ChiNOLA wrote:Ethel's House Of Soul
2622 Welton St.
Denver, CO.
Open 12-6 Daily
303-295-2125

Description in This Thread. The place rocks.

Atlanta based as we are, for us Ethel's would be a coals to Newcastle type of thing.

On a bright note, Ethel's is exactly the kind of chow 411 sought.

My Colorado mission is thanksgiving din din for 25. I'm thinking chiles--chipotle cornbread, smoked green chile stuffing, the sweet/hot/smoky flavors arising therefrom...just about anything short of a three day mole.

Part of the trip's mission too is to show my wife the area. Being who I am, my first focus is ever and always food. Jack 'n Grill is still at the head of the line. I guess she'll get mountains when we get up to Silverthorn.

Edit: It is hard to find good restaurant soul food anymore. I've added Ethel's to the 'possible' list... whose slots are two lunches, one dinner, one b'fast.

I recommend Little Anita's for some solid New Mexican food. It's a chain based out of Alberquerque but has limited locations. A definite stop when I'm in town. I haven't had anything here in Chicago that has topped it, yet.

Little Anita's
1050 W Colfax Ave
Denver, CO
(303) 534-8888

1550 S Colorado Blvd
Denver, CO
(303) 691-3337

Is that damnation by faint praise, given our lack of New Mexican, or does it compare well to New Mexican in New Mexico? My question is self-interested: I make it to Denver regularly, NM never, so I was wondering whether I could expect a "genuine" and/or very good NM meal here. Thanks in advance.

JeffB wrote:My question is self-interested: I make it to Denver regularly,

Ah. Signs of life.

Lacking an LTH inside track, current thoughts are these:
1. Mon post-airport arrival lunch: El Coyotito #3.
2. Mon dindin: Frasca mon nite prix fixe
3. Tue b'fast (Westminister area) tbd
4. Tue lunch tbd, someplace between a Costco and Silverthorn.
5. Fri pre-departure lunch (Silverthorn in to town and out to the airport) Jack N Grill,

411:
Ethels is open Thu thru Sat. Bad timing for Thanksgiving week. Jack N Grill closed Mon. six or so hours of chow research, above list is all that has come together.

I've been to JNG once, it was ok.

My wife loves getting decked out, even more than good carnitas or great ceviche,about as much as Santorini and Blackbird. With regards to Frasca, call us intrepid.

Primary chow source has been Westword.com critic, Jason Sheehan.

If we catch any keepers, will report back.

Steve Drucker wrote:

JeffB wrote:My question is self-interested: I make it to Denver regularly,

My wife loves getting decked out, even more than good carnitas or great ceviche,

"Decked out" in Boulder means wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt that has been washed within the past 2 weeks! Even at the Flagstaff House which merits serious clothing, Ive seen some diners with polo shirts and jeans.

I'm one of the few holdouts in Boulder that has not been to Frasca. Their reservation system sucks and after waiting twice for call backs I finally decided that it wasn't worth it. I've had conflicting reports from good friends whose judgement I trust. As opposed to all the hype-meisters who woudn't know chopped liver from a chopped salad that flock there like sheep. Two of our friends were not all that impressed - they spoke of spotty service, high noise level, crowded table placement and high prices. Another couple swears by it saying the dishes are creative, execution is terrific and the wine list fantastic. One of these days I'll probably break down and give it a try. I'll look forward to hearing your report.

Andy's Better Brother wrote:I'm one of the few holdouts in Boulder that has not been to Frasca. Their reservation system sucks and after waiting twice for call backs I finally decided that it wasn't worth it. I've had conflicting reports from good friends whose judgement I trust. As opposed to all the hype-meisters who woudn't know chopped liver from a chopped salad that flock there like sheep. Two of our friends were not all that impressed - they spoke of spotty service, high noise level, crowded table placement and high prices. Another couple swears by it saying the dishes are creative, execution is terrific and the wine list fantastic. One of these days I'll probably break down and give it a try. I'll look forward to hearing your report.

What you write expresses many of my lesser experiences at this price level, as both chow and service expectations rise with prices and shtick.

The best service I've ever had has been the most transparent. Much like underwear--there, doing its honest job quietly unseen, occasionally revealing its brilliance in adorning the substance beneath.

JeffB wrote:Is that damnation by faint praise, given our lack of New Mexican, or does it compare well to New Mexican in New Mexico? My question is self-interested: I make it to Denver regularly, NM never, so I was wondering whether I could expect a "genuine" and/or very good NM meal here. Thanks in advance.

