Barb Schiappacasse

Bulk Eaters take note-

I have been to the Black Bear Diner (not to be confused with the Black Bear Inn) several times and want to share some comments about my experiences there. For those of you who love breakfast this place serves it all day and the portions are large enough to hold you over ‘till the following breakfast! The diner is located at the Citadel Crossing at 975 N Academy Blvd (719-314-3616) and rarely has a wait longer than a few minutes. Yesterday morning I ordered "Bruce's Meat Lover's Omelets- with 3 eggs (standard for all omelets) and filled with ham, bacon, link sausage and jack cheese. It was served with a choice of hash brown OR my favorite, county red diced potatoes and a homemade biscuit (which my friend substituted for a big fluffy pancake).

Add a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and cup of fresh coffee and you'll agree it's hard to beat, especially for the price.

Besides the large quantity of food, the selection and quality is impressive. If you're not into BULK EATING, there is the option of ordering from the "little less" sections on the menu. The "little less" are equivalent to the amount you'd expect at most restaurants but still come with all the usual extras.

A favorite dinner is the Wild Dill Salmon which is found on the menu under "A Little Less Dinner" (served after 4:00 PM). It consists of 2 salmon filets coated in a dill sauce and comes with bread, a cup of soup OR salad and for $8.69, it's a real deal for a fine fish dinner. Again, don't let the "little less" fool you, I had plenty and paired with a glass of wine made for a very satisfying fare.

The only disappointing items I've tried at the Black Bear Diner came when I ordered dessert. The delicious sounding pies, WEREN'T. The super thick heavy crust virtually obscured the fillings of both the pumpkin and peach pies that I tried. I was surprised considering how good the rest of the food was but if you're in the mood for dessert, stick with a scoop of ice cream and save yourself from an unpleasant experience.

Besides the dessert, I can highly recommend the Black Bear Diner, try it you'll like it. For more information, you can visit their website a www.blackbeardiner.com.

I guess I would be remiss not to mention the original Hub Car Wash and Diner (located off Garden of the Gods at 4460 Forest Hill Rd 535-0346). The restaurant here really is a diner, but the food and car wash services are convenient and exceptionally good. I lean towards the steak and eggs for a breakfast choice and have been consistently surprised at the quality of the meat. Along with the typical car wash services, I was notified of a chip in my windshield, and after taking my insurance information, the chip was repaired and I was soon on my way. It was nice to find another way to multi-task, and in my busy life this kind of service is always appreciated.

I surprised my friend ShawNa by taking her to lunch the other day at the carwash. I'd threatened it before, but she'd always opted out for P F Changs or Champs, but this time I was driving so, the carwash it WAS. Well actually it was the Easy Street Cafe at the Hub carwash off Woodman and Lexington and she was as surprised as I was at my first visit. Upscale setting, reasonable prices, food and wine selections- all while I got my car washed with an interior detail. It's a diamond in the rough for sure. If you haven't tried it, GO.

I had such high hope for Carlos' Bistro but lunch there was somewhat disappointing. Yes, Carlos with tie flung over his shoulder, still demonstrates his understanding of the meaning of service by personally meeting and greeting you, but here's what happened when he wasn't looking.

After our waitress carefully described in detail the daily specials she seemed quite surprised when we opted out of the 4 shrimp salad and ordered instead the pan-seared Jumbo Sea Scallop and Shrimp salad with lemon vinaigrette dressing. Apparently we upset her so much that she confused the red zin I had ordered with a glass of the house red. The salad arrived and the shrimp and scallops were cooked to perfection. The food was delectable as expected but...........I was hungry and this salad prepared with 2 shrimp and 2 scallops left me craving more. Gee Carlos, for $15.99 I'd really like at least 3 of each! I wasn't sure if the crème brule that we ordered (to split for dessert) is always served in a small casserole dish or if Carlos knew a ramekin might fall short for two still hungry people, but we were sure happy to see it.

I haven't given up on Carlo's Bistro, but I am not ordering the Jumbo Sea Scallops and Shrimp Salad for lunch again.

If you're moving to the Colorado Springs region, be sure to check out my blogs about living here, and restaurants and fine dining. You can find them listed in the Active Rain "REGIONAL" Localism channel about COLORADO SPRINGS and labeled COLORADO SPRINGS LIFE, DINING AND RESTAURANTS. Bon apetite and thanks for looking! http://activerain.com/blogs/barbsyouragent