Colorado Restaurant Recommendations Needed

[Rosie]

Will be traveling through Colorado for two weeks. Any must try places, recommendations? Any price range and any cuisine is fine. I'll be overnighting in the following towns:

DENVER

ALAMOSA

DURANGO

OURAY

GLENWOOD SPRINGS

BOULDER

[oneidaone]

I really enjoyed The Kitchen in August. Although we had a large group (about

20) the food was excellent. They had a great selection of courses and the

wines that were suggested were beautifully matched. It was very crowded

as it was a Saturday but the service was very attentive and they all certainly

loved what they were doing. I stayed at the St. Julien Hotel which is a lovely

property but the Jill's restaurant was uneven in food from really good to

bad with service to match those extremes. I wish I could have spent more

time there, it was a lovely town. Oh, we also had a buffet at the Dining Hall

in Chataqua park which despite some other comments I'd heard I thought

was very good as well. Oh, I forgot to say this is in Boulder, sorry!

A million years ago (well 1971) I'll never for get one of the best meals in my

memory in Durango. It was a very small place then and we stopped enroute

to doing a river raft trip that would last 10 days on the Colorado river. I met

this group of cool people in the park and they were making pipes out of

peach pits of all things, anyway I hung out with them and it was a great

break from being with my parents. For dinner we went to this little diner

and had the best pork chops ever, I don't recall what made them so

special beyond being cooked perfectly which in itself should be memorable

but the whole meal smacked of comfort, home and fine ingredients.

Edited March 22, 2007 by oneidaone (log)

[Dana]

Ouray: The Silver Dollar is great for a big breakfast, but there's a great little donut shop on a cross street (can't remember the name, but you'll find it -small town). For a nice dinner, the Bon Ton is great and has an ok wine list. Bon Tiempo has good Mexican food. Wish I could afford to retire there.

[ludja]

Two good places in Durango:

Seasons Grill

http://www.seasonsofdurango.com/concept.html

764 Main Ave, Durango 970-382-9790

(new American with emphasis on grilled meats; will usually have some game on the menu; elegant/casual restaurant)

and

Tequila's Mexican Restaurant

948 Main Ave, Durango 970-259-7655

(great margaritas made with fresh lime juice and chile verde)

There is also:

Steamworks Brewing Co.

801 E 2 Ave, Durango 970-259-9200

(Burgers and beer at this brewery one block up from Main Ave:)

A place we peeked into and may want to check out next time (it was closed on New Year's Day):

Chez Grandmere

3 Depot Pl, Durango 970-247-7979

(tucked away off the end of Main Ave (the end w/the Durango Railrooad Depot) This had a very nice old fashioned but elegant looking interior; pretty traditional French menu; I don't know have any personal recommendations for the place)

If you're not staying at the Strater Hotel (highly recommended for its incredible period furniture and interior) at least check out the lobby and other public spaces in the hotel. There are two nice places to have a drink here: the authentic western saloon from the late 1800's and "The Library". The Library also has beautiful period woodwork and turn of the century lighting, furniture, a fireplace, interior balconey area, and serves cocktails and wine in addition to beer. The saloon is more casual and rustic. (Until the last year or two they still had old wooden saloon doors at the entrance for the saloon. There is live music somtimes.)

A stay at the Strater Hotel also includes a nice continental breakfast buffet with dinining in a period dining room.

If you have time in your itinerary it would be wonderful to stop in at Telluride (close to Ouray). The old downtown is very nicely preserved and the mountain views from the box canyon are spectacular. Take the the free tram up to the ski resort and stop at the midway point for wine or cocktails in the restaurant there.

[Busboy]

Couple of relevant threads here and here.

The Washington Post restaurant critic, Tom Sietsema, suggests that Frasca, in Boulder, may be the best Italian restaurant between the coasts.

Don't know what your budget and personal preferences are, but a few years back we said "screw it" and ponied up for one of the two tower suites at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. We were travelling with kids, so the suite wasn't much compared to the two rooms we whould have had to rent, but I recall the cost being pretty reasonable. And sitting on that balcony, looking down the valley as the sun set, and listening to the trains go by... a pretty astounding moment. I googled the hotel ratings and the place gets a lot of 1's and 2's and a lot of 4's and 5's, so it's clearly not for everyone. Decent restaurant on the grounds, as well.

