97 replies to this topic

[wineitup]

Going to Denver for meetings next week. Any good places I should try to get to?

[AlliK]

Going to Denver for meetings next week.  Any good places I should try to get to?

If you have the time/freedom to go over to Boulder, this place sounds good: Frasca (I haven't been)

[Waitman]

It's been a few years since I've been back, but when we lived in Denver Potager was by far our favorite place. On Capitol Hill, noisy, hip, excellent food. I believe its reputation is still very strong.

You might cruise out for Mexican if you've a mind, as well. And find a good place for Huevos Rancheros (made with local specialty green chili) for breakfast.

Where are you staying.

Also, try to get a martini in the lobby of the Brown Palace hotel downtown -- just a spectacular piece of Old Denver, and where Presidents and the Beatles stayed.

[JLK]

Waitman, what's that dive bar you sent me to for breakfast, near the Crowne Plaza? I loved it. A true dive.

[Waitman]

Waitman, what's that dive bar you sent me to for breakfast, near the Crowne Plaza?  I loved it.  A true dive.

Remind me where the Crown Plaza is? Was it El Chapultapec? The Cherry Cricket? Or Duffy's?

(rereads note) Must be Duffy's if you had breakfast there.

[JLK]

The Crowne Plaza is on the end of the pedestrian mall furthest from the Westin. Does that help?

[Mrs. B]

The Cruise Room in the Oxford in LoDo is also a swell place for a cocktail. If you are in Cherry Creek Mel's, Barolo & 4th Story (located in a fine independent bookseller Tattered Cover) were fine establishments (but this info is a bit dated - try to confirm with a current local). I would add my support for Potager and Duffy's. There was also a great Indonesian restaurant that had hallucinogenic Sambal. Waitman do you remember the name/location?

[Waitman]

The Cruise Room in the Oxford in LoDo is also a swell place for a cocktail.  If you are in Cherry Creek Mel's, Barolo & 4th Story (located in a fine independent bookseller Tattered Cover) were fine establishments (but this info is a bit dated - try to confirm with a current local).  I would add my support for Potager and Duffy's.  There was also a great Indonesian restaurant that had hallucinogenic Sambal.  Waitman do you remember the name/location?

It was on South Federal, just below the point at which the Latin neighborhood turned Asian. BYOB, as I recall. Sadly, I can't come up with a name.

[Heather]

The Cruise Room in the Oxford in LoDo is also a swell place for a cocktail.  If you are in Cherry Creek Mel's, Barolo & 4th Story (located in a fine independent bookseller Tattered Cover) were fine establishments (but this info is a bit dated - try to confirm with a current local).

Mel's was still good as of 18 months ago - the last time we were there. For some reason I'm thinking that Barolo closed...anyone know?

[Joe H]

Arguably Mizuna is the best in Denver http://www.mizunadenver.com/ I have not been to Frasca but a friend "whose opinion I trust" raves about it. Highlands Garden Cafe is also interesting but not on the level of Mizuna. If your taste runs to Rocky Mountain oysters or rattlesnake marinated in red chili and lime you may want to give serious consideration to Denver's oldest restaurant, the "unique" and interesting Buckhorn Exchange. http://www.buckhorn.com/

[Sthitch]

As soon as I saw Denver, I thought Buckhorn Exchange. It is a fun restaurant, I have had everything from Yak, to Musk Ox. I understand that the mountain oysters are quite good, it is the only food that I have an aversion to, so I wouldn't know.
If you like steak, give Brooks a try. It is one of the best steak houses in the country.

[Demetrius]

Head to the Tattered Cover bookstore and grab a cup of coffee and check out the cool bookstore.

[mame11]

Yes go to the Tattered Cover! Also go to the Le Central the Affordable French Restaurant. http://www.lecentral.com/

[Waitman]

Yes go to the Tattered Cover!  Also go to the Le Central the Affordable French Restaurant.  http://www.lecentral.com/

I have to disagree on Le Central - we tried hard to like it when we lived there, but we couldn't. Best get your French fix at one of DC's many fine Bistros and look for something else in Denver.

