Last week I visited Parallel Seventeen for the first time. After being seated, I was ready for a beer and  immediately checked out what they had on tap. They had selections from Colorado breweries Great Divide and Odell, as well as Oregon’s Deschutes and a Pumpkin Ale by Wasatch Brewery in Utah, which I chose, as I’ve really been enjoying pumpkin beers this season.

My guest and I started with the White asparagus flatbread with pistachio, sesame & fig gastrique, mustard greens, and Manchego cheese. It was wonderful; the asparagus was so tender it practically melted in my mouth, and the gastrique added just the right amount of sweetness. I could have eaten the entire dish myself, but I had to stop in order to leave room for my entrée.

I was in the mood for a salad, so I went with the Quinoa salad with arugula, pea shoots, goat cheese fritters, apricot, and charred scallion vinaigrette. I omitted the water chestnuts as I don’t care much for them, but I imagine they would add a nice crunchy texture. It was very good, and the goat cheese fritters were such a nice addition. My guest decided on the Vermicelli noodles with field greens, cucumbers, carrots, sprouts, toasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and crispy tofu. This dish is on the menu as “vegetarian,” though the nuoc cham it normally comes with contains fish sauce, so they substituted miso vinaigrette instead. This too was quite tasty, and both salads were very filling.

Our server suggested a lighter beer to pair with the salads, and he recommended Lucky Buddha Lager from China. I liked this beer from the moment I saw the bottle. I had never tried it before, but it did go well with the salad and was more flavorful than many lagers I’ve had.

Though I was extremely full by now, I just had to try some dessert. I was surprised to see Cotton Candy on the menu; I’m not sure the last time I’d had cotton candy, but it was probably about 20 years ago at a local carnival. So I was eager to see how theirs, made in-house, would compare. It was very light and flavorful, the perfect way to get a taste of something sweet without being too filling. My guest and I loved it. We also enjoyed the Coconut & chocolate bread pudding, which went well with my dessert drink, a Vietnamese Coffetini (chilled Vitenamese coffee, vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur and sweetened condensed milk).

The great meal was enhanced by the delightful ambiance and attentive staff at Parallel Seventeen. The menu is full of inventive dishes, and they have good craft beers on tap. My experience at Parallel Seventeen was fantastic; I look forward to my next visit so I can try out another of their delicious creations.