Christ, here comes St. Patrick's Day

I go back on forth on this one: are we failing to take the Irish people and their rich, complex history seriously when we merely use their holiday as an excuse to wander piss-drunk through the streets of every town across America (even Casper, Wyoming, for goodness sake)? But from across the pond, that's what it looks like they are doing in Ireland on St. Pat's, so are we good? Screw it, it's fun to drink.  Here's Denver's version this year:

Denver St. Pat's Day Parade Week includes performances of River Dance (oh, my!) and a ridiculously early parade (March 12).  But there are always the bars.

FADÓ IRISH PUB DENVER
1735 19th St.
Fadó  is the Irish expression meaning "long ago". The term, commonly used as the preface of old Irish stories, has become the name of one of Denver's most popular pubs, located just a stone's throw from Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies in Lower Downtown (LoDo). Blending the best of the old with the best of the new, Fadó's decor and friendly staff evoke images of the great old pubs of Ireland whereas the style of operating - the music, food and beverages - connects more so with the contemporary pubs and bars of modern Ireland.

SO WHAT?: Fadó holds a popular Pub Quiz every Thursday night starting at 7:30 p.m., and it's sure to get rowdy this week! 

KATIE MULLEN'S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT
Sheraton Hotel, 16th Street Mall
Bringing some OK Irish charm to the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver, Katie Mullen's is a welcome addition to this shopping district's pub scene. The owners also operate four bars in the North West of Ireland, making this authentic-ish?

SO WHAT?: Katie Mullen's Full Irish Breakfast, featuring two fried eggs, sausage, Bachelors baked beans, brown bread, bacon rashers and black and white pudding. Come to think of it, you may not need lunch after this breakfast. 

SCRUFFY MURPHY'S IRISH PUB
2030 Larimer St.
The food is really comforting here. Just minutes away from Coors Field, Scruffy's is the perfect place to grab a pint or enjoy some traditional Irish pub fare - shepherd's pie, bangers & mash, and much more. While you're there, say hello to Andrew Toole, the pub's owner, who is often manning the bar or chatting up the locals.

SO WHAT?: On Wednesday and Sunday, Scruffy's hosts a traditional Irish music session beginning at 7 p.m.

MY BROTHER'S BAR
2376 15th St.
My Brother's Bar is a Mile High City institution known for its Beat Generation clientele - this was renowned Beats Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady's watering hole of choice in the 1950s.

SO WHAT?: The sunny patio in the back of My Brother's (below) is kind of like a little slice of heaven. 

THE IRISH ROVER
54 S. Broadway
Amidst the indie rock clubs and cutting edge boutiques of South Broadway, you'll encounter the Irish Rover, a relaxed and friendly pub. Enjoy a pint or two, chat with the locals, sit by the fire place or on your high stool at the bar. Beware, though, television screens abound with sports flickering from all directions.

SO WHAT?: The Irish Rover's got a huge rooftop patio. We love us some rooftop patio in the Mile High City! (Seriously, it's awesome.)

PINTS PUB
221 W. 13th Ave.
OK, this one's actually British-style, and it's located just down the street from the Denver Art Museum. It's pretty cozy and chill.

SO WHAT?: The extensive menu of single malt whisky 16 pages long!

Holiday fun in Denver

Unless you are just a horrible monster, you know that Denver is a pretty great little city.  If you are lucky to either live nearby or have friends or family to visit in the Denver area this holiday season, you can take advantage of quite a few homey, FREE events all around the city. Might I most humbly suggest...

Skating

The Ice Palace at Cherry Creek Shopping Center
www.shopcherrycreek.com
The Ice Palace, an extensive new, free holiday experience features a magical snow and light show inside a soaring 22-foot dome encircled with a series of arches and snow globes. Pro tip: Complimentary downtown weekend hotel shopping shuttles are available from the Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, and Westin to Cherry Creek Shopping Center.

Southwest Rink at Skyline Park
www.downtowndenver.com
The Southwest Rink at Skyline Park (Arapahoe & 16th St., Downtown Denver) will kick off the holiday season with ice skating and family fun. The rink is FREE and open to the public with the option to bring one’s own skates or rent a pair at a minimal cost.

Denver SkatePark
www.denverskatepark.com
This expansive area – one of the most renowned skate parks in the country – is filled with bowls for all levels of skating skill. Admission is free. Helmets are required.

Gawking

LoDo Aglow
www.lodo.org
This holiday season experience winter in a whole new light with LoDo Aglow, a window design contest sponsored by Great Western Bank and the LoDo District, Inc. Local business owners, designers and art students have been given the chance to let their imaginations run wild and create holiday themed window art to brighten LoDo. The entries will be reviewed by a panel of guest judges who will choose the winners based on the originality and presentation of the design. Winners will be announced in mid-December.

Denver Pavilions: Weekend Wonderland
www.denverpavilions.com
Enjoy the sounds of the season at Denver Pavilions. Choirs and concerts from talented groups will entertain shoppers on the weekends in the plazas.

City & County Building Holiday Lights
The largest lighting display in Denver comes on nightly at 6 p.m. at the City & County Building, where 600,000 lights deck the neo-classical building. The bell tower plays carols nightly as well.

Holiday Performing Arts
Check out this guide to the symphony, opera, and ballet during the holiday season.

 

Shopping

Golden Holiday Art Market
www.foothillsartcenter.org/dev
A seasonal tradition, Foothills Art Center (FAC) is proud to present the 36th annual Holiday Art Market (HART). Set against the vintage charm of our historic buildings and stained glass windows, HART caps a wonderful year of exhibitions at FAC by filling the galleries with a diverse, locally handcrafted selection of fine art and craft.

First Friday Art Walkwww.denver.org/what-to-do/museum-art/denver-art-districts
First Friday Art Walks in Denver’s art districts are known for the rich, shared experience of performance art, music, painting exhibitions and lots more. It’s an event that feeds both the need for art and culture and the desire to have fun!

Free Tours

Colorado State Capitol Tour
www.colorado.gov/capitoltour
Tour Colorado’s magnificent gold-domed Capitol Building. Stand at exactly a mile high on the steps, see Allen True’s beautiful murals, listen in on the Colorado General Assembly, and check out the gorgeous Rose Onyx wainscoting. Free tours are available Mondays through Fridays.

Coors Brewery Tour
www.millercoors.com/who-we-are/locations.aspx
The world’s largest brewing site still uses the same Rocky Mountain spring water that Adolph Coors discovered in 1873. Free tours show every step in the brewing process, and end with free samples for those over 21.

U.S. Mint Tour
www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/index.cfm?action=StartReservation
Learn how to make money! The Mint produces 50 million coins a day, each one stamped with a little “D” for Denver. Free tours show every step in the process of turning a dull, blank, metal slug into shiny pocket change.

Celestial Seasonings Tour
www.celestialseasonings.com
See how the largest specialty tea manufacturer in North America blends, packages and ships its teas, then enjoy free samples of every variety they make, and discover a gallery of original artwork from their famous tea boxes.