If you want low-end Euro Chow, better to find The Saucy Noodle (motto: if you don't like garlic, go home) for something in a red sauce, followed by good homemade 'scream at Bonnie Brae ice cream four doors down.

Tattered Cover in Cherry Creek, (NOT the one in LoDo) btw, aside from being a legendary bookstore has a great restaurant on the top floor, the aforementioned Fourth Floor, and is walking distance from Mel's and the Cherry Cricket (and a 2 minute drive from The Saucy Noodle). The tattered cover in LoDo is close to the Cruise room (on 17th) and the Chipultapec's, the Mexican Jazz bar as well as whatever's hip in that 'hood these days.

Edited by Waitman, 25 January 2006 - 06:14 PM.

[Heather]

We loved the burgers at Cherry Cricket. There's also a good breakfast place on E. 3rd in Cherry Creek but damned if I can remember the name.

[ScotteeM]

Mel's was still good as of 18 months ago - the last time we were there.  For some reason I'm thinking that Barolo closed...anyone know?

Mr. S is flying to Denver tomorrow to spend a week with family. I printed out this thread for him and instructed him to take notes and report back.

His brother told him tonight in a phone call that they do have ressies at Barolo for one evening, so no, it isn't closed.

[Demetrius]

I am a huge fan of a microbrew called: Fat Tire. It is brewed out in Colorado by The New Belgium Brewing Company, but alas, they do not distribute their product to this area.

[Sthitch]

I am a huge fan of a microbrew called: Fat Tire.  It is brewed out in Colorado by The New Belgium Brewing Company, but alas, they do not distribute their product to this area.

One of previous jobs took me to Salt Lake City, on every trip I would stop by one of the crappy sports bars in the Denver Airport for a large Fat Tire. It was my only saving grace before heading over the mountains to the Bee Hive State, also known as the land of watered down beer.
The same job also took me to Fort Collins just as often (where New Belgium is located), so I was able to make up for all the lost beer drinking time in Salt Lake City. Their Blue Paddle was my hands down favorite, but on my summer trips, the Sunshine Wheatbeer sure hit the spot.

[Waitman]

Someone once gave me a hard time for praising Fat Tire, not obscure enough, I guess. But when I lived in Denver I loved the stuff.

[mdt]

All this talk of Denver and beer has me thinking about the Great American Beer Festival. I have not been in many years and wonder if it is still worth the trip? Anyone have any recent trip reports?

[Joe H]

One of previous jobs took me to Salt Lake City, on every trip I would stop by one of the crappy sports bars in the Denver Airport for a large Fat Tire.  It was my only saving grace before heading over the mountains to the Bee Hive State, also known as the land of watered down beer.
The same job also took me to Fort Collins just as often (where New Belgium is located), so I was able to make up for all the lost beer drinking time in Salt Lake City.  Their Blue Paddle was my hands down favorite, but on my summer trips, the Sunshine Wheatbeer sure hit the spot.

Salt Lake City? I have found memories of a joint on N. Temple called The Red Iguana which was really good, especially for mole. I also remember some really strange hamburgers with pastrami on them at a place downtown that was a long standing local tradition although I still don't understand why.

[DanielK]

All this talk of Denver and beer has me thinking about the Great American Beer Festival.  I have not been in many years and wonder if it is still worth the trip?  Anyone have any recent trip reports?

My brother, who lives in the area, has gone every year for about the last 5 or 6. He says that each year it gets more crowded and more expensive, but it's still worth going to. But worth going to as a local, and worth flying out for are very different things.

Don't know if it was always this way, but now when you buy a ticket, it's only good for a single four-hour session - there are 4 (Thurs, Fri, Sat nites, and Sat day). The major brewers (?) like A-B now have a huge amount of square footage. Almost 30,000 people attended last year.

click me

[mdt]

My brother, who lives in the area, has gone every year for about the last 5 or 6. He says that each year it gets more crowded and more expensive, but it's still worth going to. But worth going to as a local, and worth flying out for are very different things.

