Tonight I went to a new place that just opened 2 weeks ago with a few of my fellow Foodie friends. Kings is located on 45th and Grand, directly across the street from Cafe Ena. They have patio seating, which would have been great had it not been so unseasonably chilly this particular evening. (Stay away winter, we are not ready for you!) Even though we arrived at 7:30 on a Saturday night, we only had to wait less than 10 minutes for a table. (woo-hoo!) The ambience inside has a very cozy wine bar feel to it, with some tasteful splashes of glamour (cool crystal art-deco looking chandelier, textured wallpaper, etc.) Our server was very friendly, but not disingenuous. We started with a bottle of Malbec and split 3 appetizers: house-made tator tots with bacon and gruyere cheese sauce, goat cheese fritters with a shallot relish, and imported Italian artisan salami with stone ground mustard and cornichons. I wasn't blown away with any of the appetizers, but they were each unique and satisfying....I did however, really enjoy the gruyere cheese sauce that came with the tator tots--it was almost as good as the cheese fondue sauce served with the fries at Cafe Maude. The goat cheese fritters were good, but I thought the layer of "fritter" batter was too thick in relation to the amount of goat cheese nestled inside.
Now for the main entrees....the menu here isn't extensive....the number of wines on the menu outnumber the food items by about 5 to 1....but since this is a wine bar, this is to be expected.
I had the salmon fillet with grilled asparagus, orzo, and shallot relish. It was good, but nothing I couldn't have made at home. Nice generous portion of salmon, perfect seared with a slightly crisp crust.
Two of my dining companions had the braised short ribs with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Friend 3 had the spaghetti with chicken meatballs, while Friend 4 had the baked macaroni and cheese.
The unanimous decision at the table was that the braised short ribs was the best dish. In fact, after having the first bite of the short ribs, my one friend could not resist letting out an audible sigh of pure culinary bliss. When I asked my friends for some verbal commentary on the short ribs I heard: "fork-tender....perfect red wine reduction....amazing....I don't even need my knife...." I must admit, I stole several bites of the dish, and it was indeed delicious. 
As the rest of us were chatting away, one of my friends who had ordered the short ribs was unusually quiet...turns out he was busy cleaning his plate! Well, I guess there's no better proof he was a fan of the dish! Plus, at only $14.95, the price was not bad for the quality and quantity of food you got. (I could easily see this type of dish going for $20+ at other places.) For dessert, we ordered 3 items to share: a) the blueberry cobbler made with local blueberries, baked with cinnamon and vanilla b) house made chocolate chip cookie with expresso whipped cream and a light chocolate sauce and c) bananas foster. Most everyone loved the blueberry cobbler the best, but I loved the combo of all 3 items. All in all, the group really enjoyed the place and we will definitely be back. It has a great relaxed atmosphere perfect for a leisurely night of dinner and drinks. 
Location: 45th and Grand Ave
Price: $$
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