The Sizzling Cupcake

Salsa Brava

2012-02-24T13:54:00.001-07:00

It was a Friday, so my coworker and I decided to start the weekend off right...a little lunch date at a nearby Mexican restaurant - Salsa Brava.

As with any Mexican restaurant, the meal starts with complimentary chips and salsa. They offer two salsas with their chips, neither of which I was the biggest fan of. However, they did let us try the Pineapple Habenaro salsa which has a very upfront pineapple taste but leaves you with a kick at the end. So good!

Chips and Salsa (Pineapple Habenaro is on the right)

I ordered the special for the day - the Enchiladas with one chicken and one beef. While the flavor was nothing beyond what you would expect from a decent Mexican restaurant, I was impressed by the amount of meat in each enchilada. Delicious shredded chicken and large chunks of tender beef. I wasn't a huge fan of the tomatillo sauce that came with it; it was a bit too tart for my taste. But the green chile I requested on the side was a good substitute.

Chicken and Beef Enchiladas

My co-worker ordered the Carne Asada Quesadilla with Blue Cheese Aioli which she swears by. I really don't like blue cheese, so this dish offered no appeal for me.

Carne Asada Quesadilla with Blue Cheese Aioli

To finish up our meal, we were both offered a sample of their Pineapple Infused Vodka. I am more of a tequila girl, but with the intense flavor of pineapple masking a good part of the stinging vodka flavor and the sugar rim, I actually really enjoyed it.

Pineapple Infused Vodka

While there is nothing about Salsa Brava that has me singing its praise, I would say that it is one of the better Mexican restaurants I have been to. It also was decently priced, and I believe you got what you paid for. I would probably recommend it if you are in the area.

Overall rating...

Salsas - 3/10
Pineapple Habenero Salsa - 8/10
Enchildas - 7/10
Pineapple Infused Vodka - 7/10

Salsa Brava - 3 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

Off and flying

2012-02-16T11:24:00.001-07:00

So I'll be taking a few days off from my normal restaurant blogging while hanging out my dad in Louisville, Kentucky. But nevertheless, I do plan on sharing my indulgences on my travels. And every good vacation starts with Caribou Coffee. My favorite is the Northern Lite White Raspberry Mocha. Delicious!!!!

Steak 'n Shake

2012-02-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Finally it is here!!! Ok...it may be a little like In-N-Out Burger where it is overrated simply because they are uncommon. But regardless, I love Steak 'n Shake, and we finally got one. The restaurant (and drive through) has had a steady stream of bumper to bumper traffic on the corner of Quebec and Countyline for the past couple months or so. But since I had to go to the Hobby Lobby in the same parking lot, I decided to brave the crowd.

I only had to wait about fifteen minutes or so before I was seated, but the first bite of my burger assured me the waiting was well worth it. I ordered the Double Bacon Cheeseburger with ketchup and mustard with their shoestring french fries and a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough shake.

Double Bacon Cheeseburger

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Shake

Other than it has to be one of my absolute favorite fast-ish food restaurants we have in Denver, I don't really have much else to say. But if you are like my friend that accompanied me the other evening who had never been, I suggest you get your butt over there right away. A classic! And yes, ok, I may be a little bias because I have only good memories of Steak 'n Shake as a kid. Just be prepared for a pretty decent crowd hovering by the doors waiting for a seat.

Overall rating...

Double Bacon Cheeseburger - 8/10

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Shake - 8/10

Steak 'n Shake - 4 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5) 

Slattery's Irish Pub

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

After a couple of drinks when I am out with my friends, there tends to be only one or two things on my mind. But at the fore front - FOOD! I am always the first one to whip out the food menu while we are out, but at least I have the excuse that I am a food blogger on my side as opposed to the truth of the fat kid inside of me.

So while out for dinner and drinks with a couple people the other night exploring my new area of town, we found ourselves headed to Slattery's Irish Pub in DTC's Landmark for a drink. It was about ten or so, and the place was completely desserted short of a few people seated at the bar, however, I attribute that to the fact that it was a weeknight. We were perfectly fine with the atmosphere for our continued conversation over a couple more beers. The selection of beer is nothing impressive, what you would fine at your standard pub. But I was perfectly content with my Shock Top.

A few minutes in, I reached for the menu (surprise, surprise) and was pointed to the Buffalo Waffle Fries. Um...yes please! The waffle fries were doused in a buffalo sauce, topped with melted shredded cheese, and jalapenos. I would call this a winning combination. Normally, I hate my fries to be soggy, but I could get over that for the sheer fact that they were delicious.

Buffalo Waffle Fries

Granted, I am not highlighting these as high quality food. But for pub food while drinking, I have definitely had worse. So if you find yourself there, definitely get them!

Overall rating...

Buffalo Waffle Fries - 7/10

Slattery's Irish Pub - 2 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

Going Beyond

2012-02-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

For as much as I cook and eat, I figured I should start sharing more of my food experiences, so...

It was Taco Wednesday at my house last night...yummy!

I got this filling recipe from my mom who isn't the best cook in the world, and it is probably one of the easiest recipe I have ever made...

Ingredients:

1 can black beans
1 can kernel corn
1 cup of salsa (your choice)
1 packet of taco seasoning
Chicken breasts (however much you eat)

Mix it all together, heat, and delicious!

Pierre Michel French Bakery

2012-02-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

I have heard raving reviews about the French bakery across the street from my work - Pierre Michel Organic French Bakery. So when one of our customers brought in one of their pastries, I jumped on it. It was a Peach Portefeuille, and it was absolutely delicious! The pastry was so flaky I had to keep brushing the crumbs it left behind on my shirt, but I surely didn't mind. It only had two slices of peaches in it, but the flavor was so good, I won't complain. And the custard filling was plentiful and not overly sweet. I am not a big pastry fan, but this one was worth making a few trips across the street every week (or maybe more) to get one of these. Highly recommend!

Overall rating…

Peach Portefeuille - 9/10

Pierre Michel French Bakery - 4 1/4 Delectable Cupcakes (out of 5) - (Granted this is only based on the one pastry.)

Bones

2012-01-31T19:28:00.001-07:00

"Bones" - a haiku

Behind orange doors

Steamy noodles beckon me

Sake lightly hums

Frank Bonanno, while dishing out Itialian, barbeque, pizza, food bar sandwiches, and innovative mixed drinks, is dishing up some classic Asian fare with a twist in probably the tiniest sitdown restaurant I have been to. The corner of Grant and 7th in Capitol Hill houses his two year old noodle shop sporting his childhood nickname - Bones. The restaurant, which only has about ten tables and a bar in it, is very cozy (minus the chilly blast of wind every time the door opened) - a perfect setting for the comfort food.

I was a bit disappointed though after a few minutes in the restaurant when I learned that at the early hour of 6:45pm, they were already sold out of the Lump Crab Eggrolls I had been looking forward to trying all day. Instead we ordered the Braised Beef Steamed Dumplings. I am not a huge fan of dumplings or potstickers because of the doughness of the wrappers, but the beef filling was so juicy and delicious, I could definitely overlook that first part.

Braised Beef Steamed Dumplings

I had heard rave reviews about the Steamed Buns, so they were a must order. The buns were once again a little dough, but they were sweet and melted in your mouth. We had them with Suckling Pig which was even better that the braised beef in my opinion. The hoison sauce that topped it was just addicting prodding me to add a spoonful more to each bite. I do agree with previous reviews that the price of the appetizers is a little steep for the quantity (3 of each), but then again you are paying for high quality food.

Steamed Buns with Suckling Pig

The noodles on the other hand are very generous portions. We ordered the Rice Noodles - tiger shrimp, house-made bacon, napa cabbage, spicy peanuts, all in a shrimp dashi broth. Although the overall flavor reminded me of shrimp flavored Ramen noodle, it was comfortingly delicious. Simple with just enough accutraments to add a little extra layer of flavor. The peanuts were by far my favorite. I was even going through the extra effort to search every last one out. Even though bacon is one of my favorite foods, I wasn't the biggest fan of the chunks in the soup because they were just a little too tough for me.

Rice Noodles

Any one that knows me though (or if you have read my previous blog about Green Russell) knows that I am in love with the pie at Frank's Green Russell. I am now thinking that might carry over to all of his desserts. We ordered Frank's Soft Serve (Glazed Doughnuts and Chocolate Coffee the day we were there). Yep…I'm gonna pull this out…O-M-G. So dang good. A perfect soft serve and such an incredible flavor.

Frank's Soft Serve

Overall, Frank Bonanno has me leaving with a smile on my face. I know some may find me ridiculous, but he inspires me, therefore, keeping me a loyal patron. I'll be heading back soon.

Overall rating...

Braised Beef Steamed Dumplings - 8/10
Steamed Buns with Suckling Pig - 8/10
Rice Noodles - 8/10
Frank's Soft-Serve Ice Cream (Glazed Doughnut and Chocolate Coffee Twist) - 10/10

Bones - 4 1/4 Sizzling Cupcakes (out of 5)

For more info, visit http://bonesdenver.com/.

Parry's Pizza

2012-01-30T15:18:00.001-07:00

So I am a little irritated at myself that I didn't get this post up before the grand opening of Parry's Pizza in Highlands Ranch. I know the company through a coworker, and the other day, Parry sent over three pizzas for us to try out. It was free pizza, so I wasn't going to complain regardless. But one bite and I realized I didn't have anything to complain about anyways. I am not that picky about my pizza, but I can recognize a good slice. And this was a good slice.

Parry's is serving up some pretty good classic New York style pizza, a closer version of the orignal than a lot of pizza places around. But what this location is really going to be known for is their beer offerings - 50 draft handles! (I mean we are talking about Highlands Ranch here people - not huge beer selection in most places.) The drafts will featured a lot of local Colorado brews as well as some well-known brands from around the country. Now I know the pizza is good, so stay tuned for my thoughts on the beer and the storefront. Absolutely can't wait!

Denver Restaurant Week

2012-01-28T11:19:00.001-07:00

Denver Restaurant Week is almost here…

Dinner for 2 for $52.80…

Now where should I eat?

I have a few on my list that I have tried and a few that I would like to try. My recommendations if you are looking for a great place to eat would have to be Colt and Gray, District Meats, Root Down, Vesta Dipping Grill, and Parallel 17. I know there are plenty of other raved about restaurants on the list that would be just as good but a little more difficult to get a reservation (i.e. Elway's and Shannahan's - probably the most popular DRW restaurants).

As far as my list, I am thinking Mizuna or Rioja. Any thoughts or suggestions?

http://www.denver.org/denverrestaurant

Wild Bangkok Bar and Grill

2012-01-24T22:51:00.001-07:00

With elegant décor full of rich colors, I was mesmerized when I walked into Wild Bangkok Bar and Grill. Ornate fixtures, such as huge gold leaves separating the “floor-seated” tables from the traditional restaurant tables I am accustom to (aka chairs), decorated the restaurant. Each table had a gorgeous large glass vase with a bouquet of flowers resting on top. Simple elegance amongst the Thai theme. However, the meal was a little faltering.

I started off with their special drink – the Bangkok Mojito. Normally, I love most any kind of mojito, but this was way too salt for my taste. It was almost as if the simple syrup was made with salt instead of sugar. A definite pass.

Bangkok Mojito

For our appetizer, we decided to get our money’s worth and try a bit of everything with the Appetizer Platter which came with two egg rolls, two shrimp rolls, two money bags, and two golden triangles. The Egg Rolls were good, but nothing out of the ordinary, and the Shrimp Rolls, while good, were just a large shrimp in an egg roll wrapper. The sweet Thai sauce served with the platter made them amazing though. The Money Bags - rice pastry filled with chicken, crab meat, corn, and crushed nuts - was just delightful. It had flavor and nice texture from the corn and nuts. However, I would have never known that there was crab meat in it had I not looked at the menu. The Golden Triangles were like deep fried quesadillas with chicken and waterchestnuts for crunch. Even though the only seasoning was garlic and pepper, they really didn't need anything else.

Appetizer Platter

I was a little irritated when we went to order soup to find out that both the soups we wanted to try were out or not on the menu anymore. But we decided on the Tom Kha Gai - a coconut soup with lemongrass, galanga, and chicken - and Wild Pumpkin Soup. Minus the huge chunks of chicken that were a little daunting for a soup, the Tom Kha Gai was interestingly delicious. It was sweet, but tangy, with just a little bit of heat from the dash of chili oil. While I thought the Wild Pumpkin Soup needed just a bit of salt, my companion found it exceptional.

Tom Kha Gai

Wild Pumpkin Soup

For our entrees, we order the Cashew Nut Chicken (stir-fried chicken in a mild chili sauce with cashews and vegetables) and the Green Curry with veggies and Thai basil leaves. To be perfectly honest, I don't have much to say about these two though because they were unimpressionable. Even though I requested hot chili sauce on my chicken, there was no kick at all to the already unflavorful dish. I am not sure why the taste was so subdued, but, while had no interest in the Green Curry, I wasn't really a fan of either dish.

Cashew Nut Chicken

Green Curry

After the flop on the entrees, my expectations were lowered as we ordered dessert. Nothing really stood out to me other than the Bangkok Fried Ice Cream. I love fried ice cream, but this was rolled in toasted coconut adding another layer of delicious flavor. Definitely made up for the entrees.

Bangkok Fried Ice Cream

The appetizers and the soups just shined, but the entrees were a bit of a let down. If I am to return, it will be for a quick trip to grab the former (maybe happy hour when the appetizer platter is just $7). But if I am to return for a full meal, it will be once they have revamped the menu with more flavor.

Overall rating...
Appetizer Platter - 8/10
Tom Kha Gai - 8/10
Wild Pumpkin Soup - 8/10
Cashew Nut Chicken - 5/10
Green Curry - 3/10
Bangkok Fried Ice Cream - 8/10

Wild Bangkok - 2 3/4 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

For the full menu, visit http://www.wildbangkokbarandgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Menus_2011-1-29.pdf.

Cucina Colore

2012-01-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

We had a $10 credit on our Savored.com account (a website where you make reservation for $10 and in turn get 30% off of your bill) meaning FREE RESERVATION! So I let my friend make the decision this time, and he set us up a reservation six weeks out at Cucina Colore in Cherry Creek North.

I was very excited to try this place after hearing a few good things, plus it also meant a night out with my fellow food bloggers - Mr. and Mrs. Oyster. The ambiance of the restaurant is very attractive, and if we had left it at that Cucina Colore would have gotten great rating in my book. But overall, none of us were impressed with the so-called fresh and inventive Italian food that is they are serving up.

For starters, we order the Baked Fonduta - a cheesy dip with blue crab, spinach, artichokes, and asiago, served with crispy focaccia. Now I am a sucker for spinach artichoke dip, and asiago has to be one of my favorite cheeses. However, the blue crab completely overpowered what would have been an awesome dip. Still decently tasty none the less.

Baked Fonduta

Mrs. Oyster and I both ordered the same a wood fired pizza as we had heard through the grapevine that they were known for them. I forget the name of the pizza (my apologies), but it was topped with Italian sausage, red onions, and tomatoes. The toppings were delicious, and I couldn't ask for anything better than the huge slices of sausage on top. But the crust was burnt on the bottom near the edges of the pizza, and the middle was undercooked to the point that I couldn't even eat it.

Wood fired pizza with Italian sausage, red onions, and tomatoes

The boys ordered the seafood pasta dishes, all made with homemade pasta. First up was the Spaghettini (I think that is the proper spelling) with shrimp and scallops and a cheesy white wine sauce. Everything in the dish was wonderful, but the sauce completely killed the dish for me. It wasn't reduced down far enough leaving a watery sauce with a sharp taste from the residual wine.