Great Divide Brewery Tour
www.greatdivide.com
Get a behind-the-scenes look at Denver’s craft beer world on a free tour at the Great Divide Brewery in Downtown Denver. Tours take place from 3 to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday, and on the hour on Saturdays between 2 and 7 pm.

Downtown Denver Historic Walking Tour
http://www.denver.org/what-to-do/itinerary/detail?cid=42
This walking tour will take walkers to some of the best spots in Downtown Denver, where the city’s past and present come together in utterly unique ways. Many of the sites and buildings are listed as official Denver Landmarks, or included in the National Register of Historic Places. Many also have historic markers and plaques noting their original intended purpose and construction dates.

Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours
www.budweisertours.com/toursFTC.htm
Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours gives guests the opportunity to see the all-natural brewing process and marvel at their state-of-the-art facilities, brewhouses, cellars and packaging plants. Enjoy a complimentary tasting of their finest beers and browse through gift shops. Tours are approximately one hour in length and include visits to both indoor and outdoor facilities. Reservations are required for groups of 15 or more.

Public Art Walking Tour
http://www.denvergov.org/ArtCultureFilm/DenverPublicArtGuide/tabid/378088/Default.aspx
Great art isn’t just in Denver’s museums. Throughout the city, discover hundreds of masterpieces, ranging from the whimsical to the inspiring. Download the guide to Downtown’s public art and start exploring!

Museums
Visiting a museum is always a good way to pass the time with guests, so don't forget to check the calendar of free museum days before you make your plans!

Exploring SoBo in Denver

SoBo, or South Broadway, is the home of Antique Row just South of the capitol area in downtown Denver. (Psst--if you've got some semi-precious heirlooms to unload, as I did, Antique Exchange is the most efficient way to peddle your wares to multiple dealers at once, and they'll even show you funny You Tube videos on their phones while you're waiting for them to look up prices).  If you're not into Hummel figurines, you'll also find funky boutiques and coffee shops, nouveau cuisine, and FREE on-street PARKING (whaaa?!) for two hours in all locations.  It's the city, but kinder and gentler.

As you can imagine, I wasn't going to drive all the way down from Northern Colorado just to sell some glass and then hop back in the car and go home.  Here's what I tried:

Uno Mas Taqueria Y Cantina, 1585 S Pearl Street, Denver

Order tacos ala carte on a menu reminiscent of ordering sushi (see below),

and enjoy delicious cocktails that are a modern twist on classics like the margarita, paloma, and michelada. They boast local ingredients, and the meats for the tacos are perfectly marinated, seasoned, and grilled.  I had smoked chicken, pineapple-marinated pork, and the zestiest, most surprisingly delicious mushrooms I've ever eaten.

Strange Grounds, 1417 S Broadway, Denver

This coffee shop is famed for their homemade chai, and it really is fantastic.  Coming from a non-chai drinker, that's something.  Order it sweet, spicy, or dirty (my choice), and get ready to sift through the heavy bits of grit at the bottom, 'cuz it's loaded with fresh ginger chunks and a big old cinnamon stick.  This place also hosts lots of local live music at night, and with parking being so cheap and easy, it'd probably be worth the stop down in the evening sometime. 

Capital Tea, 1450 s Broadway, Denver

I was too stuffed after my tacos to try the lapsang souchong egg salad sandwich with smoked salmon, but it looked amazing (and popular).  The tea varieties will make your head spin, and you can order from afar through their website, too. 

Getting Lowdown for breakfast

A couple of weekends ago, I had a trip planned to Denver on a Sunday to enjoy brunch and a concert.  I knew it was a risk, as Denverites like their brunches almost as much as New Orleansians, but I decided to pop in to City O City, a hipster vegetarian place with an amazing breakfast menu and the quirky slogan, "breakfast all day". It was packed and there was an hour wait.  No, I said, I am too hungry for that shit.  So we wandered (well, drove) over to Lowdown, and I had the best tacos of my life.  I'm not exaggerating.  The beers were also fantastic--the grapefruity IPA, the toasty, chocolaty rye porter...I don't think I'll ever go anywhere else for brunch in Denver.  The tacos, by the way, charmingly called "Soooo I'll Call You... (yes, the brunch items all have snarky, youthful titles implying that the diner is a sexpot who is always hung over on the weekends), are pictured below:

I ate one of them before I took the picture because I was so excited when I saw them. But I cannot just go down to Denver willy-nilly and eat tacos and drink beer whenever I want!, so I have also painstakingly recreated the deliciousness, which is actually quite easy to do, below. (Seriously, though, go to Lowdown.  The Cuban was really good, too.)

Best Breakfast Tacos Ever
(copied from Lowdown’s Soooo I’ll Call You...)

Serves 4

Warm flour tortillas
1 pound chorizo without casings
½ pound bacon
8 eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and black pepper to taste

For the pico de gallo:
Four plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
¼ small red onion, finely chopped
¼ packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Lime wedges, crumbled queso fresco, and crema* for serving


Combine the eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.  Whisk thoroughly and set aside.

In a large frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp over medium-low heat.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  When cool enough, crumble into small(ish) pieces.

Pour out the grease and increase to medium heat.  Add the chorizo, chopping into fine pieces with a wooden spoon as you cook.  When chorizo is thoroughly cooked,  move to one side in the pan and add the egg mixture to the other side.  Working quickly and tilting the pan to keep eggs separate from chorizo, scramble the eggs, getting them a little bit dry.  Mix the eggs and chorizo together and add the crumbled bacon.

To assemble, place some egg and meat filling in the center of a warm tortilla, top with pico and cheese, drizzle crema on top, and squeeze some lime over the top.


* crema can be faked with sour cream or plain yogurt and a little milk added to make it runny like a sauce. 

My version at home. 

A serving of superiority makes the ramen so much better...

I have wanted to eat at Uncle in Denver since they opened. I mean, just look at this beautiful photo of their work that welcomes you upon visiting their website:

I know, right?!  And you know I loves me some ramen. So, I finally went last week on Thanksgiving Eve (after a delicious stop at Station 26 Brewing in the Park Hill neighborhood.  You should go). Here's how that went down:

Uncle does not take reservations.  They state it plainly on their website, so I'm not saying I wasn't warned.  I figured at 5:30pm, practically senior citizen dinner hour, it would be slow, but when we got there, the waiting area was ass-deep in hungry hipsters.  Contributing to the seating issue was the fact that it's very tiny, hot, and loud in the restaurant. Well, it contributed to my issues, anyway.

But it's OK, because Highland Tap & Burger is right next door, and that place is huge. So I gave the hostess my digits (is that so totally dated lingo?) and went next door to drink. That place is good, so I'm going to fill you in on that in another post.

