The Breakfast King

Hitting the Breakfast King on Sante Fe after a late night show in Denver is an old tradition for those who like to play in the city after dark. Ordering a dinner at 2am can however leave you wondering how this place has stayed open for so long.

Walking in, the bright orange 1967 decor will give you the kind of jolt you get when ordering a Starbucks Double Shot. Also from 1967 is the menu of diner classics like chicken fried steak and burgers. Despite its name I was in the mood for dinner and per the waitress' suggestion ordered the fried chicken plate which comes with soup or salad and a side of greens.

Starting with one of the soups of the day, Navy Bean soup, I was soon settling in for a walk on the bland side. Not much to taste there in the small cup of primarily white bean soup. A couple of chunks of ham were the highlights of this otherwise silent dish.

The fried chicken plate arrived in a timely manner with three pieces of golden chicken, a side of green beans and hash browns. (I know, the hash browns just sounded good when she read the choices for a side.) The green beans were slight mushy and reminiscent of a canned adventure my mother use to serve. The hash browns were nothing spectacular and as good as it gets for a diner. Biting in to the chicken soon brought the meal to a frozen halt, literally. The chicken was still frozen in the center. Outside the chicken was almost hot but apparently the frozen chicken was not in the fryer long enough to get it up to temp.

When I flagged down the waitress and explained that green house gasses had started melting the polar ice caps but had not reached my chicken she quickly removed the plate and had a new order in for me without hesitation like a seasoned professional.

The replacement plate of a double deluxe cheese burger was at least cooked but not much of a tasty ride. Served with a side of thick fries I sampled the short cuts which looked like the remains from the bottom of the bag. Not a signature dish for the Breakfast King.

The Breakfast King is no royal meal but simple diner food with nothing to highlight.

Its too bad the food doesn't match up to its decor.  Next time I'll try the breakfast.

Brasserie Felix

Walking in to the Brasserie Felix, on the corner of 39th & Tennyson, I was pleasantly surprised by the décor. It doesn't scream Paris like some cheap wannabes, but subtly transforms you from NW Denver and in to a French bistro. Keeping it simple and letting the food do the talking sounds like a good strategy to me.

The waiter was a bit tardy for his first trip to the table but soon made up for it with his candor and good suggestions for wine. Sipping on a nice $12 glass of Pinot Noir, I took in the subtle nature of the place and nibbled on some classic french bread while deciding what to order.

When the waiter brought out the dishes the two top they seated us at was a bit crowded so he quickly stole an empty table next to us and made plenty of room for our dining. A good sign of a professional waiter who is smart and quick to make his customers' experience a good one.

Once on the table, the Les Moules a La Créme et Ricard (which are one pound of P.E.I. mussels with shallots, garlic, Ricard and cream) with frites looked great. The sauce on the mussels was quite nice, a broth of perfect consistency layered with flavors of garlic and Ricard. That experience came to a grinding halt however when the crunching sound in my head alerted me to the sand in my mussels and suddenly made them unappealing. For $15.95 they can afford to clean the mussels. The frites however were just right. Thin, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I could have eaten baskets of those all evening with another glass of Pinot. Maybe three.

The Le Steak Frites (a grilled flatiron steak with fries and lemon tossed baby greens) with the option of a red wine shallot reduction sounded like a French delight when I ordered it and was highly anticipated given my love for a good steak. Correctly cooked and bathing in the reduction sauce with mushrooms, the steak was average with a grainy mushy texture. A big disappointment for $19.95. Next to the poor cut of meat was a wilted side of baby greens. Obviously suffering sun burn from a heat lamp or something while waiting for its lousy partner on the plate. Except for the frites, the dish was a mediocre plate of failed ingredients.

All in all I would go back to Brasserie Felix and try some other menu options as the salads and some of the seafood entrees looked tempting.

My Brother’s Bar

If you live here long enough you eventually find yourself at one of the oldest bars in Denver, My Brother’s Bar , for lunch. Having a long history on 15th and Platte of burgers and beer it has become an institution of Denver's LoDo area despite its consistently poor service.

The first thing you will encounter when arriving here is the smell of fried food and the sounds of classical music. Inside, the ambience of the dark heavily wooded decor will either warm or depress you which I find the main reason people keep coming back. The burgers are decent but My Brother’s Bar has a nostalgic feel that will take you back in time when Denver was a cow town and LoDo was a bad area to be in. The bar is small but beautiful and filled with many good choices in beer. The patio out back is a great place for happy hour drinks or lunch on a summer day.

Sticking with the basics when ordering food will keep you smiling while enjoying the old posters and paraphernalia. The basics are burgers and they are why most come here to eat. They will satisfy your craving for a diner style greasy burger and can be ordered single or double but I find the single does the job just fine when ordered with a side. All burgers come with a tray of condiments where you can add to your hearts desire pickles, onions and peppers if you like.

The Johnny Burger is a good start topped with swiss, jalepeño, cheddar cheese and grilled onions. This cheesy mouthful is a surprisingly good burger to eat for lunch but may slow you down later at the office. A unique burger for a unique place.

The fries are basic but too thick and mushy for my taste. Other unique alternatives are The Ralphie Burger made from buffalo and the Ticky Turkey, a pleasant change from the burgers if you like turkey sandwiches.

Overall this is more greasy spoon than bar food and its old charm will keep you coming back for burgers or a beer at the bar.

Saigon Bowl Dong Khanh

If you have ever driven down Federal Blvd at Alameda you've seen the large arch at the entrance of the Far East Center  which looks like a strip mall of exotic stores filled with the excitement and promise of good authentic food. A visit to the Saigon Bowl Dong Khanh can soon pop that romantic bubble with the smell of bleach like cleaning products, the sounds of skinamax muzak and the bland taste of faded dreams inside the noodle bowls.

Now this restaurant has been in this spot for as long as I can remember and has helped me through countless hangovers during the long winter months of holiday parties but it does not quite take you back to Vietnam like the surrounding area would lead you to believe.

Ordering the Bun Tom Thit Cha Gio bowl (#56) you find a healthy bowl of rice noodles with shrimp, pork and egg rolls along with the traditional vegetables to which make this dish a classic.  What you don't get are exotic fresh flavors that you would expect from a classic like this. The noodle bowl lacked flavors and the taste primarily came from the meat and broth. Gone are the hints of mint, spices and vegetables that are visually there but don't show up on the palette. Another disappointment is when you list grilled shrimp as your first ingredient on the menu, I expect to find more than two shrimps in my bowl.

Overall you will find the bowls here somewhat pleasing but not a walk on the wild side.