On a side note, if you like sipping fine wine on hotel balconies, you may want to consider popping into one of Denver'swine shops upon arrival as, once you get into the backcountry, it can be pretty hit or miss, unless you're at the bar of a resort. Argonaut is right downtown, if you're staying there.

And, because I love old hotels, I think everyone visiting Denver should have a cocktail in the lounge of the Brown Palace to just revel in its turn-of-the-century coolness; and martini in the deco "Cruise Room" of the Oxford Hotel. The two establishments are about six blocks apart on 17th Street in downtown; the Oxford being in the hip, renovated LoDo district.

Oh, PS, if its still there, El Chapultapec's, the famed Mexican Jazz Club Caddy-corner from Coors Field, also in LoDo. Too loud to be a real temple of jazz, but fun as hell.

[taoseno]

Rosie

I am a recently transplanted NJ person so i have still not been to as many places in Denver as I would like to have yet. That being said I have been to Potager 4 times in 3 months, it helps that I live around the corner but it has also been consistently top notch. They serve farm fresh local food with the menu changing monthly. While I am not a huge wine drinker, there are quite a few interesting affordable options on there. Here is the address and ph number, if they have a website i don't know where to find it.

Potager

maps.google.com

1109 Ogden St

Denver, CO 80218

(303) 832-5788

enjoy your vacation

Dave

[johnsmith45678]

Durango: There's a fantastic German restaurant in Dolores (yeah, a bit of a drive, but well worth it).

Denver: There's a lot. Mel's Diner. One of Frank Bonanno's restaurants (Mizuna and Luca D´Italia). Or check out the Post's 2007 dining guide:

http://www.denverpost.com/dining

[Rosie]

Thanks so much for the information. Since I am a member of the James Beard Foundation I like to support their restaurants. Any thoughts on these places in Denver?

MEL”S

MIZUNA

NINE 75

RESTAURANT KEVIN TAYLOR

RIOJA

SOLERA

VESTA DIPPING GRILL

ZENGO

[Busboy]

Rosie

I am a recently transplanted NJ person so i have still not been to as many places in Denver as I would like to have yet.  That being said I have been to Potager 4 times in 3 months, it helps that I live around the corner but it has also been consistently top notch.   They serve farm fresh local food with the menu changing monthly.  While I am not a huge wine drinker, there are quite a few interesting affordable options on there.  Here is the address and ph number, if they have a website i don't know where to find it.

Potager

maps.google.com

1109 Ogden St

Denver, CO 80218

(303) 832-5788

enjoy your vacation

Dave

←

When we lived in Denver, Potager was our favorite restaurant. Glad to hear that it continues to prosper and to serve great food. (We lived almost around the corner, too, at 7th and Marion).

[taoseno]

Thanks so much for the information. Since I am a member of the James Beard Foundation I like to support their restaurants. Any thoughts on these places in Denver?

MEL”S

MIZUNA 

NINE 75 

RESTAURANT KEVIN TAYLOR 

RIOJA 

SOLERA 

VESTA DIPPING GRILL 

ZENGO

←

I went to Zengo and Rioja recently, like 2 weeks ago.

At Zengo we decided to go with 5 small plates, from the website

Angry Zengo

spicy yellowfin tuna / avocado / sesame~chipotle rouille / wasabi tobiko

this was not great, tasted like tuna fish w/hot sauce

Kobe Beef

miso mustard / scallions / ponzu

this was a sirloin cut according to our server, delicious, 5 pieces which made for fighting between me and my guest

Seared Foie Gras

pan de elote / plum / habanero / hibiscus reduction

this was my favorite as well as my dining companions

Empanadas

thai chicken / rajas / oaxaca cheese / mango~curry

this was ok, nothing i would order again

soft shell crab

won bok slaw / thai chili / lemon sake aioli / soft tortillas

also very tasty and creative

so 5 small plates, 3 very good, 2 not so much. I would go back but only b/c i live here not somewhere i would travel for.

