Mrs. Davooda and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary in Denver. Everything we did pretty much paled in comparison to meeting Carlos Santana in our hotel elevator, but we did find a couple good places to eat downtown:

Oceanaire Seafood Room
1400 Arapahoe
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 991-2277
www.theoceanaire.com/

I know, I know - it's a chain, but the oyster special was calling me - a dozen Chesapeakes with a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (a fave of Mrs. D) for $34 - basically a loss-leader. I had the seafood mixed grill - excellent moist swordfish, scallops, shrimp two ways and garlic mashed potatoes - and my bride had a lobster, which our server expertly deconstructed for her tableside. We ate well for not a lot of money in the heart of downtown Denver. Count me a fan.

The Market
1445 Larimer Street
Denver CO 80202
303-534-5140
http://themarketatlarimer.com/

This is my new go-to breakfast spot in downtown Denver. Just quirky enough to stand out in one's memory, this coffeeshop/deli/convenience store/candy store has excellent brews and standout breakfast sandwiches "as big as your head." I had a "breakfast pocket" the first morning which was essentially an omelet baked in a calzone-sized pastry crust, served with fresh salsa and sour cream. Absolutely what the doctor ordered after a Maker's Mark-fest the night before. Mrs. D had to quit halfway through the egg-cheese-ham breakfast sandwich on a fresh baked croissant.

Cheers,
Davooda

Denver dining notes:

We arrived late the first evening, decided on a small bite at Euclid Hall. Interesting menu - my impression was a killer beer list and meaty choices to go with it. Unfortunately, neither of us wanted to drink at midnight. Spicy pickles and mustard selection both great; short rib kielbasa was definitely a wonderful kielbasa, but I would never have guessed short rib, or even beef as the primary meat. The bride went with the wild mushroom gravy poutine, which was awful - an overcooked glop. Stick to beer and sausage if our one visit means anything.

Breakfast at the Udi's in Stapleton. Lady at the counter recommended the California sandwich - scrambled egg, tomato, avocado and a properly restrained cream cheese smear on nicely grilled bread. This was quite excellent, and even better with a touch of hot sauce. Brought a muffin back to the Bride and she was pleased. This place is a small chain and I tried to go back to another location, but that one turned out to be a concession in a big hospital, and that was not the atmosphere I craved.

Lunch at Domo. Beautiful, beautiful room - a taste of Kyoto in Denver. The food was also quite good, if not as nice as the room. We started with slightly gummy Shumai, pleasant flavor but not the best texture. It was hot so I went with cold ramen, sliced pork and a delightful, brothy, sesame dressing. There was surely some rice vinegar, ginger and probably a bit of citrus in there. My one complaint is that there was a bit too much pork in relation to the rest of the dish, but of course I could have eaten around that. The Bride braved the heat with Tempura Udon - great broth and noodles.

Dinner at Twelve. Seems to be the kind of place a chef goes to open his own place in a lower rent, slightly out of the way location. Not too far from the ballpark, next to a tattoo parlor. Pleasant room. Started with a forgettable Manhattan - I think wine is the way to go, despite a pretty enough bar. Sweetbreads on toast in a lovely sauce were done well. The Bride was quite happy with her starter, though the details escape me. She had a perfectly done piece of wild salmon - pan roasted, crisp skin, tender, pink, almost raw inside. Nice sauce and accompaniments. I had roast lamb with a pretty array of vegetables. It was a bit bland at first until the compound butter atop the lamb melted and brought things together. We finished with a trio of house made sorbets. This is definitely a "source it local, cook it perfectly and let the ingredients speak for themselves" kind of place, and I like his work. They have a $38 prix fixe on weeknights that seems like a great deal.

Tried the Market for breakfast the next morning, and aside from my combo carrot/OJ I was unimpressed. Almond croissant was a smash up of pastry, too much frosting and bits of almond paste scattered randomly within. Way too chewy, not crisp. Sour cream muffin for the bride managed to be crisp, dry and greasy, as well as being as large as a hub cap. I wanted to like this place, and they were doing a big business, but I would not go back. In fact, I went to Jamba Juice instead the next morning, and preferred it. In deference to the poster above, I have no doubt lunch would be better, almost anything would be. I put the popularity of the place down to location, marketing and fad... I am pretty sure it ain't the food.

