Tag: Denver

We had just landed in Denver, Colorado. The flight was a few hours and with the time difference it was the start of breakfast time out West. We wanted to find a good place to go for breakfast outside of the city. When I checked out the area I came across Urban Egg. In glancing over the menu I knew this place would hit the spot.

The restaurant already had a small line when we walked through the door. Good news is we did not have to wait too long for a table. The restaurant had some great wall décor that caught my attention. Even the artwork in the bathroom was funny.

Our waiter was wonderful; so cheerful and friendly, he made excellent suggestions about the menu. I would call the menu classic diner breakfast with a modern twist.

Two of us ordered the Corned Beef Hash. We just had our eggs prepared differently. But in reality the eggs were secondary to the dish. The corned beef was the star. They slow roasted the corned beef themselves. Then they shredded it and sautéed it with peppers and hash brown potatoes. The beef was exceedingly tender and the peppers added a sweetness that balanced out the saltiness of the beef.

The shining co-star to this dish was the jalapeno bacon chutney. It was almost like a jam on top. It was sweet, salty, and spicy. The spice hit you at the end. When this combined with the corned beef it created a medley in my mouth that was crave worthy. It is almost hard to describe how all the flavors worked together.

Instead of getting the toast that the menu called for, our waiter insisted we get a biscuit, since they make them from scratch everyday. The biscuit was light and fluffy. The top was golden brown and slightly salty from the butter they brushed on top.

The other dish that was ordered was their award winning Biscuits and Gravy. They took one of their buttermilk biscuits and cut it open. Then they smothered it with a creamy, homemade sage sausage gravy. The gravy was tremendously savory. The sage flavor made the gravy amazing. They gave a generous amount so some of it was able to be put on the scrambled eggs.

This dish also came with hash browns. These were not just ordinary hash browns, they were loaded. The crispy shredded potatoes were loaded with cheese, bacon, sour cream, and scallions. It was just like a loaded baked potato, just in breakfast form. These were filing enough to be a meal.

We wanted a satisfying breakfast and that is exactly what we got at Urban Egg. The way the lines were growing out the door, this was definitely the spot to be for breakfast. Next time you are in Denver check them out. They have two locations, so visit their website at www.urbaneggeatery.com

Enjoy!

T

It’s National Beer Lover’s Day. Whether you like IPA’s, Lagers, or even Sour Beers, today is a reason to celebrate.

I decided to make Henry’s Tavern in Denver, Colorado my celebration spot. They are a large sports bar with plenty of seats for everyone.

For my beer, I wanted to make sure I got something local. I ordered the New Belgium Brewing Dominga Mimosa Sour. It is brewed in Ft. Collins, Colorado. It had a great citrus taste to it and a nice tangy bite at the end. I love sour beers; they are so unique.

To help wash down the beer I ordered the Country Fried Calamari. The crispy fried calamari were served with a chipotle cocktail sauce and a grilled jalapeno bacon tartar sauce. Both sauces were amazing. The cocktail sauce had a great heat. It was my favorite.

I also ordered the Wild Arugula Pizza. The crispy crust was loaded with roasted tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pesto, shaved parmesan, prosciutto, and arugula. There were so many flavors on this pizza. There was a nice salty taste because of the cheese and prosciutto. This was complemented by the peppery taste from the arugula.

This was a great place to grab a bite to eat and grab a beer. Sit at the bar and you will get even better service.

Check them out at www.henrystavern.com

Enjoy!

T

I was in Denver, and it was a beautiful summer day. After going to the aquarium, I was ready for an afternoon treat. Since it was hot outside, I thought ice cream was exactly what I needed. I found Inside Scoop Creamery and thought this would be the perfect spot to celebrate National Ice Cream Day.

When I walked through the doors, I could smell the homemade waffle cones being made. It smelt delicious. They make 20 different flavor of ice cream daily. It was hard to make a decision but luckily, they offer sample tastings of everything to help.

Since there were three of us visiting, we decided to get three different flavors, this way we could all have a little of each.

My choice was the Cookie & Cream. This creamy ice cream was loaded with crushed Oreo cookies. There were even a few big pieces. It gave an awesome flavor of cookie. It was as if the ice cream acted as the cream filling to the cookie.

Another flavor ordered was the Java Chocolate Chip. If you like coffee, then this is an ice cream for you. The ice cream itself is where all the coffee flavor came from. The crunch was all from the chocolate chips. The chips added the texture to the ice cream not much extra taste.

The Ghirardelli Chocolate was the perfect ice cream for chocolate lovers. It had a rich, chocolate flavor. It was smooth and creamy. I could see this ice cream in a milk shake for the ultimate treat.

