626 on Rood

It has taken me a while to do a review on 626 on Rood. Not sure why I waited. Especially as this is a restaurant that is very socially conscious — I love that!
My original exposure to this place was at the Palisade Olde-​Fashioned Christmas soup contest in 2014. They made a fantastic soup for that event which really impressed me.
This summer, we went to several of their Field to Patio events. This is a must-​do activity in Grand Junction during the summer. 626 teams with local farmers, growers, vintners, brewers… etc. What you get, for a very modest price, is a tasting menu featuring the local products (both food and drink) and a chance to meet and talk to the producers and the 626 chefs.
We have now also eaten in their dining room. And it was a wonderful experience. We were well taken care of by our server. We were not rushed, it was a very calm relaxed meal. We chose a chicken liver pâté to start. It was served with a wonderful balsamic onion marmalade and accouterments. I was suspicious of the pretzel bread provided for spreading, but it was actually very good and the saltiness complemented the pâté beautifully.
I had the squid ink pasta with scallops and housemade duck prosciutto. I’m not sure why I ordered it, as squid ink pasta has never particularly enthralled me. But I’m so happy I did. The texture of the pasta was lovely, a bit softer than al dente, but I can’t imagine wanting this particular pasta firmer than it was. The prosciutto was mixed into the creamy sauce and the grilled scallops were perched on top. The scallops were cooked perfectly with that little crust on the outside and soft unctuous middle. It really was a perfect taste.
My husband had a grilled pork chop cooked medium, as ordered. The fennel rub was delicious. The star of his dish was oddly the rutabaga hash. The rutabagas were from local farm and it was just such an unexpectedly flavorful accompaniment to the pork. Pork and root vegetables are great combination. I love a place that will serve a seasonal vegetable like a rutabaga and not just the same old veggies!
We shared a plate of local vegetables as a side. You know some places you get a side order of vegetables and you get boiled carrots, a frozen broccoli/​cauliflower mix, and the occasional canned green bean. Not here I don’t even think I can remember everything that was on the plate. But there were roasted brussels sprouts, cubes of butternut squash and perfectly crispy whole green beans among other seasonal treats.
To drink, we each had a flight of wines. I can’t remember the name of mine but it was three different Italian reds. They were all good, and all on the lighter side of red wines. My husband had the combination called Willamette Dammit. These were all Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. I think his selection was better than mine, but we were both happy with with what we ordered. And this was a great way to taste six different wines for not a lot of money!
Last BUT NOT LEAST, I love this restaurant because it supports local activities and charities. The Empty Bowl event that raises money for food banks — they are there, supplying soup Same for Palisade Old Fashion Christmas. I think when a fine dining establishment works to give back and to support local agriculture … that is a class act!

Really cool place to have dinner. The only restaurant in Grand Junction where we were able to find wine flights (and they included a good selection of local wines).
I was amazed that we were able to lead our dog through the restaurant to the outdoor patio. He was given a large bowl with lots of ice (his favorite) and we were able to enjoy our dinner without having to leave him at the hotel.
Our server and the other staff were very friendly and personable. They really seemed to enjoy what they were doing.
The food itself was pretty good, but I think we were definitely expecting a little more from the high praise in the other reviews. Nothing was bad per say, but we were hoping for more flavor and quality.

Have to say if it was not for Unilocal I would have miss this fine gem. Staff is very friendly, and food was defiantly fine dine quality. Had their fish of the «moment,» that was a fresh very lightly seared white fish in a pumpkin sauce that made everything work together.
Crowd looked mostly business travelers, and is worth experiencing wether for business or casual pleasure. Thank you 626 I will look to return when in the area.