We were told the wait would be 25 minutes. Fine. I was a quarter of the way through my Moscow mule at HT&B when I got a very excited text AND voicemail telling me a table was ready and I had 8 minutes to return and claim it.  I wimpered a little and slammed my very strong drink (OK, I got some help with it) and, lightheaded, stumbled next door.

There was no table ready, and we ended up sitting for the remainder of our originally promised 25-minute wait crammed into a tiny space with said hungry hipsters.  I mean, they were clean, but I still would have preferred to be back in the dark, cozy-yet-spacious bar where that huge copper cup of vodka had gone unloved (consumed, but underappreciated, anyway).  Shame,  I think it tasted good, but it went by too fast to tell.

Our "table" was two awkwardly high stools at the bar, where we got to watch the cooks put together the food.  It was kind of cool to watch what they were doing, but it was also the hottest, most humid, and  noisiest part of the little space being called a restaurant.  And I kept kicking over my purse at my feet, which sucked. Disclaimer: I was buzzed, and I am short, so maybe this wouldn't be a problem for everyone. Maybe just don't carry a purse to Uncle if you go.

Our view from the bar.

So, for the food and service: our waiter was a douchebag extraordinaire, complete with "kindly brontosaurus" posture (I'm on to you, dude!), patronizing voice, and that age-old question: "Alright, have you visited us here at Uncle before?"  Here's why I hate that question:

• I'm not visiting you like you're my aunt I haven't seen in a while.  I am exchanging money for a service. You are a business.
• No, I have not been here before, but your menu is very easy to understand and there isn't much on it, so I think I'll be OK.
• I am not a moron, so please stand upright and stop using your sing-songy voice. 

Now, I have been treated to special free things for being a virgin before, and if that had happened, it would have negated all of my above complaints. But as I suspected, Uncle does not play that game. 

Our waiter also asked if we wanted any drinks to start (their drink menu is actually pretty pedestrian, and how many of these dishes could possibly go with red wine?!). I told him his neighbors had already gotten our drink money, and he rolled his eyes.  OK, it was lame, but I'm still proud of that one, so there you go. 

But you know what?  I'm in a hipster neighborhood in Denver, which is almost akin to Seattle these days with the skinny jeans, bow ties, and nerd glasses, so I merely rolled my eyes back and got ready to dig in to the menu.  The carefully crafted broths, homemade ramen noodles, and steamed buns would be worth the mild irritation.  

We ordered pork belly steamed buns, which comes two to an order.  They look like this: 

It's a slab of fried pork belly with sliced cucumber and scallions and dressed with hoisin sauce.  The bread was really soft and puffy, so that was nice.  The pork had nice flavor and tenderness, but it didn't seem seasoned at all.  It desperately needed some salt at the very least.  Black pepper also would have been nice. And the hoisin sauce was all at the bottom of the bun, so the pork itself was naked, and at the end I got a mouthful of sauce on what was left of the bun. Except for the part that just drizzled onto the plate.  That was my pork belly steamed bun.  $7. Boo. 

Then we got bowls of ramen. I was excited about the kimchi bowl with shredded pork, matchsticks of daikon radish, and a soft egg.  My dinner companion got the spicy chicken, which boasted a creamy sesame broth, bean sprouts, scallion, and a soft egg (that's it to the left).  I was skeptical of the creaminess, but it was actually delicious.  The broth was earthy, bright, and had a present umami flavor.  I don't know what was in it (miso? tahini?), but it was delicious and really unique.  My broth was just spicy with heavy vinegar and salt present.  I guess that describes kimchi, too, but when I make a kimchi stew at home, I make sure there's something else going on in the broth besides that.  I mean, kimchi is a condiment, right?  So it can be over-the-top strong as long as there's something else to balance it.  This was not the case with Uncle's kimchi broth.

The vegetables were nicely cut and laying on top of the bowls; not much to say there.  The eggs were very nicely cooked and, when broken, really added some pleasant richness to the broths.  And the noodles were quite good.  Super chewy and stretchy, they were really satisfying to eat, and the enormous bowls we were served had generous amounts of them in each.  But in the end, it's about the broth for me.  I mean, yes, the noodles too, because they are homemade (though Uncle claims no credit for making them in print, which leads me to believe that they are coming from somewhere else). So, then there's the broth, which provides all the flavor, and is also the main ingredient by volume and weight, in the bowl.  The spicy chicken was worth trying, but the kimchi was not.  And for $14/bowl, you might be just as happy trying similar-looking recipes from The Food Lab or Just One Cookbook.

My age might just be showing, because I found the crowded, noisy quarters slightly uncomfortable, the wait and corresponding, overly controlling texts annoying, and the extreme sense of pride Uncle seems to have in its soup and unseasoned pork a little comical.  So, go ahead and squeeze into your tightest olive green skinny cords and flannel shirt, polish up those enormous 80s-style plastic frames, and give it a try.  But be prepared for the slightly empty feeling you have in heart afterwards.

Travel Guide: Denver's Art District on Santa Fe

Thanksgiving has passed, and shopping insanity has begun.  I implore you to shop locally wherever you are this year for Black Friday, and whenever you happen to be in Denver next, consider visiting the super-cool Art District on Santa Fe. It's a neighborhood with over 60 galleries, restaurants and shops located just a few blocks from downtown Denver, Colorado, and several of the gallery spaces also host casual, integrative performances like the ones we used to do with Telling Stories (R.I.P).

Location: Just East of I-25 and South of US-287, straddling 6th Avenue up and down Santa Fe Drive (hence the name). There's a great interactive map to help you get around.

Favorite galleries: Ugh, there are so many.  A good sampling might include Denver Photo Gallery, Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art, Consortium 861, VERTIGO, Kashi Kari Gallery, and Bhar Art Gallery, which has free poetry and tea every first Wednesday from 8-10pm.

Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts is an Art Deco lover's dream.

Other cultural good stuff here: Colorado Ballet, Stories on Stage, Spark Theater, and the improbable Awaken: Gymnastics-Inspired Fitness, among others.

Drink and Food: Black Sky Brewery, El Noa Noa Mexican Restaurant, iSushi, mmm...COFFEE!, and Renegade Brewing. Yes to all of these.

Events to plan for: First Friday Art Walk, held every first Friday of the month; Preview Night, a more intimate gathering in the galleries held every third Friday of the month. And of course, check the calendar before you go for specific events.

Day trip: beer appreciation day in Colorado

I'm done with posts about healthier eating in 2014 (I think I only managed one, actually).  What I really want is a good beer.  And since I live in Colorado, my only problem is limiting my options into a single day that doesn't result in a black-out!  Wherever you are along the I-25 corridor, there's bound to be something appropriate for your tastes; here is a list of my favorites.

Northern Colorado
Longmont: Left Hand Brewery
1265 Boston Ave, Longmont, CO 80501

A better place to actually try their beers with some great pub grub is The Pumphouse in downtown Longmont, but a trip to the brewery is also worthwhile if you want to learn how things are made.  Good old fashioned American craft beers are done well here, and you'll see a whole lot of bumper stickers expressing appreciation all over Weld and Boulder Counties.

