The Denver Food Snob

T.G.I. Friday’s

2010-02-02T07:05:00.014-07:00

I know what your thinking, why the hell is the Denver Food Snob at TGI Friday's? Occasionally you find yourself in an office situation where a group of colleagues drag you to a horrible chain restaurant known not for its food but for the iconic appearances it makes in our movies. How much flair do you wear?

Yes, occasionally you find yourself in these situations not by choice but more of a strategy of keeping friends and participating in major society. Of course, as a known food snob in the office, someone in the group will ask "What if you were totally surprised and it was awesome?". Everyone knows you can't slap tomato sauce on cardboard and expect a pizza. The same applies in an industry known for using sub-par processed ingredients. The chances of a great tasting plate coming out of the TGIF kitchen are as likely as Jesus showing up on my toasted hamburger bun. Nil.

In a place that worships the trifecta of fat, sugar and salt you can expect only one thing, sensory overload at a level usually served by drug dealers and not a great tasting plate served by a teenager dressed in red and white stripes.

So what do you order in this situation? You order something simple and safe.

Safe, you ask?

Yes, safe.

In this situation I'm trying to survive eating the food not trying to survive the type of situation with the potential to turn a work lunch in to a social disaster which ends with branding one of your coworkers a life long nick name. After reading "Eating Animals " I'm actually afraid for my life because of the commonly found bacteria in the beef supply produced by the meat industry used in these chains. Have you seen where your meat comes from ?

After careful consideration I order the "New" Big Mex Burger.

"Is medium-well fine?" She asks me.

"Cook the shit out of it." I think to myself.

My fate now resides in the kitchen.

Thinking that a burger might have more flavor because of the added Mexican ingredients may have been a pipe dream on my part but it was the adjective "New" in front of the burger name that really intrigued me. Why not get the latest creation from the food geniuses of the Casual Dining Industry and be "wowed" as my colleague suggested?

When the plates arrived I took two solid bites before getting a taste of my burger. It had a vague resemblance of a Cinco de Mayo I spent in a TGIF in the Spring of 1989. You know the kind, lots of care free fun that ended with an epic hangover . There's was nothing memorable to taste in this burger except the carcinogenic flavors of their beef. The melted jack, black bean & corn pico de gallo, lettuce and spicy chipotle mayo that really brings the texture to a mash potato like crescendo. Occasionally you find the taste of a vegetable but mainly experience the burnt tasting beef in a mushy goodness greased by spicy chipotle mayo.

I was totally surprised all right. But not in a good way. In the process of cooking this masterpiece they somehow removed the flavor instead of enhancing it. Unless of course the flavor was never there to begin with but where do you find food like that?

I had to take out the gem of this dish, the pablano chili, and taste it on its own to see where its flavor had gone. I thought it was a real chili but had to confirm it with a clean taste. Yes, if you try real hard, you can taste a chili but not like one you would find off Federal Blvd during hatch season. This was more like a steamed green bell pepper.

The fries were mushy and devoid of taste sans the special seasoning they shake across them like a powdered doughnut.

When I asked a colleague at the table what he thought of his dish, he responded with

"Well its big, got lots of stuff and bacon. I like it." He said with a smile.

Notice how taste was third on the list of how he rates his dish. What is wrong with America when someone rates their dish on how full it makes them and not how it tastes?

As we walked out the door I heard many of them say "I'm so full." and yet I was feeling empty inside. My stomach was in pain but somehow I remember tasting nothing. This kind of eating is about substance not taste and just like the reality tv show, Jersey Shore , you get no redeeming value but you can't stop watching it.

Ernie's Bar & Pizza

2010-01-26T12:55:00.002-07:00

New to the Highland's area is Ernie's Bar & Pizza located just off Federal on 44th Avenue. You may remember the place as Three Sons italian restaurant a while back. If you have a great memory and have been around for longer than a while, you may remember it as the same name Ernies, which was originally established in 1943. The new Ernie's Bar & Pizza has no relation to the old owners from the 40's but they have brought a new style and food selection to the area and brought back just a bit of history.