Don't know if it was always this way, but now when you buy a ticket, it's only good for a single four-hour session - there are 4 (Thurs, Fri, Sat nites, and Sat day). The major brewers (?) like A-B now have a huge amount of square footage. Almost 30,000 people attended last year.

click me

I was last there in '97 and A-B has a table just like everyone else, but had the fewest people visiting . The sessions were setup the same way and Saturday afternoon was for vendors and American Homebrewer Association Members. During that session is when they would announce the winners which was pretty good as the crowd was rather small then.

[rbh]

Was at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood a month or two ago. One of my co-workers found this place a couple blocks from our hotel 240 Union (speaking of places named after their address). It was not at all what I expected... it was excellent... it says the Denver Post declares it one of the 10 best in Denver and I believe it. In terms of style of cooking and the menu, it reminded me most of Zest (in Frederick).....creative comfort food. I had the half-chicken with apple smoked bacon potatoes. The flavor moistly permeated into the whole chicken.... and bacon really does make potatoes taste better. Great deal at $15 also.... Co-workers had pasta with italian sausage (Strozzapreti) and another had a fish special (halibut I think). Way too full for dessert. Looked to be a decent wine list but I didn't look too long at it... was in a beer mood.

Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

[Scott Johnston]

Sullivan's Steak House
http://www.sullivans...use.com/denver/

It's not often I can say that I had one of the best steaks I have ever eaten. The 24 oz bone in cowboy ribeye has to make my top 5 list. I understand that this steakhouse is part of a chain, but the steak was divine! A simple wedge of lettuse with blue cheese dressing came as a starter, and some pretty good fresh bread. The service was great!

[DC in DC]

About 7 years ago, we had a fun meal at Vesta Dipping after a Rockies game (we were driving cross-country). In retrospect, the concept sounds kind of unappetizing (you chose various "dipping sauces" for your dinner-- kind of like Melting Pot), but at the time we really enjoyed it. Has anyone been; is it still around?

[bioesq]

Any further thoughts on restaurants in the downtown area? We'll be staying at the Hyatt on Welton Street, and will be joined by my wife's kids and their well-behaved three-year-old for part of the time. I wonder if she would enjoy the Ship Tavern at the Brown Palace? I haven't eaten there for years, but remember it as fairly casual with decent food. Any recommendations for the munchkin and/or just the two of us would be most appreciated.

[Waitman]

My wife -- Mrs. B -- and I weighed in with some suggestions earlier in this thread, but I'll just peek back in to say that, while it is utterly undistinguished in a culinary sense, the Ship's Tavern is a great informal place to get a dinner or some kid-food because the cooking is decent and the restaurant is distinctly Denver -- it has a sense of place that makes you feel that you've actually travelled somewhere, as opposed to being transported, Star Trek-like, to the same chain restaurant, just in another galaxy. Good burgers, too.

[bioesq]

My wife -- Mrs. B -- and I weighed in with some suggestions earlier in this thread, but I'll just peek back in to say that, while it is utterly undistinguished in a culinary sense, the Ship's Tavern is a great informal place to get a dinner or some kid-food because the cooking is decent and the restaurant is distinctly Denver -- it has a sense of place that makes you feel that you've actually travelled somewhere, as opposed to being transported, Star Trek-like, to the same chain restaurant, just in another galaxy. Good burgers, too.

Your suggestions sound good, and we'll certainly try Potager and, probably, 240 Union as well. I agree with you about the unique ambiance and understated elegance of the Brown; it's steeped in history, and my only regret is that, during one phase of its remodeling, they did away with those wonderful, old leather chairs and stand-up ashtrays in the lobby atrium--a place where a guy could swallow some scotch, read a paper and have a cigar without offending the known universe. And, yet, the Ship Tavern beckons, probably for two visits-- the bar alone is worth a good part of an evening. Again, many thanks.