I can't speak to having had New Mexican food in NM proper, as I haven't been there. But I can say I have yet to find Mexican that has topped Little Anita's in Chicagoland, with the giant huge caveat that I have yet to really look either.

Well, considering the hundreds, possibly thousands of Mexican places in this, a metro with 1.3 Million Mexican Americans (second to LA in the US and easily one of the ten largest Mexican cities, including those in Mexico), you have plenty to look at. But New Mexican is not Mexican, at least according to the passionate New Mexican food fans here.

having moved from chicago to denver last december w extremely low expectations i have been pleasantly suprised by the quality of denver chow, though one has to look hard to find the diamonds!

first of all i have been extremely disappointed in the mexican food in denver. i just havent been able to overcome my dislike of my food being covered in green chili! my girlfriend is a colorado native and swears by las delicias, as does her family. for me-not so great. many people here think el taco de mexico is a great authentic mexican establishment, my one experience there for al pastor was lacking. colorado authentic and chicago authentic are two different things. many burritos here come in enchilada-esque form three per plate smothered w cheese and green chile for example! i have enjoyed mainly al pastor at a place called tacos junior on federal. they have what must be the largest al pastor cone i have ever seen as well as serving ccucumbers as a side something i've never seen! they have a limited menu but would be my recommendation for a meal at non fancy hispanic joint. so you might want to check one of those 3 out!

for breakfast/brunch i highly recommend lucilles which is at 275 s logan, a recently opened extension of the boulder lucilles. very good cajun type brunch! very busy and popular so get there early if you can. they have quite a few interesting breakfast plates one of which is some type of oysters rockefeller w eggs combination that looked extremely good. if you are in a small party/couple they sometimes will ask if you would mind sitting w another couple. raised my eyebrow but ended up being a very fun way to meet very friendly coloradians!

there is a family pizza place in golden colorado called mannie and bo's that is known for its calzones. might be an interesting place for 25! the interesting draw here being cream cheese in the calzone in addition to the regular ingredients. while i ordered mine sans cream cheese my boss swears by it and the calzone i had was pretty good! maybe the cream cheese makes it excellent! golden is a really neat wild west type town nestled into the foot hills surrounded by mesas to its east and would be a nice place to drive around and then up lookout mountain for a stop at buffalo bills grave! or drive up clear creek canyon as a back way to silverthorne for a wonderful canyon dr!

i also cannot say enough about denver's japanese food! if you like the higher end of the dining scale. the sushi den is amazing some of the best sushi i have ever had! my main comparison being w sai cafe and bob san in chicago, though i never got to eat at katsu! sushi den probably being better than both! there is also a great japanese at domo. the building is amazing it looks as if it had been transported directly from japan and plopped down in a warehouse south of downtown! domo specializes in country japanese food and everything i have had there has been amazing...mainly katsu and spicy udon!

http://www.sushiden.net/
www.domorestaurant.com

almost forgot if your w kids there is casa bonita, or casa dont eat it as the locals call it! if your in for entertainment more than food this is the place. substandard mexican food(though i have never been) in a completely out of place southwestern,adobe, victorian facade that i think is painted pink and white. i hear it there are faux caves to explore and a live cliff diver! an actual man jumping off a cliff into a pool of water, i have even heard there used to be a guy in a gorilla suit that did it! it has even starred in an episode of south park! i have never been though i am told it is something that i have to see eventually.

sorry bout the length but sometimes denver doesnt get a fair shake! i think everybody is busy skiing, snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing, or whitewater kayaking to delve into the deep dark secrets foodies like to explore! i hope you enjoy your visit denver is a wonderful place!

Wow, thanks. My New Yorker pal who used to frequent the higher-end Japanese places in Manhattan agrees with you and says Domo is tremendous. I'll make a point of trying it. I'm surprised by, but believe, the chorus of boos about Denver Mexican. Stranger things have happened, such as a city full of Italians having infamously poor pizza (Toronto).

here are a couple of limks one for casa bonita which is stranger than i had thought possible and one to some pics of el taco de mexico.

http://www.casabonitadenver.com
http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/articles/ElTaco/

jeffb,
i have had a good slice in toronto at amatos! reheated as it was i think it was the condiments that sold me. olive oil w crushed red pepper soaking in the bottle and hot sauce. whowouldathunk hot sauce!
it could also have been the pitchers of maudite(which is illegal in chicago last i heard) or the shots of absinthe! theres a great pub on college called the cloak and dagger, i think!

bmwr65ls wrote:http://www.casabonitadenver.com

Oh, jeez, my list of absolutely-must-visit-before-I-die restaurants just got longer.