Ernie's Bar & Pizza has changed the interior quite a bit from Three Sons decor and thankfully the food has changed dramatically as well. If you ever ate at Three Sons I have sympathy for you because it was one of the worse experiences in Denver I have ever had. Ernie's has changed that experience with a new modern look and a dark wood bar atmosphere that is filled with lots of high top seating and a little bit of standard table seating as well. The new bar fits well in to the neighborhood and has a gaming area with a pool table and even a pair of skee ball lanes. I know it seems like I'm playing this up as a bar, which it really is, but the food takes it to another level and I would put its pizza against other restaurants in Denver.

The menu is fairly small but filled with enough options and combination choices that you should be able to try different tastes for at least few visits. To start off with, the Antipasto selection has 38 items to choose from to create your own plate of cheeses, meats and giardiniera. You could try a few combos for an appetizer before a pizza and with so many to choose from you can't go wrong pleasing people. A menu like this is great for trying some exotic sounding items too like the Balsamic Cipollini Onions, which tasted great or the Taleggio cheese which was also fantastic.

The appetizer menu is filled with a lot of the standard Italian items you might be accustomed to seeing in an Italian restaurant. I tried the Calamari as I do in most Italian restaurants and wasn't too thrilled with it. It was a bit doughy and slightly undercooked but not a disaster. It comes served with a spicy tomato sauce and a garlic mayo. Both sauces tasted good and work well with calamari.

The pizza is the real gem here and come in two sizes, a 10" and 20". What's nice about the pizza is the thin crust that is cooked correctly and not soggy or chewy. A lot of places in town try to do the thin crust pizza but don't pull it off. The pizza has a crispy crust and you can top it with some of the 31 toppings available. I tried one of the pre-configured pizzas of prosciutto, oven roasted tomatoes and arugula. This was a fantastic combination and all the ingredients tasted great. The arugula did not look like it sat in a refrigerator for the last few days and the prosciutto crisped up nicely on the pizza.

I would go back again to try some different variations and with as many as there are to choose from I may be going back for a while. Be sure to read about the building's history on the wall by the bathroom. This is the kind of place that makes Denver the real deal.

Gastro Cart Denver

2010-01-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Long has been the tradition of small food vendors on the corners of the streets of downtown. Most of the time they are simple hot dog stands with little choice and no nutrition. Not so for the Gastro Cart who resides on the corner of 18th & Curtis bringing hand crafted street food.

Gastro Cart has traded nitrites for nutrition and brings variety to an otherwise predictable bland cart menu with a special that changes about every week. They serve a gyro, two types of tacos and a special. Make it a combo and you also get the B & B Quinoa with a drink.

The tacos are a nice change to the food cart scene and not expensive at $3 each. The Veg Taco comes on a corn tortilla with a sausage like roll filled with carmelized cabbage, whole grain rice, cream cheese, duxelle and topped with a smoked jalepeno aioli. The Veg flavor is subtle and could use a bit more flavor compared to the other selections but a great offering to the non meat eaters.

The Spicy Chicken Taco seemed a far better choice for the tacos. The chicken is crisped up on the griddle and served with kim chee, caraway and topped with their own version of a 1000 island dressing. The chicken adds a nice texture to the taco and the spiciness in not too hot but tastes great together with the kim chee. It was a bit heavy on the sauce but thats what comes out of the casual street environment of cooking on a cart.

Along side the tacos I also had the B & B Quinoa. The quinoa tasted fresh and delicious with diced home made pickles. Well worth the extra $2. Get the taco combo then make it a "combo-combo" to try one of each taco.

The special of the day was the real treat. crispy prosciutto, cheddar sauce, carmelized onions, oven roasted tomatoes on a thick slice of texas toast and topped with a fried egg. The taste had a nice balance between the saltiness and sweet of the ingredients bringing harmony to my taste buds. By far a huge leap for cart cuisine. It was a bit messy to eat but well worth it.

The Gastro Cart gives downtown Denver a great choice for the lunch scene and coming in under $10 for a tasty lunch they have beat about half of what is offered in town. You can find out what the daily special is from their Facebook page or from Twitter .