[Waitman]

Your suggestions sound good, and we'll certainly try Potager and, probably, 240 Union as well. I agree with you about the unique ambiance and understated elegance of the Brown; it's steeped in history, and my only regret is that, during one phase of its remodeling, they did away with those wonderful, old leather chairs and stand-up ashtrays in the lobby atrium--a place where a guy could swallow some scotch, read a paper and have a cigar without offending the known universe. And, yet, the Ship Tavern beckons, probably for two visits-- the bar alone is worth a good part of an evening. Again, many thanks.

I'm glad we appear to be helpful. Another thing to keep in mind is that Denver is full of diners that serve huevos rancheros with green chili -- a local specialty, you can find local Mexican-Americans roasting the chilis in parking lots on Saturdays, for sale -- that kicks butt. Even in the diviest diner (of which there are more than a few on Colfax).

If you have time to kill and a rental car, consider getting directions to Federal Blvd, which runs north-south just a few minutes from downtown, and cruising from the Hispanic neighborhoods (north) to the Asian neighborhoods (south) and picking a local unknown joint to drop into. Very worth your time. Also, even if kids are worried about ethnic food, they always love the idea of choosing between strawberry and mango soda in the Mexican places, and ethnic joints always love kids. We are blessed with great Vietnamese in DC, but Old Saigon on South Federal is worth checking out if you develop a pho craving.

Finally, and this has nothing to do with food, I seem to recall there being an Indian jewelry store on the ground floor of the Hyatt with some excellent and reasonably priced native American stuff, (independant of this thread, I was pining for a lost pair of cufflinks from that shop as I got dressed the other morning) from the outlandish to the extremely cool understated. And let us know if the cool coffee shop with the jazz and pool table is still around the corner.

Damn...who knew I'd get all nostalgic for Denver.....

[Mrs. B]

We lived in Denver for a couple of years and I lost over 20 pounds a while back . Things have changed and I am sure there are new restaurants at which which I should be pleased to spend my hard earned DC dollars . Please don't mention Zengo or any Kevin Taylor restaurants, Jax, Palace Arms or G-d forbid Vesta Dippy. Sushi Den is lovely but we can do that here if I were of the mind. I'm thinking of one of these: Z Cuisine, Mizuna, Rioja, Luca d'Italia which are all new since my departure. Anyone been out West recently and willing to offer some advice?
If my flight out were not so early I would totally dig into a plate of huevos & green chilie. I also think it may be possible that the Chinese down Federal may be better than DC (not hard) so would love any ideas about that for future trips.

[JLK]

Is dining in Boulder an option? I believe I read of an interesting dining scene there (via mongo jones, probably on mouthfulsfood.com).

[Mrs. B]

Is dining in Boulder an option? I believe I read of an interesting dining scene there (via mongo jones, probably on mouthfulsfood.com).

Boulder won't work this time. I will try Frasca next time I get there based on all the raves.

[Tujague]

Christmas Eve 2005 I went with family members to Rioja, down on Larimer for a late-night dinner. Granted, it's not the best time to sample a restaurant, but it didn't give any indication that it was not at its best. We all enjoyed our meals, which ranged from pasta to fish to lamb, all expertly prepared. (I understand the house-made pastas there are their specialty.) I would rank it with some of the better neighborhood restaurants in DC, such as Ardeo or Sonoma--not top rank, but very good. In fact, we had planned to return there this past Christmas Eve, we liked it so much, but my flight was delayed and we were forced to cancel our reservation, so I can't report if it's kept up its quality.

The Fort, in the foothills outside Denver, near Red Rocks, is not outstanding, but a good place to go if you like to eat game and more "western" type foods.

[JLK]

Boulder (NY Times)

[ol_ironstomach]

The trouble with organized conventions is that although I spent a long weekend in Aspen, all of those meals were catered by the hq hotel. Bumming around afterwards did open up some opportunities though.

Colorado appears to define the northeastern range of accurate New Mexico-style chile verde, so I was pleased to discover a satisfying version at The Golden Burro in Leadville. Made fresh daily from green chiles and tomatillos, it really amped up the signature Golden Burro-Ito, a delicious but relatively slender burrito. The restaurant itself is a weird, bright, quaint joint full of Leadville nostalgia, both printed in the menus and hanging on the walls. The outside neon sign and facade appear to date from...well, a lot closer to 1938 than 2008. Lots of charm, and I'd definitely eat here again.