E.M.

bmwr65ls wrote:i also cannot say enough about denver's japanese food! if you like the higher end of the dining scale. the sushi den is amazing some of the best sushi i have ever had! my main comparison being w sai cafe and bob san in chicago, though i never got to eat at katsu! sushi den probably being better than both! there is also a great japanese at domo. the building is amazing it looks as if it had been transported directly from japan and plopped down in a warehouse south of downtown! domo specializes in country japanese food and everything i have had there has been amazing...mainly katsu and spicy udon!

Jeffb wrote:My New Yorker pal who used to frequent the higher-end Japanese places in Manhattan agrees with you and says Domo is tremendous.

Wow. The wiki-ness of it. Domo now at the head of the list.

We ate this type of food for ten years when my last office in suburban Atlanta was right by a small chef-husband/wife place. I mean every day for lunch, several times a month for dinner, more than a few times for New Year's Eve. We ate there so often that one night the wife came back from the kitchen laughing after putting in our order. 'They think you are Japanese' she said. I looked at her, puzzled. "Because of what you ordered" she explained. I took visitors from Chicago, Japan and Korea to this place, and for a few years they did a nice kaseiki dinner. I watched their daughter flower from a gangly adolescent in to a married mom. Her daughter's college friend did our business card translations into Japanese. Then shortly after, they sold the place and retired. As a result, every dish on the Domo menu and described in the reviews heralds an old friend.

What especially convinces me is the chef's explanation of why soy sauce and salt are not available at Domo. I absolutely love it.

I am so looking forward to Domo. Thank you again.

Erik M. wrote:

bmwr65ls wrote:http://www.casabonitadenver.com

Oh, jeez, my list of absolutely-must-visit-before-I-die restaurants just got longer.

E.M.

It sounds like they are channeling The Kahikiin Columbus, OH (RIP)

bmwr65ls wrote:

"casa bonita which is stranger than i had thought possible"

I for one don't believe that human thought can encompass how strange Casa Bonita is. And for an even more surreal note, in order to experience this faux-Acapulco meets...whatever, you first stand in line with little plastic trays to get your food cafeteria style.

Located in, or nearby to, another Denver relic, JCRS Shopping Center, named after it's previous land use, Jewish Consumptive Relief Society, from the days when people went to Denver to ameliorate, not exacerbate, pulmonary problems.

Erik M. wrote:

bmwr65ls wrote:http://www.casabonitadenver.com

Oh, jeez, my list of absolutely-must-visit-before-I-die restaurants just got longer.E.M.

If you actually eat the *food*, death might come faster than you expected! I was dragged there about 15 years ago because friends of my wife who were visiting Denver wanted their kids to see it. First, we had to wait in a line to get in, with hordes of screaming kids, got our trays, placed our order and then picked up the grub. Try to picture Swanson Frozen Dinner enchiladas. Mmmm....mmmmm! With the guy diving into the pool, it was a truly surreal experienc.

steve,
if you enjoy japanese you might want to also stop at oshima ramen. oshima ramen is the only american franchise of a japanese/tokyo chain.
the ramen there is excellent as are the gyoza! it might make a great stop for a warm bowl of ramen on a chilly day. the broth and noodles are handmade daily. heres a link of a review.

http://extras.denverpost.com/scene/revi ... ng0324.htm

Hi! First time poster, short time reader. I didn't read the entire post, but would like to throw my two cents in on recommendations in Denver.

First of all, DO NOT go to Casa Bonita. It is a slop cafeteria hell, and is geared toward children under the age of 10. Enough said.

It seems you are looking for local flavor - Pisco's on 6th Avenue near Downing offers bountiful South American fare at a reasonable price with a spectacular wine list. Try their house pisco sour, also the fries were voted best of Denver a few years in a row.

If you are looking to hit more of a scene (as well as Denver's foodie heaven), try some of the finer Cherry Creek North restaurants. My favorites are:
Cucina Colore (3041 E. 3rd Ave) - Modern Italian cooked to perfection in a hip space;
Chinook Tavern (265 Detroit) - Think "tavern" as in West Town Tavern - IMO the best food in Denver - desserts are made in house, try the rote grutze (dessert), the weinerschnitzel and any of the Paulaner beers on tap;
Mel's Restaurant and Bar (235 Fillmore St.) - New American, great food, even better wine!.
Keep looking around in Cherry Creek North (it's only a ~10x4 block area directly north of the Cherry Creek Mall) for awesome restaurants, quaint shops, etc. If you had a day to spend in Denver and some money to blow, this is where you'd want to be.