Corn Dogs

2010-01-12T07:00:00.003-07:00

I know this seems like a strange topic to talk about but I have to share my experience at a recent outing. I was at the National Western Stock Show spending the day amongst the fine animals of the show and came upon the carnival like section outside where the bulk of the food concessions are. Amongst the signs surrounded by flashing bulbs was corndogs. I'm not one to usually run to these kind of roach coach trailers at fairs but occasionally I make an exception.
The corndogs here was a great example of tasting an original concept that has mutated throughout the years and what you find in most places now resemble a weak tasteless version of the original. This was a foot long dog on a stick, dipped in corn batter and deep fried to its golden brown finish. The outer corn batter was delicious and flakey and reminiscent of good corn bread. Not much you can say for a hot dog besides it is what it is.
What really struck me is how different this was compared to what you might get anywhere else besides a fair like setting. We've seen the type you can microwave from the supermarket. You may have ordered one from a restaurant off the kids menu that was been baked in an oven or even deep fried from a frozen state of cryogenic suspension. But when was the last time you had a corn dog freshly dipped in batter and deep fried? Its been long enough for me to be completely surprised when I ate this one.
I guess the lesson here is even circus type fair food can be a good treat if its made correctly, even for a food snob.

GB Fish & Chips

2010-01-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Checking out the new GB Fish & Chips on Sheridan Avenue I was impressed by the great view of Sloans Lake and the CIty. It looks like a promising patio spot for afternoon drinks in the summer. The decor is nothing to write about and it is quite small inside making it hard to find somewhere to sit down if you have more than two people in your party. It seems more like a bar with its table top sitting areas, TVs and community style tables than somewhere to eat. The smell of the fryer soon reminded me of why I was here and I placed my order at the register and waited for my name to be called.

Buying a Boddingtons to go with my fish & chips was the obvious choice and a good beer to serve. Pouring it in a plastic cup however is a big negative and not how I like to drink my English beer.

Once they called my name I went to pick up my order of the full Cod meal of Fish & Chips with Crisps. When the man behind the counter handed me a bag of crisps to go with my cod I thought I heard a needle scratch on a record. Why would you serve a bag of chips when you have fryers back there cooking everything else on the menu including the fires? Especially for the same price as the fries? "No thanks, I'll take the Chips." I told him. What good is going somewhere to eat when the food is already wrapped in a bag and probably old?

Once I got in to my cod I found them nothing to rave about. They were average and sometimes chewy. There's nothing worse than chewing on fish. I tried them with the tartar sauce and it did not help matters, especially the chewy part. Splashing some malt vinegar on them at least let me temporarily imagine I was back in England for a moment.

The Chips (fries) were a big disappointment also. When I say big, I mean they were huge wedges that were mushy and not very appealing unless you were two years old. A taste of the Coleslaw gave me a gib surprise. By far the best thing I've tried so far and actually tastes good. It was not too creamy and had a fresh taste to it. Unfortunately you can't eat an entire meal of coleslaw and beer unless you live in the south.

I would say the food was a big disappointment and the only reason you would find me back there would be to have a beer and sit on the patio. Perhaps the South Broadway location serves better food but this one has a long way to go.

Gomez Burritos

2009-12-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

So I've heard about Gomez Burritos for some time now and all I've heard is "It's the best breakfast burrito in town". Well I finally had the chance to eat one and I will say for 99¢ you get what you pay for. Not only was it hard getting past the bad tasting tortilla, the inside was a mush of cheese flavored something stuffed with more something. This is no memorable burrito yet something to even talk about. The burrito could use quite a kick to really be worth going out of my way for and once again the hype in Colorado about mexican food is a big let down. For god sakes, if you want something worth remembering go to Chubby's and get a chorizo egg special burrito. That'll create a memory you won't forget.

Meade St. Station

2009-12-08T12:27:00.002-07:00

Its not too often you get surprised by pub food so when I went to the Highland's long standing bar, Meade St. Station , I had low expectations but found good food. Yes, a pub with good food is possible.