I was so glad we were able to check out Inside Scoop Creamery. The girl working behind the counter was extremely friendly and really made us feel welcomed.

If you are in Denver and you need a sweet treat then check them out. Visit their website at www.insidescoopdenver.com

Enjoy!

T

Not far from the Colorado Rockies baseball stadium in Denver is a restaurant called The Original.

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When I walked in, I was surprised by the style of restaurant. It was an updated take on an old school diner. There were old nick-nacks everywhere. They had a malt-shop like bar that you could sit at. It was totally retro.

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Their menu also fit that classic diner theme. I started off with a cup of Matzo Ball Soup. This chicken broth had caramelized onions and seasoning throughout. There was one giant matzo ball that was light and fluffy. The broth needed a little more salt because it was slightly bland. Once I added salt and pepper to my liking, the soup got better. I enjoyed the texture of the matzo ball as it soaked up the broth.

For my dinner I ordered a sandwich. This was no ordinary sandwich, this was The GOAT. It was a combination grilled cheese ad BLT (GCBLT). They used thick slices of Texas Toast to make the grilled cheese; then they loaded it up with crispy bacon, juicy slices of tomato, and crispy lettuce.

The sandwich was much bigger than I expected. The bread had a great crunch from the grill. The cheese was gooey and wrapped around the bacon. There was almost too much bread based on the other ingredients. There was a comforting feeling with eating this sandwich.

They also served a side of shoe-string French fries. They were crispy and tasted so good dipped in ketchup. Something so simple was so satisfying.

Sticking with the diner theme, for dessert I ordered a milkshake. But this was no ordinary milk shake. They offered several “adult’ milkshakes. I ordered the Knight Rider. This blended Kahlua, crème de cacao, chocolate ice cream, and Oreo cookie crumbs. Tis milkshake was delicious. It was easy to drink through a straw even with the cookie crumbles. The Kahlua was not overwhelming. The chocolate flavor shined through. It was the perfect ending to my dinner.

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The Original was a fun find in Denver. Luckily when I visited the baseball team had an away game. If they were in town, I am sure it would have been difficult to get a table without a reservation.

Check out their menu at www.theogdenver.com

Enjoy!

T

There is a great area in downtown Denver called Larimer Square that is filled with shops and restaurants. At the corner of the block, I came across a Mexican restaurant called Tamayo. I thought I would check them out for dinner.

As soon as I walked through the door, I noticed their beautiful bar. It was so colorful. It really was a showstopper, not to mention all the choices of liquor they offered.

The waitress brought over some fresh tortilla chips and a homemade salsa. The salsa had a slight roasted flavor to it. There was no heat, it was pretty mild. It was a nice little snack.

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I did not feel like anything too big for dinner. I saw tortilla soup on the menu and decided to order that. It was a creamy broth that was loaded with pulled chicken. There were a few vegetables throughout, including nice pieces of avocado. On top they put a scoop of crema fresca panela cheese. It was very creamy and added even more creaminess to the soup. The flavor was mild and did not overpower the soup. The tortilla stripes they included added a little crunch.

I did get two small sides to go along with my soup. The Mexican rice was very traditional. I was simple but had nice seasoning.

The black beans were seasoned and the sauce they came in was also loaded with flavor. I added some rice to the beans and sauce. The sauce soaked up nicely in the rice. The two flavors paired perfectly.

It was a great, quick dinner at Tamayo. There was a nice authentic taste to the food. The atmosphere was really great for groups of people. And they have a nice happy hour. Check them out at www.EatTamayo.com

Enjoy!

T

I was traveling through Denver recently and was trying to figure out where to get some lunch. I came across Kyoto Ramen. They looked pretty busy. I had not had fresh ramen in a long while, so I decided to check them out.

They had a couple of ramens to choose from; I went after the chicken, with an extra side of ramen noodles. It might just be me, but I like extra noodles in my broth.

They used grilled chicken. It was laid put beautifully in the bowl along with bamboo shoots, kikurage mushrooms, green onions, bean sprouts, seaweed, corn, and a hard-boiled egg.

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I could not decide how I should start eating. Do I eat each section separately or mix it all up? I ate a few pieces of chicken to start with; it was seasoned perfectly with a sweet and salty taste. After that I mixed up all the ingredients. The bamboo shoots and bean sprouts added a little crunch. The seaweed added additional saltiness. The mushrooms did not have a lot of flavor, but they did add some extra texture.