A couple of other Denver favorites:
Santino's (2390 S. Downing - Always great Northern Italian fare here; to-die-for garlic bread; strong wine list; reasonable prices; try the bread salad!)
Lola (1469 Pearl - Another great latin restaurant - amazing tequila selection; good seafood; great brunch; ask for Jenna if she's still there)
Vesta Dipping Grill (1822 Blake - this one is in LODO (LOwer DOwntown) where there are all kinds of great restaurants and bars. They offer a mystifying selection of - you guessed it! - dipping sauces that you choose with each plate. Great food and service, even cooler atmosphere)

While there are definitely fewer outstanding restaurants in Denver when compared to Chicago or New York, there are also fewer people which leaves fewer foodies to rave about the great restaurants that are there. Denver isn't exactly a "foodie" town, but there are great finds to be had. Good luck finding them!

All of the restaurants I mentioned are modestly priced, and I would consider each one to be an exceptional deal in the casual upscale realm.

We lived in Denver for about 4 years and my very favorite restaurant there is Potager, tucked away behind an old drug store in the Cheeseman Park neighborhood. Chef Terri Ripetto has been working with local farmers since the mid-90s and she is known for her savory souffles and commitment to seasonal ingredients. My husband and I often would make a meal of 3-5 appetizers and enjoy the thoughtful wine list. If the weather's nice (and it often is in CO) you can sit in the backyard "kitchen garden" (hence the name of the place).

Another stellar tiny little spot is called "Something Else" on 6th Avenue. This is cozy and has a wide variety of small plates, kostly mediterranean inspired. The duck confit was exceptional last time, and we loved the fried baby artichokes. For such a small place, it had a very lively wine list and accomodated our group of 8 with aplomb.

Finally, there is a Peruvian spot downtown, next to a Marriott, I beleive, gosh, I can't think of the name of it (some of you current Denverites, can you help?) and they have very good ceviche and the some of the best pork fried rice in the city--because of the Asian influence in Peru. It may have devolved into more of a Latin night club dance place but when I was there last it was still serving up some authentic Peruvian fare.

bjt

mcthorp wrote:First of all, DO NOT go to Casa Bonita. It is a slop cafeteria hell...

Ha ha! Now you tell me mcthorp. The wife and I went there the day before last and, you are correct, the food was horrible. I had no idea what I was walking into when we went... But believe it or not I had a good time. There was a "cliff diving" show, Magic shows and a half decent Mariachi band that played a slow songs for my wife and I at our table. Okay, okay it's not the ideal date place but not a bad place to take the little ones for food and bit of fun on a birthday... In short, it could almost be described as a Mexican version of Chucky Cheese. I would recommend going at least once, just to say you did...

Casa Bonita
6715 W Colfax Ave
Lakewood, CO 80214
(303) 232-5115
www.casabonitadenver.com


~GS

Went there with my younger siblings and their friends a few years back, it keeps the little ones completely enthralled. It's such a channel of caves and corners that you can get lost trying to find the bathroom, but there's an endless supply of entertainment, from a magic show to mariachi to the cliff diver, a haunted cave, and a weird western cowboy meets gorilla show. High on interest but, as everyone else says, extremely low on the food level. Just don't think of it as going to eat, consider the food your price of entrance to a bizarre show.

Steve Drucker wrote:One night. Chow will help determine where we stay on the way up to the mountains for Thanksgiving.

Have been to Jack N Grill several years ago, it was good. Right now, its the fall back.

What I can't understand is that after prowling msg boards why I can't find anything relating to the ethnic communities there. Best I can figure is that local chowists are as adventure inhibited as most of the ATL community.

Open to anything from upper mid priced to linoleum/fluorescent lights/English as a non-existent second language. Excellence sought, b'fast too.

We will probably stay in Denver West, so as to be near Costco etc in the morning before driving up to Silverthorn and turkey prep. I'm overnighting two gallons of stock on dry ice to insure success (don't laugh, I've done this before, it makes things foolproof).

Did a Denver dinner ever happen Steve ?

If so, where did you end up dining ?

I'm heading to Denver in a couple weeks, thanks.