Went to Emil-Lene's Steakhouse in Aurora for lunch at Steve Z's suggestion. Very limited menu for Saturday lunch - burger, sirloin, or filet, only one size. Soup of salad. My bet is that I could have pushed for a few other options, but not much. So I missed the relish tray, and a lot else. When you go to the address you will see an old, faded, sign. Follow a road behind it past a county park and enter what appears to be an abandoned parking lot with a beaten up trailer at the back. Cracked cement, beat up patio furniture - this place is whatever the opposite of welcoming would be. But inside you hit the time warp in the shape of a 1950s cowboy steakhouse, Nice, chewy steaks, good soup and old school salad. Decent beer selection by the bottle. We had two steaks, soup, salad and beverages for $30 - dinner is a lot more pricey. Worth the trip.

After a hike we headed to the Jack n Grill in Littleton. Confession being in order, I should admit that I was introduced to Mexican food in New Mexico, so have always had a very soft spot for the New Mexican take on it. Which is hard to find. I was impressed. Nice salsa, good green chile (with pork) and much hotter vegetarian, red chile. I had the chile rellenos - the breading was more like a light wrapping of scrambled egg around a roasted, cheesy (with restraint) chile. Sides were generous and tasty - grilled potatoes, black beans, zucchini with corn, and rice. The Bride had enchiladas, which I did not sample. It was the pie-type, stacked tortillas with stuffing in between, as opposed to the traditional rolled tortillas. Sopapillas were very bready. Good beer and Margaritas, too.

On our way back through Denver to head home, we grabbed lunch at Little Anita's. Nice deal for lunch so I went with the combo chile relleno/shredded beef enchilada, topped with a mix of green and red chile. More traditional than Jack n Grill in every way - breaded chile, rolled enchilada, pretty standard rice and bean sides, nicely puffy sopapillas. I like Jack n Grill better, but I will not be sad the next time I end up at Anita's.

Overall, I was quite happy, pleasantly surprised by my Denver dining.

Euclid Hall
1317 14th Street, Denver
303-595-4255

Udi's Bread Cafe
7357 E 29th Avenue, Denver
(303) 329-8888

Domo
1365 Osage Street, Denver
303-595-3666

Twelve
2233 Larimer Street, Denver
303.293.0287

The Market
1445 Larimer Street, Denver
(303) 534-5140

Emil-Lene's Steakhouse
16000 East Smith Road Aurora
(303) 366-6674

Jack n Grill
2630 West Belleview Avenue Littleton
(303) 474-4242

Little Anita's
1550 S Colorado Blvd, Denver
303.691.3337

I'm looking at taking a 5-7 night trip to Denver at the very end of September. I was lining up food options so it's nice to read about a recent trip, thanks dicksond. Though I have to admit, I'll probably be eating at the lower end of the money spectrum this time. We also plan on a night or two in Vail, so any suggestions would be nice. Even for things like ice cream or breakfast or whatever.

Ram4 wrote:I'm looking at taking a 5-7 night trip to Denver at the very end of September. I was lining up food options so it's nice to read about a recent trip, thanks dicksond. Though I have to admit, I'll probably be eating at the lower end of the money spectrum this time. We also plan on a night or two in Vail, so any suggestions would be nice. Even for things like ice cream or breakfast or whatever.

Little Man Ice Cream in Highland (just over the pedestrian bridge/ I-25 from LoDo) is very good.

Ram4 wrote:I'm looking at taking a 5-7 night trip to Denver at the very end of September. I was lining up food options so it's nice to read about a recent trip, thanks dicksond. Though I have to admit, I'll probably be eating at the lower end of the money spectrum this time. We also plan on a night or two in Vail, so any suggestions would be nice. Even for things like ice cream or breakfast or whatever.

You could spend a fair amount of money at either Twelve or Emil Lenes (so go to E-L for lunch), but nothing else on that list is even close to expensive. Most of of our meals ran $10-$15 pp. Little Anita's lunch specials are $7-$8 for a lot of food and Domo's lunches were about the same.

I need to post on our meals in Summit County, too, so there is more to come.

Georgetown and Breckenridge dining report

Once you leave Denver, the point is not the food, just so we have that out of the way. It was a wonderful respite in the mountains, and I cannot recommend the Lodge & Spa in Breckenridge highly enough (pay up for a mountain view room). Rustic, beautiful view, convenient to most things without being in the town. The continental breakfast was pretty crappy (think Hampton Inn without the awful hot food and you are pretty close), but that was not the point.