Loveland: Verboten Brewery
1550 Taurus Ct, Loveland, CO 80537

Please, please, please go to this brewery.  The name sounds like you'll be stuck with traditional German flavors, but this is actually one of the most innovative breweries north of Denver.  Killer Boots is a caramelly English-style porter, Angry Banjo is brewed in bourbon barrels from the distillery across the street, and the chicory espresso stout is amazing.  They employ creative combinations not for the sake of being different, but because they are delicious.

Lyons: Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
303 Main St, Lyons, CO 80540

The brewery is actually in Longmont, but the restaurant has everything on tap and some good, junky bar food, along with a run-down Southern vibe that really fits this goofy hippy town.  Visit their website for the calendar of live music; the blues bands, as you can imagine, come from all over and are often incredible. 

Windsor: High Hops Brewery
6461 Colorado 392, Windsor, CO 80550

This quaint little brew pub is located inside the local nursery, where they grow their own hops and other ingredients they use in their beers.  There's a nice variety in range, with something to please everyone, and they're expanding their menu all the time.  The bar keeps tend to be a little douchy and very beer-nerdy, so you'll definitely get a lot of information out of them about the products, be but prepared to be patronized.

Denver
Off I-25: Denver Beer Company
1695 Platte Street, Denver, CO 80202

These guys do great, creative flavors.  My favorites are the smoked lager, graham cracker porter, and the keffir lime wheat. There's nothing but beer here, and the atmosphere is relaxed and non-snobby.  Also walking distance from...

Prost Brewing Company
2540 19th Street, Denver, CO 80211

Traditional German-style beers in a pretty authentic (for Colorado) German-style beer hall.  These guys are more recreators than they are creators, but what they brew really tastes like you're in Germany.  And the pretzels and spicy mustard are to die for.

Five Points/Rino 'hoods: Great Divide Brewery
2201 Arapahoe Street, Denver, CO 80205

The beer here is generally light and refreshing, and the atmosphere is still grubby little start-up, even after a few years of succeeding.  They're like the little engine that could!  The flavors are not terribly inventive, but for a pleasant, palate-cleansing lager, their rice beer is great. 

South of Colfax: Breckenridge Brewing 
471 Kalamath Street and other locations

These guys have been around long enough to be seen as the establishment, but, as a transplant, I can appreciate their delicious beer and very consistent quality. Besides, they're not the establishment just because they've existed for more than 6 months--they're still a Colorado craft brewery, to all the beer snobs who are rolling their eyes right now.  And no, I am not defensive. 

Copper Kettle Brewery
1338 S. Valentia Street, Unit 100, Denver, CO 80247

I love this place.  I think about it for days after I go.  Everything they do is just right, the Bavarian Helles, the Tequila Barrel Imperial Vienna Lager, the rich Mexican Chocolate Stout...it's all fantastic.  It's a bit far from things, but go.  

Strange Brewing Company
1330 Zuni, Unit M, Denver, Colorado 80204

This is another "little guys" brewery with some nice dark beers and a very scrappy, friendly vibe.  And you will get all of the appreciative attention you want from the bar keeps, who are usually also the brewers. 

Now that's the spirit!

Review: Lingering in Denver

The Highlands neighborhood in Denver has that newly gentrified, post-industrial gleam to it that causes people to roll their eyes. (Well, me.  It causes me to roll my eyes.)  But there is something to be said for repurposed warehouses serving chic small plates and offering up hipster haircuts.  When you need a little break from Lo-Do but don't want to stray too far, it makes for a pleasant half-day of strolling.

On a recent visit to the 'hood, I dined on an artist's rendition of Asian street food at Linger, then headed over to their sister restaurant, Root Down (more on that later).

Linger's menus offer up creative cocktails and small plates of an almost haute cuisine version of traditional street food from around the world (but really focusing on Asia and the Middle East).  Bland, comforting Chinese pork buns become racy, fusion-esque chicken buns with kimchi and maple syrup.  A simple tamale gets stuffed with goat cheese and Swiss chard.

We stuck with water--that's right, I declined to drink in the middle of the day.  What can I say, I'm maturing. You have your choice of a large bottle of still or sparkling water on the house, which is a nice touch.  We started with some small plates to share: the aforementioned chicken bun, chili paneer, and the seasonal ceviche, which was  Hawaiin-style white fish with fresh corn and tomato in lime juice.  That ceviche was really amazing, as was the chicken bun; the fried white meat was extra-crispy and drizzled with a celery root ranch, a tiny bit of maple syrup, and a lovely little clump of tart, spicy kimchi on top.  The bun itself was the usual slightly sweet white bread with a nice glaze on the outside and some sesame seeds sprinkled on the edge, but it was served more like a puffy flatbread folded in half over the fillings, rather than the usual pale dome with hidden treats inside.  I have dreamed of these chicken buns since leaving Linger, I really have.

chicken bun

For me, the chili paneer was so close to being a star, but the sauce just wasn't interesting enough.  There was a generous portion of paneer, but the sauce was sweet and not much else.  More salt, more spice, and a lot more tang were needed.

Dessert was a trio: a corn "puff" (a sweet pate a choux with a sweet corn cream filling and a tender, moist corn-based dough), a chocolate-peanut butter bar (fine, but not adventurous--it was merely a rich little bar of almost-cheesecake, without the extra tang), and a butterscotch pudding.  I was not excited about the butterscotch pudding, but I was certainly going to eat it once it was placed in front  of me.  But here's the thing, and it's a glimmer of the creativity that could be happening all the time in the kitchen: it was the most interesting dessert on the table.  It was a cold, soft, mild blob of pudding, but topped with sugared sesame seeds, a ginger cream, and a house-made lemongrass cotton candy.  The flavors worked perfectly, the textures created a wonderful layering effect, and I loved every bite.  I still don't know how the three desserts fit together, and that's a minor sticking point, but it was certainly fun to eat.

The inside of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful--stunning, minimalist-industrialist decor with small touches of wry humor and a scenic rooftop patio.  Our server, Katherine (I hope I'm spelling your name right if you're out there), was personable, mellow, and very knowledgeable about the menu.  She also really seemed proud of the kitchen and happy to be working there, which is always nice to see.

Expect to pay for your little plates--we left $54 poorer, and that was with no booze.  But the kitchen is generally making true art come alive on the plate, and the adventure of these diverse bites, shared with friends, is a special occasion.  The atmosphere is painfully hip while being totally inviting to an under-dressed 38-year-old with dirty hair (was that too much information?), and that's a pretty good test of their friendliness.

I would have stayed longer, but I was stuffed. I really was.

