Colorado Restaurant Compendium

[Danno]

I may have posted it in this thread way back, but since Mizuna came up, I'll post it here too. I ate there once and it was quite good, but one big problem I had was their bathroom. Now, I'm not some snob, but I have seen nicer and cleaner bathrooms at a greasy spoon breakfast place. And when you are paying serious coin for a nice dinner out, it isn't too much to ask that the bathroom be clean and pleasant. I'm not saying they should tear the walls out, but seriously, I could upgrade that bathroom significantly for very little money. And there is NO excuse for it being filthy.

It really left a bad taste in my mouth, seriously detracting from the fine dining experience.

[Danno]

Unseen Bean
Coffee Shop
2052 Broadway St, Boulder
(303) 447-2326

Forgive me if this is skirting the rules, but I thought some of you Boulderites might enjoy the recommendation. I'm kind of a caffeine head, and this place serves some of the best coffee I've ever tasted. Gerry and Paul are the owners, and they know their stuff. If you don't have a particular taste in mind, just ask for whatever is freshest. It will not disappoint. They'll also press your cup for you, or grind it coarse for your press at home.

They also do fresh sandwiches...so maybe this does fit in the restaurant compendium.

That's just around the corner from my office. I'll have to check it out. Do they have any seating in there? I usually hit the neighborhood coffee spots when I have work to do but don't want to be in the office.

[MakersTeleMark]

I may have posted it in this thread way back, but since Mizuna came up, I'll post it here too. I ate there once and it was quite good, but one big problem I had was their bathroom...

It really left a bad taste in my mouth

WTF?

9871

[lemon boy]

^some folks gotta turn a couple of tricks to swing eatin at a place like mizuna.

[Rontele]

Go Fish 1 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 733-8880

The Rontals have now been to this joint four times. Enough times that I am willing to put my reputation on the line. No, its not Sushi Den or Sasa, but if you need a fix, do not want to break the bank and actually have some good sushi, I recommend Go Fish.

[Missing Sock]

Go Fish 1 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 733-8880

The Rontals have now been to this joint four times. Enough times that I am willing to put my reputation on the line. No, its not Sushi Den or Sasa, but if you need a fix, do not want to break the bank and actually have some good sushi, I recommend Go Fish.

New to the neighborhood and will check this out tonight

Thanks

[lemon boy]

+1 for go fish.

It's good, inexpensive but not great sushi. Beware, Rontal shamelessly pirates recs from Mr. Sheehan. Which is okay cause that guy won't steer ya wrong.

[pechelman]

i guess i dont get it, but when people say great sushi, what do they really mean?

im of the opinion and impression that, quite simply, great sushi is fresh fish and good cuts of said fresh fish
wouldnt it stand to reason, that within some reason, that most of the sushi places here in denver, given our land locked nature, get their fish from a lot of the same suppliers, and therefore, have the same quality sushi only set apart by the skill of the person holding the knife?

(obviously places with the rep and the $$ can pay to have them sent the best stuff...you know, like in that scene in ratatouille )

i love sushi, but its very rare we will go and make a meal of sushi, and when doing so, will stick to simple nigiri or sashimi and a couple simple rolls so perhaps this is to explain for my lack of understanding...
ie, i like my sushi how i like my mixed drinks, generally with 3 ingredients or less

[Rontele]

+1 for go fish.

It's good, inexpensive but not great sushi. Beware, Rontal shamelessly pirates recs from Mr. Sheehan. Which is okay cause that guy won't steer ya wrong.

Wrong. I pirate rec'ds from my father-in-law who in turn pirates them from Jason Sheehan.

Phil, great sushi is what you say--fresh fish and good cuts, but also goes with a bit of creativity and presentation.

[pechelman]

oh
so i should be looking for this?!!




serially though
i have heard that a chef's skill is most evident by the preparation of tamago, which should be ordered at the beginning of a meal.
or something like that according to my memory of some history\tlc\whatever channel TV show from like 10 years ago

edit
guess im not smoking crack
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/389845

[pechelman]

Brickyard BBQ - $ - BBQ
Littleton - Broadway & Countyline (right off 470) (addy unknown) and at 4243 W. 38th Avenue Denver 303.561.4875
Very consistent and very good. Their burnt ends kickass and their steak fries are among the best. Nobody knows how but they just really are awesome. 1 order of fries is enough for 2 people. The pork is a bit sub par, especially the “pulled pork.” The brisket though is mighty fine.