The corn was a nice touch. It added a sweetness to the salty broth. I added the extra noodles to the broth a little at a time. They soaked up some of the flavor from the broth. It was filling. I saved the cut up hard boiled egg till the end. I cut it up into smaller pieces and ate it along with the noodles.

The bowl of ramen ended up being a huge lunch for me. It is hard to believe that all those ingredients put together could make me so full. I definitely left Kyoto Ramen satisfied. They did have a few other items on the menu besides ramen. I would want to try a Poke bowl the next time I am in Denver.

Check out their website at www.KyotoRamendenver.com

Enjoy!

T

While in Denver I got to have dinner in a building that was built in 1883. The building that started off as a home has been everything from a flea market to a brothel. It is currently the home to the restaurant called Euclid Hall.

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It has a rustic feel inside with reclaimed wood, exposed brick walls, and industrial metal accents.

To start my evening off I ordered one of their fancy cocktails. The Kansas City Kreamsickle sounded prefect. They blended together vodka, aperol honey, lime, cucumber, and basil. I guess because of the name I expected this drink to be sweet. It was not, even with the touch of honey. I could taste the freshness of the cucumber and basil.

We started off with some unique appetizers. The first dish was the Krakenpopper. By the name alone I had no clue what this dish was. Based on the description it was octopus that was braised in Kraken brand rum and wrapped in jalapeno. Hence the name Kraken, for the rum and popper, for the jalapeno. 

They took this jalapeno wrapped octopus and dipped it into a sweet potato tempura batter. It was lightly fried until it was crispy. They served a bacon aioli on the side for dipping.

The octopus was extremely tender. The jalapeno did not add any heat at all. The sweetness of the sweet potato batter was actually what I tasted. The bacon aioli added a slight saltiness, but I preferred the octopus without it.

Another starter was the Dark Wing Duck. These were crispy duck wings that were tossed in a black olive and Calabrian chile sauce. The sauce had great flavor. However, the duck was too gamy for me.

The last unique starter was the Bruleed Center Cut Beef Marrow Bone. I have never had bone marrow before. I was not sure what to expect. I had to take a spoon and scoop out the marrow. It had the texture of jelly. I then placed it on a small slice of toast. It spread like butter. When I took a bite, it was super sweet and almost buttery in taste. It was very delicate and delicious.

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While I digested the appetizers and waited for our main dishes to come out, it was time for another cocktail. This time I got the Salty Oboe. This concoction was whiskey, orange bitters, lemon ginger shrub, and topped with a fresh lemon. The orange toned down the sharpness of the whiskey. It was a very comfortable drink that was best when sipped.

At last my dinner arrived. I ordered the Duck Poutine. I could not wait to try their version of poutine. They used fresh cut French fries and topped them with duck confit, cheddar cheese curds, and a black pepper duck gravy. The duck was perfect. It had a wonderful savory flavor and was not gamy or oily. The cheese and gravy added a salty taste. I was not able to finish the whole thing because it was a little too salty to me.

This was a unique dining experience. I was able to try a few new things. I like being adventurous when I am eating. You never know what you might like unless you try. If you are in Denver and want to try something different, check out Euclid Hall.

Visit their website at www.euclidhall.com

Enjoy!

T

Denver is a wonderful city. There is so much to do and a lot of it can be done by walking. However, all that walking around can make you extremely hungry. That is exactly what happened to me. So, walking around in the main shopping area downtown I came across Henry’s Tavern. They were busy, so I thought I would check them out.

Since I worked up a big appetite, I ordered a bunch of dishes for the table. The good thing was all the dishes were able to be shared.

To start with was the spinach and artichoke dip. This dip was slightly spicy. The creaminess of the dip helped balance out the heat.

We also got a couple of chicken wings. We went for the traditional Buffalo sauce. This sauce was extra spicy which I was not expecting. This was not the traditional flavor of a Buffalo sauce. The wings were covered in the sauce which allowed for every bite to have some kick.

The bourbon glazed Brussel sprouts were a must try. They had great crispy edges. They were cooked along with walnuts and bacon. The walnuts added crunch and texture. The bacon added smoky flavor to the sprouts, because of the fat it was cooked in. Plus, it added a little saltiness that paired perfectly with the sweetness from the bourbon glaze.

The final item for the table was the spicy pepperoni pizza. It was a thick, doughy crust pizza. It was loaded with creamy cheese and slices of pepperoni. Based on the description I was expecting a spicy pizza. This was not spicy at all. It was just a good pepperoni pizza.

After working up an appetite, Henry’s Tavern was able to satisfy my hunger. They were great for a quick pop-in.

Check them out at www.henrystavern.com

Enjoy!

T