Spaghettini (with Shrimp and Scallops)

Finally, the Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli which we had all eyed at one point in the night. Again, while the pasta was delicious, the filling and the accompanying flavors just didn't stand out. Overall, the dish was just bland.

Lobster and Shrimp Ravioli

I can never pass up dessert, especially when an Italian restaurant is serving up Tiramisu. Overall, the incredibly large slice of the tiramisu was better than I have come to expect from restaurants. I would of loved a little more of the espresso flavor, but it was still good.

Tiramisu

Mr. Oyster ordered the Cheesecake, and being one of my favorite desserts, I had to sneak a couple bites. While it was a decent piece of cheesecake, we all agreed that it could have used a little more sweetness to it.

Cheesecake

The boast on their website about their innovative Italian cuisine. While the ideas may be innovated, the flavors are less than inspiring. I wasn't wowed, nor did I really enjoy any of their offerings. I definitely would not make this a priority on my restaurant list by any means.

Overall rating…

Baked Fonduta - 7/10
Pizza - 3/10
Spaghettini - 3/10
Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli - 4/10
Tiramisu - 7/10
Cheesecake - 5/10

Cucina Colore - 1 1/2 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

For more information on their menu, visit http://www.cucinacolore.com/default.asp?page=20.

Wazee Wood Fire Pizza

2012-01-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

Chef Charlie Palmer has created successful restaurants in bustling cities such as Los Angeles, Orlando, and New York (which hosts his first restaurant - now 20 years old - that is still thriving today). With the purchase of the space formally know as Wild Game, Chef Palmer entered the growing Denver scene with District Meats (previous reviewed) and his latest venture which opened just a few weeks ago. This chef and restaurant guru is known for his unique tact of pinpointing what culinary facit is missing in a particular locale and then providing it. With Denver, he noticed the lack of get-a-slice-and-go pizza shops in the downtown area for those whose lunch breaks don't provide time for a sit down meal. And so Wazee Wood Fire Pizza was born.

When we visited District Meats a few weeks ago, the pizzeria was not yet open, but my anticipation was building. So we headed down on New Years Eve. The vision of the restaurants is for the pizzeria to be the go-to lunch spot and District Meats to rule the evening, so when we walked in at 7pm, the place was deserted. (They are definitely optimistic about it being "the place to be" though, and I would venture to say they stand a good shot at it.)

With an open kitchen, a walk up counter, and booth and high top seating, it is definitely a relaxing atmosphere and definitely a little classier than what you get from places like Anthony's or Mario's Twofisted. On a big hanging tv, they show the same live concert tape that is being projected on the bar wall over at District Meats which is connected by an archway. I just love their idea on entertainment here -an interesting twist on just the classic radio station or cd being played. (If you are a little curious about this live concert tape, you can read a little more of my explanation on the District Meats review.)

On to the food. In addition to the grab-a-slice style, they also offer whole pizzas, salads, and appetizers. More our style for the nigt. We ordered the Margarita Pizza (buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, and EVOO). To add some protein, we ordered the pizza with pepperoni on one half and grilled chicken on the other. The pizza was made fresh for us (I even watched him tearing up the mozzarella and basil) and came out pretty fast. The crust was amazing - golden brown, decently thick, and super crispy on the bottom. Everything was so fresh that the flavors were so vibrant. One of the best pizzas I have had in a long time! The EVOO made it a little oily for me, but after a few bites that thought was long gone.

Margarita Pizza with Chicken and Pepperoni

With more than half of this review dedicated to the place itself, you can probably tell that I just love the atmosphere, vibe, decor, etc of this place (just like with District Meats). But the food keeps pace with the place. I will definitely be back very shortly.

Overall rating...

Margarita Pizza - 9/10

Wazee Wood Fire Pizza - 4 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

To view more pizzas from Wazee, visit http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/DistrictMeats/Menu/?MenuId=514.

Ted's Montana Grill

2012-01-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

I have been to Ted's Montana Grill once before at the downtown location and had a terrible experience. I decided it was time to give them a second chance. So I met up at the Ted's in Belmar for a quick dinner with a friend.

There really isn't anything to note about the actual restaurant itself. It is your standard chain bar and grill with just a little more class. But the fact that it is one of the only chain restaurants where you can order a buffalo burger is the draw. So we ordered just that...

My friend ordered their favorite burger - Red Rock Burger (Pepper Jack cheese, jalapenos, cilantro, fried onion straws, and their Z-sauce) made with buffalo. While I love all the components of the burger, there was not really anything that jumped out at me as special. It was a little dry, but still really good.

Red Rock Burger

The instant I saw the Canyon Creek Burger I knew I had to try it. "Cheedar cheese, smoky bacon, fresh jalapenos, blackberry jam, and a fried egg"...yep, blackberry jam. Just had to. And of course I had to get it with buffalo. This burger was a much more complex burger, like breakfast on a burger. The buffalo was delicious, any burger with bacon and a fried egg is great, and the jalapenos were definitely fresh packing a little punch. But the blackberry jam just rocked it with that sweetness that you don't normally expect. I just wish there was more of it.

Canyon Creek Burger

Like I said, nothing too super exciting, but I had to at least mention the second burger. It intrigued me, so I figured I would share.

Overall rating...
Red Rock Buffalo Burger - 7/10
Canyon Creek Buffalo Burger - 8/10

Ted's Montano Grill - 3 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

Larkburger

2012-01-06T13:16:00.001-07:00

For the past few months I have been listening to people, including my fellow food blogging friends, rave about Larkburger. It was finally time to try this out for myself, and I was so excited! But that was a fleeting emotion. I won't spend too much time talking about it because, quite honestly, I threw more than half of it away.

I was a little bummed to find out that you can't really order any other kind of burger than the basic Larkburger. No bacon. No onion straws. No jalapenos. No barbeque sauce. No crazy toppings at all, just lettuce, tomato, onion, and their special sauce. The meat was fine, a little too salty, but nothing extra special like everyone proclaims. I mean, I could get a decent burger like that anywhere. The meat didn't kill it for me, but the fact that the entire bun was soggy did. I ate a little bit of the patty and threw the rest out.

Larkburger

Hoping for some redemption, I reached for the French fries, but they were a little overcooked and floppy. No crispness at all, and no seasoning.

French Fries

Definitely a fail in my book. Not a good start to the new year.

Overall rating...

Larkburger - 3/10

French Fries - 1/10

LarkBurger - 1/2 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

Freshcraft

2012-01-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

With a day off and a chance to actually hit up happy hour, I was excited to try out a bar my friend had been raving about - Freshcraft. Located just off of Blake in between 15th and 16th, this bar is serving up over 20 beers on tap along with about 50 or more other bottles and cans. An astounding selection.

While the beer is the main attraction of this place, I have heard that their food is excellent as well. My first bite at Freshcraft - the Ale and Cheese Soup - had me swooning and has already brought me back in. You taste the cheese. You taste the beer. And neither is overpowering. The pretzel bites and crispy bacon that are sprinkled on top are just the icing on the cake. Don't really know how to explain it all, but it is a MUST have. Best soup of 2012.

Ale and Cheese Soup

Next up to try out way Potatoes Two Way - french fries and potato puppies (I don't actually remember the name, but I am calling them this because they were like cheesy potato hush puppies). Not too special here with the french fries, but the puppies were delicious. Like fried cheese hashbrowns. They were served with a cheese sauce which I didn't care for at all because it really didn't have any flavor.

Potatoes Two Ways

For the entree, I ordered the BBQ Chicken mostly because it allowed me to try the SDTP Mac and Cheese (Sun Dried Tomato and Proscuitto Mac and Cheese) as well. The chicken was cooked well as had a decent barbeque sauce, not too sweet or hickory, but nothing over the top. The mac and cheese itself was absolutely, deliciously creamy, but the addition of huge chunks of tomatoes and proscuitto was way too much for me. They overtook the dish.

BBQ Chicken with SDTP Mac and Cheese

While I was wowed by the soup, the rest of the food at Freshcraft was just about right on par (just a little above pub food). However, like I said their main draw is their beer selection. So if you are in the mood for some killer soup, or like to try out a new beer, or how about one of their $3 Mystery Brown Bag specials (they bartenders pick for you), this is the place to try out.

Overall Rating...

Ale and Cheese Soup - 10/10
Potatoes Two Ways - 7/10
BBQ Chicken - 6/10
SDTP Mac and Cheese - 6/10

Freshcraft - 4 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

More information at www.freshcraft.com.

Corridor 44

2012-01-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve. My present to myself...dinner, of course! With half the restaurants in Denver closed on the holiday, I knew my best bet was OpenTable. So I plugged in a time on Christmas Eve and picked one of first ones on the list. Corridor 44 it was!

Located in the heart of Larimer Square, Corridor 44 got its name from the narrow, 44 foot long, corridor-like space it occupies. This champagne bar and restaurant is intimate, yet boasts a semi-generous amount of seating, including a lounge area in the very back. The restaurant is elaborately decorated with chandeliers, candles, and diamonds (obviously not real ones) everywhere, definitely creating the exact atmosphere that champagne evokes - the sensuality and luxury.

Since it is a champagne bar and it was Christmas, I had to order the Poinsetta to drink - a champagne cocktail with cranberry juice and vodka. It was a light and sweet, and the vodka was very subdued.

Poinsetta Champagne Cocktail

For our appetizers, we order the Baked Brie Potato Skins with Pancetta and the Pomegranate Lamb Lollypops. The potato skins themselves were nothing special, but the brie and the pancetta gave them a classy twist. They were drizzled with a bit of reduced balsamic which added a sweet complexity to bring out all the flavors. The only problem was that it was only a tiny amount leaving me with bites that lacked depth and were bland.

Baked Brie Potato Skins with Pancetta

The Pomegranate Lamb Lollypops were like little T-bones and incredibly tender. The pomegranate flavor was not really prominent, but the flavor was great so I didn't really mind all that much. I just wish there was more meat on each of the bones.

Pomegranate Lamb Lollypops

With two appetizers, we decided to split the Surf and Turf (herb crusted filet mignon and grilled white shrimp with yukon mashed potatoes and asparagus) all in a corn veal demi-glaze. Our decision to split was both good and bad. While we were each given a suprisingly, generous portion of filet mignon, we only received one large shimp each. This was very disappointing as the shrimp with its creamy butter sauce was delicious. The filet was tender and juicy, but the corn veal demi-glaze made it shine. It was sweet and herby, and the corn added texture.

Surf and Turf

It was Christmas, so as a "gift" I let my friend picked the dessert for once - Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. I am not the biggest fan of creme brulee (mostly because of the burnt sugar flavor on top), but the creamy custard beneath was amazing with a heavy punch of vanilla bean.

Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

I wouldn't say that Corridor 44 was my favorite place that I have visited. But with the enchanting, elegant decor and some pretty delicious food, it was the perfect place for a little, quiet, celebratory night.

Overall rating...
Poinsetta - 7/10
Baked Brie Potato Skins with Pancetta - 7/10
Pomegranate Lamb Lollypops - 8/10
Surf and Turf, herb crusted filet mignon, grilled white shrimp, yukon mashed potatoes, veal demi-glaze - 9/10
Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee - 7/10

Corridor 44 - 4 Delectable Cupcakes (out of 5)

For more information about the menu, visit http://www.corridor44.com/?page_id=10.

The Best of 2011!!!

2011-12-31T18:51:00.001-07:00

So the year has ended. With the holidays I have a few more reviews to catch up on. But to kick off the new year, I wanted to reminisce about the best things about 2011.

Here is my list of the BEST things I ate in 2011…Definitely the MUST tries…

Best Soup - Ale and Cheese @ Freshcraft

Best Breakfast - Bacon Pancake @ Jelly

Best Appetizer (1) - Devils on Horseback @ Root Down

Best Appetizer (2) - Veal and Ricotta Meatballs @ District Meats

Best Appetizer (3) - Seared Columbian Arepas @ Root Down

Best Entree (1) - Hanger Steak @ Colt & Gray

Best Entree (2) - Filet Oscar @ Snake River Saloon in Keystone

Best Entree (3) - Chicken Bastilla @ Linger

Best Sandwich - Panza Panino @ Mangiamo Pronto

Best Burger - The Bacon BBQ Cheeseburger @ The Sink in Boulder

Best Pizza - The Board'r @ Extreme Pizza

Best Dessert (1) - Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie @ The Green Russell
(The Oreo pie is pictured, and all of their pies are good.)

Best Dessert (2) - Banana Creme Brulee @ Root Down

Best Drink (1) - Pretty much anything whipped up by the Green Russell bartenders

Best Drink (2) - The Bacon Chocolate Martini @ Inxspot in Keystone

Best Drink (3) - Hot Chocolate @ Jelly

The Walnut Room

2011-12-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

On a lazy Sunday night, after expensing all of my energy screaming at the Broncos game on tv, I wasn't really in the mood to get up and cook anything. The solution - The Walnut Room - a neighborhood pizzeria known for their food as well as a venue for some top notch musical acts. I can't really say much about the environment itself since I placed an order for take out, so I will just focus on the food. (I promise I will be back, however, to see what the inside of The Walnut Room is all about.)

I started with a classic - Cheese Bread. The cut up French or Italian bread (I'm not sure which one) had just enough butter to coat but not drown the bread allowing it to crisp up. It was smothered with cheese and herbs and served with marinara sauce. Most of the time cheese bread is cheese bread. But there is a difference between good and bad ones, and this was definitely a good one.

Cheese Bread

Next for my appetizer, I got the Oven Baked Chicken Bites, which were basically boneless chicken wings with barbeque sauce. While the breading was a bit thick, the barbeque sauce was awesome (and I am very picky about my barbeque sauce).

For the pizza, it was The JB, the owner's favorite. Basil pesto sauce, roasted garlic, and pepperoni. The flavors just played off each other so well, that I would say it was a winning combination! The downside, however, was the oiliness of the pizza because of the oil-based pesto sauce. A little too much for my liking. And a few pieces of garlic were just singed, although that is sometime unavoidable, I know.

The JB

Overall rating...
Cheese Bread - 7/10
Oven Baked Chicken Bites - 6/10
The JB - 7/10

The Walnut Room (delivery) - 2 3/4 Sizzling Skillets

For more information, visit http://www.thewalnutroom.com/.

Steuben's

2011-12-20T13:21:00.001-07:00

It was time for my oil change this weekend. I have been spoiled in the past with having Grease Monkey right across the parking lot from me at work, so I could get it done without wasting any of my time. But since I moved locations, I now have to take time out of my day to get my oil change and also find something to do to kill the time while I wait. I took my car into the Grease Monkey off Colfax first thing on Saturday morning. In need of breakfast, I figured that I could walk to Steuben's, which I have yet to try, and kill three birds with one stone - oil change, breakfast, and a new blog.

Steuben's had been at the fore front of my mind since I saw their tweet about the disgustingly delicious looking "The Hibernator" - a burger with eggs, bacon, gravy, etc. with French toast as the bun. Don't tell me that doesn't sound amazing! Unfortunately, I found out it is only their New Year's Eve special. So back to the normal menu I went.

While I perused, I ordered a cup of coffee which came out about ten minutes late, filled to the brim, with literally no room for cream. This resulted in my classic move of spilling it all over the table. Nothing too special about it. I needed the caffeine, but I wouldn't be heading back just for that.

I ordered the Basic Breakfast, a single Biscuit and Gravy, and a Side of Fruit. all of which were again nothing special. I will give you the brief overview. The Basic Breakfast was a little disappointing. My hashbrowns were either not browned or almost burnt, and you could taste the grease all over the bacon.

