Ranchito in University City, MO suggested my family meet them for dinner there. Never one to turn down an opportunity to try a new Margarita, of course I agreed!

To critique the food, what I had that night at Mi Ranchito was good, but nothing spectacular. If I were in the area, I’d certainly go back again, but I wouldn’t make a special trip for it.

The Margarita followed form. We shared a pitcher over dinner. The overall flavor was pretty good with the various components well-balanced. However, the taste was a bit subdued. I would have preferred a little bolder flavor. The finish was also a little more bitter than I would have liked. Just like the food, I would call the Margarita at Mi Ranchito good, but nothing spectacular. I would rate the Margarita at Mi Ranchito that night a 7.

Word on the street is that Chava’s Mexican Restaurant in St. Louis has a good Margarita. So when I had the opportunity to sample one, I took it. It was a fairly warm day for late September, so I was dining outside. I believe that the weather has an influence on our perceptions of drinks, and for better or worse, this probably factors into our enjoyment of a Margarita any particular day.

The Margarita I had this day had a good flavor overall. As it was fairly warm this day, especially in the sun, the Margarita was refreshing and easy to drink. However, this same quality did make it a little thin for my preference. I prefer a more full-tasting Margarita, but again, for the temperature at the time, a light Margarita was actually a nice match. For many people, a light and easy-drinking Margarita is their preference. So if this is the type of Margarita you like, what they serve at Chava’s may be right up your alley. But for me, it was good but not great so I give it a 7 overall.

After a grueling day of filming – yes we found the “Lost Aspen Time Tube” and the mouse that Steve Jobs used during his “Lost 1983 IDCA Speech” – my travel partner and I were in the mood for simpler fare. Side note: it is very easy to get sunburned at high altitude and fall weather is very unpredictable in the mountains. Having been to Aspen many times before, my travel partner suggested we visit Little Annie’s Eating House. From what I had heard, this was the best burger in Aspen but I was more interested in how their Margarita stacked up.

The story of Little Annie is that she was the daughter of a silver miner who came to Aspen in the late 1870’s. Little Annie’s Eating House is named after this famous figure in Aspen’s history. From what I gathered, as well as being known for good burgers, they were also known for having a good bar. So I ordered a burger and a Margarita, hoping for the best. Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed on either count.

The burger was very good. It was a traditional bar and grill style burger but definitely a cut above average. If you are a burger fan, be sure to stop by Little Annie’s if you’re ever in Aspen. The Margarita’s flavor was well-balanced, with just a little bit of a strong tequila finish. Not that a strong tequila finish is necessarily a bad thing, but it was just slightly more pronounced than I like. Overall it was a good Margarita, which made me happy given that this was the last night I would spend in Aspen. I give it a 7.5 out of 10, but I would come back to Little Annie’s and give their Margarita another taste if I have the chance.

Wrapping up my trip to Aspen, I would definitely recommend that everyone get a chance to visit this unique little town if they get a chance. While it is known for skiing, the place is beautiful year-round. For having such a famous reputation, the town is surprisingly small. However, it has a plethora of eating establishments and other points of interest. Four nights just wasn’t enough to explore the entirety of the town, but it was enough to get a good feel for the culture and atmosphere. One day I will return with my family and you can be sure that I will further explore some great Margaritas when the time comes.

Not a bad Margarita …

When my travel partner and I stopped at Rustique Bistro the night before, the place was completely booked. So I made a reservation for the next evening immediately. Good thing I did because the place was booked again this night. This seemed unusual as most people we talked to said that we were in Aspen’s off-season. So why was this place so booked when most other restaurants seemed easily available?

The first reason seemed to be that Rustique Bistro had an excellent reputation. Given what we had heard so far, we were eager to try this place. When we were seated, our server went over the menu and the specials. She then mentioned that nearly everything was 30% off that night. That’s cool, but why? I asked her why that was and she said that they run off-season specials. The previous night was actually 50% off. No wonder they were booked solid! For a French-style bistro in Aspen, I’m not sure they actually needed to run such great specials, but who am I to complain?

Of course, I had to try a Margarita. So far in Aspen, I hadn’t really had a great Margarita, but Rustique had a nice bar so I was hopeful that I wouldn’t be disappointed tonight. The Margarita had a good citrus flavor. It was just a little more bitter than I would have liked. There wasn’t enough sweetness in my opinion to balance the the other flavor components. I would say that this was in the category of a more traditional Margarita, being less sweet and highlighting the citrus and tequila. But I prefer a little more sweetness in my Margarita, so I give Rustique’s Margarita a 7 this night. If you prefer less sweetness in your Margarita, you may rate this higher.

