Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.
Los Carboncitos
3757 Pecos Street, Denver, CO
http://loscarboncitosdenver.com/
For a franchised mexican restaurant, I was not expecting huitlacoche (fungal corn). To my disappointment, they didn't have it the night of my visit, but everything else was fantastic. This was not the place to go for atmosphere, as it was folding tables and chairs with plastic utensils. But this was the place to go for amazing mexican fare at a decent price.
Salsa. Starting from the bright orange dish and moving clockwise, we tasted the super spicy habanero salsa, moderately spicy jalepeno salsa, mildly sweet chili salsa and a cooling avocado sauce. They must make these by the boat load because every patron in the place poured these over their food. Each one had a unique flavor and spice setting and each one tasted freshly made.
Carnitas Tacos. Served on warm, freshly made corn tortillas, these tacos were three bites of flavorful pork and fresh cilantro. Excellent on a cold night.
Chicken Burrito (wet). Tender, seasoned shredded chicken filled this burrito with meaty goodness. The melted monterey jack cheese, sour cream, lettuce and tomato added texture and freshness to each bite. A really tasty burrito.
Al Pastor Quesadilla. I was very impressed with this al pastor. The pork was so rich with spices, tender and juicy, the cheese was melted beautifully and the whole thing was crisp on the outside which gave it an excellent textural quality.
BRU Handbuilt Ales & Eats
5290 Arapahoe, Boulder, CO
http://bruboulder.com/
This was a place that took craft beer and craft food very seriously, while still being approachable, friendly and welcoming. The beer selection included many in the spectrum from light ales to dark stouts. I appreciated the fact that none of their beers were filtered and all were naturally carbonated. I had as much fun talking with the staff here as I did sampling the beers and small plates. This was a great place to just hang out on the patio and enjoy the sunshine with some good brews and food.
Periculum. A Belgian Pale that was citrusy and light with a clean finish.
Citrum. An IPA that was a bit lemony, fragrant with a medium body.
Abby. A Brown Ale that had some chocolate malts and maple syrup.
Obitus. Another Brown Ale with notes of dates and roasted sugar.
Rigley. A Red Rye IPA that had a bit more hops and grain malts with a slightly bitter finish. This one was my favorite.
Three B's. Made with Noble hops, this was light but still had flavor.
Beezel. A Belgian Strong Ale at 9.3% alcohol. This had notes of honey and orange peel.
Loch Wee Heavy. A Scotch Ale with peeted malt.
Osito. A Stout with Ozo coffee and vanilla beans.
Imperial Porter. This one had smokey and chocolaty malts. This one was my second favorite.
Pork Meatballs. Served over polenta with a spicy tomato sauce and sprinkled with Grana Padano and fresh parsley. The polenta was creamy and buttery and the meatballs were savory and succulent. This is one of my favorite food combinations and they did it very well.
Chicken and Ginger Gyoza. These fantastic flavors were encased in crisp wrappers and served with a phenomenal hot and sour broth. The complexity of the broth blew my mind. The addition of meaty oyster mushrooms and slightly bitter pea shoots tickled every taste sensation in my mouth. An excellent mix of ingredients.
Cheddar Corn Fritters. Similar to hush puppies, these were crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The charred red pepper jelly served with it was a little spicy, a little smokey and a little sweet. An excellent complement to these golden balls of goodness.
CopperMuse Distillery
244 N. College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO
http://coppermuse.com/
Whatever or whoever is the muse of this place, does a great job. The tasting room includes a bar full of their own vodka and rum, with whiskey, bourbon and gin in the works. One can get a classic or an inspired house cocktail or two. The food pairings are chef driven and the ingredients and products come from local farms or food producers. This is the kind of business I'm more than happy to support.
Havana. A classic mojito with muddled lime, mint and sugar. This one was shaken with Silver Rum and topped with seltzer. An excellently made classic.
Warhol. Sweet, tart, herbaceous and boozy. This was a well-balanced cocktail made with lemon-infused vodka, lemon juice, muddled basil, simple syrup and seltzer.
Monroe. A very nice cocktail with grapefruit-infused vodka, fresh grapefruit juice and simple syrup.
Smoked Salmon & Crostinis. Deliciously flaky, meaty smoked salmon was served with brie cheese, lemon dill aioli, fresh cucumbers, capers, red onion, fire roasted tomatoes and toasted bread. A great accompaniment to the delicious beverages.
Pulled Pork Sliders. Three toasty and tasty little buns were stuffed with tender, bbq-sauced shredded pork and cole slaw. These were tangy, sweet and smokey.
Ophelia's Electric Soapbox
1215 20th Street, Denver, CO
http://www.opheliasdenver.com/
A gastropub in an historic building that used to house a brothel sets the tone of this establishment. With two other similarly interesting sister restaurants, (one's in an old mortuary, the other in an old filling station) the inspired names of the drinks and dishes lead one's imagination to wander down a path of tasty delights. Near the ballpark right in downtown Denver, this is a great spot for a post- or pre-game drink or two and innovative, internationally-inspired shareable plates.
Midnight Tryst. A visually striking drink, this had rum, Leopold Blackberry liquor, lime juice, mint and activated charcoal. I've never thought about putting charcoal in a beverage, but it worked in this one. Served with crushed ice, this was super cold, sweet, fruity and refreshing.
The Lustful Turk. A very pretty drink with a not-so-pretty name. This one had gin, blood orange, Campari, lemon juice, pomegranate and Aquafaba. It was light, juicy and thirst quenching.