Restaurant review: Euclid Hall in Denver

I had read about Euclid Hall in Food and Wine, and I usually trust their taste.  This beer hall with hip cuisine boasts an impressive local beer menu and some interesting plates for lunch or a heavy snack.  Their cutesy “study hall” theme ranks beers by their complexity: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, etc. come with their own definitions of what level of complexity we should be tasting and a listing of appropriate beers from their vast offerings.  However, I found that the beers were lacking some complexity overall; being married to an extreme IPA fan, I can’t say that any of the IPAs listed were particularly strong or deep in flavor, though I applaud them for including so many on the menu.  There were a few Belgian sours, which do not interest me in the least, but if you’re going to get really esoteric, I guess that’s one way you could go.  And so began my journey into the world of Euclid Hall: unique, but not in a way that appeals much to my taste.

Did you know that EH makes their own mustards, and will provide a sample platter of all four upon request?  Awesome, right?  I freaking LOVE mustard!  But all four of them were heavy on the horseradish (and I mean HEAVY--like, totally unbalanced heavy) and shockingly sweet.  All four of them were like spicy desserts.  Really?  Not one of them could be sour?  Or spiced up with something besides a gob of horseradish?  Nice idea, but not well executed.  Same goes for their house-made sausages.  We got a tiny little guy for $4 (really, four, five bites, max), and it tasted heavily of liver with some cheddar cheese hanging out of it.  What is so special about that?

The Brussels sprouts casserole was right up my alley, and it found it pleasant.  But for $6, I got a tiny crock of about six bites of nicely steamed sprouts sitting on top of a runny cheese sauce and covered in a thick layer of those little canned “French-fried onions” you used for the top of your green bean casserole in 1970.  Tasty and possibly kitschy, but interesting?  No.

After quickly devouring our puny but pricey portions of disappointing food, we soured on the idea of ordering a plate of poutine, which at $9 per plate, had obviously lost its blue collar roots.  If I seem to be complaining about the prices a lot, it’s because I wasn’t satisfied enough with quality. So, although the idea of a plate of fries covered in cheese curds and smothered with gravy and my choice of wild mushrooms, duck, or steak sounded brilliant, I had already become a skeptic after the mustards, and I feared that a brilliant ideas would once again be executed badly.   I will say that, in a completely full first floor, not one table seemed to show any evidence of having ordered the quirky house dish.

Happy hour offers some pretty serious pints, wines, and well drinks for $3 each, daily from 3-6pm.  That’s a good deal.  I enjoyed my favorite Left Hand beer, Milk Stout, on Nitro tap, and it was lovely.  The Pottery Barn-like decorating coupled with “hip” music for thirtysomethings was also not terrible, though it made them seem like they were trying really hard.  As a place to stop in for a beer at the right time of day, I could imagine putting Euclid Hall on my light rotation if I lived in the neighborhood.  But as a place worth driving to experience, I must disagree with my favorite foodie magazine.  This place is all flash and very little substance.  If you want smart, well-prepared food, go to Le Central  If you want a good beer list, you’d be just as happy to Breckenridge near the stadium.  No lie.

Eating tapas across the street from Macy's

Ondo’s Tapas Bar at Cherry Creek

Just a half-story beneath the street is a calm, chic haven from the shopping madness that is Cherry Creek.  Its spare, boldly colored décor and flamenco guitar music, while corny-sounding, is rather pleasant, and the wall fountain cleverly disguising the concrete wall that lines the front “patio” is as inviting an eating area as anything I’ve experienced in Denver. Ondo’s offers a menu exclusively comprised of tapas, heavy on the Northern Spanish culinary influence, carafes if homemade sangria, and clever twists in classic cocktails.  Sounds like a nice place after a long work week to gather with friends, right?  It is.

Cute patio at Ondo's.

Happy hour, which runs from 4-6:30pm weekdays, is worth going early: half-off sangria and 2$ pintxos (individual portions of tapas) served under glass domes at the bar encourages the spirit of taking you time and sampling at a great discount.

Northern Spanish cuisine is not exceptionally bright or spicy in flavor, but what Ondo’s does with mild staple ingredients like potato and egg is well-balanced and finely executed.  It really is a lot of egg and potato, though.  And lots of ham and cheese, as well.  I found the tapas I tried to be satisfying, but nothing knocked me over the head or caused obsessive research on my part to find out how to recreate the recipe.  I ate egg and potato torta on a piece of bread, Serrano ham and manchego cheese, Monte Enebro cheese with quince paste, pecans, and honey (that was a good one!),  and chick peas in a mild broth with little bits of charred chorizo.  They were all tasty, but I think I can make them at home.  That is not to say you shouldn’t go to Ondo’s; there is certainly a value in appreciating someone else’s high standards and letting them do the dishes.  I’m just warning you that you will not learn new truths about the universe from anything you try here.

Our exceptionally competent waitress (really--whoever you were serving the girl with the glasses and her bald husband, you deserve a raise) informed us that Ondo’s is particularly known for their cured meats and croquetas, and I appreciate the tip.  Their lomo (salt-cured pork) had a salty, briny taste you cannot easily pick up at Safeway, and the croquetas were a marvel of creamed spinach and pine nuts encased in the most delicate batter I have ever seen, deep fried to crisp perfection.  If I can amend my previous statement, that was the one recipe that boggled my mind, for sheer execution alone.  These were definitely the two stars on our table.

Serrano ham and manchego cheese tapas

The sangria was fine; the red wine is freshened with sparkling water and has some chopped green apple in it.  I always prefer harder stuff, but it seemed more socially acceptable before a long drive back to Greeley, and it complimented everything I ate just fine.  Everything we ate was well prepared with high-quality ingredients.  It was dressed up comfort food, to my taste, but along with the clean, urban atmosphere and peaceful, very knowledgeable service, it was a nice night out.  And we still made it home in time for Law and Order.

Get some dim sum in Denver!

I belatedly decided to take someone's advice and visit Empress Seafood Restaurant on West Alameda in Denver.  They have the standard Chinese meal menu, heavy on the seafood, but they also have dim sum, which I enjoy for the food and for the circus.

Now, I have heard that the dim sum carts do not always come around in this place (though there is always a dim sum menu, presented much like a sushi menu, from which you can order), so the best time to enjoy the circus is Saturday and Sunday, mid-morning to mid-afternoon.  Dim sum is traditionally eaten at the time we Americans designate as brunch, so I suppose this makes sense.  I went to Empress at 11:30am on Saturday, and most of the diners were Chinese (and elderly).  Yesssss.

The other thing about dim sum is that is traditionally form the Canton region, which favors mild and slightly sweet dishes.  Many reviewers have raved about their BBQ pork buns, but to me they were a very large dessert item--sweet bread wrapped around a small amount of sweetly sauced shredded pork.  I think they were good, don't get me wrong, but being the size of softballs, I wish I hadn't wasted all that room in my stomach when I could have had another vegetable bean curd roll.