We stopped in Georgetown on the way just to break up the drive and go on a train ride. It had been over 20 years since I had been there and I had no expectations for the town. As it turned out, I found the town charming enough, but the train was not worth the trip, IMO.

The Happy Cooker is a good breakfast/lunch place. I enjoyed the green chile and salad combo, and the Bride seemed happy with her Caesar salad (this was a theme for the trip), soup and lemonade. Sure, the salad greens came from a bag and the dressing from a bottle, but they were good quality, fresh and flavorful. The place was busy, lots of locals having a late breakfast, which I think is their specialty.

Breckenridge, with its resort aspirations, was a thornier subject. Lots of possibilities, lots of traps. I eliminated any place that seemed like a glorified burger joint, which took out more than half the spots, as well as any place that seemed like a very old school expense account spot, which took out another third. This is what was left, in the order that we dined.

Our first night I planned to try Mi Casa, but stumbled into Rita's first. Choose your protein, choose your wrap, choose your style and you get a platter. I went with the baja fish tacos and a side of habanero salsa. I do not remember what the Bride had. It worked, nothing more or less.

The next day I had high expectations for Soupz On - picked up a quart each of shrimp gumbo and NE clam chowder, along with a large Caesar Salad. They had another half dozen soups and a couple of more salads. plus a selection of ciabatta-style rolls (we went with the whole wheat and white mini-loaves). The chowder had some fresh herbal note that was not unpleasant, but was not appropriate either. The gumbo was dark with a little bite. Good, not great. Maybe I ordered wrong, or maybe my palate is not in synch with whoever is making the soups. Ingredients and technique seemed strong.

Tried dinner at Twist, the downscale sister restaurant to the hot chef-driven Relish. had high hopes again, but the meal was disappointing. We started with some happy hour offerings - a green tea martini (too sweet), a pulled pork tortilla (bland and served in a truly uninspiring hard shell, but the radish/pineapple salsa, really more a relish, was pretty tasty), and a bacon/sun-dried tomato salad slider with aioli which was pretty tasty. It was pretty clear by then what the audience was and how this "adventurous comfort food" was going to play out - cute concepts, safe execution, nothing too interesting, tasty, or very well done. For my main I went with the steak special, horseradish mashed potatoes and the special Pinot Noir (cheap, industrial, uninspiring). The steak was almost as good as what I had at Emil Lene's, and the rest of it was nothing much.

Our last meal was dinner at Wasabi the next night. Large chunks of very shiny, mostly tasteless fish on the Ngiri. The rest of the meal followed that trend. Nice people.

In retrospect, I wonder if the best choice might not have been to have breakfast for lunch every day (not that I found a good breakfast place, but I imagine I would have found one if I looked), and then soup for dinner. Or maybe I should have gone with the hamburgers, not fought the program. Not that any of the food was awful, it just was not very good.

I would like to think that there might have been some real, local, places outside of town, but I doubt it. So enjoy the mountains and eat to stay strong.

The Happy Cooker
412 6th Street Georgetown

Rita's
301 South Main Street, Breckenridge

Soupz On
422 N Park Ave, Breckenridge

Twist
200 South Ridge Street Breckenridge

Wasabi
311 S Main St # E Breckenridge

Any recent recommendations?

Been there quite and bit and recently and can't say I've had much luck fining great eats in Denver - though I like the city and love the mountains. But, the cocktail bar The Green Russell has solid drinks and decent hipster bar food. Don't go in expecting the Violet Hour and you should be pleased.

Oh yeah, do me a favor and try the cannabis-themed Cheba Hut and let us know how it is. Couldn't make it in there before.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cheba-hut-denver

I had a great meal at The Kitchen last fall. http://thekitchen.com/

I also love Rioja. http://www.riojadenver.com/

Just got back from a weekend celebrtating my mom's 97th birthday. She is unbelievable. The 1st thing she orders at dinner is Crown Royal on the rocks, which I believe is the real fountain of youth.

We had a great meal at The Kitchen in Boulder, which was every bit as good as it's sister in Denver. Lunch the next day was Pizzaria Locale, the next door sister to Frasca, less formal, with pizza out of their wood-burning oven tasting like you were dining on the sea in Naples(Italy, not Florida).