Basic Breakfast

Their gravy was absolutely delicious but a little on the thick side. However, the dry, dense biscuit ruined the whole thing.

Biscuit and Gravy

And the fruit was not ripe. Completely disappointing.

People I know have raved about Steuben's as a neighborhood staple. And the modern diner decor and laid back atmosphere scream that as soon as you walk in. But with the super slow service and the less than desirable food, I just don't see it. I believe I caught them on a bad day. But even on a bad day, I expect an established restaurant such as Steuben's to be at least pretty good.

Overall rating...

Basic Breakfast - 4/10

Biscuit and Gravy - 3/10

Side of Fruit - 2/10

Steuben's - 1 3/4 Delectable Cupcakes

For more of the menu, visit http://www.steubens.com/menus/lunch-dinner.

ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro

2011-12-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Some friends of mine and fellow food bloggers have been raving about ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro since they went a few weeks ago. With so much anticipation building up from all this, we made plans with them to try it out using one of their Savored.com reservations (giving us 30% off of our meal). Sadly, at the last minute, they were not able to make it, but with all their talk, I couldn't pass on our reservation. The bistro, located at the end of 16th Street Mall, has modern decor with an Asian flare which gave it classiness, but the modern (think 95.7 The Party) type music didn't fit with the feel at all. A somewhat off balance atmosphere.

Like always, I had already scoped out the food menu before showing up, and I had my mind already set on the dishes I wanted to try. Even recommendations from our waiter could not sway me. Although I did rely on him for my drink order - the Full Moon Margarita. It was their spin on a classic margarita rimmed with chili salt for a kick with a dash of Mezcal to add that smoky flavor. Usually I love my margaritas super sweet, but this was the perfect margarita for a non-Mexican dinner.

Full Moon Margarita

ChoLon institutes a unique serving idea which I really liked. Since most food is made for sharing, you order all your food at once, and it is prepared and served to you in a course-like manner. While waiting for the "first course," we were served a complimentary rice and seseame chip with tomato jam (almost like the bread basket at most places). The presentation was absolutely gorgeous and a work of art in and of itself. While the chip really didn't have any flavor, the tomato jam packed the flavor in, like a cold marinara sauce with some nice heat to it.

Rice Chip with Tomato Jam

Our first course was the Curried Duck Spring Rolls served with a cilantro yogurt sauce. The spring rolls were stuffed with a generous portion of tender duck but not much else so the depth of flavor was lacking just a bit. However, the cilantro yogurt sauce was light and delicious adding just what was needed to the rolls.

Curried Duck Spring Rolls

Second was the Rib Eye Satay with Hong Kong steak sauce. The rib eye is sliced super thin and weaved onto the stick creating a super tender, melt in your mouth bite. The sauce was sweet and very bold but the perfect addition. My friend did keep saying though, "It's just meat."

Rib Eye Satay

For our first entree, we ordered the Pork Tenderloin with Butternut Squash Puree and Chinese Bacon Sauce. The tenderloin, cooked sous vide (cooking food in vacuum sealed bags in a water bath - see link), was by far the most tender piece of pork I have ever had. But the sauce that it was sitting atop was way too sweet for even my palate. The butternut squash was incredibly creamy balancing sweet and savory. Definitely a highlight of the dishes.

Pork Tenderloin

Since it is a modern asian restaurant, we decided to go with a classic dish and ordered the Kung Pao Chicken. For me, it was good Kung Pao, but it was just Kung Pao. The chicken was great (once again cooked sous vide), and the dish was very fresh. Although, it was not worth jumping up and down.

Kung Pao Chicken

My eye was on the S'mores Tart for dessert. The chocolate tart was filled with a banana pastry cream and topped with broiled bananas. Absolutely delicious! Like a chocolate covered banana, only 10 times better. The pastry cream oozed out, and the broiled bananas really brought the flavor out. It was paired with a spiced chocolate ice cream that left too much of sting in the mouth for me.

S'mores Tart

Overall, ChoLon is definitely a must go. However, I wouldn't give it as much credit as my fellow food bloggers did as you can probably tell by some of my critiques.

Overall rating...
Chip and Tomato Jam - 10/10
Curried Duck Spring Rolls - 8/10
Rib Eye Satay - 8/10
Pork Tenderloin - 8/10
Kung Pao Chicken - 7/10
S'mores Tart - 8/10

ChoLon Bistro - 4 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

For more information, visit https://www.cholon.com/denver/asian-restaurant-menu/smallbites.

District Meats

2011-12-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have been so excited to try a new place in quite a while as I was to visit District Meats, the newest restaurant by entrepreneur Charlie Palmer. Charlie, who owns properties all across the United States in cities such as New York, DC, Dallas, Las Vegas, Reno, and Orange County, just opened this newest venture in Lodo on the 21st of November.

Walking in, I was already prepared to give this place 5 Sizzling Skillets out of 5. The atmosphere of the place was just perfect. It was classy and sleek, yet laid back and relaxed. Very, very versatile. When I arrived, the tables were very empty (which quickly changed as the evening went on), but the bar was full with stand rooming only. Above the bar there were three projection screens side by side on the wall playing a taping of a The Rolling Stones concert while the bartenders doled out local and more unique beers on tap and signature cocktails. After ten mintues, and only trying the bread basket, I was already raving about the place (placing it in my top two) and deciding when I was going to come back.

The Bread and Butter

For starters, we took our waitress suggestion and ordered the Veal and Ricotta Meatballs with polenta and parmesan. Some of the best meatballs I have had. They were juicy and flavorful (you could see the peppers and other seasonings in it). The sauce was a light tomato sauce, and the polenta (if you have never had it, it does not have much flavor) was creamy, rounding out the flavor but not taking anything away from the meat.

Veal and Ricotta Meatballs

On the menu, I noticed "Bag of Chips." I thought if a higher class restaurant is selling bags of chips, they must be good. They are a large bag of kettle chips tossed with the daily seasoning (barbeque seasoning on our visit) with a dipping sauce. I didn't care for the dipping sauce, but the chips were excellent. The flavor was bold, and it was a cute idea as an appetizer.

Bag of Chips

Our waitress also recommended a steak and a meat dish, prompting us to order both. First was the Teres Major Steak with Wild Mushroom Ragout. I don't like mushrooms, so I requested the confit cippolini (onions) from another steak. The steak came out perfectly cooked, perfectly juicy, and perfectly salted bringing out the full flavor of the meat requiring no additional sauce. The outside was slightly charred on the ends but not enough to ruin the dish. Even the garnishing paired so well - the soft onions and fresh herbs. The portion was absolutely huge. No side dish required.

Teres Major Steak with Confit Cippolini (instead of Wild Mushroom Ragout)

For the second dish, we ordered the Chicken Schnitzel with Chinese Broccoli and Smoked Bacon Fingerlings. While there were only a few pieces of broccoli and fingerlings, the meat portion was once again very generous with four pieces. The chicken was tender and juicy with a crunchy breading that was seasoned well. Normally, I love to dip my chicken in something (barbeque sauce, honey mustard, ranch), but this needed nothing. Just pair a bite with the crispy bacon bites, a sliver of the broccoli, and a squeeze of lemon...Delicious!!!

Chicken Schnitzel with Chinese Broccoli and Smoked Bacon Fingerlings

To sum it all up, District Meats is probably on the top of my list, tied with maybe only Colt and Gray. The atmosphere is awesome, the food is great (and you get what you pay for), and the service is friendly. The service could have been a little faster as it took us nearly ten minutes to pay for our meal, but that is me stretching to find a con. In my opinion, District Meats is a must go!

Overall rating...
Veal and Ricotta Meatballs - 9/10
Bag of Chips - 8/10
Teres Major Steak - 8/10
Chicken Schnitzel - 10/10

District Meats - 5 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

For the menu, visit http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/DistrictMeats/Menu/.

H Burger

2011-12-04T11:26:00.001-07:00

This past week was a very long week for me, so I was more than ready to head out for a good dinner with a bunch of friends. It was my choice, and I have been wanting to try H Burger for quite some time now. The classier burger joint, which prides itself on local angus beef and hand-cut, handformed, homemade everything, was the absolute perfect place for a group of friends to chill out, eat up, and start the evening right.

I was starving, so while waiting for the rest of our group to show up, I ordered The Mojo (mojito) and Zucchini Fries to hold me over. H Burger may be known for their burgers, but their drinks were definitely lacking. For being a mojito, it had way too much rum and not enough lime and mint. Very unbalanced. However, I let that slide as I dug into the fries. The zucchini fries were thick cut and served with a parmesan ranch dipping sauce. Unlike some fried vegetables, the thickness helped keep in the moisture of the zucchini. The ranch was the perfect addition, and sadly was almost required because there was no seasoning in the breading. Yet, I still ate most of them myself.

Zucchini Fries

Per the waiter's advice, I ordered the H Burger - angus beef, smoked cheddar, hatch chili, sweet and spicy bacon, bibb lettuce, tomato, onion, and a red pepper tomato jam - with sweet potato fries. I was sorely disappointed when my burger arrived because I had been expecting diced hatch chilis and met with one large hatch chili instead. After one bite, it was just a little too much for me, and I had to take it off. Regardless of that fact, the burger was delicious. High quality beef indeed, and it was cooked perfectly. The flavors were harmonious and by far worth the trip. The fries were nothing special, but then again, I didn't really come there for that.

H Burger

H Burger definitely proved to be delicious burgers. Although I still have yet to find out what the "H" actually means. (The website isn't much help either - see the note below.*) The service was very slow and you may want to hit up happy hour elsewhere, but it is definitely worth the trip for a good burger.

Overall rating…
Zucchini Fries - 6/10
H Burger - 7.5/10

H Burger - 3 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

For the full menu, visit http://hburger.com/menu/.

*"You want to know what the H stands for? You’re not alone. But we’re not telling. Like the recipes for our Handformed, fresh ground 100% Angus beef, our Hand-cut fries, our House salads and sides, and our Homemade desserts, that H is our little secret. Sure we want you to feel at Home Here when you’re Hungry, and yes, we want you to Have a Heckuva time, and absolutely, we Hope you are filled with Hamburgery Happiness. We Hope for yourHabitual return, but we’re not spilling the beans on the meaning of that H, so don’t even ask." - HBurgerco.com

Keystone

2011-12-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity a few weekendd to spend the night in Keystone in a condo with a few friends. I won't go into a full indepth look at all the food that I ate up there, but I did want to highlight of few of them...

Snake River Saloon -

Since we were celebrating a birthday up in Keystone, we wanted to have a nice dinner on Friday night, so we headed over to the Snake River Saloon just one resort over from where we were staying. When you walk in you are greeted at the hostess stand with the door on your right leading to the bar (which we headed to right after dinner) and a door on your left leading to the slightly upscale restaurant. Kind of a unique set up if you ask me.

For dinner, I was eyeing the Filet Oscar, a filet wrapped in bacon atop a bed of king crab with a creamy herb sauce. Absolutely delicious! The filet was perfectly cooked. The crab wasn't overpowering. And the cream sauce had me nearly licking my plate clean.

Filet Oscar

My friend ordered the Pork Chop with a black cherry sauce on the side. The pork chop was tender and salty which paired perfectly well with the very sweet sauce. My only complaint was the huge chunks of cherries in the sauce.

Pork Chop

Inxpot -

After a night of drinking over at the bar in the Snake River Saloon, we were ready for some food as soon as we woke up. We walked across the resort to Inxpot - a cafe. I was drawn there because I remembered having the absolute best drink ever there during BaconFest in July - the Chocolate Bacon Martini - and because it is the perfect, cozy, mountain town cafe.

After much describing, I was able to get the drink made for me again (And once again, it was insanely amazing!) along with my Inxpot hot sandwich - a turkey sandwich with swiss, applewood smoke bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The sandwhich itself, while very tasty, wasn't really anything special. I was actually more impressed with the little cafe's housemade Chicken Enchilada Soup. With a cream base, it was thick and the perfect it-is-snowing-outside warmer-upper.

Inxpot hot sandwich

*Just thought everyone would enjoy my thoughts of good places to eat if you are up in Keystone this winter.*

Overall rating...

Snake River Saloon - 3 3/4 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)
Filet Oscar - 9/10
Pork Chop - 7/10

Inxpot - 3 1/2 Delectable Cupcakes (out of 5)
Inxpot sandwich - 6/10
Chicken Enchilada - 8/10

For more information on Snake River Saloon, visit http://www.snakeriversaloon.com/indexb.htm.
For more information on Inxpot, visit http://www.inxpot.com/index.php.

Snarf's

2011-11-25T21:14:00.001-07:00

Beyond just the $5 footlong and the oven roasted Quizno's, there seems to be a sandwich shop on every corner around town. From paninis to subs, gourmet to classic, there is something for everyone to choose from. But when I go into a sandwich shop regardless of the type, I always enter with a bit of skepticism, assuming that it will be just like that last and only average.

I was meeting up for happy hour the other night, so I didn't have much time to muster up some dinner. Since I had to run to the store anyways, I figured I would grab something while I was out and found myself across the street from yet another sub shop - Snarf's. I had yet to try this one, and I figured it would be easy.

The menu doesn't really boast anything that stands out or would call attention to Snarf's on its own. However, the quality of the sandwiches does put it slightly above the rest. My friend (who was running errands with me) and I split the Prime Rib with Provolone and the Meatball with Provolone. Again, neither of which really spoke to me based solely on the name. However, both sandwiches were delicious.

The prime rib was thinly sliced, juicy, and tender. The flavor didn't really require anything else a top the sandwich to make it good.

Prime Rib Sub

The meatballs were cut in half offering a better handling, and they seemed to be made with some higher quality meat (not too fatty or grisly). I just wish there had been more on the sandwich. I feel like I only got three meatballs total.

Meatball Sub

Snarf's is definitely one of the better sandwich shops in Capitol Hill. (None will ever compare to Spicy Pickle in my opinion.) Not one to rush to right away or go out of your way for, but I will definitely be back when the craving hits.

Overall rating…
Prime Rib Sub - 7/10
Meatball Sub - 7/10

Snarf's - 3 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

For more information, visit http://www.eatsnarfs.com/menu.htm.

Le Grand Bistro and Oyster Bar

2011-11-25T20:09:00.001-07:00

With a chill in the air and the Christmas lights just lit downtown, it was the perfect time to enjoy it from the comforts of a booth at a cozy restaurant. With our LivingSocial in hand, we bundled up and headed down to Le Grand Bistro and Oyster Bar just off of 15th and Curtis. The dimly lit restaurant, complete with Christmas decor, was incredibly inviting, setting the stage for a relaxing dinner.

Our waitress greeted us with some sparkling water which I don't really like and therefore was a little disappointed by. But that quickly passed when she brought out my drink, the special Sangria, which she described as "Christmas in a cup." And it - red wine, white wine, orange juice, champagne, and cider - was spot on. I could not have started the season off better.

Sangria - "Christmas in a Cup"

Being at an oyster bar, there was no question that I had to order at least one oyster. Our waitress suggested the Lasquitis because it has a honeydew tint to it. With a terrified expression, I lifted the shell and swallowed my oyster. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. I'm still confused. And I'm still a little frightened thinking about what I did. (After talking to my dad, I realized I didn't do it right since I didn't put butter or garlic on it, so it definitely deserves a second try.)

Lasquitis oyster and Shrimp Cocktail

In addition to the oyster, we ordered two Shrimp Cocktails from the cold seafood bar. The shrimps were incredibly large with excellent flavor. The cocktail sauce was delicious but could be better with a higher ratio of horseradish.

