A restaurant with a Spanish-French name that serves American and German food, run by a retired ship’s captain and a Swiss culinary school graduate. . . . in Pueblo.
An improbable combination in an unlikely setting, Rio Bistro offers contemporary standards such as steak, salmon and lamb, and German standbys sauerbraten and wiener schnitzel.
Elisabeth and Jurgen Millenet bought the restaurant five years ago, and she took over the kitchen while he manned the bar. “I was a sea captain all my life. I know about drinking,” says Jurgen, who pours a generous glass of riesling.
“Everything is a little bit out of the ordinary — not something you can buy. We use our own fantasy here,” says Elisabeth. “I decided to do what I do best and that is German items, so I picked the two most popular ones, schnitzel and sauerbrauten.”
For an authentic taste of southern Germany, try the wiener schnitzel, a thin veal cutlet breaded in a crunchy cornmeal coating and fried, sauerbraten, braised beef with spaetzle and red cabbage, and hot, flaky apple strudel with melty vanilla ice cream.
The interior avoids any Bavarian cliches, with a sophisticated yellow and black color scheme. A wall-sized blackboard anchors the back of the room, and displays the menu, while a granite-topped bar with a mirrored back reflects the buttery yellow tablecloths and black leather chairs.
And as if running the bistro and beating cancer weren’t enough, Elisabeth has opened Victoria’s Deli and Catering, a breakfast and lunch spot around the corner, (218 S. Victoria Ave., 719-546-2354, open Monday-Saturday). Meanwhile, you can find Jurgen behind the bar.
Kristen Browning-Blas: 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com
RIO BISTRO
American-German. 126 S. Union Ave., Pueblo, 719-253-0126. 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
