It was one of the splashiest of the splashy early openings at the Streets at SouthGlenn development in Centennial. The restaurant from impresario Mark Tarbell, also known for his two branches of The Oven Pizza E Vino and a handful of eateries in Arizona, would bring his sophisticated brand of restauranting to Centennial. The place would be called “Home.”
But “Home” was an awkward name from the beginning. For one thing, it’s hard to google. For another, this space, which is remarkable for its edge-nudging architecture (sprawling windows, semi- open kitchen, and a structure-within-a- structure bar area) feels anything but homey.
Eventually the name changed, to Tarbell’s. And while perhaps less evocative, at least it’s easier to find. And better to change the name early in the life of the restaurant rather than later.
Tarbell’s hangs on a unique culinary concept: Half the menu is reserved for “Vintage Cooking” (think pork chops and applesauce, sloppy Joes and nightly “blue plate” specials like meatloaf or fish sticks). The other half is “Modern Cooking” (gluten-free tomato gnocchi, watermelon wedge salad with mint yogurt dressing, fish tacos). It’s a clever conceit and, if nothing else, provides a nice conversation-focus for the first few minutes of your meal.
On the “Vintage” side, the standout was the meatball, available as an appetizer or on a pile of spaghetti. Big, soft, lovingly cooked and well-seasoned with a range of sweet-to-hot herbs and spices, it was a good example of what’s sure to be the next big thing (again) once Denver’s current co- obsessions with burgers and pizza subside. (Here’s hoping this happens soon.)
That said, the burgers, also sourced from the “Vintage” side of the menu, were juicy and big and guiltily satisfying.
The “Modern” side of the menu features a few gems, like the aforementioned watermelon salad, one of this summer’s most refreshing new starters. Likewise an agile salmon dish, buttery flesh against a pleasantly prickly ancho glaze. The halibut, pan-seared and served with wilted greens, wheat berries and grapefruit, was a wonderful idea, but overcooked.
One terrible land mine to avoid: the ill-conceived, and poorly executed kale salad. The massive pile of raw kale greens piled onto a plate was enough for a horse. A big one. Kale is not easy to eat raw; it is a tough green that requires a lot of chewing — if served without being wilted or braised first, it ought to be chopped into tiny pieces. This one was not. The effect was a sloppy, unappetizing mound of disappointment.
Service at Tarbell’s has been thoughtful and smart from the beginning, as friendly and knowledgeable as you’d expect from an operation as seasoned as this team. If occasionally unpolished, staffers are generally charming and efficient. On one visit, an item we’d ordered never made it to our table; when we informed our server, it was brought quickly and struck from the bill. Nicely done.
Here’s the real beef with Tarbell’s: the prices. The $24 halibut dish, though tasty, had nowhere near the subtlety of flavor or delicateness of texture you’ll find in far superior — and nearly identically priced — fish dishes served at Fruition ($25) or Tables ($23). If Tarbell’s halibut had been as good as those, I wouldn’t have balked at the price. Likewise, had it been priced at $18, I would have felt better about it. But the product on the plate just didn’t match the price on the bill.
It’s not just the fish. The $21 pot roast was rich and rewarding, but would have had more impact had it set me back $17. Ditto the $18 gnocchi or the $10 spinach salad. All were good, but I couldn’t help feeling like I was paying too much.
In short: Tarbell’s is a pleasant place to spend an evening, and you’ll go home satisfied with your meal. But you may, when you revisit the bill the following morning, wonder whether you spent too much.
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TARBELL’S
American
6955 S. York St., at the Streets at SouthGlenn, Centennial, 303-703-8100, tarbellssouthglenn.com
** (out of 4)
Atmosphere: Big windows define this wide-open room that’s dense with architectural details.
Service: Friendly, generally swift, deft
Prices: Appetizers $6-$14; main plates $15-$29
Wine: Decent wine list
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., seven days
Details: Park in common lot. Call ahead for large parties. Reservations recommended but not usually necessary. Kids will like it.
Three visits
Our star system: ****: Exceptional ***: Great **: Very Good *: Good