Rioja was the next nights dinner and we went more traditional 2 apps/2 entrees.

we had the duck confit pizza, golden beet soup, roasted colorado leg of lamb and the artichoke tortellini.

absolutely everything was cooked perfectly and while everything was quite tasty nothing knocked my socks off. Again I am sure I will be back here at some point, but I am not sure I would go here if this was my only meal in Denver.

Dave

Edited March 23, 2007 by taoseno (log)

[ludja]

Durango: There's a fantastic German restaurant in Dolores (yeah, a bit of a drive, but well worth it).

...

←

Hey, this works out if one is doing the Durango-Ouray-Telluride-Dolores loop or if one is visiting Mesa Verde. Thanks for mentioning this!

Old Germany Restaurant Lounge & Beer Garden

P.O. Box 1215 • 200 S. 8th St. • Dolores, CO 81323

970-882-7549

Family owned and operated since 1986, our customers have said "this is the finest German Restaurant and Beer Garden in the Country".

Open Tuesday thru Saturday 4 - 9 PM,

Beer Garden open at 2 PM Tuesday thru Saturday.

click

Note: Not open on Sunday and Monday

[purplewiz]

RIOJA 

←

We went there for my birthday a couple weeks ago, and had an outstanding experience. The pork belly appetizer is, so far, the finest thing I've eaten this year and is in the running for the overall top ten.

We also ate at Red Square Euro Bistro - good meal, will eat there again, but not quite up to the level of Rioja.

Marcia.

[JWest]

Thanks so much for the information. Since I am a member of the James Beard Foundation I like to support their restaurants. Any thoughts on these places in Denver?

MEL”S

MIZUNA 

NINE 75 

RESTAURANT KEVIN TAYLOR 

RIOJA 

SOLERA 

VESTA DIPPING GRILL 

ZENGO

←

If you decide to go with Kevin Taylor, let me know. Also, I know Frasca is not on your list but Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson was up for "Rising Star Chef" last year at the awards.

Vesta Dipping Grill has always been delicious for me. (Three Visits) The Flatiron with the Clams are great and same with the Pork Tenderloin. At first you think its great that they have all those sauces but then during your meal you almost forget about them because their food doesn't seem to really need anything else. Not the best place for a relaxing meal but its good for exciting crowds.

Rioja has good solid food...almost fool proof with the way the menu is set up. The dining room is nice and it's a fun place to be at when the place is rolling with people.

Solera, I had the best service from any restaurant during my visit last year. The dining room is dark, small, and great for romantic dining. The food is well executed but lacks life.

Mizuna had good tasting food just like solera but maybe just a hair better. The service was good, they are very good at what they do (for food and service). Quiet dining room even with the open kitchen.

Restaurant Kevin Taylor, I like to think of it as walking into the 90's. Stacked food, piles of micro greens, great service, asian fusion here and there, french foie gras, and different sized tasting menus.

Zengo always seems to be a very trendy restaurant. It's more of a place to be seen at and a great location for dating. There food is sexy and some of the flavor combinations are fun.

...if I was traveling from somewhere and I wanted to eat at a premiere restaurant, I'd go to Frasca in Boulder, CO. If you want to be downtown and have a fun time in the evening, go to Vesta or Rioja. If you want a quiet enjoyable meal, Mizuna sounds like the place. If you want to get dressed up, go see a show downtown, and get a 4 star experience then Kevin Taylor.

They're all great in there own way

Edited March 24, 2007 by JWest (log)

[Busboy]

Durango: There's a fantastic German restaurant in Dolores (yeah, a bit of a drive, but well worth it).

...

←

Hey, this works out if one is doing the Durango-Ouray-Telluride-Dolores loop or if one is visiting Mesa Verde. Thanks for mentioning this!

Old Germany Restaurant Lounge & Beer Garden

P.O. Box 1215 • 200 S. 8th St. • Dolores, CO 81323

970-882-7549

Family owned and operated since 1986, our customers have said "this is the finest German Restaurant and Beer Garden in the Country".