Quite a bit farther to the north in Fort Collins, I needed a place to grab a late lunch and took a gamble on the Charco Broiler, located on the main strip-mall drag to the east of town. Inside the vestibule, a dozen or so certificates reflected CB's perennial status as the best steakhouse in town according to Ft. Collins Magazine. Trying to save some room for dinner, I instead opted for the "Holy-Moley Guacamole" burger, well-grilled with a nice bit of smoke and char, and covered with a smooth spicy guacamole and pieces of roasted green chiles. The side of fries were good, not great, but if you like meat, this would be a fine destination.

Not too far down the same stretch of road, I found Supermarket Liquors (1300 E. Mulberry). Apart from a confusing bit of information regarding Terry Theise's hometown, they had a surprisingly decent selection in both German and Champagne departments...not comprehensive, but still impressive (for instance, a half-dozen Dönnhoff bottlings and maybe twice as many RM as factory-fizz represented) considering the limited size of the market for either in Ft. Collins.

[Bimbo]

I'm headed to Coors Field tonight to see the Dodgers and the Rockies - at least one team is still in the wild card race. Is there anything particularly tasty that I should look for at the park? And any way to avoid Coors beer products? (I realize the latter request is a long shot.)

[Waitman]

It's been a while since I've been to Coors Field, so this may be a bit out of date but:

1) Eat before you go to the park

2) There used to be a microbrew beer stand. As I recall, it was on the main level in the general vicinity of 3rd base/short left field but you should probably ask around if you don't see it.

3) If you're really desparate for a non-Coors (or if there's a rain delay, not uncommon in Denver) you're allowed to leave the stadium to knock back a cold Fat Tire and -- with a ticket stub and hand-stamp -- get beck into the park.

[Bimbo]

Thanks, Waitman. I saw your post after the game, so here's my recap, and I'll include some stuff related to your post.

I didn't eat before going to the game. While not a culinary revelation, I've eaten far worse, at games and otherwise.

I got garlic fries (the only ones I've had since going to a game in SF back in the late 90s) and frankly, they were pretty decent. The fries held up much better than other, non-garlic fries in other parks, staying relatively firm until the end. (Just leave that comment alone, okay?) The garlic could have been more, um, garlic-y, but all in all, definitely not bad for ballpark food, and $5 for a big plate. It should have been dinner, but I went hiking in the Rockies, so I felt justified in eating more than I should have.

There are a couple of stands serving "regional-style" dogs. New York, Chicago, Denver, and some other-style dogs that I don't remember - Tuscon, maybe? The Denver dog had cheese, jalapenos, and green chili sauce on it. Given that Denver is a hotbed of the real thing, I couldn't, in good conscience, get that. Instead, I got the Chicago dog. I went to Hot Doug's in Chicago back in August, and though the Coors Field dog didn't rival that, it was more than edible, and I'd recommend it over the Rockie dog, with limp-looking peppers and who knows what else. The Chicago dog came with a serviceable, crispy dill pickle spear, sport peppers (!) that gave some heat, celery salt, and in the main flaw of the evening, squirts of Gulden's. Was it Hot Doug's? Good god, no. Was it good for Coors Field? Absolutely. The dog itself had some pop, so combined with the other plusses, it rated a "very good" for ballpark food.

The microbrew stand you mentioned (section 137) was the only one with Fat Tire, which I had had at the place where I was staying for a couple of nights. The problem was that the stand ALSO did mixed drinks, and while friendly, the people looked to be about 102 and took forever on the drinks. I didn't have the patience to wait in line so I got a Blue Moon from one of the other stands, she said shamefully. Better than any basic Coors product. There were other micros available in bottles at the section 137 stand, but I can't recall which ones since I wandered away exasperated. Like at RFK, there are a few stands serving beer with body/color/flavor, but also like RFK, there aren't many outside of a couple of stands near the expensive seats. [Note to baseball fans - I got one ticket behind the plate, 19 rows back, for $42 plus service charges. If you're in Denver...go to the game!!!! You can't beat that experience for that price.]