Looking at the menu online, I had been eyeing the Butternut Squash Soup with creme fraise, nutmeg, and cider because of its seasonal appeal. It definitely did not disappoint. It was creamy with a very distinct butternut squash flavor. The nutmeg added a tiny spice to it, while the creme fraise gave it a natural salty garnish. By far the best thing we had there. Delicious!

Butternut Squash Soup

For our starters, we also ordered the Duck Prosciutto from the Charcuterie menu. It came with grilled bread, cured duck, greens, and a spicy roule. The lightness of the greens and the spiciness of the roule were not nearly strong enough to cut through the overwhelming salty cured duck. Way too salty for even me, the girl who puts salt on her bacon.

Duck Prosciutto Charcuterie

Since we were somewhat full from the previous items, we agreed to split the Le Grand Burger - made with Colorado's Best Beef Co. beef - and the Cote de Pore (pork chop). The Le Grand Burger, topped with white cheddar, heirloom tomatoes, and aioli, was perfectly cooked and delicious. The beef was top quality, and the combination of the cheddar and aioli created a flavorful, yet not overpowering, compliment to that beef.

Le Grand Burger

The pork chop, atop a bed of Roquefort fondue and haricots verts (French for "green beans"), was probably the most tender, juicy pork chop I have ever had. However, its accoutrements dragged it down. The fondue was so bitter and sharp that I couldn't eat it, and the green beans were a bit too raw for me.

Cote de Pore

Overall, the ambiance of Le Grand was spot on, but it was lacking in a couple other areas. The service was a bit slow, and the tables seemed so far away that I had to sit on the edge of my seat to eat my dinner. The food was good, and the drinks were excellent. A good experience overall, and I am sure I will be making my way back some day (with my oyster-loving friends I'm sure).

Overall rating…
Lasquitis Oyster - ?/10
Shrimp Cocktail - 7/10
Butternut Squash Soup - 9/10
Duck Prosciutto - 2/10
Le Grand Burger - 8/10
Cote de Pore - 7/10 (minus the fondue)

Le Grand Bistro and Oyster Bar - 3 3/4 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

To view the menu (although a little out of date), visit http://www.legranddenver.com/menu.

Boulder Baked

2011-11-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

So I always feel obligated to try out as many cupcake shops as I can, you know, to check out the competition. While in Boulder, I spotted Boulder Baked and knew duty called. They have other baked goods there, but my eye was on the cupcakes. I decided to try the Cookies and Cream cupcake since it looked the most decadent...Boy was I wrong.

The chocolate cupcake was pretty good, but it didn't pack a huge chocolate flavor. But it was the frosting that really killed it for me. The frosting was so thick, made with absolutely way too much butter. I took one bite and threw it out. (And if you know me and sweets, that never happens.)

I can't speak for their other offerings, but the cupcake that I tried was barely edible. Not worth the trip at all.

Overall rating...

Cookies and Cream cupcake from Boulder Baked - 0/10

To view more, visit http://www.boulderbaked.com/.

Satchel's on 6th

2011-11-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

My friend has been wanting to try Satchel's on 6th for a few months now. Because I owed him dinner, I offered to take him there on Sunday for brunch. No hesitation there.

The neighborhood restaurant is incredibly small with seating for only about 40 people. With an artistic decor and a projection screen playing The Nightmare Before Christmas, it is very inviting. For being such a highly rated restaurant, however, I expected it to be a lot busier, but we were seated right away among only a few other occupied tables.

The Salt and Pepper

Along with the small size and patrons, the menu is also quite small. With only eight entrees to choose from, our choice for brunch was very limited. I eyed the Chicken & Waffles (which I was informed would be made with pancakes since they were out of waffles). The large plate came out with three pieces of chicken and home fries, but only a single pancake (odd since the dish's name implies it is plural). The breading on the chicken was done perfectly, so crispy. However, the chicken was a little overcooked, and there was absolutely no seasoning on the chicken whatsoever. Some ketchup or ranch or something would have helped, but they had no dipping sauce at all. The homefries were tasty with a little bit of herbs on them, and the pancake was up to par.

Chicken & Waffles (with Pancake)

My friend ordered the Macho Perez - a steak with masa, a pepper stuffed with a black bean, corn, and zucchini mix, and a fried egg. The steak was juicy but again didn't have any seasoning. Although it was cooked well, it was an absolutely terrible cut of meat, nearly half fat. The stuffed pepper was very fresh and had good flavor to it, but a little too pepper-flavor inundated for me.

Macho Perez

We ordered a side of Bacon (because no breakfast is complete without it). I ordered it crispy, but it was way too overdone to the point where I couldn't really eat it.

Extra Crispy Bacon

I was quite disappoint with the quality of Satchel's on 6th. After all the praise it has gotten, I expected a lot more. However, at the end of the meal, while recapping the let down, our waiter came to us with the bill and told us he had take 10% off because he saw that the chicken wasn't cooked well and the cut of meat was bad. Granted it was only $3.00 and some change, but that spoke volumes to the customer service. With a little seasoning and continued excellence in customer service, I would be willing to try again.

Overall rating...
Chicken & Waffles - 5/10
Macho Perez - 6/10
Bacon - 1/10

Satchel's on 6th - 3 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

To view more, visit http://www.satchelson6th.com/.

Pinche Tacos

2011-11-19T14:53:00.001-07:00

Riding on its fame of being the number one food truck in Denver, Pinche Tacos recently opened a brick and mortar restaurant in Uptown. What I thought was going to be a hole in the wall, dive restaurant turned out to be a modern bar, with classier seating, crisp and clean decor, and a chalkboard wall boasting all of the tequilas the bar offers. However, it was quite difficult to find since their sign is still in production.

The Pinche Tacos restaurant offers a similar menu as the food truck does with a few extras, such as chips and salsa, guacamole, a few more tacos, and churros. The ordering is done "Taco Tuesday" style by simply marking the quantity you want next to the item on the paper menus. It makes it quite easy to get the variety you want since everything is al a carte.

I started off with Queso Fundido Al Tequila, a queso made with Monterrey jack cheese and tequila. The dip was incredibly thick and was topped with lime juice. The lime juice was interesting, and I couldn't figure out if I liked it or not. Not particularly my favorite thing.

Queso Fundido Al Tequila with Fresh made Chips

I ordered five different tacos so as to get a good sampling (I even had a fish one and a chili one, even though I usually don't eat either). I started with the Rajas Con Crema y Maiz taco with roasted poblanos, creamy chipotle corn, cojita (a Mexican cheese), and sour cream. The poblanos had a great smoky flavor, but the chipotle flavor overwhelmed the whole taco. A little too much for me.

Next was the Pescado taco - a chipotle and beer battered fish, slaw, and pineapple guacamole. Although I hate fish, I do have to admit that the batter was delicious, light and crispy, and the fish was very mild. I could have done without the slaw, but the pineapple guacamole was incredibly delicious with huge chunks of juicy pineapple.

The Shrimp and Scallop Xnic-pec taco with pan roasted shrimp and scallops, yucatan pico de gallo, and avocado crema was one of my favorites. The shellfish had a crispy outside and a tender core. The fresh pico de gallo had a great kick to it making it almost addicting. I wish it was on more of the tacos.

I also had the classic Carnitas taco with crispy roasted pork, pickled red onions, and avocado crema. The pork was definitely crispy making it really dry and tough. Not the biggest fan.

The final taco was the Asada - citrus marinated skirt steak, avocado, onion, cilantro, and cotija cheese - which I have actually had from the food truck. A perfect comparison. The steak was juicy, and the onion and cilantro added a freshness without being to heavy. So good.

(Clockwise from top right corner) Pescado, Carnitas, Asada, Shrimp and Scallop, and Rajas

For dessert, they offer fresh made Churros with a Mexican Hot Chocolate Sauce. The churros had a great flavor, but they were still a little doughy inside. They had way too much sugar on them, which was ironic considering the fact that the Mexican hot chocolate was no where near being sweet.

Churros

My biggest complaint though was the speed of the service. I feel like I waited forever, especially to just get my check. However, the ability to get the best food truck tacos without having to chase them all over town is an excellent idea especially with the great atmosphere they have generated. I look forward to going back.

Overall rating...

Queso Fundido al Tequila - 3/10

Rajas Con Crema y Maiz - 5/10

Pescado - 8/10

Shrimp and Scallop Xnic-pec - 9/10

Carnitas - 4/10

Asada - 8/10

Churros - 6/10

Pinche Tacos brick and mortar - 3 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

To view the menu, visit http://pinchetacos.com/dynamic/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&Itemid=30.

Linger

2011-11-17T12:08:00.001-07:00

After a couple months of trying, I was finally about to get reservations at the new Linger, converted from the Olinger mortuaries. Number 22 on 5280's top 25 list and boasting a broad international menu, Linger has been the talk of the town for the past few months. So needless to say, I was bouncing of the walls with excitement.

We arrived early for happy hour and grabbed a drink while we waited for the rest of our party to show up. I tried the Silver Margarita and the Seasonal "Boca Loca" Caipirinha, but I wasn't really impressed with either of them. However, once I got their Classic Mojito in my hand and the complimentary popcorn with parmesan chili seasoning served when we sat down, I was a happy camper and eager to get to ordering.

Complimentary Popcorn

We decided with four of us that we would do three rounds of two dishes. We started off with "Devils on Horseback" - goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon - per my choice. The bacon was crispy, and the dates were ooey-gooey. The goat cheese provided the tart offset to the heavily sweet bites, but there just wasn't enough of it for me.

"Devils on Horseback"

Since we had a wing-lover in the group, we had to get the Maple Leaf Duck Wings which everyone seemed to love. The meat was just a little gamey, and the sauce was a nice balance of sweetness for the meat. I am not a huge fan of wings and was expecting more of a maple flavor, so they weren't my favorite dish. But my companions were all big fans.

Maple Leaf Duck Wings

Our second round started with the Vietnamese "Goi Bo" - wok seared wagyu skirt steak, paired with a salad of pickled vegetables with peanuts and shrimp chips. The skirt steak was absolutely delicious, really tender, and cooked to about medium and flavored with a soy-seseame flavor. I was skeptical about the pickled vegetables, but they, especially the carrots, were a delicious sweet and tart addition to the dish (although the peanuts mixed in seemed really out of place). Nobody was a fan of the shrimp chips mostly because they were like flavorless rice chips.

Vietnamese "Goi Bo"

My pick for the second round was by recommendation of our waiter - the Chicken B'stilla. It was shredded chicken with almonds and raisins wrapped in a pastry and topped with cinnamon and sugar. The savory sweet dish was by far my favorite of the evening. Juicy chicken, flaky crust, crunchy almonds, and a kick of sweet spice from the cinnamon were incredible.

Chicken B'stilla

The final round started of with Carrot and Lentil Kofte which was the replacement for the veggie sliders previously on the menu. I am never the one to order a vegetarian dish, so I was a little reluctant. But it was actually quite good. It was a crumb covered patty filled with carrots, lentils, and spices atop a cup of lettuce. It was sweet but lacked defineable flavors. But the tahini sauce, while very strong leaving a lingering (no pun intended) flavor in my mouth, added to that.

Carrot and Lentil Kofte

Finally, we finished off our dinner with the Linger Wagyu Burger Sliders topped with bacon, cheddar, and curried sour cream. The sliders were good, nothing special, but they were actually kind of brought down by the muted curry sour cream. You could taste the curry, but it wasn't enough to stand alone. The best part of that plate, however, were the crispy Sweet Potato Waffle Fries with chipolte ketchup. I will be back for those for sure.

Linger Wagyu Burger Slides with Sweet Potato Fries

We topped it all off with two orders of the dessert sampler trio which came with the Kulefe, the Mississippi Mud Pie, and the Ovaltine Creme Brulee. One of my companions and I were overwhelmed with a bad bacon taste in the Kulefe made of clotted cream with rhubarb jam and pistachios topped with phyllo strands (so that should not have been the case). Even though the other two did not taste it, none of us particularly enjoyed it with its strawlike topping. The Mississippi Mud Pie was your classic mud pie, but nonetheless, it was delicious. Very chocolatey. The Ovaltine Creme Brulee (a housemade oreo topped with malted milk)was not really creme brulee; it simply had a hardened sugar web on top. But that little fact set aside, it was actually my favorite of all of them. A nice balance of textures and flavors.

(From top to bottom) Ovaltine Creme Brulee, Kulefe, and Mississippi Mud Pie

Linger definitely has a reason to be the talk of the town and a hard place to get a table. With a menu spanning the global, an environment for groups, and a gorgeous view of the city, I suggest you start trying to get that reservation.

Overall rating...

"Devils on Horseback" - 7/10

Maple Leaf Duck Wings - 8/10

Chicken B'stilla - 10/10

Vietnamese "Goi Bo" - 7/10

Carrot and Lentil Kofte - 5/10

Linger Wagyu Burger Sliders - 6/10

Sweet Potato Waffle Fries - 10/10
Kulefe -0/10
Mississippi Mud Pie - 8/10
Ovaltine Creme Brulee - 8/10

Linger - 4 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

To view the menu, visit http://www.lingerdenver.com/.

Jelly

2011-11-14T09:19:00.001-07:00

I figured early on a Sunday morning (9am), while everyone is still trying to sleep off the partying from the night before, would be the perfect time to try out Jelly. I found out that regardless of what time you go it is beginning to resemble Snooze with a line already forming (albiet slightly shorter than Snooze) outside the small corner breakfast spot.

Considering the fact that breakfast is my favorite meal, I have been itching to try Jelly since the first time I peeked in the window and saw the sign for homemade donuts. That being the case, I had to start out my morning with a glass of chocolate milk and a half order (four) of their donuts . To get the full effect, I ordered one of each of the flavors - Jelly, Cinnamon Sugar, Chocolate, and Creme Anglaise. The donuts themselves were a little denser than I like them to be, but the flavor was pretty good. The cinnamon sugar ones were nothing special, and the chocolate did not taste very chocolatey at all. The jelly-filled ones were delicious with a tart flavor to contrast the sweet donut, and the creme anglaise was creamy with just the right amount of sweetness, making both of these my favorite.

Half Order of Donuts

We were sitting out on the heated patio, so we decided to order some Hot Chocolate before our meal since it was still a bit nippy out in the morning. My goodness, probably some of the best restaurant hot chocolate I have ever had.

Hot Chocolate

For breakfast, we settled first on the Basic Breakfast - two eggs, peasant potatoes, and a biscuit with the homemade jelly. The biscuit was fluffy inside but a little overcooked on the outside for my taste. Once again the jelly was amazing. I pretty much ended up with a little biscuit with my jelly. The peasant potatoes were my favorite part of the three. Although they were just large-cut pieces of potatoes with seasoning and caramelized onions, I ate every single one (off both plates).

Basic Breakfast

We tacked on a specialty pancake to our Basic Breakfast, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which one I picked - the Bacon Pancake. Of course, the pancake was the highlight of the meal with bacon pieces mixed right in with the batter. I'd take a bite and be like, "This is a good pancake." And then the bacon would hit and I would be like, "Oh yea!" (with my mouth drooling just a bit). Just so good.

Bacon Pancake

Finally, we split the Rustic and Country Sliders. First was the Rustic - an egg frittata with sausage, red pepper pesto, and swiss cheese cheese all sandwiched between a sweet roll. The frittata was airy, and the sausage was delicious. The red pepper pesto, however, really lacked a spicy punch to it making it nothing more than a savory ketchup. The Country Slider - the same frittata and roll but with bacon, caramelized onions, and aged cheddar cheese - was much better. The bacon and onion created this sweet concoction that matched the savoriness of the egg just perfectly (think McGriddle style flavor only a hundred times better). Both were self sufficient though, needing no additional sauces.