Open Tuesday thru Saturday 4 - 9 PM,

Beer Garden open at 2 PM Tuesday thru Saturday.

click

Note: Not open on Sunday and Monday

←

And one thing that Rosie not know, if she hasn't been to Colorado before, is that the kind of microwave warming effect you get from depleted ozone and the thinner atmosphere at higher altitudes means that there are actually many more good days for relaxing outside with a beer and the (best sort of) wurst at this time of year, than there are on the east coast. Of course, you might get eight inches of snow the day after you were tanning in the beergarden (well into May, as I recall), but that has its charms, too.

[rlm]

Denver –

Mel’s in Cherry Creek will be closing soon (scroll down). The owners have a new place on 6th Avenue called Montecito. Someone else will have to chime in on their new spot, as I haven’t been yet.

My favorite new place in the metro area is Fruition on 6th Avenue, although a gushing recent review in the Denver Post is reportedly making tables harder to come by. I was there at the beginning of March and they were already packing them in on a week-night (and I love seeing talented independent local places drawing people away from the scourge that is Applebee’s and Olive Garden). They are conveniently on Open Table, and a quick check reveals they still have spots available next week. I was seated at the worst table in the house near the service station, but immensely enjoyed their riff on Oysters Rockefeller and the sublime Butter Demon that is their salmon. Competent, professional, friendly service (but not too familiar).

nine75 on Lincoln in the Beauvallon Lofts complex between 9th and 10th Avenues: I love Chef Troy Guard’s upscale comfort food (which is like what you would get from June Cleaver’s kitchen if she went on an ecstasy-fueled bender and threw dishes like ceviche shooters and miso black cod into the mix that may scare your typical suburban housewife). He was once the chef at Zengo and is the originator of those luscious miniature won-ton tuna tacos. There are also steak and lobster variations on the menu here and at his seafood spot, Ocean. Ocean is in Cherry Creek near a crowded outpost of Whole Foods and the Cherry Creek Mall right next to another Sullivan Restaurant property, emogene (which has excellent sandwiches at breakfast & lunch, “evil” gourmet desserts, espresso drinks, and alcoholic drinks including Champagne and Port—and they’re open fairly late in the evening for the Denver area).

Rioja on Larimer between 14th and 15th Streets – Purplewiz mentioned the pork belly up-thread and it is indeed fantastic. I first sampled it on New Year’s Eve last year with some visiting friends of ours from the Bay Area and we all went nuts for it. It’s an Indian-spiced hunk of heaven. I wasn’t as crazy about the Duck Confit Pizza (a little too rich for me, but I know people who love it). When offered bread, definitely try the goat cheese biscuits they make in-house. The pastas and soups are very reliable choices. I adore the artichoke tortelloni (which the chef has been dishing up at least since her days at Panzano). I most recently went a couple of weeks ago with three disparate friends. One of them who is not a foodie and prefers noshing at dive bars (ever-skeptical of anything resembling fine dining) declared that the veal special they were running that evening (which Chef Jen herself recommended as she was walking through the bustling dining room and bar area greeting everyone) was “one of the best things I’ve ever had to eat.” Our local mag 5280 just declared her to be their chef of the year.

You might consider a roving meal in downtown Denver one evening where you split an appetizer in the bar area at one place and then move on to the next (that way you could sample a wider variety of what Denver has to offer and might find a place you want to return to for a full meal). There is a free shuttle on the 16th Street Mall that can help with navigating your way around (although I’d caution you about some of the places on the mall itself, except for the brilliant new location of Cook's Fresh Market).

The Rioja owners bought a French spot with a lovely patio tucked away across the street called Bistro Vendome (a great place to nurse your hang-over at brunch while sucking down some perfect French-press coffee). Tamayo at 14th and Larimer close by is a sister restaurant to the Latin/Asian fusion of Zengo (and is my favorite of Chef Richard Sandoval’s local spots, with La Sandia at Scary Stapleton at I-70 and I-270 being the newest one--and definitely the brightest spot at Stapleton, camouflaged as it is in a sea of Bass Pro Shops and Super Targets and TGI Fridays).