The decor inside Meade St. Station is nothing to write home about. Its cramped and covered with art that is sophomoric at best. Usually when busy it gets really loud and they have recently added tables in to areas that make it even tighter than it was before. As the name implies, it does feel like your in a subway station with people moving around you all the time. Not a cozy environment or intimate for a date night. But then again, this is a bar.

If you can stand the loud traffic around you, you may be able to eat some tasty treats like the Three-Chile Mole. Served with chicken or pork carnitas, this dish comes covered in a dark mole sauce with rice, guacamole, tortillas, salsa and sour cream. Now I'm not well versed in mole sauce or can attest to its authentic nature but this chicken mole dish tasted great and had lots of flavor. It had a little heat and sweetness and when accompanied by the sides made for a nice tasting dish.

A couple of the items were not up to par with the mole such as the warmed tortillas that would have tasted better had they been cooke over a flame. The rice was a bit soggy as well and didn't really bring its A game.

The plate is pretty heavy and will satisfy the hungry but sometimes too much of a good thing is just too much.

The Dublin Fish & Chips were another good dish to be had. Served with large Icelandic cod in a Guinness malt batter, cole slaw and homemade tartar sauce and I chose the sweet potato fries for a side. The fish was cooked well, flaky and not dried out. A real treat for the fish& chips lover. The sweet potato fries were also great and can stand on their own with any dish.

Meade St, Station will surprise you with the food and has a vast selection on the menu. As a bonus, you can also get good beers and wine and listen to live music three to four nights a week. I do however wish they were open Sundays.

Mexico City Lounge

2009-12-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a favorite taco joint or a place they like to visit on a sunny Friday afternoon for lunch and Mexico City is one of those places for me. Located in a hard to miss red facade on Larimer street, Mexico City Lounge has been in Denver for over forty years and is still family owned.

Now don't get me wrong, this place isn't the kind of spot where everything is just awesome. In fact, everything on the menu isn't. If I were to direct you to visit them I would specifically tell you to order the Steak Tacos and nothing else. The other menu items I've tried are a far cry from what the Steak Tacos brings to the plate. The green chili, meh. The burritos, ick. Stay away from all the others and go with the golden fried tacos.

The Steak Tacos come with steak strips, lettuce, tomato, cheese and a slice of avocado. The avocado is the finishing touch and are missing on the other tacos. They are then deep fired, and judging by the taste, in fat that has been cooking many tacos that day. All this adds up to a golden, juicy tasty taco. Yes, juicy was a euphemism for a lot of grease. So much grease that some utilize a method called the "waterfall method" when eating and will open up one taco and eat another over it to catch all the greasy goodness.

Yes I know it sounds kind of gross but if you are walking in the door for the greasy relief of a hangover these tacos will give you the juice to get you through the day. If they are too much for your liking you can employ the "diaper method" when eating them and lay it in a napkin to soak up the extra juice.

Have some chips and salsa while waiting as they are a good warm up to the tacos. Be sure to also ask for extra napkins as you will need them.

Any place that has been here for so long must have something working for it and the steak tacos should keep Mexico City Lounge around for another forty years.

Tom's Home Cookin'

2009-11-24T11:27:00.002-07:00

When in the mood for some good old fashion comfort food Tom's Home Cookin' is the place to fill your tummy with traditional southern inspired food. When I say fill, I do mean you will walk out of there with your stomach stretching. This is not the place for a light lunch with a client. This is the place where you sit down like your back home on Thanksgiving and eat until you can't eat any more. Languishing in a happy food coma for the rest of the afternoon.

Once inside after waiting in line, which can be tough on a 15° day, you get your first glimpse of the food to be had laying in steam pans waiting to be spooned in to your styrofoam container. I know, its high class with the styrofoam containers and all but they're trying to keep it simple and get you through the line as fast as possible. It doesn't make me happy that a ton of these polystyrene containers are going through the door here and can't be recycled but apparently there are no easy solutions for them at this point.

Usually there are about 7 main entrees to choose from and all come with a choice of two sides and plain or jalepeno cornbread. They offer dessert too but getting through all your food will take all the stomach you have. Greeted by a jovial "Whata ya have?" you'll have your choices spooned up and in your hand in seconds. Coming in at just under $10 its the best dollar per pound meal in town.

