Colorado Restaurant Bites: 626 on Rood's Buffalo Tenderloin

Colorado.com Staff Writer

Updated:

Foodies and wine lovers flock to northwest Colorado for its abundance of picturesque vineyards, family-owned orchards and annual food and wine festivals. Once it’s dinnertime, however, these culinary connoisseurs seek out a little Grand Junction gem called 626 On Rood, a modern-American restaurant featuring innovative dishes and nearly 40 wines by the glass.

626 On Rood's buffalo tenderloin, Grand Junction, CO
626 On Rood's buffalo tenderloin, Grand Junction, CO
Fine-dining Grand Junction restaurant 626 on Rood
Fine-dining Grand Junction restaurant 626 on Rood
626 On Rood's innovative system in Grand Junction, CO
626 On Rood's innovative system in Grand Junction, CO

Although the menu is packed with gourmet entrees like butter-poached lobster tails and grilled quail, you won’t want to miss the six-ounce buffalo tenderloin medallion, a tender cut of meat immersed in a red wine-juniper-rosemary marinade. The medallion is covered with panko (flaky, Japanese-style bread crumbs) and pan-seared for a light, crispy crust. It’s served with roasted fingerling potatoes and finished with a shiitake red wine sauce.

For the perfect wine pairing, peruse the extensive wine list, which offers more than 70 bottles and nearly 40 by-the-glass options.

Or you could opt for the Call Me A Cab wine flight, a sampling of three medium-bodied red wines with well-structured tannins and dark berry flavors — a great match for the buffalo tenderloin.

After dinner, explore downtown Grand Junction, where you can stroll along tree-lined streets to find vibrant music venues, outdoor sculptures, lively brewpubs and historic buildings.

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Photos courtesy 626 On Rood and the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau (exterior).