We did a bit of grazing the next day in Denver. The Source recently opened in an old Foundry and contains a collection of gourmet stores and restaurants. We loved the few items at Acorn, including razor clams and royal red shrimp and grits. We moved on to Linger, serving mostly small dishes of what they call Asian street food. It was all good, with a terrific view of Denver to match.

http://thekitchen.com/the-kitchen-boulder/

http://localeboulder.com/

http://thesourcedenver.com/

http://lingerdenver.com/

Rev--

When I was a kid, my dad took me a couple of times to the Buckhorn. According to the interweb, it still exists--have you tried it? If so, opinion?

Just curious.

Geo

This is a bit of a late report -- and not much more than a recommendation at this point. I spent a little bit of time in Denver over the last couple of years due to a boyfriend in Fort Collins -- we really enjoyed Steuben's Food Service.

http://www.steubens.com/

It's not at all fancy -- it's good ol' comfort food in a fun atmosphere. I honestly don't remember much of what I ate there but I remember really enjoying it. It was well over a year ago.

Steuben's
523 E 17th Ave
Denver, CO 80203

(303) 830-1001

Geo wrote:Rev--

When I was a kid, my dad took me a couple of times to the Buckhorn. According to the interweb, it still exists--have you tried it? If so, opinion?

Just curious.

Geo

Geo, I'm not familiar with Buckhorn but I just checked out the menu and all the game sounds intriguing.

Driving out to Denver for a couple days of R & R. looking for feedback on a couple spots on my list and other ideas - Prolly looking at 8-10 meals mostly in Denver. Staying in Lone Tree so a day trip down to Colorado Springs is in the cards.

Spots on my radar:
Mexico City Lounge
Cherry Cricket
Old Major
Colt & Gray
Buds Bar
Carmine Lonardos
Yabby Hut
Sams #3
Asian Cajun
Curtis Park Deli
Tom's Home Cookin'
Sunburst Grill

Thanks for any help.

Glad this thread exists! I'm out in the Denver area for a couple months. Have been to Trillium, a great Scandinavian spot. Preferred the small plates and apps to the large dishes just because of getting to have a variety of dishes.

For fast casual, LYFE is nearby and Mod Market is also fantastic.

Initial recs I've gotten are:
Acorn
Work & Class
Plimoth
Populist
Sushi Den / Izakaya Den – best sushi in Denver. Sister restaurant to Sushi Den, but takes reservations
Comida
Z Cuisine
Beast+Bottle
Il Posto
Root Down
Humboldt – Farm, Fish and Wine

Do any of those lean toward Mexican/New Mexican cuisine?

stevez wrote:Do any of those lean toward Mexican/New Mexican cuisine?

Comida is mexican / tacos, but don't know much beyond that.

I had a great lunch at the Euclid Hall in Larimer Square and would love to go back to Denver just to have dinner there and more. Simple salad that blew me away - fun space, nice people. http://www.euclidhall.com/

Siun wrote:I had a great lunch at the Euclid Hall in Larimer Square and would love to go back to Denver just to have dinner there and more. Simple salad that blew me away - fun space, nice people. http://www.euclidhall.com/

I sent a friend there on a recommendation this summer and she really liked it.

I've actually never been to Euclid Hall, but I'm going to Denver for a few days in November; will report back.

I enjoyed Root Down at the airport, which is a great way to hit it up if you can't get into the restaurant downtown.

peaceyall wrote:I enjoyed Root Down at the airport, which is a great way to hit it up if you can't get into the restaurant downtown.

Seconded. Well worth a visit if you're spending time at DIA.

peaceyall wrote:

stevez wrote:Do any of those lean toward Mexican/New Mexican cuisine?

Comida is mexican / tacos, but don't know much beyond that.

Ended up going to Comida and it's alright. I'd actually just had Bar Takito and Maxwell St tacos a couple days before so had a decent comparison. Bar Takito was unexpectedly great. I really enjoyed their meats, handmade corn tortillas (tasty but not the same as Maxwell St's), and delicious take on arepas. Comida was just average, but it is in a really cool spot with other craft food shops called The Source. Acorn is there and that's supposed to be a great restaurant.

http://www.thesourcedenver.com/

Drove out to Denver with the family for the Thanksgiving holiday - didnt feel like cooking, just wanted out of town. Left Weds afternoon - got back Sunday. Quick, hard hitting trip



BIODTL (Beat it on Down the Line) "well this job I got is just a little too hard, running out of money lord I need more pay. Gonna wake up in the morning lord, gonna pack my bags, I'm gonna beat it on down the line.":





Broke up the drive on the way there with a night in Lincoln, NE. but did the dead~head back from Denver to home.. 17 hours... mercy... Had a little less than 2.5 days in Denver for business and fun, food was not the top priority of this trip, family and fun was. Did have a few good bites.