Since you can get any combination of main and sides I will give you the skinny on some of the items below. The main choices are often the same daily with a few seasonal changes.

From the main selections:

The Fried Chicken is a good place to start since its so hard to find good fried chicken in Denver. Tom's does it right giving you a selection of two pieces deep fried in breaded golden deliciousness. The chicken is never dried out but can sometimes be a little crusty on the coating.

The BBQ Pork Spare Ribs are a short set of four ribs slow cooked and tender. They slide off the bone easy and are smothered in semi-sweet BBQ sauce but the upper part of the rib section was too chewey for me and I wish I had more of the rib meat.

The Fried Catfish is a good alternative to the usual items found around Denver. How can you go wrong deep frying anything? The catfish is usually good except for a couple of times when it dries out sitting in the steam pan for too long.

Now for the sides:

The Mash Potatos & Gravy seem like an obvious choice when you look for comfort food. The potatos are a good consistency, not too starchy and the brown gravy is a nice compliment to them reminding me of some good ol' truck stop diners in the midwest.

The Mac & Cheese is creamy pile of macaroni hitting the spot on a cold winter's day. Good and cheesy it will probably stop your heart in its tracks.

The Peach Cobbler is a nice treat for a side. You get a crunchy sweet crust with warm peaches underneath bathing in a thick syrup. A fine way to end your lunch.

The cornbread is all right and is often a littel too dry for me. It lacks some of the sweetness that most of us love in our cornbread. The jalepeno version gives it a little more taste but is still not the reason why you come here.

Tom's Home Cookin' serves up a heavy feast for lunch and you can satisfy your comfort food craving with plenty of choices no matter what you crave. if you like a sweet at the end of your meal skip the regular dessert and get the peach cobbler for one of the sides. There's is so much food on your plate it makes a nice dessert at the end and it will keep your stomach from exploding.

They're open for lunch only, so you best get there early if you want to make sure your favorite dish doesn't run out.

The Hornet

2009-11-17T07:00:00.014-07:00

Always a scene, Broadway has long been a great place for night life, shopping and dining and The Hornet , with its big windows, is a always great place to sit and watch the colorful locals while enjoying a cocktail. Because of its convenient location next to the Myan theater it also seems like the perfect place for a bite before a movie.

Despite being surrounded by the hipsters of the Baker District , I was shocked to hear the lady at the table next to me, dressed in lime colored sweats and hat, order an extra side of Ranch Dressing for her fries. Ranch dressing? Really people? Its not the wonder condiment to be used on everything from fries to pizza. It’s a dressing. Use it on a salad if you have to but don't throw it all over your food like the end of a porn movie. Disgusting.

After settling my stomach with a Great Divide Titan IPA I asked the waitress what the best dishes were. Very helpful, she showed me some of the more popular plates and also demonstrated a good knowledge of the wine selection.

When the Shells and Cheddar with lobster, bacon and cream plate arrived I found the pasta cooked well but the cheese covered shells first hid any sign of the tasty proteins I was waiting for. Digging further, I finally pulled up some lobster like a long awaited pod on the Deadliest Catch and just as disappointing as the show, the lobster brought nothing to the dish and was lost in the cheesy sea. When the lobster did show up it was often because of its fishy taste which revealed its sub-par quality. This is a worthwhile plate at higher end restaurants but not for the Hornet. Using a low grade lobster brings it down and you ask “Why bother?”.

The Zorba plate, ordered for its exotic sounding name and Colorado lamb, was a promising looking plate and I'm always looking for food made with local ingredients. Served in a pita with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, feta chees and cumin yogurt, it looked like an appetizing plate. The lamb was coked well but lacked the memorable flavors of a mediterranean dish. Besides the much needed spices the rest of the ingredients were lack luster and offered little help to the pita.

Served on the side were the sweet potato fries. Finally something I could get my mouth around. The fries were cooked just right and tasted great. Although they got cold fast I enjoyed them and would recommend you try it as your chosen side. I would bypass the chipotle ketchup that is served with it as it overpowers the fries and leaves them screaming for attention under the smoky flavor.