All of my impressions were formed BEFORE Brad Hawpe hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th to put the Rockies ahead for good after a wild back-and-forth game. It was a great time.

For dinner tonight, I went to Zolo Grill in Boulder. Wild boar quesadilla (tasty, lots of boar, about equal in flavor to Dino's wild boar pasta but clearly a different genre), and the duck tacos, one of which is now in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow, very tasty, with a pineapple/mango habanero salsa that kicked butt. Drink quibble: my "Zolotini" (basically tequila, lime, and another citrus liquor I don't remember) came with a small glass and a shaker. The whole drink didn't fit in the glass, which meant the drink sat in the shaker, ice and all, until I finished it. Which then meant the last pour was at least 1/2 melted ice. On the plus side, I was a solo diner, without other means of entertainment, and didn't feel like they treated me any differently - without a huge crowd, the manager got me a table outside - a 4-top - on a beautiful night, so it was very pleasant.

That's all I got for now.

Thanks again, Waitman. Hope this helps next time you're back out in this vicinity during baseball season.

[soapy]

I was in Colorado for two (!) weeks visiting familiy members. Some culinary highlights were:

Tres Margaritas: the portions were so big that you could make about three meals out of any the dishes they served. Their margaritas, especially their "Cadillac Margarita" was divine. They served all their dishes with a vinegary coleslaw which was a nice contrast of flavors from the heavy meat and cheese and carb dishes we ordered.

We also went to A taste of Colarado:

PULCINELLA RISTORANTE: The meatballs were amazing, perfectly seasoned, light and delicious.

TRAIL DUST STEAK HOUSE: now normally I pride myself as someone who is no longer a wimp about spicy and hot food but thier bacon wrapped cream cheese stuffed jalapenos nearly did me in. I had to make a beeline for the drink vendor, got a huge bottle of water and it still burned through my mouth. But it was very very good.

Tropical Grill:
Their banana Lumpia was excellent. I wish I had tried more of their food.

[southdenverhoo]

Tropical Grill:
Their banana Lumpia was excellent. I wish I had tried more of their food.

That banana lumpia got quite the rave from our local equivalent of Kliman in your City Paper, Jason Sheehan in Westword: http://restaurants.w...tropical-grill/

[MugZ77]

I spent a couple of days in Denver this week, and I have to join in the praise of rioja, Jennifer Jasinski's newish Med-local place on Latimer Street in the LoDo section of town. I sampled a couple of the house pastas, the best of which was the black-truffle gnocchi with mushrooms and arugula. I also tried the roasted Colorado leg of lamb with goat cheese polenta, grilled Roma tomatoes, and bacon-wrapped treviso. The lamb was served without the bone in sight and sliced in medium rare rectangles -- much like how Tom Power does his lamb dish at Corduroy. Although Jasinski's lamb is cooked perfectly, the flavor of the accompanying sauce is better and richer at Corduroy. What's more the goat cheese polenta was somewhat dense. Indeed, my biggest gripe about the place was how heavy-handed it was with cheese (a delicate Hawaiian hearts of palm salad was marred by a too-strong parmesan chip). But Jasinski excels with meats, pasta, and bread (the lavender sourdough is out of this world), and that's what you should stick to if you visit. For dessert, my host recommended the chocolate s'mores pot de creme -- a wonderful dish that turns the classic on its head by using housemade graham crackers as dipping sticks into a marshmallow-topped chocolate pot. This is a fine spot for a nice dinner out in Denver.

I should say too that the wine list at rioja is exceptional; although, as its name suggests, it focuses on Spanish wines, it has a number of interesting and reasonably priced American and French offerings. We ended up with a bottle of 2005 Alvaro Palacios "Les Terrasses" priorat for the table.

I also revisited Panzano in the Hotel Monaco for the first time since 2002. Panzano is where Jasinski made her name before jumping ship to start rioja and sibling Bistro Vendome. Oh, how Panzano has fallen. The service is clueless, and the food is uninspired. The one saving grace is the housemade bread, which remains outstanding. But Panzano is now a place to skip completely while in Denver.