Couple spots we ate that I thought were good - foodwise just scratched the surface, way more out there, just didnt have time/stomach space to explore more:

Voodoo Doughnuts, I guess they have some locations in Portland besides this one in Denver, checked out their website and thought they were doing some fun stuff so we headed in.


grabbed up a box to go - kool box.:


sweet... bacon/maple donut, raspberry jelly, & an apple fritter:



really nice apple fritter:



the reason I came - thought this one looked fun. Basically a chocolate long john with raspberry filling... dug it..:


supposed to be a voodoo doll. with a pretzle stick as the the stake -



VooDoo Doughnuts
1520 E. Colfax
Denver, CO.

http://voodoodoughnut.com/

Had heard good things about Cherry Cricket and their burgers - place has been a restaurant since the 1950's, focusing on burgers since the 1990's. Choice of many toppings is there thing.



went with a green chili, cream cheese and fried egg burger - not the best I have had but a solid burger.



Cherry Cricket
2641 E. 2nd Ave
Denver

http://cherrycricket.com/

I had Mexico City Lounge on my short list - reason - deep fried tacos -



cool, cheap, hole in the wall spot. Cold beer and a couple deep fried steak tacos hit the spot. Too dark for pics, but these were pretty good and fed the crave.

Mexico City Lounge
2115 Larimer
Denver

http://www.mexicocitydenver.com/

I dig crabs, not apologetic at all. Dont care that they come from Alaska, etc. and I am in the middle of the country.. im gonna crack em'.

Ive had good luck at Vietnamese owned crab spots in Orlando and elsewhere so when I saw Denver had a couple I knew they were going to be hit. They do a style where the crab is bathed in a spicy garlic butter sauce, messy, but good eating.

First stop was Asian Cajun



family owned spot, nice kid working the table. They do crabs here plus some Vietnamese items(Pho, spring rolls, etc) as well as gumbo. Might seem weird but quite a few Vietnamese folks relocated to the Louisiana /Mississippi area back in the day to run shrimp boats and the folks learned how to make gumbo.

Top notch bowl - chicken, pork, sausage, and okra:



knew we had a 2nd stop in us so we went light - a pound of crab, some potatoes , sausage and corn.



Asian Cajun
2400 W. Alameda
Denver

http://theasiancajun.com/

2nd stop was the Yabby Hut - maybe 20 mins from Asian Cajun.



they had crawfish on hand, they were frozen, but we had to try some. Also grabbed up some dungeness clusters and snow crab clusters as well.

Served in a bag(asian cajuns was as well);



feast:



well done grasshopper:



I think I prefered Asian Cajun, but Yabby hut had more crab and shellfish options avail. That said Id be happy if we had either in Chicago

Yabby Hut
3355 S. Yarrow
Lakewood, Co.

http://www.yabbyhut.com/

Other spots we hit - mixed results:

Super Star Asian Cuisine(cited upthread) - had zero interest in Chinese food when in Denver, - but not many options on Thanksgiving. Hated their fried rice - any place that puts peas in fried rice should be shut down .. Steamed BBQ pork bun passed Vangies taste test, Beef Chow Fun with spicy black bean sauce did the trick as did the pork shui mai and the pan fried leek dumpling. Shrimp crepes were just decent. Half Peking duck worked. Just wasnt overly impressed with this spot

Guard and Grace - splurge meal for Friday night - steak joint with Grass Fed, Angus and Prime beef. Enjoyed some marrow bones as the appetizer. Shaylens Prime filet was well prepared, My 8 oz was good but not a revelation. Vangies gulf snapper was probably my favorite bite of the night.

Guard and Grace
1801 California
Denver

http://www.guardandgrace.com/

Denver Aquarium Restaurant - part of a chain that has locations in a few other cities - Shays choice for lunch. It is what it is, She enjoyed the mermaids and the fun, so I enjoyed the visit. Go for lunch so you dont get totally screwed foodwise. Plan on eating before or after.