The Hornet is a great place to meet friends for drinks but don't expect much from the kitchen. I do appreciate those who strive for originality but I give thanks to those who know where to draw the line at what they can do well.

Zaidy’s Deli

2009-11-10T07:00:00.003-07:00

If you were to ask anyone in Denver for a Jewish Kosher-style deli they all would point you to Zaidy’s Deli on the corner of 1st & Adams in Cherry Creek. Having been here for 17 years they have become an institution of Denver and the place to go when sick and in need of some home made Matzo Ball soup.

In need of culinary medication, the Chicken Matzo Ball soup sounded like the perfect food cure for a head cold. Indeed any soup will give you the warmth you need when feeling down but the Matzo ball soup takes it to another level of comfort like watching a movie while wrapped up in a Snuggie on a cold day. The Matzo ball tasted good and had the right consistency but the broth needed just a bit of work. Finding the balance between salty and seasoned is always a battle for soup and they seemed to stay on the safe side. Staying away for the salty side is better in my opinion anyways but they could have taken this a bit further on the seasoning.

Missing from my take out order was the choice of bread usually served with this soup. Don't you hate when they miss something on a take out order?

One of the other well known dishes at Zaidy’s is the Latke Reuben sandwich. If your idea of a good reuben is a pile of meat then your in the right place. Served between two potato latkes lies a stack of sliced meat (either corned beef or pastrami or both), sauerkraut, swiss cheese and a side of russian dressing to wash it all down. The ability to restrain use of cheese is nice as most delis equate cheese to good and therefore pile it on. The sauerkraut is there more filler than taste and didn’t really seem to stand up to the meatfest on the sandwich. The meatfest however stood on its own like a hero and tasted great. Certainly a great sandwich and a must try.

Ordered as an extra, I also had a potato Kinish because who doesn't love a good Kinish. Unfortunately, the hockey puck I tried to bite in to was a big disappointment and must have been sitting there all day. People, if it's not good, don't serve it. Better to be disappointed by running out of a dish than to lose a tooth eating one.

If your looking for the warm feeling of comfort food, Zaidie's delivers comfort like Mom used to. There's also a second deli in LoDo which makes a good lunch spot for the downtown crowd.

The Butcher Block Cafe

2009-11-03T07:00:00.020-07:00

Walking in to The Butcher Block Cafe on 38th & Brighton would be the last thing on your mind when passing by. Everything abut its low-key truck stop demeanor tells you to go somewhere else. Well, being the adventurous type I am, I occasionally will walk in to about anyplace in hopes of finding a hidden dining treasure. The only treasures here are the ones for sale along the walls of the place. Yep, at the Butcher Block Cafe you can get yourself a burger and shop the garage sale scattered about on different shelves. Truly an experience.

The signature Block Buster Burger comes with a large 1/2 pound burger sitting on a 6 inch bun toped with lettuce, tomato and onion. Along side comes a healthy portion of fries. For $6.50 you are getting a meal but don't expect a colorful experience like you get on the walls of garage sale items. The burger is average to good but a bit too much bun for the meat to handle. You should go for the double 1/4 pounder instead so you can get a smaller bun. The slightly under cooked fries are thin cut and pale. A bit too mushy for my taste.

The special of the day was meatloaf in brown gravy served with the soup of the day. The Bean soup was good for a diner but resembled a bowl of refried beans. The meatloaf was about what you get in a Swanson dinner, average and meant to fill your belly.

Supposedly known for their great cinnamon rolls, it had to be experienced. Served warm with a heart-stopping amount of melted butter it was an impressive looking roll. A bite in to it reveals the texture of cake and the taste of banana bread. Not the most memorable experience but not a terrible treat.

If you happen to be passing by and in the mood for a burger and a yard sale, stop in and take a look at the sale selection. If you are looking for a hidden treasure of a great burger, drive elsewhere.