Rustic Slider and Country Slider (From back to front)

My biggest complaint about Jelly would have to be the speed of the service though. We waited for 20 minutes for a patio table even though there were four of them open. And I watched tables inside sit empty for upwards of ten minutes. After working out a few kinks, I think Snooze may have a decent competitor in the Capitol Hill area.

Overall rating...
Donuts - 6/10
Hot Chocolate - 9/10
Basic Breakfast - 7/10
Bacon Pancake - 9/10
Rustic Slider - 7/10
Country Slider - 8/10

Jelly - 4 Delectable Cupcakes

To view more, visit http://www.eatmorejelly.com/#breakfast.

The Sink

2011-11-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love watching Guy Fieri's Diner, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network, and I have been waiting for him to come somewhere near Denver. So when I found out he had visited The Sink in Boulder, I was all over it. I visited once over the summer after finding out this news and was in no way disappointed. And my latest trip proved to be just as successful.

I wanted to watch the Broncos game, so I took a seat at the bar instead of a table. The bartender, hearing me talking about a few beers, greeted me with a few samples without me even asking. Now that is what I call service. I later "tweeted" that he had become my favorite bartender, quoting Friends and talking about my old addiction - Sobes. Besides just having a friendly bartender, the service overall is excellent (My extra plate and side of ranch were sitting right beside me about a minute after I asked.).

The food follows suit. I have had a lot of good burgers in my life, but these have to be in the top 10%. I didn't go too crazy and stuck with my favorite type of burger - the Bbq Bacon Cheeseburger - medium well. The burger was cooked perfectly and still so juicy. Topped with thicker cut, crispy bacon, two onion rings, and barbeque sauce, it was just the perfect burger. My only complaint was that the bun was a little too dry for me, but not too big of a deal.

BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger with Sweet Potato Fries

I opted for Sweet Potato Fries for an extra $.99, and I am so happy I made the substitute. They looked like crinkle fries and were ultra crispy with that sweet flavor. Absolutely my favorite sweet potato fries yet.

The Sink has definitely got to be one of the best burger places, in my opinon, coupled with great service. Plus, according to their website, they deliver. With a great relaxed vibe, this one is definitely on the top of my recommendations. (P.s. Thank Anthony for being such an amazing bartender!)

Overall rating...

Bbq Bacon Cheeseburger - 9/10
Sweet Potato Fries - 10/10

The Sink - 5 Sizzling Skillets

To view more, visit http://www.thesink.com/.

Agia Sophia

2011-11-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

My best friend has been raving about a little coffee shop in Old Colorado City for the past six months or so. If you knew my friend at all, you would know she hates coffee, so that fact that she wanted to take me to a coffee shop so badly sparked my interest. So when I went down to visit her last week we stopped in for a drink.

The coffee shop, Agia Sophia, which takes up the full square footage of an old Victorian style home, is located right off the main street in Old Colorado City. Downstairs it has bar seating in case you are ordering food, along with your standard cafe tables and chairs. Upstairs is a room for meetings (such as the book club that was there the night we were) as well as lounge chairs, tables, and a small library. With soft, classical music playing the background, it is the perfect place to study, pick up a book and read, or (like us) have some good conversation.

Although I love coffee, I opted for the special - the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte. This was mainly due to the fact that my friend was overzealous about the regular chai. After one sip, I could see why. It was a perfect balance of sweet, spice, and flavor. A great drink in a great cafe. Just wish it was around the corner.

Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

Overall rating...

Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte - 9/10

Agia Sophia - 4 1/2 Delectable Cupcakes

To view the menu, visit http://agiasophiacoffeeshop.com/index.php?s=menu.

Lola

2011-11-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

I had been looking for a place to take my mom to brunch on Sunday, and Lola was on the list as one of the options. So when my friends mentioned it for brunch on Saturday, I pulled out my phone and had reservations before they could object.

The restaurant, normally decorated with Mexican decor, was even more decked out for the Halloween holiday. And it was by far the best holiday decorations I had seen in a restaurant thus far. (i.e. Going downstairs through the creepily lit lower level to the bathroom, a little Ring-like girl made me almost jump out of my skin.) Along with the decoration, the restaurant does provide a very relaxing feel with a bar back that raises up allowing access to the patio and the gentle breeze to flow through the restaurant.

Our waitress was very friendly, and quickly took our drink orders as soon as our whole party had arrived. Besides coffee, one person ordered a Mexican Mimosa (a concoction of beer, tequila, and orange juice) while two of us, myself included, ordered classic mimosas - snazzberry (bartender's juice concoction - not to be confused with the berry from Supertroopers) and pineapple-orange. Nothing special on the drink, but not bad.

Since it has been such a huge craze lately, I figured we had to order one of the Homemade Poptarts for the table. The pastry was flaky but not dry, and the strawberry filling and preserves were seedless, rich, and sweet. A giant, fresh toaster strudel. Made me feel like a kid again.

Homemade Poptart

When it came to food, I convinced one of my friends to share our meals, and so we agreed upon the Chicken Fried Steak and Lola Huevos. The Chicken Fried Steak was the classic served up with chorizo gravy on top of chorizo-sweet potato hash. The chorizo gravy really made the dish - a little spicy with a thick, creamy gravy and large chunks of chorizo. Just simply a great, unique flavor. The hash was basically large pieces of sweet potatoes with large cubes of chorizo. It wasn't really anything special until they brought out their homemade habanero ketchup. Do they sell this in the bottle, because they need to! Just enough punch with the sweet ketchup.

Chicken Fried Steak

The Lola Huevos were barbacoa potato enchiladas with a side of eggs scrambled with chilies and other vegetables. I was not a huge fan of the eggs because they were simply too creamy, but the flavor was okay. The barbaco potato enchiladas were delicious with flavorful shredded beef. However, the enchilada sauce needed to be a bit more vivid.

Lola Huevos

I didn't try the other dishes (pictured below), but everyone seemed to enjoy them with the exception of the pancakes, which had a sauce that was too sweet.

Banana Cream Pancakes

Pulled Pork Benedict

Chicken and Waffles

Lola was a different experience for brunch with a Mexican flare beyond your standard breakfast burrito. Overall, I was fairly impressed with the brunch and would recommend it for anyone looking for something more than the average good-after-a-hangover venues.

Overall rating...
Homemade Poptart - 9/10
Chicken Fried Steak - 9/10
Lola Huevos - 7/10

Lola (Brunch) - 4 Sizzling Skillets

To view the menu, visit http://www.loladenver.com/Menus/Food/tabid/579/Default.aspx.

Parallel 17

2011-11-05T17:18:00.001-06:00

Some of my most cherished memories of late come from the times that I get to spend with my mom. She is a hoot and probably a little too much like me (eccentric being a keyword). So when we get together, we have a ball, and that is actually quite an understatement.

We started a tradition when I turned 21 of brunch together on my birthday every year. We enjoy that time so much that we have tried to start making it more of a regular thing. My mom called me to set up a brunch date on Sunday and, knowing the foodie side of me, trusted me with the task of finding us a new spot to try out - which led us to Parallel 17. (And, making a long, funny story short - we both thought this place was downtown instead of in Uptown, so we were late for our reservations because I had to pick my mom, who took the lightrail, up at Union Station.)

The Vietnamese restaurant, filled with couples and groups of girlfriends, sported a clean, classy look with a bustling group of very friendly staff. We took our seats and had such a nice, genuine conversation with our waitress as we ordered our drinks. I started off with a lychee mimosa which was very light and slightly sweet, a great refreshing starter to the meal.

Along with our drinks, our waitress brought out complimentary Banana French Toast Bites which were basically french toast flavored croutons with a creamy, whipped cream like banana topping, topped off with toasted almond slices. The crunchy and creamy textures were a great offsetting match which I loved. My mom, on the other hand, was not a big fan of them. A little too dry for her.

Banana French Toast Bites

We had both been eyeing the Buddha Bellies (homemade donuts with your choice of filling) when we had viewed the menu at home, so we ordered some with saigon cinnamon cheesecake filling. The order, which came with five donuts, were incredibly moist and fluffy and melt in your mouth. But the filling was very tart, and the cinnamon was hard to find.

Buddha Bellies

With my mom always opting for the benedict, I chose the P17 Egg Sliders, with overhard eggs as opposed to poached, served with home fries and a field green salad. The sliders - egg, sausage, tomato, and mornay sauce - were a delicious, upscale version of the classic egg sandwich. The mornay sauce (a cheese bechamel sauce) really brought the whole thing together and made the dish. No ketchup needed here. The home fries were nothing special, but nice to have on the side.

P17 Egg Sliders

I absolutely do not like hollandaise sauce because I know what it is made of, and I just can't get over that. So needless to say, I did not have a bite of my mom's Pork Belly Benedict, but she absolutely loved them especially the five spice hollandaise sauce. She also raved about the field greens with citrus vinegarette which she stole off of my plate after eating hers. I just wasn't really a big fan of salad with my breakfast.

Pork Belly Benedict

Parallel 17 proved to be a relaxing, modern place for brunch with a Vietnamese flare and friendly service. And after looking at the menu, I am definitely excited to check out dinner there.

Overall rating...
Banana French Toast Bites - 8/10
Donuts - 6/10
P17 Egg Sliders - 8/10

Parallel Seventeen - 3 3/4 Delectable Cupcakes

To view the menu, visit http://www.parallelseventeen.com/#eatDrink.

Extreme Pizza

2011-11-03T23:00:00.000-06:00

Every now and then I have days where I want absolutely nothing to do with the kitchen. It usually occurs on a Sunday afternoon during the football games. The remedy - delivery pizza.

Now living in the suburbs, I typically rely on Papa John's or Pizza Hut when I am in the mood. But I have come to find that Denver has so much more to offer. So I searched through one of the Denver coupon mailers and called the first pizza place in it - Extreme Pizza.

Looking through the menu, I had a hard time deciding what to order as they had some very unique combinations (like the Asian inspired ones), but I settled on The Boar'der - shredded barbeque pork, red onion, fresh cilantro, cheddar, and mozzerella. I had a coupon for free Extremely Twisted Sticks - breadsticks with two types of cheese and oregano -, so of course I had to add an order of those.

After one bite, I was questioning why I hadn't ordered from them before. The crust was perfect, not too thick, not too thin. And the flavors blended perfectly. The shredded pork was a little dry, but not enough to take away from the flavor. My only wish was that there was more of the fresh cilantro (I love that flavor, and I love it to be more potent.). The Twisted Sticks were nothing overly special, but probably the best breadsticks I have had from a pizza delivery place.

The Boar'der

Extremely Twisted Sticks (w/ marinara sauce)

Definitely a great place to try if you are in the mood for some good pizza, however, you won't get some great $10 or $11 deal. The downside is it is a little pricey (my medium was $15.95, a large is $19.95, and an X-large is $21.95).

Overall rating...
The Boar'der - 8/10
Extremely Twisted Sticks - 7/10

Extreme Pizza - 4 Sizzling Skillets

To view the full menu, visit http://www.extremepizza.com/menu/index.html.

Russell's Smokehouse

2011-11-02T18:30:00.000-06:00

Ever since I heard that Frank Bannano (owner of the Green Russell and six other establishments) was opening a smokehouse, I have been on the edge of my seat waiting for the grand opening. So when I heard from a friend who works at the Green Russell that it was open, I made sure that we had reservations within that first week.

Located through the same pie shop as the Green Russell, Russell's Smokehouse sports a classy version of your average barbeque joint. The decor is sleek and modern, country music softly enchants the atmosphere, and you are met at the table with a little tin of peanuts and an empty one for the shells.

The handwritten barbeque sauce added a nice down-home touch.

I had our waitress give us the rundown of the entire menu from appetizers to side dishes. After recommendation, we settled on the Pigs in a Blanket for starters - pork belly wrapped in pastry served with three mustards (coarse ground, spicy brown, and a white wine vinegar). I like my bacon crispy so the pork belly, although it had great smoked flavor, was way to rare for me. But the pastry was super flaky and light. Very delectable. The first two mustards were very tasty, but the white wine one was far too pungent for us.

Pigs in a Blanket (sorry it is sideways)

For the entree, I chose the Prime Rib Sandwich (as our waitress said it was life-changing). I was a little skeptical about my order as soon as our waitress walked away because prime rib tends to be thick and rare. This prime rib however was medium rare with no blood and thinly sliced. A couple inches of the meat piled on made for an excellent sandwich - nothing life-changing, but pretty dang good. The sandwich was accompanied by sweet potatoes fries (perfectly fried and salted) and cole slaw.

Prime Rib Sandwich

My friend ordered a half slab of the Baby Back Ribs served with spicy black beans and cole slaw. Sadly, the baby back ribs are what needs work the most. They were not fall off the bone as you would expect from any good smokehouse, and they were slightly burnt. The flavor was there, but it was lost among these flaws. The spicy black beans were a rather strange pairing for the entree and lacked really any flavor.

Baby Back Ribs

On the side, we had order the Simple Mac and Cheese - a classic. It was a little too classic for me as I like a thicker dish with tons of cheese, and this was more milky and less cheesy. On the other hand, my friend loved it. Our only mutual complaint was that it left a filmy taste in your mouth.

Simple Mac and Cheese

Russell's Smokehouse definitely has some kinks to work out, but that is to be expected with any new restaurant (even more so since we visited within the first week). But I am definitely looking forward to going back in a couple months and seeing what they have been able to achieve.

Overall rating...
Pigs in a Blanket - 6/10
Prime Rib Sandwich - 8/10
Baby Back Ribs - 4/10
Simple Mac and Cheese - 6/10

Russell's Smokehouse (in its first week) - 2 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

To view the menu, visit http://russellssmokehouse.com/menus/food.pdf.

Root Down and Nescafe

2011-11-01T21:15:00.000-06:00

A few nights ago I received a call from some fellow food bloggers of mine. They were at Root Down for a promotional event by Nescafe, with an opportunity to see how the new Nescafe Dolce Gusto (kind of like a Keurig but it makes lattes, mochas, etc) works and sample some dishes from Root Down. Since I had never been to Root Down, I was beyond excited to try it as well as hang out with some fellow foodies.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto

Root Down prides itself on having high quality, locally grown ingredients. I learned from the chef, who did a little presentation about the restaurant, that most restaurants have about 5 -7 vendors that they procure ingredients from, whereas Root Down has 44 vendors. Its sister restaurant, Linger, has over 55.

We started the evening off with a taste of three appetizers - "Devils on Horseback", Seared Columbian Arepas, and Sweet Potato "Falafels". I am not a big fan of peppers, but the "Devils on Horseback" - date and goat cheese stuffed peppadew wrapped in Serrano ham - was delicious. The peppadew is a sweet pepper, native to Africa, with just a little bit of a kick at the end. It paired perfectly with the sweetness from the dates and the saltiness of the cheese and ham. (While it was amazing, I am still a bigger fan of the bacon wrapped versions...shocker there.)

"Devils on Horseback"

The Seared Columbian Arepas, stuffed with mozzerella on a bed of poblano-pistachio pesto, was equally delicious. (An arepa is a round, flat patty of cornmeal or flour.) The searing created a crunchy enrobement for the gooey cheese inside. A great combo, however, I would have preferred just a little less searing on the arepas because every now and then I got a small burnt taste.