Another Gratuitous Shay shot - I love this kid:



Denver Aquarium Restaurant
700 Water St.
Denver

http://www.aquariumrestaurants.com/down ... efault.asp

Historians Ale House - it was 70 degrees and sunny on Sat. found a bar with a rooftop and enjoyed some rays and friendly service.

Historians Ale House
24 Broadway # 102
Denver

http://historiansalehouse.com/

My Brothers Bar - been around since the 1870's - folks know I am all about the old spots. Place had the same footprint as Kumas. Bar then grill right in the main room. Cold drafts - no Bud or Millers, and cheap shots. Didnt eat here, but was tempted

My Brothers Bar
2376 15th Street
Denver


Denver was a revelation. Some of the nicest folks I have met in my travels. Really different than the midwest and Chicago in particular.

Oh, I did hit quite a few MJ dispensaries in Denver, - feel free to PM me, ill answer any questions.... Ill just say Denver is the promised land. -

Screw it,, ill add a couple pics I took at CAM dispensary - all legal - all good. mods can remove if they want- or if pressured.











If you are thinking about going... do it. I started plotting my pilgrimage Jan 1st 2104. - So glad I got there this year to show support for the great thing they have done. Hoping to get back asap.

Jim-

I'm always how much you pack into a trip! Isn't amazing at how far away the mountains are when you're driving? I've made the drive to Denver from Kansas City and thought I'd never there even though they seemed so close.

Thanks for sharing.

The GP wrote:Jim-

I'm always how much you pack into a trip! Isn't amazing at how far away the mountains are when you're driving? I've made the drive to Denver from Kansas City and thought I'd never there even though they seemed so close.

Thanks for sharing.

I had never been to Colorado, so i was unsure of what to expect geography wise(other than the mtns. being right there on the edge of town). The terrain really starts changing once you hit western Nebraska, I didnt pick up the mountains visually til after our 1st stop just over the border in Sedgewick, CO. I76 comes in from the NE so you get a nice long view of them coming into the city.

Driving back to the Denver in June for a few days to see Widespread Panic @ Redrocks - should be a blast.

Speaking of geography, just a tip - when I went to Denver this year for the first time, I ended up with altitude sickness. Admittedly, I have a heart condition which probably makes me more susceptible but I felt a bit weird while there and when I was about to leave, sitting in the airport, my pulse got quite erratic and high so I ended up in the ER for a few hours getting an IV of fluids. The EMTs, ER nurses and even my cab driver afterwards said it's non uncommon for folks to react and that they really should warn people to hit the hydration heavy while getting used to the altitude.

One IV and I was fine and completely back to normal but I was startled as I had not really thought about the possible altitude reaction.

So .... drink tons of water.

I went for a quick trip in early November. Can't remember where we went out to eat too much, though I do remember Lala's, a pizza place and wine bar in Capitol Hill. It was pretty good and seemed a nice neighborhood spot for a friend moving nearby. It was snowing that night and road conditions were a bit iffy, but met some friends who live in Lafayette at Colorado Keg House in Broomfield. Great selection of Colorado-only beers if you're out in the suburbs on the way to Boulder--food is bring your own, though there's a pizza place next door. Went overnight to the mountains and stayed in Silverthorne, CO. It was the shoulder season so the mountain towns around there (Frisco, Breck) were dead. Had a decent meal and some good beer at Dillon Dam Brewery. Went to the Cherry Creek Kings Soopers (the one that sells alcohol) one day to get some food to take back to my sister's place. Was pleasantly surprised by the low retail cost of craft beer there as compared to what I'm used to in Chicago. I'll probably be back sometime in the spring.

Denver (again) June 2015

In a short trip we had excellent food--a big change from my first post in this thread back in 2004. Two of the places we enjoyed the most can be characterized as 'butcher to table'--Blackbelly Market in Boulder and The Mercantile in the newly Disneyfied Union Station.

Why Butcher to Table? The Mercantile chef owns his own farm and raises lamb, goat and beef served at the restaurant, and his other restaurant, Fruition. At Blackbelly, they bring in their own just slaughtered grass fed animals, butcher the carcasses then parcel them out through the menu. That said, neither menu lacks for frequent flyer mile heavy fish options.

Blackbelly Market
Summary--we would reorder everything eaten here.