The Breakfast King

2009-10-27T07:00:00.001-06:00

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

2009-10-20T06:21:00.002-06:00

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

2009-10-13T07:00:00.005-06:00

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

2009-10-06T09:00:00.004-06:00

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.

Tacos Jalisco

2009-09-30T10:34:00.003-06:00

Tacos Jalisco is one of those discreet looking strip mall joints on 38th Avenue filled with 1980's faux mexican decor. Not impressive looking but for those brave enough to walk in, some of the best mexican food in all of Denver.

Not everything in here is the best but there are a few dishes I would put against any in Denver including the green chili. That's right, I said the best green chili in Denver. A merit given away by the local periodicals like a free tasting in Starbucks but taken seriously at Tacos Jalisco.

Tacos Jalisco serves up the standard chips and salsa but takes it a step further with a selection of five salsas to warm up the taste buds. All are great and each offer a different adventure to explore with your basket of chips. Be sure to get the guacamole salsa which goes great with the chicken tacos.

The chili relleno plate smothered in the infamous green chili and served with a side of rice and beans is the best cure for a hangover ever. The rice is a weak link in this dish however and lacks any discernible flavoring expected of mexican food but the rest is sure to bring a smile to your face as well as some heat.

The chicken soft tacos is a favorite made with slow roasted chicken and served on soft corn tortillas topped with pico de gallo. It may seem simple but the flavor is not.

The carnitas plate is also a winner with slow roasted pork shoulder cooked with onions and spices. Served with rice and beans you also get a cup of green chili to satisfy that spicy urge.

The chicken smothered burrito is one not to miss if burritos are your thing. Big and spiced up by the green chili, its a standard for the hungry.

Tacos Jalisco makes up in taste what it lacks in style and after getting their liquor license a few years ago they have sealed the deal for an evening of good food and beverage.

Larimer Hot House

2009-09-25T14:07:00.001-06:00

New to 2810 Larimer Street is the Larimer Hot House . Filling a need in the NLair neighborhood they bring in sandwiches for the lunch crowd and a promise to soon have soups and BBQ. For now, the sandwiches will not bring anything to the name, Hot House. The sandwiches are a standard fare of meat sandwiches with one vegetarian selection.

Each sandwich has a cute catchy name that makes you want to place your order loudly for others to hear. Most people seem to start with the Bitchen Camaro, because who didn't want one of those back in the 60s, which is their version of an Italian Grinder. Served with house made potato chips available in different flavors and a side of giardiniera you get a healthy sized portion for lunch. Unfortunately this sandwich has a more impressive name than flavor. Nothing real noteworthy for taste there but the giardiniera helps you get through it. Bread choice seems odd for this classic being a soft type hoagie that gives in to the harder ingredients inside when eaten.

The house made potato chips are a hit and miss both in flavor and cooking. Have eaten both soft pieces and a few rare ones in my excursions, this part of the meal needs attention.

Putting on your best Tony Montona voice and ordering the Scarface (Cuban) sandwich will get you a better selection than the Bitchen Camaro. This is made with a house made pork shoulder and tastes like it was given some love in the kitchen. Different than a traditional cuban sandwich they generously apply a hot dijon mustard which I find over powers the sandwich. Its about the pork not the mustard.

Currently they run a $10 deal which includes a drink and sweet treat with your sandwich. A nice offering for those looking for value in a lunch. The usual selection of sodas are available too but try the Agua Fesca made daily with real fruit and agave juice which is a great substitute to sugar. Kudos for this great choice. They do bring in the sugar however with the sweet treat, usually a rice krsipy treat square but often changes to other cereal flavors.

They are also open for breakfast with a good breakfast burrito served and brunch on Sundays.

Overall the lunch experience is good with friendly service and a patio for the warm days. The sandwiches are hit and miss with most not having a memorable experience.

Patrick Carroll’s

2009-09-21T19:09:00.007-06:00

I'm not one to usually give any kind of rant on a pub but what I encountered at Patrick Carroll’s on Tennyson really got me thinking.

While watching some football I ordered the Pub Burger to go with the many beers I was drinking. Just your basic straight burger. No bacon, no blue cheese crumbles, just a nice thick piece of meat on a bun for my football watching pleasure.