Seared Columbian Arepas

The Sweet Potato "Falafels", topped with a lemon-tahini yogurt, were my least favorite of the appetizers. The cakes themselves, which were kind of like fried balls of mashed sweet potatoes, were not overpoweringly sweet, so by themselves or with something like a caramel sauce, they would have been lovely. However, the yogurt was tart created, in my opinion, an awkward pairing.

Sweet Potato "Falafels"

For our entrees, we were first served Colorado Lamb Sliders with sweet potato fries. While there was nothing super special about the sliders themselves (meaning lack of toppings), the quality of the meat was so good that you didn't need it at all. And the mint-garlic yogurt sauce and lime curry were amazing for dipping. So unique. The sweet potato fries were a little overcooked for my taste, despite the fact that I munched on them the whole time.

Colorado Lamb Sliders

Next up was the Organic Butternut Ricotta Gnocchi (potato dumplings). The flavors of butternut squash and ricotta were lost on me, but the gnocchi was still great. Soft enough to melt in your mouth, but not mushy.

Organic Butternut Ricotta Gnocchi

After a quick demostration for Nescafe (Which by the way was super cool. I recommend looking their new machine up.), we dove into the dessert portion of the meal - four different desserts. Since everyone was raving about it before it was even brought out, I had to try the Banana "Creme Brulee" Pie first. I actually should have tried it last, because, (I can't believe I am going to say this about a dessert that doesn't include chocolate) it was absolutely to die for. An amazing crunchy, peanut buttery cookie crust. Broiled bananas on the side. You really can't do much better than this without having chocolate.

Banana "Creme Brulee" Pie

The Apple Butternut Squash Cheesecake was the most interesting of the desserts offered. Fresh apples sat on a graham crust topped with a light cheesecake with just a hint of butternut to it. The balance was great...much more and it would have tasted too vegetably.

Apple Butternut Squash Cheesecake

The final two did not arouse my taste buds as much as the first two. The Almond Fluffernutter - a flourless chocolate cake - was just too dry and almost crumbled instead of melting in my mouth. Despite the fact that I hate soggy bread, the Croissant Bread Pudding had a nice flavor to it. However, I didn't enjoy because, once again, it is soggy bread.

Almond Fluffernutter

Croissant Bread Pudding

Root Down was a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to go back and experience it to its fullest. And the Nescafe Dolce Gusto demo was incredibly interesting, and I can't wait to get my hands on one of them. Overall a successful night!

Overall rating...
"Devils on Horseback" - 9/10
Seared Columbian Arepas - 9/10
Sweet Potato "Falafels" - 5/10
Colorado Lamb Sliders -8/10
Organic Butternut Ricotta Gnocchi - 8/10
Banana "Creme Brulee" Pie -10/10
Apple and Butternut Squash Cheesecake - 9/10
Almond Fluffernutter - 6/10
Croissant Bread Pudding - 3/10

Root Down - 4 1/4 Sizzling Skillets

To view the full menu, visit http://www.rootdowndenver.com/menus.

Undici

2011-10-28T09:15:00.000-06:00

I have driven by Undici Ristorante just off of Downing and Hampden for years and have been so interested to try it. So when my friend said he had made reservations there, I was estatic. It was quite a difference walking parking next to a car wash and a run down liquor store and walking into the quaint yet very spacious restaurant. With minimalistic decoration, ceiling-to-floor drapes, and a low glow, its sleekness was inviting.

We made our way to a corner table, took a seat, and ordered a bottle of wine while we purused the menu. Debating between pasta and chicken, I inquired of our waiter what he recommended. He decided upon the Pollo Monte Carlo - slices of chicken breast topped with proscuitto in a brandy and white wine sauce with fresh rosemary and gorgonzola. Upon the first bite, I was smacked in the face with the gorgonzola flavor (one that I am not too particularly fond of). Once overcoming the abrasiveness of the cheese, the meal was delightful. I could have used a little more smokiness from the proscuitto, but the white wine sauce was very light. The fresh rosemary was the highlight of the meal though. Not only is it my favorite herb, but its flavor just brought everything together.

Pollo Monte Carlo

My friend decisively ordered the Linguine allo Scoglio (linguine and baby clams for those of us that don't speak Italian) in a white wine butter sauce. I only had a bite of it, but I did enjoy it. Most notable was the sauce. Typically, seafood and pasta dished are soaked in butter, but the white wine butter sauce was very subdued. The clams were shelled so I imagine it was kind of a pain to scoop them all out before beginning the meal.

Linguine allo Scoglio

For dessert, there was no question. A Cannoli it was. And man was it an excellent choice. The cannoli was crunchy and flaky. And the filling was so creamy, it was to die for. So much so, that when the waiter came around to collect the plate with one tiny bite left on it, I politely snapped at him. :) My only wish was that there was a little more chocolate sauce on it.

Cannoli

Overall, the service was a bit neglectful, but that would be my only real complaint. The atmosphere was very inviting and relaxing with classical music playing through the evening, the food was just good Italian food (nothing outstanding, but good nonetheless).

Overall rating...

Pollo Monte Carlo - 7/10
Linguine allo Scoglio - 7/10
Cannoli - 10/10
Unidici - 3 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

For the full menu, visit http://undicidenver.com/pics/dinnermenu.pdf.

Table 6

2011-10-26T12:34:00.001-06:00

I was overjoyed when Table 6, another top 25 lister, came across on one of my applications on my phone with a $20 off coupon. So we headed over that Sunday since it was impossible to get a decent reservation time on any other day. I was immediately impressed with the restaurant as soon as we walked in. Situated in a very limited space with an open kitchen that allows you to see not only the food through the clear refrigerators but also the chefs as they prepare the meals, it is definitely a unique experience. I just wish that I could say the same about the food.

We had previewed the menu before arriving only to find that nothing we had picked out was available that day (the menu changes all the time). But our eyes (or rather our stomachs) quickly found options that appeased us. For starters, my friend insisted that we get the Tater Tots. They were large and very unique with the skins still in them (a perfect homage to homemade mashed potatoes). The flavor, since they were obviously from scratch ,was delicious. However, I wasn't a big fan of the heirloom tomato ketchup. A little too sweet for me.

Tater Tots with heirloom tomato ketchup

Along with our tots, we order a couple of beers. They don't really have a huge selection (two draft beers and a short list of bottled) as the restaurant is so small, nor do they have really any wheat or light beers, which is usually my preference. However, they did have a few not-so-common ones to try. While they were both darker, stouty beer, I enjoyed both the Old Jubilation Ale and the Firestone Oatmeal Stout that we ended up choosing.

First up for dinner was the Lamb Shank* with Butter Squash and Roasted Garlic. I do love lamb, but there were huge chunks of fat throughout the entire shank, so much so that it was hard to find the meat. When I did get a piece, it was way too dry without the fat. The Butter Squash had a great flavor, but with so much cream in it, I was done after a couple bites.

Lamb Shank with Butter Squash

Next was the Brisket* with Cream Cheese Risotto and Squash, which once again disappointed. Like the lamb, the brisket was laden with fat to the point that I couldn't even eat it. The cream cheese risotta was delicious but a little too creamy cheese, again, after a few bites. And sadly, I love squash, but the rinds were not cut off of the pieces making them unedible.

Brisket with Cream Cheese Risotto

We decided to skip dessert. And sadly, since I hadn't really eaten anything, I ended up at home having this for dinner....

Yet another one knocked off the top 25 list. I just wish that I had thought it deserved a place on it in the first place. The service was great, but the food was not up to par.

Overall rating...

Tater tots - 8/10

Brisket - 2/10

Lamb Shank - 2/10

Table 6 - 1 Sizzling Skillet

For a sample menu, visit http://www.table6denver.com/menu.

*I don't have the exact names as they aren't available on the website, and I forgot to take note.

Walrus Ice Cream

2011-10-24T21:55:00.000-06:00

On the way out of Fort Collins, my friend and I decided a little ice cream was in order to finish off his birthday trip right, so we stopped off at Walrus Ice Cream. It is a fairly decent sized shop with homemade ice cream. I saw that someone had compared it to Ben and Jerry's and Coldstone, and I would say that is a decent comparison. With flavors such as Chocolate Thin Mint, Jack Daniels Chocolate Chip, Blueberry Banana, Bourbon Vanilla Chip, Vanilla Chips Ahoy, and many more, and a list of individual mix-ins, you are guaranteed to find something that you will like.

We didn't get too crazy with our orders - Cinnamon Roll for me and Mint Chocolate Chip for my friend - but they were tasty nonetheless. The ice cream was creamy and not overly sweet. My cinnamon roll ice cream had large swirls of cinnamon and actual pieces of cinnamon buns. An homage, yet way better alternative, to one of my favorite indulgences - a gooey, sugar laden Cinnabon. Delicious!

Mint Chocolate Chip and Cinnamon Roll

Next time you are in Fort Collins (maybe checking out all the breweries too), stop in for a scoop. You won't be disappointed...unless of course you don't like ice cream (crazy fool).

Overall rating...
Cinnamon Roll ice cream - 9/10

Walrus Ice Cream - 4 Delectable Cupcakes

For a list of flavors, visit http://www.walrusicecream.com/index2.html.

Jay's Bistro

2011-10-24T10:26:00.001-06:00

For my friend's birthday, all my friend wanted to do was go up to Fort Collins for a day of beer tastings, and I gladly offered to accompany. So after an entire day of drinking beer (reviews to come soon!), my friend and I were ready to get some food in our stomachs. Being an CSU alumni, he knew all the best places to go in Fort Collins and, wanting a nice dinner for his birthday, suggested Jay's Bistro.

The restaurant was modern and upscale with the sounds of jazz floating through the air. The low lighted glow gave off a romantic and classy ambiance. Since I hadn't previewed the menu before we went (like I typically do), I was a little overwhelmed when I opened up the menu. But I quickly picked the first few things that caught my attention.

To start things off, we ordered the Duck Egg Rolls. While I love the idea of these, I am always disappointed by the filling (usually too much cabbage and very little meat). These, on the other hand, were chock full of tender, juicy, finely shredded duck meat and just enough cabbage to add a little density to the filling. The egg rolls were perfectly crisp and not oily, and the Sweet and Spicy Maple Sauce was the perfect sweet balance for the savory egg rolls. (I couldn't really taste the "spicy" of it though.)

Duck Egg Rolls

I love pork tenderloin. So as soon as I saw the Chipotle Pork Tenderloin, I didn't even bother looking at the rest of the menu. And I was not disappointed! The tender pork didn't even require a steak knife, and I probably could have gotten away with just a fork. It was cooked to a perfect medium well (which is hard for most places to achieve). I did have to strain to find the chipotle flavor, but that didn't keep it from being delicious especially when dipped in the accompanying sauce (I believe it had a raspberry hint to it). The garlic potatoes and the onion straws were your standard sides, but they paired excellently.

Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

The Lamb Shank was peel-off-bone tender with a flavorful au jus. Absolutely delicious. Although the serving was much, much larger than we anticipated, I didn't really try too much of it as I was way to busy indulging in my own dish. My friend absolutely loved it though.

Lamb Shank

The Tiramisu, which my friend had picked out for his birthday, was very light making it a great ending to a heavy meal (on top of all of the beer we had drank that day). It had a perfectly balanced flavor of coffee, chocolate, and cream which is hard to find in a non-Italian restaurant. Not the best I have tasted, but I was definitely pleased.

Tiramisu

While the food was absolutely wonderful, the service was top-notch and definitely a highlight. There are very few restaurants out there who have waiters that re-fold your napkins each time you get up. Not that it is needed, it was just a very nice touch to an already wonderful meal.

Overall rating...
Duck Egg Rolls - 9/10
Chipotle Pork Tenderloin - 9/10
Lamb Shank - 8/10
Tiramisu - 7/10

Jay's Bistro - 4 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

For the full menu, visit http://www.jaysbistro.net/menumainxxzxqma303.cfm.

Brunch @ Govnr's Park

2011-10-19T15:16:00.000-06:00

After setting out on a journey to try Satchels on Sixth, only to find out they only serve brunch on Sundays, we proceeded to walk around Capitol Hill for an hour or so till finding our way into Govnr's Park. Gov's Park is the neighborhood place we normally hit up to catch the game and have a couple of beers, plus it has great classic bar food (which I promise I will review later). But this morning all we wanted was some good ole brunch, and we were in luck as they were serving it till 2.

It was a beautiful day, so we opted to sit out on the patio which wasn't really that crowded and gave us a little reprieve from all the cheering inside over the college football games. After walking all over the neighborhood, we ordered a couple waters along with a coffee for me (you know me and my caffeine). I was actually pleasantly surprised by the coffee. I have come to expect crappy coffee from most standard restaurants, but it had wonderful aroma and a subtle hazelnut flavor. It definitely hit the spot.

I was in the mood for some classics, so I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy with two eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. While the combo was exactly what I wanted, the flavor was not. The biscuits were fluffy and moist, but the gravy was very bland, even after adding salt and pepper. While I asked for crispy bacon, the strips bordered on burnt. The saving grace was the hashbrowns - perfectly browned and just the right amount of seasoned salt.

Biscuits and Gravy

My friend ordered the Govnr's Skillet. While the ingredients seemed like a great mix, the overall dish was very dry. Add some gravy, ketchup, or maybe some green chili and it would have been great.

Govnr's Skillet

I love Gov's Park, and it will still remain one of my favorite places to grab a bite and a pint, and watch the game. However, I probably won't end up back very often for brunch. It seems to be more the I-had-a-really-late-night-if-you-know-what-I-mean kind of brunch.

Overall rating...
Biscuits and Gravy - 5/10
Gov's Skillet - 5/10

Govnr's Park brunch - 2 Sizzling Skillets

For the full menu, visit http://www.govnrspark.com/menu.php?menu_id=L40.
And be sure to stay tuned for the lunch/dinner menu review!

Lime - DTC

2011-10-18T10:52:00.001-06:00

I have found myself more than once at Lime in the Denver Tech Center after work grabbing a margarita and a few tacos. With $1 tacos and $4 margaritas on Taco Tuesday and a calming yet upbeat atmosphere, you really can't beat it...especially after a long day.

Last week, I headed over after work on a Thursday. Even though they have specials ($5 burritos and $5 mojitos) on Thursday, it is immensely less crowded than a weekend or a Tuesday night. Without the taco specials, I was forced to actually look at the menu and try something new. Along with our chips and salsa, we ordered Queso to munch on and a couple mojitos while we decided what to order.

Queso

Lime, by far, has my favorite chips and salsa, one of the main reasons I love to go. The chips are thick and fresh cut from tortillas, perfect for dipping, and the salsa is flavorful with just a little spice. The queso was rich and thick with a large dose of green chilies mixed in giving it a great flavor.

I wasn't as impressed with the mojitos. I had ordered a raspberry mojito which had a strange raspberry flavor and lacked a strong mint and lime flavor that I am used to.

Raspberry Mojito

We decided we might as well try the burritos since they were on special, so we ordered a Shredded Beef and a Shredded Chicken Burrito, both smothered in hot green chili. I love both the beef and chicken tacos, so I was very confident in our choice. The chicken burrito was slightly drier than the taco. While still good, I preferred the beef burrito, which was really juicy and very lean. The green chili is an excellent "American" green chili, but it had very little pork which I typically like a lot of. Even though we ordered the hot version of the green chili, it was very mild, but the flavor of the chili still came through.

Shredded Beef Burrito smothered with green chili

Overall, Lime has yet to wow me with anything, more or less because it definitely relies more on its atmosphere than on its food. If you are looking for authentic Mexican, you probably want to go elsewhere. But, if you want a great place to hang out with friends or co-workers and enjoy some good food, it is an excellent choice.