Sushi Han in nearby Writer’s Square doesn’t get the press given to Sushi Den or Sushi Sasa and is far more casual, but I’ve had great meals at all three places. Sushi Han won’t hit you in the pocketbook as hard as the other two, but their offerings are somewhat more limited. Sushi Den is on Pearl Street around the D.U. area and doesn’t take reservations except for parties of 5 or more and for their “omakase” room on Saturdays (and they are always packed to the gills, so get there early or expect to wait). Sushi Sasa is at 15th and Platte (not that far from Zengo at 15th and Little Raven) and takes reservations including seats at the sushi bar (with free parking during the evenings in the adjacent lot under the Wilderness Exchange sign—and your car will even still be intact the next morning if you have to leave it after downing too much sake). A bonus is that both Sushi Den and Sushi Sasa are open on Sundays when lots of other places are closed.

One of the local Proto's Pizza's is in the same area (they have other locations in the northern ‘burbs and Boulder). A few other great spots for pizza are Virgilio's in Lakewood (at the very back of a strip mall on Wadsworth), The Oven at Belmar in Lakewood, and Parisi, an Italian deli in the Highlands Area west of downtown (at 44th Ave. and Tennyson caty-corner from great green chile cheese tamales for just over a buck at the no-frills La Casita).

For other spots in the Highlands, swimclub32 on 32nd Avenue is fun, as is Duo on 32nd (who recently thankfully announced they are now taking reservations for all-size parties) and the tiny Z Cuisine (30th Ave.) that is expanding to encompass the spot on the corner, although I was told on a recent trip that they will have to figure out how to link the two separated rooms so they can notify guests when their table is ready. They envision it as a place for people to go and have wine, apps, and desserts and where one can wait on a table to free up since they only have a few. Go early and order quickly, because once they run out of the ingredients for something, it’s scratched off the limited chalkboard menu.

I’ll second the rec for Vesta (also open on Sundays) and throw in a nod for the owners’ Brady Family Groovy Den/comfort food emporium Steuben's (Complete with deviled eggs! And fried chicken! And lobster rolls!) on 17th Avenue (a road populated with other spots like Peruvian food at Limon, Vietnamese at Parallel 17, and the gourmet market and wine shop Marczyk Fine Foods).

Boulder -

As JWest mentioned, Frasca Food and Wine is a MUST, especially if you like supporting places recognized by the Beard Foundation as you indicated above. Owner and master sommelier Bobby Stuckey was nominated for best wine service while working at the Little Nell in Aspen before taking the helm at this obscure place called the French Laundry (where he won the Beard award), and chef/owner Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson was nominated last year for his magic in the kitchen. They have been legitimately frothed over by seemingly every media outlet in the country, including the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Esquire, Wine Spectator, Wine & Spirits, CBS Early Show…Just about everybody except Cat Fancy and This Week in Gallbladder Surgery. Fear not the reservation conundrum, as they have walk-in seating available at the bar, salumi bar, and 1 or 2 tables, as well as the patio in the summer. You will be treated like the king or queen you are even if you show up looking like Nick Nolte's mug shot.

I also like a new-ish place called Black Cat Bistro (get the 5-course tasting menu), main-stay Q's in the Hotel Boulderado, The Kitchen (mainly for breakfast or weekend brunch), and Dish (gourmet sandwiches).

If you get here in time and can find it, pick up the spring issue of Colorado Avid Golfer for the Best in Chow 2007 guide from Lori Midson. If you can’t find it, she gives props to Chutney’s in Castle Rock, Montecito, Superstar Asian, Steuben’s, Virgilio’s Pizzeria, Deluxe, Frasca, Mizuna, Rioja, Z Cuisine, Yummy Yummy Tasty Thai in Louisville, Mina’s Latin Restaurant in Erie, Sushi Sasa, Storyville Creole Café in Longmont, Pupusas Sabor Hispano, and a few “road trip” places such as Alice’s in Ward, Summit at the Broadmoor in CO Springs, Russets in Carbondale, D19 in Aspen, and Samplings Wine Bar in Frisco.

5280's March issue has a fun “101 Dining Experiences Every Denver-ite Must Have” cover story that will give you lots of ideas. Besides the Denver Post’s dining guide that johnsmith linked to, the Rocky Mountain News 2007 Dining Guide just came out yesterday:

Another place to look for reviews and ideas is Westword's restaurant section.