Chinook Tavern - $$$ - German/Continental
265 Detroit Street Denver 303-394-0044
Great atmosphere, live music (classical guitar), service is usually some of the best but varies slightly based on your server and evening. The Matire'd can be a bit snooty and presumptuous but has a fun side to him and interesting sense of humor. If you like meat you will like this place. Notable wine list. Also very accomodating to special requests. They also have 14$ bottles of wine which are actually great. (small step up from "table wine")
Dont miss:
Appetizer - Mouco colo Rouge and Homemade Mozzerella
Entre - Anything that is lamb, venison, or duck. Schnitzel is just "eh".
Sides – Red cabbage. Yes. Red Cabbage.
Dessert - Tired of creme brule, go for the Route Groutze (sp?)

since i recommended brickyard on the basis of their burnt ends, i feel its now time i rescind that recommendation. Ive gone here about 3-4 times in the past year, and each time it gets worse. The burnt ends today were northing more than a thick slice of an peice near the end of the brisket cut into tiny cubes. The meat was tough and rubbery had the tiniest to a non-existent smoke ring under the crust, and the crust was pretty sparse and thin, and not on all the pieces. It was really really really weak.

The fries however are still the shit and Id probably go there just for them.


in other news
I think Chinook might be permanently closed rather than just closed for the season as they had advertised before "moving" to their new location off Orchard\DryCreek'ish? & 25 in DTC.
their website wont even work anymore

[Rontele]

When I have some time later, I'll write up a review of Fuel Cafe.

[AbsolutStoli]

beatrice & woodsley - $$$ - continental
38 S. Broadway, Denver, CO

went here last week with some friends. one of them raved about it, so we went. the atmosphere/service/food were all good. the place was designed to resemble a mountain cabin, which it does. its cozy and quaint inside. the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. the food is tasty. all that said, i probably wouldnt go back there again.

as cozy as it is, thats not why i go to a restaurant. i go for the food. the dinner menus were on the table when i arrived, which was unusual since im used to being handed my menu when the whole party arrives. the menu had "small plates" written on the left side and wines by the glass on the right side, so i thought this was just the small plates menu. my friends told me that this was the full dinner menu. we were told that the portions were small, but they were REALLY small. i dont have a problem with that per se, but the prices were way too much for what you got. i ordered the beignetts with the hot pepper anglaise and spicy powdered sugar. i got 4 beignettes, they were fine. nothing too special. you couldnt taste the spicy powdered sugar, so it was dumb to even mention it. but they were cooked perfectly. i was looking forward to ordering my main course, since our waiter didnt take the whole order at once, but the waiter never took my next order, so that ended up being all i got until we ordered dessert.

so yeah, i wasnt impressed at all. not really sure why everyone is so ga ga over this place, besides the faucets by the bathrooms. the place does have a lot of potential. i just dont think its working as a small plates/tapas sorta place.

next month we are all going to the red square bistro. anyone been there? im not expecting real russian food, we are mainly going for the vodka, but it would be nice if the food was good too.

[pechelman]

i dont know why, but places that only offer or feature small plates or tapas make me angry when they are overpriced...the latest place to make it on this list of mine, is Indulge Wine & Tapas bar in highlands ranch.

for whatever reason these people tend to think that because theyre trendy they get to charge more for less
f' them

B&W's menu looks solid though as far as offerings
id go and try it if it was ~25% cheaper
bummer

thanks for the review

[Rontele]

Fuel Cafe, 3455 Ringsby Court, Denver, CO, 303.296.4642 $-$$$.

This eatery is tucked away just north of downtown on a little development (called the Taxi Development) right where Broadway turns into Brighton Blvd. The Rontals first went there about a year ago when it first opened. From the onset, we were impressed with fusion of an excellent coffe shop and sandwich restaurant. The vibe was laid back and the food excellent. Subsequent visits resulted in the sampling of their absolutely to-die-for breakfast burritos and amazing cappucino.

Then it got written up in 5280 (or even prior to)

Not saying its gone downhill, but its certainly "now on the radar". Generally, the staff is disorganized and rarely has a clue what is the special of the day. I write this off as them being hippsters who really don't give a fuck besides their fixed gear bike, aerospoke wheels and herpes. But the general disorganization can sometimes lead to a shitshow of an experience if not timed correctly--i.e., do yourself a kindness and don't go there during the height of lunch.

Anyways, the food is still good--i had curry carrott soup yesterday and a cubano sandwich. Mrs. Rontele continued her piss poor streak of ordering and got some nasty ass curry chicken sandwich (it used to be billed as a curry chicken salad sandwich--no longer). They usually have a good daily special--yesterday, it was mussels and fries (which looked excellent).