Speaking of which, did I mention the vegetable bean curd roll?  It was a very thin egg pancake filled with bean threads and bok choy swimming in a brown gravy.  In texture and flavor, it was divine.  I was surprised I loved it so much.  I also really enjoyed the sticky rice in lotus leaf, but be forewarned: this is not a sweet treat.  It's described that way, and I suppose the sticky rice itself is similar to sushi rice, but it's loaded with little bits of tender duck, pork, diced eggplant, and water chestnuts with a savory seasoning.  I had been told about this before--it's actually eaten around New Year's in the Canton region.  One wrapped package is huge and oh-so-filling--good for sharing with another.

We also tried their famous shrimp crepes, which were OK but a bit on the sweet side for me (it's a steamed egg crepe filled with sweet shrimp), and the steamed shrimp and pork (two separate fillings) dumplings were quite tasty.

For dessert, we tried sesame dumplings, which were perfectly fried and sweet, like the Chinese version of a doughnut...but, er, sprinkled in sesame seeds?  Whatever, they were good.  I love the Chinese dessert aesthetic of eating sweet fried breads--not too sweet and very chewy.  We also got something that sounded scary to me but ended up being my favorite dessert: egg custard dumplings.  They were basically flattened little patties of fried sweet dough with what looked like hard-cooked egg yolk in the middle.  Please try them. They are amazing.  Finally, we asked for a coconut pudding before seeing it.  It had a very mild coconut flavor, but I just couldn't get past the blobbiness and rubbery texture.  It was basically an opaque, white block of Jello-O.  It creeped me out, but I think that I am overly picky about these things.

The dim sum menu is vast, and covers common, parent-friendly items as well as some authentic specialties for the brave, like chicken feet and duck with squid.  Prices for each item hover around $2.25, and there's enough on each little plate to share.  My husband and I walked out so stuffed we thought we might pass out, all for the price of $22.65.  And if you're clueless about the process like I was, we found that the dim sum carts came around fast and furious for about 15 minutes when we and another family first showed up, and then we didn't see them again for a long time.  But they leave a menu with you at the table (which is how they keep track of what you buy), and you can always flag down a waiter and order things without having to wait for the cart again.  If you know what you want, you can just say so from the start.

The neighborhood is a little out of the way, but there's ample parking and the food is really worth the visit.  I highly recommend getting your dim sum on at Empress!

Guide to edible airport food

I do a moderate amount of traveling, and I rarely bother to pack snacks anymore, although it is in my Midwestern blood to carry sandwiches everywhere and generally be a cheapskate.  It's just not worth the frisking at security, and those guards are never attractive.  Never.

Here's what I've found so far that's edible.  Feel free to comment and your faves, too!


Top picks at DIA (Denver International Airport):

Boulder Beer Tap house   Jeppesen Terminal West, Level 5  One of Colorado’s premiere microbrewery (and the first in the state, back in 1979), Boulder Beer serves up some tasty staples like lagers and porters, and a special collection for connoisseurs, like Hazed and Infused (a hoppy, bitter ale).  The food’s good, too.

Lounge 5280 Wine Bar  B Gates  This stylish, contemporary bar seems like it could be in LoDo, and the wine list really is top-notch.  What’s really special, here, though, are the signature cocktails using fresh herbs and fruit juices.  Ask your bartender to recommend appetizers that will compliment your drink--they’re great at pairings here.

Mesa Verde Smoking Lounge A Gates  I hate cigarette smoke, but their Mexican-inspired dishes are terrific.  Ask to sit on the "patio" and you can avoid the lung cancer.  For a hearty brunch before a long day of travel, try the chilaquiles and a cup of coffee for as satisfying of a meal as you might get at your favorite neighborhood joint.




New Belgium Hub  B Gates  Famed Fort Collins brewery New Belgium has finally set up shop at DIA.  Get a sandwich and sample some of the beers that have earned them cult status in the West.

Paradise Bakery and Café  B and C Gates  Of all the coffee shops in DIA, this is my favorite, because the baked treats are sooo good.  The muffins are a real treat.  The breads they use in the sandwiches are homemade, as are their soups; it’s a great little deli experience in the middle of the airport.  Oh, and the coffee is fantastic.

Rock Bottom Brewery  C Gates  Just like the locations around the Denver area, this chain has a good selection of beers from around the world and a great burger to fill you up for the plane ride.

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MSP (Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport):

California Pizza Kitchen  Concourse F  These guys really do bake up a great pizza.  The crust is buttery, crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside, and just the right thickness to hold up to the generously portioned fresh ingredients they use.  Get the chicken and roasted garlic--it’s fresh roasted garlic and high quality white meat with a light white sauce and sweet red onions.

Caribou Coffee  Concourses A, E, F, G, Terminal 2-Humphrey  The local favorite really does serve the best cup of coffee in town (including MSP), and their sandwiches and salads are just fine.

Great River Market and Deli  Concourse G  I’m not usually too keen on the fast-food sandwiches (boring and dry), but this menu really does boast some great ingredients and tasty, fresh-baked bread.  For a comforting breakfast that will last you all day, get the Hashbrown Casserole.

Itasca Grill  Concourse A  Like the popular restaurant in the Minneapolis area, the airport location serves up some artful breakfast/ brunch dishes like cinnamon vanilla French toast, an enormous breakfast burrito, and a bevy of omelets.  For lunch, the turkey apple wood bacon ciabatta is divine, as is the lime-infused grilled chicken and brie sandwich.

Maui Tacos  Concourse C Great fish and fresh salsas top fresh-made corn or flour tortillas for a healthy, flavorful meal I never imagined I could get in an airport.

Northern Lights Grill  Concourse D  This restaurant celebrates local cuisine, from simply cooked wild rice soup to broiled walleye and good old-fashioned Midwestern pot roast.  A great wine list offers something to compliment each dish, and the atmosphere, if you turn yourself the right way, makes you forget about the airport chaos beyond.

Rock Bottom Brewery  Concourse C  As stated above, this chain has a good selection of beers from around the world and a great burger to fill you up for the plane ride.  Good place to bring kids (childless beware: people bring their kids here!).

Skol Café and Bar  Concourse A  This bar is beautiful (That's it to the right)!  Scandinavian design accents the Northern European-inspired snacks and drink available.  Do like the locals do and stick to the vodka--it’s incredibly high quality and a perfectly clean palate cleanser with the smoked salmon toasts.



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Sea-Tac (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport)

Anthony’s  Central Terminal  Like their locations around Washington and Oregon, Anthony’s in Sea-Tac specializes in fresh Puget Sound delicacies like oysters on the half shell. Alaskan King Salmon, and their signature blackberry cobbler made with fresh, local berries.  Local microbrews and wines complete a menu that will give you one last great dining experience before your trip home.

Bigfoot Food and Spirits  North Satellite  This popular Seattle chain is little more than a sports bar: BBQ sandwiches, big burgers, and beers. Along with a few brunch selections and an ample dessert menu.  But it’s all really tasty, reasonably priced (for an airport), and will fill you up for a long time.  Great comfort food.