Durango –

Look for the freebie Flavor of Durango guide around town or check out their website (not sure how current they keep it). I keep going back to Ken & Sue's. I’ve never had anything bad there, and even my ultra-picky sister enjoyed it. I’ve never seen their website functional (one must wonder why they’re paying for the domain name), although it now says it’s “coming this December.” Ludja mentioned Steamworks, and I have found that they have surprisingly good pizzas to go along with the burgers-n-brews. If you take the train ride, make sure you eat in Durango before and after, as the places in Silverton are far less appealing.

Other Colorado spots – I’ve heard that Dish in Edwards near Vail right off of I-70 is THE hot place of the moment. Chef Lachlan of Frasca had a run-down of Aspen spots in a previous ish. of Food & Wine and it’s a good primer.

(Yes, I do realize that I eat out entirely too much.)

[johnsmith45678]

Wow, hadn't heard Mel's was closing. They did lose their chef a while ago. He went to Elway's Steak House (seems like a weird career move to me).

Durango again: Once back from Dolores, drive nearly the same distance -- east this time -- to Keyah Grande. Their chefs have a blog, but I don't know the URL off-hand.

[JWest]

Anyone know if the location has been taken by any other restaurant?

[ludja]

...

Durango again: Once back from Dolores, drive nearly the same distance -- east this time -- to Keyah Grande. Their chefs have a blog, but I don't know the URL off-hand.

←

Here's the link to Chefs Aki Kamozawa's and H. Alexander Talbot's wonderful blog: click

Unfortunately they and their supremely creative cooking are no longer in Colorado or at Keyah Grande in Pagosa Springs.

[BekkiM]

(Yes, I do realize that I eat out entirely too much.)

←

Holy cow! I'm in awe...

I'd like to add a plug for La Sandia in Northfield (which is sort of Stapleton on steroids--Outdoor World scares me ). Went there on Saturday afternoon for drinks and appetizers and it was wonderful. The queso is too die for--served with a mildy spicy, smoky, tangy sauce of pureed dried peppers (of a variety I've never heard of) and tomatillos--it was just wonderful. The guac, like the guac at Tamayo, is prepared tableside and looked yummy.

Unlike Tamayo, though, La Sandia much mroe laid back and the service is significantly more friendly. Granted, it was the middle of the afternoon and everyone was probably bored, so my friends and I were a much-needed diversion, but I've been to Tamayo in off hours too and it was awful.

[Rosie]

"On a side note, if you like sipping fine wine on hotel balconies, you may want to consider popping into one of Denver'swine shops upon arrival as, once you get into the backcountry, it can be pretty hit or miss, unless you're at the bar of a resort. Argonaut is right downtown, if you're staying there."

LOL After traveling and hiking through Utah we know to always stop at a local wine shop to fill up the trunk just in case!

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE EXCELLENT INFORMATION THAT WILL MAKE OUR VACATION MEMORABLE.

[rlm]

Sorry...I haven't posted here in a while and noticed the old edit options aren't available for previous posts. Anyway, I posted a link to the wrong Sushi Den (.com instead of .net). The one I meant to link to is this: Sushi Den

[rlm]

Unlike Tamayo, though, La Sandia much mroe laid back and the service is significantly more friendly.  Granted, it was the middle of the afternoon and everyone was probably bored, so my friends and I were a much-needed diversion, but I've been to Tamayo in off hours too and it was awful.

When I worked downtown I used to eat lunch @ Tamayo about once a week and didn't have any service issues, although this was two years ago. Since then I've been back to the bar area to eat and service isn't usually an issue when you have someone standing right in front of you attending to your every need. I did notice small differences in how the same dishes were prepared over time depending on who was in the kitchen on a given day. The original local chef was Sean Yontz, and he has his own Mexican place called Chama at Belmar in Lakewood now.

I liked the food & drinks at La Sandia on a recent visit, although it was sad to see such a large and snazzy-looking place (I really like the colored glass) virtually empty at lunch on the weekend. I hope they're busier in the evenings.