Fruition has been a favorite restaurant for my husband and I, so it was natural that we would want to go there to celebrate our recent anniversary. Sadly, our dining experience was very disappointing!
In the past we have loved Chef Alex Seidel's creative dishes,...his unique combinations of food (we once had a soup combining octupus and cantaloupe - delicious!!), the farm to table ingredients, the presentation of the meal, the wine pairings, the service and the excellent accommodations of my dietary restrictions (I'm gluten free and stay away from heavy dairy). There's a reason Fruition was considered one of the top restaurants in Denver and it was foodie heaven for us.
Unfortunately, that has changed. The restaurant has a new chef and the atmosphere wasn't the same. The menu was surprisingly limited and it was difficult to even find anything unique and appealing. When I ordered the chicken liver mousse as an appetizer and asked for a gluten free option to the cibatta bread, I was informed they were out. Shocking considered my husband informed them of my dietary restriction when making the reservation and their website says, "We have vegetarian and gluten-free options at the ready." Not so!
After sharing our disappointment at the menu, I did appreciate that one of the staff came to me personally to try to put together a dinner I could eat (there were only 5 choices for a main dish including a boring roasted cauliflower and shrimp and grits). I wound up getting the duck breast with roasted squash. My husband ordered the Bavette Steak, a flank steak that came with mashed potatoes and gravy. Nothing creative there!! My husband commented that the food was ok, but was rather plain and certainly not up to the dining experiences of the past. He further commented that the meal was one we could have cooked at home (we love to cook). My meal was similar - good, but plain.
With only 3 options for dessert and nothing gluten-free, we were both eager to pay the bill and leave. I'm sad to say it was a very disappointing meal and didn't make for a good anniversary celebration.
Fruition is definitely not the restaurant it once was under Chef Alex Seidel.More