I am heading to Denver in a couple of weeks, and since I have heard so many good things about Colorado lamb, was hoping for suggestions as to where I could get a nice rack.

Any other up to date suggestions would be appreciated as well.

Glenn

Do not miss Golden Europe in Arvada (suburb north of Denver). Lovely Austrian/German/Hungarian food with wonderful service. Come very hungry. While I am not a liver fan, I've been told by people who are that the liver dumpling soup is to die for. You will also score points with the staff if you order it instead of the salad or chicken noodle. Stroganoffs and paprikashes are great, but I'm all about the combination platters. There is one in particular that includes crispy jaeger schnitzel, an excellent brat, and very good roast duck, as well as two sides of your choice (choose the red cabbage and spaetzle! Or the bread dumplings! Or, really, any of it). As if that isn't enough to kill you yet, they will bring ample brown gravy. Yes, it will kill you, but you will die happy.

Don't forget to ring the cowbell on your way out to signal your approval to the chefs.

Golden Europe
6620 Wadsworth
Arvada, CO
303-425-1246

Hi folks,

Does anyone have any good brewpubs or gastropubs to suggest for an upcoming Denver trip?

We're heading to Frasca the next night, so a low key dinner in a bar'ish atmosphere sounds like a nice complement for the Friday prior.

There's a TV show called Beernutz which made Wynkoop Brewing Company look good, but my buddy who's out there told me the food is fairly mediocre. Vesta Dipping was on the same show but there's something about the premise that reminds me of local churrascarias. For those who have been, am I off on that?

Any suggestions? thanks.

A pub with great food, although they don't brew their own beer, is the Squealing Pig in Cherry Creek. Dynamite Scotch eggs. Pint's Pub, near the Art Museum, does their own brewing of English style beers and they are good. However, I go to Pint's Pub for their selection of about 250 different Scotch Whiskys. Food is OK, not great, but who cares after a couple of Scotch flights?

Breckenridge Brewing across from Coors Field is my opinion of the best combination of beer and food.

Actually, the food at Wynkoop isn't bad, not great but I've never been that thrilled with their beer. Vesta is terrific and definitely not a churrascaria.

I have been to Vestas Dipping, and it's not what you are thinking. It's actually a very nice restuarant, hippish type place.

if you go to breckenridge brewery by coors field i think flying dog's brewery is right across the street. there also the great divide taproom which doesnt have food.

for beer samplin alone falling rock on blake st has a very good selection of beer, i've eaten there once and the food was ok.

your best bet might be breckenridge brewery as far as food and beer goes. then if you feel like it falling rock or flying dog for more beer! all of these places are within walkin distance of each other w the exception of the great divide brewery, which is still close.

http://www.breckbrew.com/

http://www.fallingrocktaphouse.com/

http://www.flyingdogales.com/

http://www.greatdivide.com/index.php

Great Divide has some of the best kick-ass IPA anywhere.
I also am a big fan of Flying Dog. I believe there is a restaurant connected to the brewery but I've never eaten there.
As a bonus, if you go to Flying Dog, you can walk next door to Stranahan's distillery to sample their Colorado whiskey. It's barley based, not corn, and surprisingly good.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:Hi folks,

Does anyone have any good brewpubs or gastropubs to suggest for an upcoming Denver trip?

We're heading to Frasca the next night, so a low key dinner in a bar'ish atmosphere sounds like a nice complement for the Friday prior.

There's a TV show called Beernutz which made Wynkoop Brewing Company look good, but my buddy who's out there told me the food is fairly mediocre. Vesta Dipping was on the same show but there's something about the premise that reminds me of local churrascarias. For those who have been, am I off on that?

Any suggestions? thanks.

I have been to both, Wynkoop many times actually. Vesta was very delicious on my visit, but that was maybe 2-3 years ago. I'm a big fan of Wynkoop Brewery, mostly for the beer. The food is good, pub-food standards abound. The beer is the star, though. If you're a "real ale" fan, then this place is for you. I really love their hand-pulled options, which I believe are usually 2-4 choices on the beer engine. They also have a great billiards room upstairs. Oh, and the owner is the mayor of Denver...bonus points!

If you want to be entertained with a goofy place, you need to go to Casa Bonita. It was featured in a South Park episode and everyone thought it was a joke, but my ex-wife grew up there and used to go all the time for "special dinners" like birthdays. Complete with cliff-divers, mariachis, and cave exploring...food is standard "family-style Mexican."

Have fun!