Ivar’s Seafood Bar  Central Terminal  An iconic name in Seattle, Ivar’s serves up beautiful, perfect fish & chips, as well as just about any other local seafood you can imagine craving.  The northwest chowders are fantastic, and their grilled prawns, halibut, and salmon are as dreamy a meal as you’ll find anywhere in Seattle.  Clams, calamari, and scallops make a tasty snack, too.




Maki of Japan  Central Terminal  Well-made sushi and authentic noodle dishes with pork are your best bet here, and the price is right: 8-piece sushi rolls start at just $4.95.

Mountain Bar Room  Concourse C  The burgers and beer are fine here, but this place is best for breakfast.  Belgian waffles and a “Big Cheese” ham and cheese omelet are more special than they sound.  Anything can be prepared to take on the plane if you request it when you order.

Pallino Pastaria  Central Terminal  The wait can be a bit long for this fast-food stand, but it’s worth it.  Perfectly-cooked pasta is topped with your choice of  freshly made sauces for a meal that would put Olive Garden to shame.  The personal pizzas come in a wide variety of flavor combinations, and many of them can be made into sandwiches, as well.

Seattle Tap Room  Concourse B  This is beautifully prepared gastro-pub fare.  The beer-braised bratwurst plate and meatloaf are both terrific, and the beers on tap represent local breweries from throughout the Northwest (and occasionally the Rockies).

Vino Volo  Central Terminal  This tiny space offers high-end wines poured by the glass and sold as full bottles to take home (they’ll also ship for you).  Not sure what you like?  Get a taste flight and chat up the server--they are well-trained in matching you to your perfect mate.

Coffee:  You’ll have to pick your team here, just like you have to in Seattle-proper.  Seattle’s Best, Starbucks, and Tully’s the three local giants, are all equally represented here.  Good luck.  (I choose Tully’s.)

It's Denver Restaurant Week, people!!!

In an effort to promote the Denver area's burgeoning restaurant scene, Visit Denver has taken a page from New York's playbook and created a huge, two-week advertisement for area restaurants.  Participants in Restaurant Week offer a 3-course menu for the fixed price of $52.80 for two, or $26.40 for one person.  Their site is a one-stop shopping center where you can search by cuisine or neighborhood (Denver and Boulder County) and view proposed menus, which generally offer two or three choices per course.  Some restaurants are also offering wine pairings for an additional cost.  


Of course, I am excited for the excuse to get out and eat, and I'm surprised by the breadth and depth of what currently exists here in the Front Range.  There are a few chain restaurants participating, but by and large, Denver really does have a lot of local, innovative cuisine to offer.  As a northerner, I am also glad to see a couple of gems in my neck of the woods (almost), like Terroir in Longmont (where I'll be headed on Saturday night)  and several great establishments in Boulder. And if you reserve your table through Open Table, you rack up a few points towards a free meal.     


Stay tuned for my exploits!

Great French food in Denver--it exists!

Think French restaurants are out of your price range?  Let me introduce you to Le Central  in LoDo, Denver.  The food is great, the prices are right, and it’s a charming building in a charming neighborhood (parking kinda sucks during the week, but it’s Denver).

Le Central opened in 1981 with the mission of bringing authentic Provençal food to the little people (my wording, not their’s).  They have their own in-house bakery, make their own paté and sausage (eew), give cooking demonstrations the last Tuesday of every month, cater weddings and host small parties in the restaurant, offer special menus for holidays and Prixfixe menus as well as a constant menu that’s huge, and…and…oh, you’ll just have to visit the website.  It’s too exhausting to list everything they do.  Suffice it to say that if you live nearby, you could get away with never cooking again.

I have had brunch and mussels for lunch (yes, mussels have their own menu).  I’m glad that I live over an hour away or I would be very fat by now.

For brunch, the egg section of the menu (Oeufs) can’t be beat.  For $7, you’ll get so much food you won’t need to eat for the rest of the day.  Oeufs Sardou is a take on Eggs Benedict, but with succulent braised artichoke hearts in lieu of meat and tangy Béarnaise instead of Hollandaise sauce.  (The Benedict is also delish.)  Each dish is served with a heaping pile of mashed potatoes and a roasted potato.  Try not to fill up on the beautiful, perfectly crisp outside, fluffy inside homemade bread they bring when you first sit down or you might not make it.  The mimosas and Bloody Marys are also $3 on Saturdays.  This place beats Yolk in Chicago, and that’s saying a lot.

Oh, I also got escargots en brioche at brunch.  Beautifully garlicky and buttery, my only complaint is that the perfectly nice bread that came with the escargots was not quite as amazing as the bread that came in the basket.


The mussels I had for lunch (this was on a different day--don’t worry) come in a big bucket--more beautiful garlic and butter, more perfectly chosen herbs and spices (really, check out the menu; the choices are mind-boggling).  And if you didn’t love Le Central enough for giving mussels their due on the menu, every order comes with unlimited pommes frites--thick-cut, golden, rich and crunchy--need I say more?

Oh, I can say more.  The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, the service (always French waiters, it seems) is impeccable, and I dream about eating there every day.  Le Central teaches us about the best aspects of French culture: good food and drink, good manners, and joie de vivre!

A great place for your sushi fix in Denver

Chain restaurants are bad, right?  We can all agree that Applebee’s, Chili’s, and the like should not be encouraged to keep pushing out mediocre fatty food with our money.  Local is best, but there is this hybrid, the “local chain”, that poses a philosophical problem.  I grew up in Chicago and then moved around the Midwest in college, and it was in Michigan, Iowa, and Indiana that I learned Chicago is the home base for a lot of national chains.  But when I moved to Denver, all tucked carefully away on the other side of the Mississippi in a much less populated part of the country, I learned about the local chains that you only find in Colorado and maybe western Nebraska or Wyoming.  For me, it was a no-brainer: I had the convenience of a chain location and the consistency in food quality that is implied, and greatly appreciated on the road in an unfamiliar location, but I was still supporting the local (albeit statewide) economy.  I still prefer the really local when possible, but I will take a  trip to Rockbottom Brewery any day over Arby’s.

Since I moved here in 2006, some of these local chains have gone viral, and now my parents email to tell me about the new noodle place (Noodles and Company) or Chipotle that just opened near Aunt Joan’s house.  But some chains remain a tight community, as is the case of Sonoda’s Sushi.  They opened in the Denver area over a decade ago and are going strong in their tacky (I say this with affection), tribute-to-the-80s basement location in LoDo on Market street along with the 6^th Ave & Broadway location and their suburban sites in Aurora and Park Meadows.   The fish is good (though their claim that “If it was any fresher you’d have to catch it yourself” is always dubious in this landlocked state) and so are the drinks.  I suppose if you don’t like sushi you can enjoy their wide variety of cooked items, but why would you do that?  Just kidding—their menu is huge.  I won’t think less of you. 