Thursday night. Our original plan had been to arrive at 3, shoot in to town and hit several places. With our flight 3 hours late, Blackbelly became the option. At 7:45PM when we sat down, we were tired, famished and just dove in. Restorative green chile pozole, classic caesar with white anchovy marred perhaps by the use of Asiago rather than Parmesan and a fat, juicy pale colored lamb sausage that we were on the verge of fighting over. Big selection of craft beers. Simple vodka on the rocks with lime came with a perfectly clear 2" square irregular cube--artisanal ice. Decent pour, but not neighborhood pour. We ordered two mains, but it was late, prudence prevailed and we reduced it to a locally raised free range Boulder half rotisserie chicken which came with hand cut fries and an upcharged side of seared local greens. The greens were baby kale, and excellent. The chicken was half of a 3.5lb bird, lightly brined and very good, as were the fries.

Panzano
Downtown in the Hotel Monaco. Top drawer happy hour artisanal cocktails and true tapas sized plates.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu


Grilled Squid


Trout Pate.
A shot glass filled with cream cheese blended with smoked trout. Not my preference, they who ordered it liked it.

Salumi.
Shaved locally raised Berkshire proscuitto. Excellent.

Would reorder cocktails, Lamb Ragu, Grilled Squid and the Salumi.

The Mercantile
The chef raises his own animals, which we know because a friend of ours reported a month earlier about helping out at the farm with birthing and being elbow deep in placentas. Mercantile is in the revived and newly rehabbed Union Station. We were not hurting after Panzano happy hour and ordered the Country Dinner for Two Roasted Lamb Shoulder with garlic chips, fingerling potatoes, vegetable and fennel/baby arugula salad.

This was amazing. Amazing flavor, technique and local ingredients. The lamb is slow braised, then at time of service takes 45 minutes of finishing in a hot oven according to the lanky top knotted server.



Just as notable as the lamb were the three sides, especially the cauliflower:



Glasses of 12% alcohol Cotes Du Rhone rose complemented the lamb. The leftovers were a superb breakfast.

While we were passing 45 minutes waiting for the lamb, we ordered the Naan app. This was griddled with clarified butter then salted. Three accompaniments were Sheeps milk yogurt, Lamb rilletes and Meyer lemon confit. Best was the yogurt. The waiter advised that the chef said to try a little of each together on a piece of Naan. Sorry, but this dish just didn't cut it, and we left more than half uneaten.



Woody's Wings 'n Things (Broomfield)
Nix the wings. A huge photo based menu that spans southeast Asia. The stars, however, are the Kmer/Cambodian dishes: Papaya Salad, Nime Chow, Cambodian Soup, Crispy Chile Fish, Waterfall Beef and Beef Laab. With only three of us, we didn't make it through to the Beef Laab.

This food was delicately prepared, as good as the best Thai I've had in Chicago, even though it was Kmer rather than Thai. I'm sure there are other good dishes here, but these are guaranteed winners. re Wings--did not try.

Nime Chow. Freshly made, slightly porky with a vinegar based dipping sauce.


Papaya Salad. Very good, perhaps not the best ever had, but still vg. Demolished upon arrival, no photo.

Waterfall Beef. Minted, medium rare beef ordered hot. And it was.


Somlaw Machu Kroeung aka Cambodian Soup. Spicy and sour beef and tripe soup. Beautifully executed and loved by everyone--even the 'I don't eat tripe' people.


Crispy Chile Fish. As delightful to eat with your hands picking it apart as it was to photograph.


Would reorder everything at Woody's.

Recap: the Mercantile's Roasted Lamb Shoulder and everything at Woody's are a run don't walk.

Note--Downtown Denver. After work Friday 5PM. The streets were swarming with tourists of all ages, many cannabis fueled, and a few cube people. Think the closing scene in Casino. It was 92F and shorts were the uniform of the day. It is what it is, a big change from my last visit five years earlier.

nice report and photos, thanks for sharing.

Ill be in Denver shortly - mostly gonna be chasing food trucks, green chili's, & revisiting spots from last time(Mexico City Lounge(also got another deep fried taco spot), Asian Cajun, Yabby Hut, etc.

One of the new ones on my list is: The Source - billed as an artesian market - its in an old brick foundry from the 1800's - looks to have 15 merchants, - some restaurants - some cocktail bars.

http://www.thesourcedenver.com/

still kind of needing to find a spot out in the Golden / Red Rocks area for before a concert @ Redrocks -

Besides local contacts, the three best sources I found were

Denveronaspit.com
Westword.com
5280.com

Yelp is yelp. There's a glimmer of gold amidst the dross.