Old People Exploring Denver Restaurants
Who doesn’t love getting a call from a friend who asks, “Want to meet for dinner?”
Colorado sunset from our window (GPG).
Surrounded by family and old friends during our September visit, we did a lot more eating out than usual, some of it worth noting. I’m not including coffee shops, or Crave (on Colorado Blvd…because even though their brussel sprouts were excellent, their pizzas have shrunk in size, toppings, and flavor).
We rendezvoused with our son’s in-laws, whom we love, for an evening of laughter and good food. We’d only been to the. airport Root Down, which has been serving better-than-usual airport food for years, but the real restaurant has a great vegetarian selection, and everyone loved their drinks. As is the modern custom, they served small but very tasty portions (including dessert), so we all got to taste a tiny bite of several different things. The place was packed on a weeknight (something we came to expect in this city of millenials), but the tables are spaced well enough that we could hear each other.
2. Temaki Den (RiNo)
This is not a place to go if you’re starving, because they take their time with each exquisite little sushi roll, done in a different way than we’re all used to. It’s at The Source, same place as Safta, (where I binged on fresh pita last time we were here). There are only a few items on the menu that I eat, but our son is a huge fan of sushi, and it was his birthday. He loved it. The owners write, “Every bite in our restaurant is Temaki Den’s expression of kodawari, the uncompromising and relentless pursuit of perfection.” Okay, but I don’t need perfection as much as sustenance. Also, we were probably the oldest people there, and the only dessert was shaved ice at one of the always-changing kiosks in that building.
2. Bon Ami Bistro/Creperie (Alameda)
We met an old Denver friend who recognized my voice when she heard me chatting with someone last time we were in town, and we made a date to meet her and her husband for dinner at this lovely outdoor place. It was a perfect early autumn evening in Denver, warm with a slight breeze, and we finished a bottle of wine while catching up on the last quarter century. I ordered a fabulous Nicoise salad. The food is solid, with several vegetarian or fish options, and close to home. Always happy to meet for dinner here.
4. Que Bueno Suerte (Pearl Street)
When a sister-in-law was visiting from NYC, we stumbled upon this excellent Mexican restaurant on Pearl Street, down the block from Sushi Den, where we’ve been several times. This is a spacious place with a gorgeous light fixture and festive atmosphere. We watched a waiter bring a big plate of nachos to another table, so we ordered them — probably the best nachos any of us ever had, including in Mexico. The food here is generous and fresh — and I’m dreaming of going back for more of their elite appetizer.
4. My Thai Café (Federal) I didn’t realize that some Denver restaurants are open only on the weekend, so one Wednesday in September, instead of our usual Thai place, we stopped there to pick up dinner for our Thai-loving kids and grandkids. I’m a big fan of tofu Pad Thai, and theirs is excellent. Seeing as how it’s mostly pasta or rice dishes, we’re always astounded at the astronomical cost of Thai food these days, but the portions are flavorful and filling.
5. Snooze (Broadway) There are several of these in Denver, and you can hardly get in on a weekend (which is weird because it’s not cheap, and I keep hearing from Republican friends that the economy sucks). My friend and I stopped in for a late lunch one afternoon. She got one of the benedicts (and shared a bite of her hash-white (not browned) potatoes), and I ordered their delicious sweet potato veggie mash-up. I don’t love eating breakfast out as much as others in my family, but I loved the dish enough to come home and marinate sliced onions to sprinkle over my next batch of roasted sweet potatoes.
6. Halcyon Hotel Roof Bar (Cherry Creek North) My cousin and her husband came over for a cold salmon/roasted veggies/pasta dinner on Saturday (I made everything including challah the day before) and then we walked over to Cherry Creek North. I would have liked to find someplace with live music, but Denver doesn’t have the kinds of choices we have in Chicago, so we opted for a rooftop bar. Halcyon has lovely views, the seats are comfortable, and the ambiance relaxed. As usual, we were the oldest people there. My cousin, a teacher, pointed out spelling mistakes in the menu, and the music was loud, the way it always is these days, but we looked pretty good for a bunch of alte-kakers.
Looking for more Denver restaurant recommendations — any ideas?