Sushi rolls cover the spectrum from clean and traditional to adventurous fusion influences, but they do tend toward the traditional end, meaning that if you like covering up your sushi with lots of crunchy bits, you won’t have too much choice.  When I first started drinking coffee, I didn’t really like it but I was in college and everyone was going to those insipid B.O.-filled hippy zones with acoustic music and I wanted to fit in.  So I would order a coffee (this was before the days of Caramel Macchiato and the like) and put so much sugar in it that the level of the drink was higher when I finished.  My friend Stephanie Pedretti  would  call everyone’s attention to my beverage while I was preparing it to taste less coffee-like and we all had a good laugh.  But I digress…

I really like sushi, and I want to be able to taste the fish and enjoy its texture, is what I’m saying.  And I really like Sonoda’s sushi chef in LoDo.  They make good use of their eel, which is difficult to find around here, the crab is always real (and delicious), and they have an entire vegetarian sushi menu full of enticing combinations, rather than just the usual “veggie roll” which ends up being avocado and carrot.   The house sake, served warm, is also very good.  

I do also appreciate that when I am at Sonoda’s (at least on Market Street), the food seems to be more important than the décor.  Sure, the place is clean, and I have no problems parking my fanny on the toilet seat, but the place is a little dorky.  Enormous, deep blue aquariums behind the sushi bar make me feel like I’m in an episode of Miami Vice circa 1986, and the giant checkerboard floor looks like it’s been there (though well cared for) since the ‘50s.  Coupled with that “junior high party in Kristen McKenna’s basement” look of the random cement pillars scattered around the room and the pop music piped in a little too loudly to hear your waitress, the truly fantastic food and friendly service become even more special, like you’ve stumbled into a secret gem no one knows about and it’s all just for you. 

It’s not all there for you, of course, so plan accordingly.  Happy Hour is Monday-Friday 4:30-6pm (and at the LoDo/ Market Street location, also Friday & Saturday from 10pm-12am), featuring 2 for 1 drinks—that includes large carafes of sake—and a 15-20% discount on food.  You won’t be the only one there. 

And don’t worry—I’ve cut the sugar out of my coffee.


I bought a lot of sushi the other night...please buy my book and help a seafood snob.

Drinkin’ in LoDo

There are a lot of bars in the LoDo neighborhood of Denver, Colorado.  So many that it seemed a crime to not take advantage with my very own, private bar crawl.  Is that OK, or is it sad when it’s just a 36 year old woman and her husband who has the day off from work?  

Before we started, we took our Groupon coupon (is that how you’re supposed to say it?) to Mangiamo Pronto! at 1601 17^th Street.  Meh.  My Panini was mostly bread, though my husband’s hand-tossed pizza was pretty pleasant (after adding plenty of salt).  The coffee, however, is very good here.  If I lived in the neighborhood, I can imagine developing a cappuccino problem. 

First stop after buffering our stomachs with some food was Wynkoop Brewing, just around the corner at 1634 18^th Street.  I will admit that I am a fan, from afar, of Denver mayor and most likely Colorado governor-to-be John Hickenlooper.  He seems far less stupid than your average politician and even likes public transportation, so even if the beer at his brew pub was lackluster, I would be inclined to like it.  But actually, it kind of sucked.  My husband (alright, his name is Jason) asked for the most bitter IPA they had, and the bartender proudly presented him with the Mile High IPA.  It was somewhat bitter, but also had a strange, unbalanced middle note to it, almost as if the warmth of your saliva could transform it into a Hefeweizen.   That is a cool magic trick, but not what he ordered.  His second pint, the chili beer, was also disappointing.  We’re accustomed to—and very fond—of Coopersmith’s Sigda’s Chili Beer in Fort Collins, with its crisp lager-ness and spicy chili flavor.  This chili beer would be great for someone who doesn’t like spicy things, as it mostly just smells like green chili, but you know, the quality of the beer was kind of off, too.  My Cowtown Milk Stout, one of my favorites on a fall day, was not ready to be tapped—it was absolutely sweet.  So much for the Hick’s quality control…

On we went to a couple of the bars located in some of the swank hotels in the area.  I know, you’re picturing a sad crowd gathered around in a Holiday Inn bar somewhere listening to “Hotel California” on tinny speakers, but Denver’s hotels have worked the kinks out of the system.  You’d hardly know that you were in a hotel, except that you are greeted by a door man and get a glimpse of the luxurious lobby before heading in to grab your martini. 

Ship Tavern

Several blocks away is the Brown Palace (321 17^th Street) with two options: Ship Tavern, set up to look like…the Titanic?  That Molly Brown almost sank on?  A little morbid, but clever, and it’s a quiet enough old-school pub/sports bar hybrid.  Then there’s the Churchill, a cigar bar with fancy booze.  Ship Tavern is cute—you can see what it looks like to the right—but I can easily find a pub at home.  What I cannot find is a martini bar that’s all dark and sexy and filled with leather furniture, and so it was to the Churchill we went.   Besides the usual wines and cocktails, be sure to browse their extensive list of vodkas, single-malt scotches, and small-batch bourbons.  The hushed voices and muted personalities of the very scientific, very exacting wait staff make you feel like a wheeler-dealer in 1930s Manhattan.

The Churchill

Cruise Room

On a recommendation from a friend, we also wanted to head back up the street to The Cruise Room, housed within the luxury boutique hotel, The Oxford (1600 17^th Street) .  This bar doesn’t open until 4:30pm, so there will be no luxurious lunchtime sipping for you.  The bar is designed to look like an Art Deco bar on a cruise ship (I am not boat-obssessed, I swear), and it’s pretty charming.   I only wish they had something more comfortable to sit in than a booth—the dark lighting and narrow frame of the room seemed to call for something more intimate, like some couches where you can drunkenly make out while you wait for your drinks (just kidding).  The Cruise Room calls itself a martini bar, and sure enough, there is a two-page menu of very sweet, dessert-like martinis for those of you who don’t like the taste your booze.  They can also make a classic martini to your specifications, and again, they have an impressive collection of scotch and bourbon. 

The Corner Bar

I have read and heard so much about The Corner Office (1401 Curtis Street) that I had to take a look. Yet another martini bar, this one serves actual food, with a penchant for semi-Asian fusion in the appetizer section.  Their signature martinis and cocktails are just as sweet and childish-sounding as The Cruise Room’s (I suppose you have to do it if you have a bar), and the beer and wine selection is limited.  The look is Mad Men era, and it’s mainly a sleek place for 20-somethings to meet up after work and grab an overpriced bite and a drink.  If you’re my age, you might feel a little conspicuous, but I can still remember that my single, carefree self probably would have liked this place.  My mid-30s, more experienced drinking self wanted a better bar menu. 

All the bars were stunningly decorated, if I haven’t mentioned.  And if you’re coming from out of the city, be forewarned that you pay for the high rent and expensive interior designers.  I never would have noticed this until I spent some time living in a tiny town, but the martinis average $9 per.  I’m just sayin’.


Hey, wanna buy my book?  It's real funny, I swear: go here.