When the nice waitress brought my burger to the table I noticed what seemed to be the obligitory set of vegtables for your burger, lettuce, tomato and onion. What was really next to my burger was a frilly lettuce leaf, a few strands of onion and a thick pink slice of something they call a tomato.

Now, the burger tasted fine and I might even go so far as to say tasting good but the pink thing on my plate was really disgusting. I couldn't take my eyes off it and I wondered who in their right mind would serve a pink tasteless tomato in the peak of tomato season? I've been enjoying fantastic sweet tomatoes from the garden for the last month and when I saw this round pink eye staring at me on my plate I couldn't comprehend putting that in my mouth.

So, per the usual, I waved the waitress over and told her that who ever orders the food here should be ashamed of serving this in the middle of tomato season. She told me she was from the midwest and understands how depressing the slice looks. She then shrugged and said “Well it's a restaurant.”

I thought to myself, “Hmmm, I seem to know a lot of restaurants in the neighborhood that use fresh ingredients and many that buy local from the farmers here in Colorado.”

I just don’t get it. When did eating at a restaurant or a pub make it all right and even acceptable to be served sub-par food and expect us to pay for it? Going out to eat is expensive and I expect good food when I pay for it. Otherwise why would I pay for it?

I can only assume they use some type of SYSCO food service that brings in ”vegetables” from anywhere in the world at the cheapest price just to fill a space on my plate. Yuck.

People, lets not forget were ordering food when we go out to eat and not a commodity.

LoHi Steakbar

2009-09-06T14:34:00.051-06:00

After Northstar split from the corner of 32nd & Tejon many were disappointed in losing a nieghborhood hangout. Well, new comer LoHi Steakbar has taken the space and beef is what's for dinner.

Despite its upscale appearance they remain low key like the neighborhood and serve up lots of red meat at reasonable prices. My $19 cut of Filet Mignon was cooked to perfection and tasted like a great steak should. The Blue Smoke burger was not as exciting as some would say but makes a confident burger. If your date is looking to impress you by eating light she may be disappointed as there are only two salads on the menu. She will however be happy to nibble off your plate since almost every dish gets a heaping pile of crispy frites and are cooked just right.

When the need for meat arises, LoHi delivers.

Highland Tavern

2009-08-31T13:51:00.036-06:00

After visiting the Highland Tavern for a while for late night drinks and ping pong matches they informed me they would now be serving food. So I went back to give it a try. I know what your thinking, quit picking on the little guys. Well, to stay true to form I'll give it to you straight.

I sampled a few snack plates to gauge what they had to offer. The Beef Shank Perogie was good and reminiscent of my friend's grandma's perogies she used to make. The cheese tots seemed to be breaded in Penko. Interesting. The Little Fatties are their own version of the popular slider burger but are nothing like the typical frozen version served at most pubs. These guys are the real deal and taste great.

Overall the food is not bad for a tavern and I would eat there again while spinning ping pong balls and beers.

Mary Jane’s Pizza

2009-08-27T12:04:00.003-06:00

Mary Jane’s Pizza located on 32nd & Tejon seems like a good idea when you read the hours its open, 11pm - 4:20. That is until you have a slice of pizza. You will be better off going to the grocery store and buying a frozen pizza yourself. That's what they make their pizzas from, frozen ingredients, and it tastes like it. Even under the influence of the implied name of the joint it would still not taste acceptable.

Hutch and Spoon

2009-08-08T12:51:00.031-06:00

Trying a new spot for lunch on Larimer Street, Hutch and Spoon, on the second day it opened may have been a mistake. Perhaps they did not have it all together but needless to say here's how it went.
I waited a good amount of time for some sandwiches and once opened and eaten I was thoroughly disappointed. The grilled cheese sandwich was a mere half inch thick after being pressed for melting. The curry chicken salad sandwich was in the words of a fellow co-worker "My 8 year old daughter could do better than this. Its bland.".

The sandwiches were small and expensive and there are far better options in the neighborhood.
Maybe another visit once established will be in order but my first experience is not going to make me want to go back in a hurry.