(And, yes, Dora, Vesta Dipping Grill is still kicking. I liked it too when I first went a few years back.)

Michael

[Tujague]

My sister and I went to Jasinski's Bistro Vendome for Christmas Eve dinner a few weeks ago. Granted, as with my Christmas Eve trip to Rioja, this is not the best time to visit a restaurant to get the best impression. Still, I would say that Rioja is the much better restaurant, and that this effort at a French bistro pales next to most similar places in DC, such as Montmartre, Cafe du Parc, etc. Sis had the Crepes Vendome, filled with chicken, tomato, olives, herbs, and topped with a fried egg and bernaise--a rather rich starter!--and I had a nice beet carpaccio salad, whose highlight was the goat cheese croquettes. For entrees, she had the vegetables and cheese in puff pastry (which I didn't taste), and I a pork chop marinated in maple syrup, with acorn squash, blue cheese-potato puree, a spiced rum reduction, and bacon-wrapped dates. While the presentation was attractive, and the portion generous, the meat was a tad dry, the potatoes bland, and overall it was a bit sweet for my taste. Darn good dates though. Overall, the dish just strike me as all that French, and would have been more suited to the Rioja menu than here. We were too full for dessert. Nothing terrible here, but Jasinski doesn't seem to have the feel for French bistro cooking that she brings to her modern American fare elsewhere. Indeed, as with my entree, there wasn't much here that was all that different from Rioja, just identified with French names.

[lizzie]

I spent a week in Denver (actually, a week at the Western Development federal government training center in Aurora, just outside Denver) and made it to Rioja (on Larimer St.) for dinner. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone traveling there. My starter was a sugar snap pea soup - light on the cream and a very fresh taste. For an entree I had the grilled Colorado lamb over a lentil viniagrette, with goat cheese ravioli and braised greens. The lamb and lentils were delicious, but the ravioli ( a single large piece) held the freshest and smoothest goat cheese I have had. Absolutely perfect. The dessert was also excellent - orange risotto brandy cannoli - it was one of those times when I did not want dessert, but it sounded intriguing, so I ordered it and thought I would have a bite or two, but finished the whole thing in record time. This was one of the best desserts I have had in a long time- the risotto/pudding like center was not too heavy and the passion fruit sauce was a great complement to it.

On the other hand, I do not recommend the cafeteria-like buffet at the Red Lion hotel that is the government's only food offering for its training classes - three meals a day. You can endure breakfast (although the poached eggs were like none I had ever seen before), and with a strong imagination, lunch is passable. But, you will not want to enter the place for a 3rd meal each day. If you go, make use of the hotel's generous offerings of shuttle service to local places or the proximity of the train station to downtown Denver. Consider yourself warned.

[Waitman]

Had a bud come back from Denver with four strip steaks from Oliver's Meat Market on 6th Avenue -- conveniently located just outside of downtown on your way to the airport (and walking distance from my old house). Unfuckingbelievable -- astoundingly worth the effort of hauling them home. As with any small butcher shop, the quality varies a bit from cow to cow but the steaks tonight were without question head and shoulders above any steak I've ever bought in any butcher shop in the DC metro area. Dry-aged prime, they had the flavor of a proper strip, marbling that suggested nothing so much as real Wagyu and, on cooking, and the silk texture of a filet; mouth-melting, food orgasming. We made a little marchand du vin sauce (is there anything better than having a gallon of stock in the fridge? Except Oliver's on the way?) and grilled it over gas. If you've got hotter gas or the patience for briquets, you might even turn out something incrementally better than what we had. At any rate, if you're in Denver, bring home as much as you can carry. 75% chance you'll wish you brought home more.

[dcs]

Busy trip, but did make it to two places worth mentioning.

Cook's Fresh Market is a homegrown style market along the lines of Dean & DeLuca that should be supported if for no other reasons than it prepares fine food and is not a national chain. If you are there for breakfast I can recommend the egg, ham, and cheese breakfast panini, with mustard aioli, lettuce, and tomato on homemade bread.