Overall rating...
Chips and Salsa - 10/10
Queso - 8/10
Shredded Chicken Burrito - 5/10
Shredded Beef Burrito - 8/10

Lime - 3 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

For full menu, visit http://www.eatatlime.com/Menu/Menu.html.

Colt & Gray

2011-10-16T16:58:00.000-06:00

After seeing the top 25 list from 5280 Magazine, I had my mission in place. Luckily I have a couple friends who are more than willing to help me check off some of these places, and I figured why not get on it right away. After much debate, and many attempts to make reservations as the last minute, we finally secured a late reservation at Colt & Gray. And so began the list indulgence...

The restaurant was smaller than I had expected with enough seating for around 50 people (maybe a little less). It had an upscale decor, and the low-lighting gave a romantic, relaxing ambiance. The bar took up nearly a third of the restaurant and was stocked high with an assortment of spirits. We were slightly early for our reservation, so while we were waiting, we took a seat at the bar.

I was eager to try a "Barman's Choice" concoction. I had seen a review on Urbanspoon.com that they had cocktails parallel to the Green Russell, one of my favorite places, and I just couldn't imagine that to be true. So without even looking at the cocktail menu, I requested a unique drink stating that I liked tequila, rum, and vodka and something fruity and sour. I wasn't really impressed with his creativity, as he made a tequila mojito, but it was delicious none-the-less. My companion ordered a local beer from the Denver Brewing Company, just down the street from Colt & Gray, who collaborated with the restaurant for the peach flavored beer. Very tasty.

Tequila Mojito

Reading in the magazine about it, I instantly knew we had to try the Cashew Bacon Caramel Corn with our drinks. I think I let my excitement get my hopes up, as it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I was hoping for more bacon and spicier nuts. Nonetheless, with the sweet and salty, smoky and nutty combination, the caramel corn was a nice starter.

Cashew Bacon Caramel Corn

Upon seeing Fried Oysters on the menu, my friend proclaimed how much he loved oysters. His proclamation was met with a sour face from me followed by a reluctant agreement to at least try one. I am not an oyster connoisseur, so I am probably not the best judge, but for being so skeptical, I really enjoyed them. The oysters were tender and flavorful, and the frying created a nice crunchy contrast.

Fried Oysters

For my entree, I had the Grilled Hanger Steak with chimichurri and rosemary potatoes. The steak was tender and juicy (just a little to rare for me as I had asked for no red inside), but the chimichurri, which was what had stuck out to me on the menu, was what knocked it out of the park. Such a great flavor. The rosemary potatoes were good, but nothing spectacular.

Grilled Hanger Steak

Rosemary Potatoes

My friend ordered the Sweet Tea Braised Pork Shoulder with summer pistou, corn pudding, and truffled herb salad. The pork shoulder just fell apart when you cut into it, but it was a little dry for my taste. The sweet tea sauce, however, remedied that quite nicely. Absolutely delicious (I wish you could buy it by the bottle). The corn pudding was also slightly dry (then again I'm not a big fan of corn or bread pudding), but my friend loved it. I didn't try the pistou or the salad, but my friend seemed very pleased with his dish in its entirety.

Sweet Tea Braised Pork Shoulder

While our waiter made many other suggestions, we ended up ordering the Chocolate Ellie for dessert - a flourless chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and ice cream. While flourless cakes can sometimes be dry, this one was rich and moist, just melting in your mouth. I wasn't a big fan of the ice cream which boasted an anise, licorice flavor (I love my desserts sweet). But I had the perfect companion who finished off the ice cream while I polished off the cake.

Chocolate Ellie

My biggest complaint was the communication between the bartender and our waiter. After dinner, I was pretty specific with what type of drink I wanted, and after two tries, I deemed it a "fail." Despite that small hiccup, the evening was very enjoyable. A fairly attentive staff, delicious food, and a great atmosphere. A restaurant worthy of the number ten spot on the list.

Overall rating...
Cashew Bacon Caramel Corn - 6/10
Fried Oysters - 9/10
Grilled Hanger Steak -10/10
Sweet Tea Braised Pork Shoulder - 8/10
Chocolate Ellie - 8/10

Colt & Gray - 4 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

To view the full menu, visit http://www.coltandgray.com/index.php?s=16600.

Green Russell

2011-10-13T23:48:00.001-06:00

I was realizing the other day that for how much I go on and on about the Green Russell, I have yet to write about it. Maybe because I am one of those people who is out-of-sight-out-of-mind, kind of like the Green Russell with its hidden location in Larimer Square. The location is part of the reason that this 20's speak easy style restaurant, just one more success by owner Frank Bannono (*see note below), is still somewhat unknown by most. Located down a set of unembellished stairs and through a pie shop (Wednesday's Pies - open only on Wednesdays) is the dimly lit, ornately decorated Green Russell. Whether sitting at the bar or surrounding a cocktail table, you are sure to have a relaxing seat, upscale bar snacks, incredible pie, and one of the best cocktails.

The Russell prides itself on its high quality, just like all of Frank Bannono's restaurants. The bartenders are not simply bartenders, but rather mixologists. Each cocktail is hand crafted - it takes a little bit longer to get your drink, but it is beyond worth it. With unique liqueurs, fresh fruit, fresh grated spices, and even their own green room in the back of the bar growing fresh herbs, every drink is high quality and unique. You can order off their menu of pre-designed drinks, but I love to go in, tell them what I am in the mood for, and see what they come up with. "Maybe something sour, but not bitter. Light, but strong. And maybe a little spicy." - and they nail it.

On top of the outstanding drinks, they also serve unique, classy bar snacks and, of course, pie. While they have multiple flavors that they make (Caramel Apple, Banana Cream, Cherry, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Oreo), they typically only offer three flavors on any given night. Normally I am a cake person, but with the homemade crust and immpecably perfect filling (alright I may be a little bit biased), I have fallen in love with their pie.

Caramel Apple Pie

Oreo

Overall, the Green Russell is a unique experience to say the least. While it can be quite pricey (cocktails are $12 a piece and pie is $6 a slice), it is well worth the indulgence.

Overall rating...
Drinks - 10/10
Pie - 10/10

Green Russell - 5 Delectable Cupcakes!!!

*(Frank owns some of the top restaurants in Denver including 2 in the top 25 list - Mizuna, Luca D'Italia, Bones, Osteria Marco, Lou's, and Wednesday's Pies. He will be opening Russell's Smokehouse by the end of the month which will share a kitchen with the Green Russell.)

They don't have a menu available online, but you can visit the website at http://www.greenrussell.com/.

Tacos El Divino

2011-10-12T19:00:00.000-06:00

I have never been to the First Friday Santa Fe Art Walk, so when invited this past Friday, I jumped right on board. Growing up, I never really liked art. Just the thought of walking through an art gallery for an hour bored me to tears. But as I have gotten older, I have garnered a new appreciation for art (especially abstract and photography). Two hours of walking, two framed artworks, a pair of earrings, and a feather hair extension later I felt relaxed and a little bit more cultured, but I was absolutely starving.

We had planned on hitting up a restaurant right on Santa Fe, but we had such a long wait, we defaulted to grabbing some food from one of the food trucks. We started walking back down Santa Fe, passing a few food trucks that didn't really strike our fancy, until we came upon the street taco set up from Tacos El Divino, the road name for Toluca, a Mexican restaurant located in Westminister.

The tacos were six dollars for 4 of them, with your choice of pollo (chicken), pastor (pork), or asada (steak). They were willing to let us mix and match, so we ordered 2 pastor and 2 asada to share. The tacos were served with a mixture of onion and cilantro with lime juice and a pineapple salsa. They also offered mild (red) and hot (green) salsa on the end of the table for you to add to taste.

Since steak is my favorite, we decided to try the pastor first. The pastor, cooked on a trompo (vertical rotisserie) adopted from the shawarma spit-grill (see link for explanation), was beyond delicious. Melt-in-your-mouth moist and flavorful. The asada, on the other hand, was kind of dry for being sauteed in oil, but it still had decent flavor. The onion-cilantro mix paired with the pineapple salsa made for a perfect cool topper, and the salsas had great flavor too (although, be warned of the hot green salsa, as we were still feeling the tiny bit that we had a half an hour later). Overall, a great street taco that I will definitely find myself ordering again the next time I see their set up.

Asada and Pastor Tacos

Trompo

Overall rating...
Pastor taco - 9/10
Asada taco - 5/10

Tacos El Divino - 3 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

The Hornet

2011-10-11T23:12:00.000-06:00

We were in the mood for a low key evening, so my friend and I did not want to travel far from home to eat dinner. We decide to start driving and ended up on Broadway at The Hornet. I had heard many great things about this place, so I was all on board to try it out.

The wait on Friday night was a little bit longer than I would have liked since I was starving. But the bar was open, so we snagged a drink and hung out with the other hungry patrons waiting in the front of the restaurant. It didn't take too long for us to be seated which was a nice surprise considering how busy the restaurant was. Since we weren't starving, ordering was pretty easy. We decided to split the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps for an appetizer and the Shells and Cheddar with applewood smoke bacon and lobster for an entree.

The Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps were about on par with what you would find an any restaurant that is not majoring in Asian cuisine. Nice and flavorful, but nothing to go on and on about.

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The Shells and Cheddar (which happens to be my friend's favorite meal at The Hornet...therefore, I had to give it a couple extra points) really disappointed me. First of all, as I started into the bowl, the chunks of lobster and bacon were so large that you were either getting shells or one of those two but no combination really breaking down the flavor intensity of the dish. (I will note that the lobster and the bacon, however, did have great flavor on their own.) Second of all, the dish was made with so much cream that I found myself feeling like I had a brick in my stomach after about half the dish. Next time I'll know to ask if they can put more cheese in to balance things out.

Shells and Cheddar

Overall, The Hornet was a great Broadway restaurant to visit, with a nice bar, a bustling younger crowd, and friendly service. Since I have heard so many good things about this place, I am looking forward to going back and trying my luck again.

Overall rating...
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps - 7/10
Shells and Cheddar - 7/10

The Hornet - 3 1/2 Sizzling Skillets

For the full menu, visit http://www.hornetrestaurant.com/menus.html#/menus.

The Lobby American Grille

2011-10-10T10:33:00.000-06:00

I have this new app on my phone that gives you instant coupons to restaurants (i.e. 50% off with a maximum discount of $15). So when setting up dinner with a few friends, I was excited to check out the restaurants from the list. We decided on The Lobby American Grille, partly because it was the first one on the list and because it had gotten some good reviews and partly because they had a $3 Colorado microbrew special.

Walking up through the courtyard, we were captivated by the atmosphere anticipating an equally exciting dinner. However, while we expecting a rush of flavor, the adjective "underwhelming" came up more than once or twice through out the meal.

The first thing that had caught my attention when purusing the menu online was the Pumpkin Potstickers, so it was definitely a must to start out with. While the potstickers were delicious sounding on paper, the follow through fell a little short of my expectations. The pumpkin filling was delicious, but the sauce was lacking in sweetness. I was, however, able to bring the sweetness out a bit by adding some salt, redeeming it a little bit.

Pumpkin Potstickers

Next was the entrees, which caused quite the commotion at our table as so many of the options looked so good. Our waiter wasn't as much help either when he suggested most of the things we were considering. We settled on the Boneless Fried Chicken (for me and one other) and the Grilled Herb Pork Chop. We weren't really keen on having salad with our meal, so we somehow talked our waiter into bringing us a small portion of Etouffee to split instead of salads. (This was definitely a point in the "customer service" factor.)

The Etouffee was served to us as a second appetizer. But as with the first, we were not really impressed. I felt that it was a decent attempt at a Cajun dish, but, from my friends who have had legitamite etouffee before, I was informed that I was sadly mistaken. They did not like it at all. It had a tiny kick of spice but no real flavor profile.

Etouffee

The Boneless Fried Chicken was nothing really more than chicken tenders with your typical mashed potatoes on the side. However, the dish did have three details that earned it some points in my book. The chicken was very moist, the panko breading was perfectly crisp, and the bacon florentine sauce was delicious (but then again how can you go wrong with bacon).

Boneless Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and bacon florentine

The Grilled Herb Pork Chops were nothing special but were very moist. My friend really enjoyed the apple cider caviar on the top but wished there was more of it. We were both so intrigued by the fried cranberry risotto since we love risotto but were terrible displeased with the turnout. The flavor of the risotto was delectible, but the fried shell completely took away from it by overpowering. He, on the other hand, loved the grilled vegetables.

Grilled Herb Pork Chops with grilled vegetables and fried cranberry risotto

Overall, we were not really impressed with The Lobby. The atmosphere was great, and the bar was really cool. But the flavors of the food were just not enough to make it worth a venture out to Five Points for a trip back. (Then again I do have another coupon, so who knows?)

Overall rating...
Pumpkin Potstickers - 6/10
Etouffee - 4/10
Boneless Fried Chicken - 7/10
Grilled Herb Pork Chop - 6/10

The Lobby American Grille - 3 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)
For the full menu, visit http://www.thelobbydenver.com/starters-dinner-menu/.

Mangiamo Pronto!

2011-10-09T07:34:00.000-06:00

We had gone out for Oktoberfest with some friends. But before meeting back up for a few more beers, we decided we needed to get some cushioning in us. It was a beautiful evening, so we found ourselves walking around downtown for a half an hour or so. After passing up a bunch of places (I was feeling extra picky), I spotted a place on the corner of 17th and Wazee that sparked my interest. A little Italian restaurant named Mangiamo Pronto!

The service was very delightful as they sat us down on the extremely small patio (really the only downside to the laid back, inviting atmosphere of the place.) Since it was Oktoberfest, we of course had to order some beers. We eached order one of the three beers that they had on tap - one being a brown ale and one being and Italian beer that I found myself really enjoying.

We started off with Fried Ravioli stuffed with sausage, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan and pomodoro sauce on the side. The panko breading on the outside of the ravioli was super crispy, and the filling was cheesy and flavorful. If only there had been a little more filling, it would have been amazing.

In order to try more on the menu, which was full of appetizing offerings, we decided we would split a sandwich and a pizza. The Panza Panino (panini) instantly caught my eye - slow roasted pork loin, crispy bacon, roasted ham, fontina cheese, and spicy aioli on cibatta bread. By far one of the best sandwiches I have had. The pork loin, the ham, and the cheese combined for a perfect smoky, sweet balance with just enough kick from the aioli. The bacon was thick and crispy.

Panza Panino

From the pizzas, we chose the Pesto Pizze - roasted chicken, basil pesto, roasted onion, and parmesan cheese. (It comes with bell peppers, but because of my severe dislike for them, we requested it without.) The pesto was bold but not over powering, and the combination of flavor was perfect. However, the pieces of chicken were very large and scarce across the pizza. I would have prefered smaller pieces or shredded to get the flavor in every bit. Also, all the cheese and oil from the pesto made for a very greasy pizza, but you almost have to expect that.

Pesto Pizze

Overall, Mangiamo Pronto! was a great little find, not really what I expected from a tiny, seemingly unknown place. They don't really have a large bar (only a few seats) nor do they have a large patio, but it has a great atmosphere.

Overall rating...
Fried Ravioli - 8/10
Panza Panino - 10/10
Pesto Pizze - 7/10

Mangiamo Pronto! - 4 1/4 Sizzling Skillets

For the full menu, visit http://www.denveritalianrestaurants.net/Mangiamo-Pronto-Denver-Menu.htm.

