REVIEW: Carlos and Walter in battle of bistros

It is almost impossible to open the door of Carlos' Bistro.

Owner Carlos Echeandia or his wife, Marcia, always seem to do it for you.

They give a genuine smile of welcome, usher diners through a realm of rich smells as steaming plates of lamb in a champagne balsamic reduction or skewers of thumb-size grilled shrimp pass by, and offer a cozy table and a simple, irresistible menu.

Carlos returns to the table several times, his tie flung over his shoulder in trademark style, to ask in his deep, rich Peruvian accent whether "everything is fabulous."

Walter's Bistro is almost a mirror image. Owner Walter Iser takes your coat, glides through the dining room in a starched shirt and pleated pants, extolling the lobster bisque to one table, quietly moving a candle out of the way at another.

He answers the phone. He clears plates. He is somehow everywhere, in every room, making sure everything is impeccable. Two men. Two excellent bistros.

Both with the same recipe for greatness: close personal attention. Whether they realize it or not, each is doing his best to reverse an almost universal trend in restaurants: the meaningless apostrophe.

The tiny mark that once denoted ownership has, instead, become a sure sign that a place is a faceless chain - usually a not very good one.

Think Chili's, Applebee's, T.G.I. Friday's, and of course, McDonald's. All are corporate concepts with no flesh behind the possessive nouns. Walter and Carlos, on the other hand, make strides to put real ownership - even love - back in apostrophes.

"I have a lot of passion for service," Carlos told me. "I think hospitality is the first step toward success. After all, all humans love attention."

Of course, a competent kitchen doesn't hurt either.

And both bistros have one.

The restaurants are remarkably similar.

Both straddle the edge of the Broadmoor ZIP code.

Both have owners who have spent years at other local eateries (Walter: Garden of the Gods Club; Carlos: Marigold Cafe).

Both have short, simple menus stocked with sophisticated versions of beef, chicken, lamb and fish. Both have premium prices to match. But most important, both have owners who are in the dining room nearly every day doing their best. "I'm here most of the time - mostly because I just love it," Walter said.

"It goes both ways. The customer loves it when you know them. And they become friends, so I enjoy it." Walter's is a study in traditional fine dining.

The room is lined with formal banquettes.

The tablecloths are a stylish shade darker than white. The food, prepared by chef Greg Champagne, is classic continental.

Lobster bisque ($10), a plain but labor-intensive dish, is on the menu every day, and so brimming with fresh lobster taste that sipping a spoonful is like being backhanded by Maine.

An appetizer of prosciutto-wrapped quail ($12), topped with a delicate violet and microgreen boutonniere, hides a sweet, crunchy center of dried dates and celery. Dinner is just as good.

A classic pan-roasted Half a Chicken ($23) resting on a pedestal of sausage-wild mushroom bread pudding had a skin so rich and crackly you could almost shatter it with a spoon.

Search for weaknesses, you won't find them.

The wild salmon ($27) is fresh, perfectly cooked and comes paired with an unexpected, seet butternut squash sauce.

Even the onion rings that come with the Bison Strip Steak ($29) have innards that somehow manage to not slither out of the breading at the first bite - a tough trick.

Make no mistake, diners pay for perfection. Walter's inhabits the top floor of the Colorado Springs restaurant prices.

But it has neighbors on that floor that are just as pricey and not as good.

One of the few that can stand up is Carlos'.

It, too, serves a classic bistro menu. Carlos is justifiably known for his fish. There is no set species on the menu.

Whatever is fresh is what he serves.

Sometimes it's mahi-mahi with walnut pesto swimming in a red pepper buerre blanc.

Sometimes it's escolar pan-fried in panko crumbs. Rarely is it anything short of exceptional.

After one bite of mahi with a crisp veneer from a hot skillet and an intense, light, flaky flesh, I was ready to name Carlos' the best place for seafood in the city. A half-dozen briny Chesapeake oysters only confirmed it.

Carlos comes to almost every table to explain the nightly specials.

His deeply inflected, passionate pitches are so compelling I would probably order fried raccoon from the guy.

On a recent night, the special was a lobster salad: fresh mixed greens, warm, floral goat cheese, pine nuts, grapefruit wedges and a scattering of homemade pistachio brittle sprinkled in a lovely fresh tarragon dressing and topped with a grilled half lobster tail.

I've had a lot of bad lobster in Colorado Springs.

Some that was frozen too long. Some that should have been. At Carlos', you can count on fresh, juicy crustacean.

Terrestrial selections are just as good.

The Colorado lamb ($36) in a champagne balsamic reduction strikes a perfect balance. The meat is fiavorful but not gamey, and supremely tender. If any lamb rack is worth almost $40, it's this one.

A let mignon ($37) was so tender you could almost eat it with a spoon, and set in a pool of reduction redolent with the oak accents of good brandy.

To find criticisms of either bistro is to truly nitpick - a dull wine-by-the-glass list at Walters, tables and chairs too chintzy for the prices at Carlos'. If there is a weak point at both, it is hit-or-miss desserts.

Both serve up delights. Carlos' chocolate bread pudding is something I could eat for every meal.

Walter's apple walnut strudel ($7) has the right blend of sweet and spice.

But Walter's sorbet tastes overly sweet and mass produced. Carlos' crepes change constantly, and sometimes waiters don't mention when one is full of bananas.

These are minor sour notes in otherwise brilliant performances by culinary conductors who know that, first and foremost, if a restaurant bears someone's name, that person should be there, working to make it great.

DETAILS

CARLOS' BISTRO
**** (Unpretentious excellence)
Address: 1025 S. 21st St. Phone: 471-2905
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; dinner 5-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays.
Entrees: $19-$38
Vegetarian: Yes
Liquor: Full bar
Plastic: Yes

WALTER'S BISTRO
**** (Elegance with ease)

Address: 146 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd. Phone: 630-0201
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; dinner 5:30 p.m.-close Mondays-Saturdays; bar menu 2 p.m.-close Mondays-Saturdays. Entrees: $10-$36
Vegetarian: Yes
Liquor: Full bar
Plastic: Yes