Hard Eight. Smokey bourbon tickled the tongue along with Canton Ginger Liqueur, lemon juice and Angostura Bitters. A nice, manly drink set just right with a delicate garnish of rosemary.
Kumquat Glazed Pork Belly & Crispy Pig Ears. Probably the most well-balanced and full-flavored dish I've had in a while. The combination of fried pork belly, smooth sunchoke puree, sweet and tart kumquat, snappy spring peas, crunchy smoked almonds, spicy jalapeno, tangy house-made beer vinegar and bits of crispy pig ear blew my mind. Incredibly well thought out, well presented and very delicious.
Stout Teriyaki Duck Wings. The description on the menu did not include many ingredients and I can understand why. I would absolutely rip off this recipe to make at home if I knew more of what was in the braising liquid besides just "stout" and "teriyaki". This was super tender, meaty duck with a lot of the fat rendered off but enough left to keep that chewy, fatty texture. The teriyaki, I'm sure, was house made and had hints of fermented black beans and ginger. Topped with peanuts, green onion and sesame seeds, these were so good I wanted to eat the bones.
The Joint. An excellent dessert drink that will put some hair on your chest. A potent concoction of mezcal, sherry, amaro and saline went very well with some sweets.
Butterscotch Pudding. This was not your childhood pudding. A fantastic combination of banana cream, bourbon butterscotch sauce, crunchy candied walnuts and a house-made vanilla wafer. Not too sweet, creamy, crunchy and chewy with a little boozy kick.
Smoked Salt Caramel. This made my knees weak. A perfect two bites of sticky, thick caramel with a proportioned amount of smoked salt. So good.
Hong Kong BBQ
1048 S. Federal Blvd., Denver, CO
This was a really good, inexpensive hole-in-the-wall, mom and pop Chinese joint in a somewhat sketchy part of Denver. But the affordable prices and the fantastic flavors will keep me coming back each time I visit this city. This place has no real atmosphere to speak of, other than the sound of chopping whole roasted duck and the frequent bell chime of the front door opening. In spite of this, I felt right at home when I took my first taste.
Egg Rolls. Filled with carrots, cabbage, green onion, noodles and seasonings, these were fried till golden and crunchy and were a very nice appetizer.
Fried Shrimp Won Tons. I usually opt for the soup version of won tons, but these just sounded good. After my first bite, they tasted good as well. Filled very generously with plump, snappy shrimp, these were crunchy and went very well with their sweet and tangy vinegar sauce.
Roasted Duck. This was my favorite part of the meal. The duck tasted clean, was roasted till tender, enough fat was rendered off to get a crispy skin and the juices flowing from each piece filled the bottom of the plate, which was fantastic poured over rice.
Beef Chow Fun. I love noodles and these were great. It had a slight char that indicated a quick cooking over high heat, which is expected and relished from this kind of dish. The vegetables were cooked but still crunchy, the beef was tender and the sauce penetrated each noodle wonderfully, encasing each bite with savory flavor.
Fried Pork Chops. A very simple dish with thin cuts of bone-in pork chops, lightly battered and then fried till golden. Sauteed jalapenos and green onion were then poured over each piece, giving each bite some crunch, heat and sweetness. This was no nonsense but delicious.
Sassafras American Eatery
2637 W. 26th Avenue, Denver, CO
http://www.sassafrasamericaneatery.com/
A very cozy and quaint breakfast and lunch spot with two locations in Denver. The location I visited was a house built in 1889 and was remodeled by the present owners to give it a face lift while still preserving the character, colors and interior woodwork. This place looked a bit like grandma's cottage in the woods with different types of salt & pepper shakers, knickknacks and napkins that looked like fabric from children's pajamas. I was immediately comfortable there and felt I could linger for hours if I wanted. The staff was friendly and provided service like an hospitable relative.
Oreo Cookie Milkshake. A mason jar drizzled with chocolate was filled with a thick shake and topped with whipped cream, crumbled cookies and a cherry. A wonderfully sweet way to start the meal.
Belly Up. Slow-smoked pork belly stacked on top of creamy potato salad, topped with a sunny-side-up egg, Carolina BBQ sauce and sprinkled with pork rinds. This was a wonder to look at and fantastic to eat. Breaking the yolk created an extra sauce over everything and played very nice with the sweet, tangy and smokey BBQ sauce and the fatty pork belly.
Chicken Fried Eggs & Buffalo Hash. Breaking open these eggs brought tears to my eyes. I love an egg that's crispy on the outside but still runny on the inside. The buffalo hash was clean, meaty and savory, the hollandaise was just enough to make everything saucy and the cornbread helped sop it all up.
Denver Biscuit Co.
4275 Tennyson Street, Denver, CO
http://www.denbisco.com/
What started out as Denver's first gourmet food truck, later evolved into one of Denver's hottest spots for breakfast. Located inside The Atomic Cowboy bar that also houses Fat Sully's Pizza, one could basically spend the whole day and into the night at this establishment. Enormous portions are the name of the game but size isn't the only thing that matters, the taste and quality is noteworthy and worthy of a try.
The Ellsworth. A dense but still flaky and buttery biscuit sandwiched a large, juicy buttermilk fried piece of chicken. This was loaded up with sweet and floral local honey, sharp stone-ground mustard and house-made pickles. This was a knife and fork meal.
The Franklin. The same juicy buttermilk fried chicken, but this time, served with cheddar cheese, bacon, and smothered in house-made sausage gravy. No regrets here.
As I boarded my plane to return home to the Bay Area, I reminisced on all the delicious meals I had, the mountain scenery and the relaxing vibe I experienced while in Colorado and vowed to come back as soon as I possibly could.