They are now serving supper on Thursdays, with Fridays and Saturdays to be added soon. I would say this place is best experienced at supper time (we haven't been) or right when they start serving lunch at 11.

[Rontele]

Has anybody ever ate at Highland Garden Cafe?

Need to figure out a place for Mrs. Rontele's birthday dinner.

[pechelman]

I write this off as them being hippsters who really don't give a fuck besides their fixed gear bike, aerospoke wheels and herpes.

lolz

Has anybody ever ate at Highland Garden Cafe?

no, but i have heard a couple of fantastic reviews and recommendations
its been on my list for quite some time now

[endoverender]

That's just around the corner from my office. I'll have to check it out. Do they have any seating in there? I usually hit the neighborhood coffee spots when I have work to do but don't want to be in the office.

You've probably been there by now, but yes they have some seating. Very limited, though.

[Cruiser]

GB Fish & Chips 1311 S.Broadway Denver, CO 80210 Tel: 720-570-5103 $-$$

The Cruiser crew was out visiting the model train store yesterday and decided to stop at BG Fish and Chips on the way home. I've been wanting to pass by there for a while, but don't usually make it up quite that far on Broadway. I'm mighty damned glad I finally went though. This place is simple. No frills. Cinder block walls. Open kitchen. Picnic tables. So don't head over expecting a gourmet dining experience. That said, these folks know how to fry seafood. I got a half cod plate with chips and a couple of PBR's (more on that in a moment) and Mrs. Cruiser got a half shrimp plate with chips. We sat out back on the patio so that the kid could hoot and holler a bit. In less than 5 minutes one of the cooks came out onto the patio and called my name to go pick up our food. My basket was simple with a nice pile of thick cut fries, 3 long pieces of perfectly battered and fried cod, tartar sauce and a lemon wedge. Mrs. Cruiser's shrimp were a good size (21-25's?) and prepared the same way as my cod. We both started eating and remarked that these folks have got their frying down to an art form. The texture was perfect and the batter had just the right amount of flavor. As an added bonus we were there during the daily Happy Hour (3pm-7pm 7 days) and found $.75 PBR cand and $.75 off all the other beers and wine. Awesome. All in all I cannot recommed this place highly enough. If you like fish and chips, then you'd be crazy not to go to GB's. Our whole meal including my 2 beers and her soda came to $20.

The short version: Go to GB's. Go today!

[mcsquared]

GB Fish & Chips
The short version: Go to GB's. Go today!

I agree GB's is good, although I feel like it is slightly overpriced. The wife and I went a week or so ago and two orders with sodas was over $30. Partially our fault for ordering the full orders, the half orders are a better value. And obviously the $.75 beers would have been nice if we had imbibed.

[Cruiser]

Still cheaper than the alternative:
~$600 flight to Heathrow.
~$250/night hotel.
~$50 cab fare.
~$8 Pints.
~$14.75 for fish and chips in London.

[pechelman]

^ sort of a crapshoot with that too as i never found good fish and chips in london proper
had to go to the outskirts of london and neighboring cities, that were a bit smaller and more quaint
the places there vary significantly from soggy greasy piles of slop to crispy flakey perfection
find the ones that have a large selection of fish to choose from, instead of just cod and halibut
ie the ones that are more of a fish market

if anyone's in the 'hood
Chris's Fish Bar
19 Turnham Green Terrace
London
W4 1RG

about 2blocks south off the Turnham Green tube

theres also a really cool bookstore just down the way thats supposedly the largest collection of motorsport books in the world.
bookspeed maybe?

[lemon boy]

Stoli- Red Square does indeed have decent food but there are precious few Russian dishes (pelmini & golubtsi & stroganoff being the exceptions). Be sure to ask for extra pickles with your vodka. They bring them but not really enough for everyone to have with every shot.

X7 on GB’s, good to see a place thriving. When we started going there it was always empty. And while they do have cheap pbrs, they also have strongbow and boddies in a can so I usually roll like that. Typically my wife and I get a full cod + chips and a half of oysters and split that, plenty of food for two.

[mr_gyptian]

Has anybody ever ate at Highland Garden Cafe?

Need to figure out a place for Mrs. Rontele's birthday dinner.

didn't see this until now. you probably already ate there.

this place is awesome. The staff is great. probably the most genuinely great wine recommendations I've ever had. I've had the lamb and the trout. both were great. Their menu changes fairly frequently so recommending specific dishes carries little water.

their mother's day brunch is the best I've ever experienced.

[Pinner]

And then, after dinner, motor across the street to Highland Pacific, where nine time out of ten, you'll find me having a drink at the bar.