The Best in 5280

2011-10-08T09:22:00.000-06:00

While I was on lunch the other day, I spotted the new issue of 5280 Magazine in Whole Foods, and the headline "Top 25 Restaurants of 2011" caught my eye. I instantly went back to work, pulled up the website, and purused the list. I felt like an absolute failure when I realized I have only been to two of the 25. So now I am on a mission to visit all the ones on the list by summertime (or at the lastest, by the time the 2012 issue comes out).

So here is what I have to look forward to...

Frasca
Fruition
Mizuna
Sushi Den
ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro
Luca D'Italia
Bittersweet
Z Cuisine
Potager
Colt and Gray
Barolo Grill
Cafe Aion
Fuel
The Kitchen
Olivea
Izakaya Den
Duo
Table 6
Rioja
Tables
Opus
Linger
Edge
Il Posto
Vesta Dipping Grill

I'm so ready for this!!!

For more information on the list, visit http://www.5280.com/magazine/2011/10/25-best-restaurants.

Vesta Dipping Grill

2011-10-07T23:15:00.000-06:00

I am a dipper. You take me anywhere, and I will probably order a side of ranch, barbeque sauce, honey mustard, ketchup, and buffalo sauce to dip my fries, burger, chicken, steak (or pretty much anything I can) in. So simply the name of Vesta Dipping Grill immediately intrigued me. Since, I first heard the name (about 3 years ago) I have been wanting, simply dying, to try it. And this week I got my chance!

The lighting is dim. The aroma is tantalizing. The atmosphere is relaxed, cheery, and slightly-romantic (quiet enough that you can hear your conversation, but loud enough that you aren't announcing it to the rest of the restaurant). In my opinion, a top-notch combination. Probably one of the reasons it has garnered a spot on 5280 Magazine's "The Best 25 Restaurants of 2011."

I let someone else do the wine ordering for me as the list was long enough to be a little overwhelming for a non-connoisseur like myself - a wonderful choice by the way. Ten minutes later, we were sipping our wine, completely relaxed, and ready to indulge in our adventure (pretty much a must attitude for such a place).

Per our waiter's suggestion, we opted for the Superior Farms Lamb Ribs as an appetizer while we reviewed the entrees. They came out stacked high, juicy and tender, with a pistachio-mint rub and a rose blossom yogurt all over them. Absolutely delicious. I have been skeptical about lamb as I have had some displeasing dishes in the past, but these brought me back to a love of lamb. Perfectly cooked with enough flavor to complement the meat and not overpower.

Superior Farms Lamb Ribs

When we had finish rolling our eyes and moaning (a good reaction, regarding food, when coming from me), we ordered our entrees - Smoked and Grilled Maple Leaf Duck Breast and Grilled Beef Tenderloin. With 3 sauces a pieces, we settled on Spicy Jerk, Korean Garlic Bbq, Dried Berry Chutney, Ghost Chili Bbq, Bacon Aioli, and Carolina Bbq. As soon as the order was put in, I was on the edge of my seat and my "Are we there yet?" attitude kicked in.

The Grilled Beef Tenderloin was too die for. Absolutely moist, tender, delicious. My sauces, however, (the first three on the list) were a bit hit and miss. The Spicy Jerk was too sweet on the onset with a delayed kick at the end. The Dried Berry Chutney definitely reminded me of Thanksgiving Day, but you could only handle so much of the sweetness. The Korean Garlic Bbq was by far one of our favorites - just enough spice, just enough garlic. And the mashed potatoes on the side were a perfect pair. Nothing too fancy, but it wasn't needed with such a complex dish because of all the sauces.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin

Sauces: (clockwise from the top left) Spicy Jerk, Korean Garlic Bbq, and Dried Berry Chutney

The Smoked and Grilled Duck was at a disadvantage, in my opinion, since I had eaten the beef before I cut into the duck. That being said, I was impressed with the moistness and the evident maple flavor of the meat. The sauces again (the last three) were hit and miss. The Ghost Chili Bbq was too incredibly hot for both of us. (I actually ended up in the bathroom patting down my watering eyes after too big of a taste.) The Bacon Aioli (surprise, surprise) was delicious. It was smoky and cool with the perfect balance of bacon and creaminess. The Carolina Bbq was not in particularly special but definitely a great bbq sauce.

Smoked and Grilled Maple Leaf Duck with sauces: (from top to bottom) Carolina Bbq, Bacon Aioli, and Ghost Chili Bbq

Of course, no dinner is complete without dessert. And with a chocolate cake on the menu, the decision was pretty easy. It tasted like a flourless chocolate cake (which is one of my favorites...ever). However, I will informed by the executive chef that is not flourless. It was incredibly rich but the sauces helped balance it out. All the sauces (creme anglaise, strawberry cointreau, and chocolate sauce) were wonderful, but the creme anglaise was finished before half of the cake was gone, if that tells you anything.

Overall, Vesta Dipping Grill lives up to the hype. Wonderful atmosphere, wonderful food, wonderful wine, wonderful service. It is no wonder that it snagged a spot on 5280 Magazine's list, and I am sure it will be up there for years to come.

Overall rating...
Superior Farms Lamb Ribs - 9/10
Smoked and Grilled Maple Leaf Duck Breast - 7/10
Grilled Beef Tenderloin - 10/10

Vesta Dipping Grill - 5 Sizzling Skillets (out of 5)

For the full menu, visit http://www.vestagrill.com/menus/Fall.

Zocalo

2011-10-07T09:56:00.000-06:00

Margaritas are my favorite. (And yes, my family is from the South, so I do pronounce it Mah-garita at times...but whatever.) So anytime someone wants to go out for a drink 8 out of 10 times we end up somewhere where I can get a margarita. So when meeting up with my friend to catch up over a drink and some dinner, it was inevitable that we would end up at a Mexican restaurant down the street. This time it happened to be Zocalo.

I have driven by this place a couple hundred times and, even though it is your standard neighborhood Mexican restaurant, nothing glitzy or upscale, I have been enticed by two things - the strings of lights on the patio and the amusement that saying the name brings to me. So needless to say, I was super excited to drop in (and another chance for a blog right?).

Normally I like my food pretty spicy. For being the kid who couldn't have anything hotter than mild, it is an oddity that I find myself wishing somethings were spicier at times. But that thought was not in my mind at all while eating their chips and salsa. Such good salsa, but I found myself having to have much smaller dips every other chip. For the first time at an American Mexican restaurant, I felt like a pansy. Luckily, I had plenty water and my Chambord Margarita to wash it down. However, for being my favorite drink mix with my favorite liqueur, I was not really that impressed. A decent margarita, but not worth any significant praise.

Chambord Margarita

I was starving, so as soon as my food came out (Combo C - a smothered carnitas burrito and a carnitas enchilada), I dug in. Typically, I am not a big fan of the combo plates at Mexican restaurants because they seem to be sub-par versions of Mexican classics. However, I would say that, in comparison to many other ones, this was a quality combo. Even though the carnitas could have been a bit juicier and tender, the overall flavor was great. Spicy and full, not some cheap out-of-the-can flavor. My only real complaint was that the smothered burrito was not douced in the green chile like I would have wanted.

Combo C - smothered carnitas burrito (middle) and carnitas enchilada (right)

Overall, Zocalo is a great neighborhood Mexican restaurant with a great atmosphere, a nice patio, and higher quality offerings than most. With specials every day, including Taco Tuesday of course, Zocalo is a great place to meet up for casual drinks or dinner with friends.

Overall rating...
Chips and Salsa - 8/10
Chambord Margarita - 4/10
Combo C - 7/10

Zocalo - 3 Sizzling Skillets

For the full menu, visit http://www.zocalorestaurantandbar.com/menu/

Ghost Plate & Tap

2011-10-06T09:58:00.000-06:00

I am not really sure why it caught my eye - whether it be the name, the fact that it was new, or some reminiscent memory of the location. But coming out of my favorite coffee shop, Caribou Coffee, I spotted a sign saying "Ghost Plate and Tap - Now Open." Yep...that's the next place I'm gonna try.

It didn't take too much convincing to get my friend to accompany me, and the following week we were braving the pouring rain (and my somewhat sickly self) to walk down 18th to the new venture. Ghost was opened as a joint venture between Wynkoop Holdings and Breckenridge Brewery Holdings, which if you know anything about these two companies (and if, like myself, like both of them), we were sure to be in for a treat.

We arrived at our table at about 6:58 pm, just in time to order a couple beers and an appetizer on happy hour. We ordered some platter with fried asparagus, fried okra, and fried pickles (the name escapes me and it doesn't currently appear on the menu). Everything was heavily battered except for the onion straws on the bottom of the platter and the asparagus. But I was more or less okay with it considering the batter was so flavorful - slightly sweet with a hint of beer. And they had amazing ranch to dip them in (a definitely qualifier in my book).

With my previewing of the menu, I had already decided on the Pomegranate Glazed Duck with green beans and red skinned mashed potatoes. So we settled on that and Paradise Valley Chicken Sandwich - rotisserie chicken with jalapeno jack cheese, chipolte ranch, and fried onion strings.

The duck was not as flavorful as I had hoped. I love pomegranate and rosemary, but instead of being smacked in the face with flavor, I had to really concentrate to get that punch. It was sweet and juicy and overall very tasty. The mashed potatoes were about on par with your standard side dish offerings at other restaurants, but the green beans sprinkled with roasted garlic were by far the highlight of the side menu.

Pomegranate Glazed Duck with garlic green beans and red skinned mashed potatoes

The Paradise Valley Sandwich had a wonderful spicy, smoky flavor and very tender, juicy chicken making for a great sandwich filling. The bread on the other hand, ciabatta, was a little thick and overwhelming, drying the flavor out a bit.

Paradise Valley Chicken Sandwich

As always, I was siked to see the dessert menu and very pleased with my decision to order the Tiramisu. That was until I actually got it and dug it. For being a dessert soaked in coffee and rum, it was very bland. The real flaw was the amount of cream in the cake, masking the flavors of the cake.

Tiramisu

Overall, Ghost Plate and Tap was a good restaurant experience. The vibe is very old-school, classy bar, entirely paneled in wood, a great place for those high-rise workers to drop by right after a long day at work. A place I will probably find myself back at sometime soon...especially if they plan on having the brewers (Wynkoop and Breckenridge) back to mingle.

Overall rating...

Fried appetizer - 7/10
Pomegranate Glazed Duck - 7/10
Paradise Valley Sandwich - 7/10
Tiramisu - 3/10

Ghost Plate & Tap - 3 Sizzling Skillets

For the full menu, visit...http://www.ghostdenver.com/

Two-Fisted Mario's Pizza...

2011-09-22T18:00:00.000-06:00

If you are stumbling down the streets of downtown atmidnight, more than slightly inebriated, with a rumbling in your tummy, wishingyou had some hot, greasy pizza to soak up some of that alcohol, then Two-Fisted Mario's Pizza is your place. Late night on a Friday or Saturday (since thoseare really the only times I have ever seen it), the pizza joint is full of 20 –early 30 year olds looking to do just that or simply grab some pizza after ashow or what not.

Recently I found myself downtown at midnight trying to takecare of three “drunk-off-their-ass” friends (I will refrain from using anynames as to not implicate any of them, but you know how you are). When thecraving hit, we ducked into Mario’s, and I just had to order a slice along withthem. Before the food even came out, I already like the place because of thefriendly/funny cashier who offered me a free drink.

As many know, Ilike me some manly pizza – pile on the meat. So I ordered a slice with pepperoniand Italian sausage. I would have split it with someone had I known how largethe slices are. Now these aren’t three-plates-needed typed slices, but theywere definitely larger than your average Pizza Hut slice.

Pepperoni and Italian sausage slice

Not too long after we ordered the slices came up piping hot.The pizza had that great full flavor I look for in a pizza, a decent amount ofquality-tasting meat, but a skimpy amount of cheese (which I actually wasn’ttoo upset about). The only downside to the pizza was the amount of grease onit. Now usually I love greasy foods, but that night I don’t think my body wasfully ready for it.

Overall, some pretty good pizza for being a late night placein central downtown. But if you need something late, definitely check it out.

Overall rating…

Pepperoni/Italian sausage slice – 7/10

Two-Fisted Mario's Pizza – 3 ½ Sizzling Skillets

For more info, visit http://www.twofistedmarios.com/Two-fisted_Marios_Pizza.html

Row 14...

2011-09-21T16:02:00.001-06:00

I’m used to being the only foodie in the group. Every nowand then I will get someone who totally gets my love of dessert, or canunderstand my appreciation of a unique entrée plating, or identifies with myintrigue with ingredients. But those times are few and far between. Usually I’mwith people who get annoyed with my breakdown analysis of a meal – the flavors,the spices, the texture, the plating, the allure.

So when my friend set up a double date for the two of uswith his fellow coworker and his wife, who also happen to be foodies like mewith a blog of their own, I thought, Whatcould be better?!? Since my friend had gotten a LivingSocial deal for Row14 Bistro and Wine Bar, it was not a tough decision as to where we would go (the decision of whatwe were going to eat was another story entirely).

Situated just two block down from 16^th StreetMall across from the Convention Center, it gives you the downtown localewithout the downtown hustle and bustle. We walked in and met up with myfriend’s friends (better known from their blog as Mr. and Mrs. Oyster) who werealready enjoying a drink at the bar. After a little banter, we were quicklyseated at our table alongside the sliding glass w all of windows (which provedto be very beneficial due to Mrs. Oyster’s and my lack of body heat…at ourrequest, they opened up the windows which provided a bit of summer warmth andaccess to the patio). We start the conversation talking about what it takes towrite a blog about food. One of the major consensus in that sharing is a MUST. Sowe go about ordering four appetizers and four entrees. (I have to interjecthere that I couldn’t have been happier with our choice of companions after theordering.)

We started off with the Ahiand Salmon Rangoons. (Now I have to preface my statement with the fact thatI hate fish.) They were filled with a decent amount of the mixtureunlike most wontons (mainly cream cheese and crab flavor with an understatedsalmon flavor). I only had a small taste, but everyone else seemed to reallyenjoy them.

Ahi and Salmon Rangoons

Next up was my pick, the Row 14 Sliders. They were perfectly portioned for four people (aswas pretty much everything else.) Great flavor…just a little classier version.Absolutely hit the spot.

Row 14 Sliders

Since we had all talked about the Duck Confit Pancakes entrée, we opted for the small appetizer.However, pancake is not the correct term. They were simply crackers topped withduck and relish. The duck was flavorful, moist, and tender which totally madeup for the lack of leavening in the pancake.

Duck Confit Pancakes

We finished off our appetizers with the Sweet Corn Soup. Unfortunately it wasn’t really that sweet and wasway to watery.

Sweet Corn Soup

My companions all ordered fish entrees (all of which theygave decently high praise to). I, on the other hand, opted for the Wagyu Flank Steak Frites (with avocado,tomatoes, and worchestire sauce). It was delicious! Great flavor combinations.Super tender. And incredibly juicy.

Wagyu Flank Steak Frites

For dessert, we ordered the Tiramisu and Strawberry Cream Cheese Gyoza, neither of which I was impressed with. (Just remember, I am a dessert connoisseur.) The tiramisu was more like a coffee ice cream cake, and the gyoza didn't seem to have enough sweetener in the cream for me.

Tiramisu

Strawberry Cream Cheese Gyoza

Overall, it was a relaxed version of a classy restaurantwith higher quality offerings. Definitely worth a try and a great place for adate or a dinner with friends.

Overall rating…

Row 14 Sliders – 8/10

Duck Confit Pancakes – 6/10

Sweet Corn Soup – 2/10

Wagyu Flank Steak Frites – 8/10

Desserts – 5/10

Row 14 – 4 Sizzling Skillets

For more information, visit http://www.row14denver.com/.