If you are on Larimer Street in LoDo and cannot get in Rioja, a situation I encountered with no reservations, I suggest ambling a few doors down the street and grab yourself a space at the long bar at Osteria Marco and settle in for some nice Italian comfort food. I only had time for a quick antipasti and salad. It may not sound like much, but the meatball sliders were an excellent combination of veal, pork, and beef and served on tasty toasted homemade rolls akin to brochen. In this case, simple was better. The shaved lamb salad was generous in portion, with tender meat roasted in-house right in the dining room, and served with goat cheese, kalamata olives, and roasted peppers on a bed of greens and tomatoes. The combined price was less than $20 without drinks. Not a bad deal. Not a bad deal at all.

[Anna Phor]

I'm in Denver through Saturday, staying on 16th St mall & spending most of my time at the Convention Center. My dining options are somewhat limited, however--we're currently experiencing blizzard conditions, so I'm pretty much sticking to trying to scope out decent local spots between here and the convention.

I have to second the recommendation for Cook's Fresh Market, on 16th at Glenarm. They have a very nice selection of sandwiches, with great bread--I had a roast beef with just the right amount of horseradish. Everything is very fresh, they have an excellent bakery with both bread and pastries, and were a very welcome alternative to an au bon pain or corner bakery when I was fighting my way through horizontal snow and needed a decent lunch to sustain me.

Last night, my colleague and I stopped by the Paramount Cafe, also on 16th St. Unpretentious little cafe/bar frequented by locals (as opposed to the thousands of my professional colleagues who have descended on the city; not that I don't love 'em, but I would like to hang out with some actual Coloradans). I had a simple burrito with pork & green chili, accompanied by posole and black beans. Tasty and well priced.

I'd love to hear any other suggestions for places nearby that aren't too pricey (we have a $30 maximum on expenses for dinner); I think my colleague is interested in trying buffalo, although she's not a super-adventurous eater.

[aaronsinger]

I'm in Denver through Saturday, staying on 16th St mall & spending most of my time at the Convention Center. My dining options are somewhat limited, however--we're currently experiencing blizzard conditions, so I'm pretty much sticking to trying to scope out decent local spots between here and the convention.

I have to second the recommendation for Cook's Fresh Market, on 16th at Glenarm. They have a very nice selection of sandwiches, with great bread--I had a roast beef with just the right amount of horseradish. Everything is very fresh, they have an excellent bakery with both bread and pastries, and were a very welcome alternative to an au bon pain or corner bakery when I was fighting my way through horizontal snow and needed a decent lunch to sustain me.

Last night, my colleague and I stopped by the Paramount Cafe, also on 16th St. Unpretentious little cafe/bar frequented by locals (as opposed to the thousands of my professional colleagues who have descended on the city; not that I don't love 'em, but I would like to hang out with some actual Coloradans). I had a simple burrito with pork & green chili, accompanied by posole and black beans. Tasty and well priced.

I'd love to hear any other suggestions for places nearby that aren't too pricey (we have a $30 maximum on expenses for dinner); I think my colleague is interested in trying buffalo, although she's not a super-adventurous eater.

I've been to a good tapas place in LoDo, forgot the name, though.

EDIT: The 9th Door, maybe?

[Mrs. B]

They used to have Rocky Mountain Oysters at the Rocky Mountain Diner but a quick review shows that they are no longer there . They make a very fine Huevos Rancheros, the Turkey Posole is pretty good, the Pan Roasted Chicken is also quite tasty. For your friend they have Buffalo Meatloaf. My favorite thing about this place is the home-made lemonade. Very localcentric especially at lunch and happy hour.

[Waitman]

The Buckhorn Exchange (cab distance) has extensive buffalo offerings and the Wyncoop Brewery offers a buffalo steak within walking distance.

There used to be an all-buffalo all the time restaurant in Denver (which is what I was looking for when I found Buckhorn and Wyncoop), but it appears to be, um, extinct.