… but this was the star of the show tonight – Braised Short Ribs of Beef

But forget the Margarita, Rustique had me in a food coma that night. I ordered their Macaroni and cheese appetizer to start. Here recently, I’m beginning to be a big fan of gourmet Mac and cheese and Rustique’s version did not disappoint in the least. The only problem was that I nearly stuffed myself on the appetizer so I had trouble finishing my main course of Braised Short Ribs of Beef. I had to offer the last several bites to my travel partner, who greatly appreciated having an opportunity to sample my meal. This was an exquisite meal in an exquisite atmosphere in an exquisite little town. If you travel to Aspen, book your reservations to Rustique early and often.

Such a pretty picture! Unfortunately, the Margarita looked a lot better than it was.

On the second night of my Aspen visit, my travel partner and I decided to try one of Aspen’s fine dining restaurants. Our first choice, Rustique, was booked solid that night. So we went around the corner to Jimmy’s, another place we had heard good things about. I wasn’t sure if they were known for Margaritas, but their drink menu highlighted a Margarita right at the top. So I had high hopes that this would be a worthy Margarita.

Jimmy’s is a great restaurant. The sommelier came by our table and was very knowledgeable and helpful. I ordered a Filet Mignon and it was excellent. The servers were great and the ambiance was outstanding. Unfortunately, the Margarita that night just didn’t match up to the rest of the restaurant.

I ordered Jimmy’s house Margarita. Next time I’m around I’ll order their “Jimmy’s” Margarita. Unfortunately, this Margarita was simply way too tart. I normally love a Margarita with a strong citrus component, but this was just plain sour. There was no sweetness to balance the tart flavor. The finish was bitter, which when combined with the overly tart start was just not good. I hate to do this, but the Margarita this night only garnered a 5 out of 10. I’m hopeful that this was just a anomaly, as in further reading it seems Jimmy’s is known for having an excellent bar. So the next time I’m in Aspen, I’ll come back again. The food and atmosphere is worth the visit and hopefully the next Margarita will stack up.

The next few posts collectively may be called “The Best Margarita in Aspen”, as I am spending a few days in Aspen, CO. No, it’s not ski season. I’m here to participate in the filming of an episode of the National Geographic TV show, Diggers, as we search for the “Lost Aspen Time Tube” that contains Steve Jobs’ mouse from his “Lost 1983 Speech“. Aspen may not be known for Margaritas, but I’m going to try a few while I’m here anyway. If I come away finding Steve Jobs’ mouse and am also recognized as the authority on Aspen Margaritas, then this will all be worth it!

After a 2 hour plane trip (not including travel to and from the airports), getting a car rental, and a 5 hour drive through harrowing mountain passes (at least I was treated to some beautiful mountain scenery), we got into Aspen around 8 PM. The first order of business was getting something to eat. I found a Mexican restaurant close by called Su Casa. I had read a little bit about Su Casa prior to the trip and it sounded like it should have a decent Margarita. Either way we were hungry so my travel partner and I headed out.

The food I ordered seemed to be above average for a Mexican restaurant, however hunger may have influenced that perception! The restaurant itself was nice although a little small. I ordered their house Margarita, but I read some reviews that suggested I try their “half-and-half” Margarita which was a mix of regular and strawberry Margarita. I may try that the next time I come by Aspen because I was simply too full after my meal to have another!

Su Casa’s house Margarita had a nice, soft flavor. It wasn’t too tart or sweet and went down smoothly. As the picture indicates, it had a frothy appearance, which I’ve observed that some people appreciate. However, the finish was a little bitter. Overall, the flavor was nice, but it wasn’t great. I’d give the Margarita a 7. It was a nice Margarita to have with a meal, but I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to get it.

One of our favorite restaurants, my wife and I were again at Five Bistro this evening. I had previously written about a Margarita I had at Five Bistro, but the former bartender at Five Bistro left to manage another restaurant. A new bartender is a good enough excuse for me to try a Margarita, as if I need one!

This Margarita had a strong hit of citrus up front, but very little sweetness to balance it out. It had a nice finish with what tasted like a combination of tequila and triple sec. I describe this as more of a “classic” Margarita where there is very little sweetness other than the triple sec. I prefer a tad more sweetness, but I know some people may not. I asked and the tequila used was El Jimador. Overall, I give this Margarita a 7, better than the 6 I gave last time.

A simply good Margarita

I met my wife for lunch on her birthday at The Cheesecake Factory in St. Louis. It had been a few years since we’d been here and of course it was a good excuse to try a Margarita. If you’re not familiar with The Cheesecake Factory, it doesn’t serve just cheesecakes! Their food is very good and I’m happy to report so are their Margaritas.

The Margarita I had was very nicely balanced with a crisp citrus flavor, light sweetness, and a good tequila flavor. I don’t have much more to say other than it was simply a pleasure to drink. I give it a solid 8 on my scale. Make sure to try one the next time your stop by The Cheesecake Factory!