King of Tartes

"This is an artisan shop," Collier says, his Boston accent growing thicker. "We make and bake everything here except the bread. And I know there's enough people out there for me. I know there's enough foodies who want good product at a fair price. Some people, they want to pay a lot of money for good food, so people come in and they say, 'You should really charge more for this!' I tell 'em, okay, I'll charge you double. But that's not the point. Everything we do here is about the food."

That shows in the kitchen, if not in the dining room, where most tables I see during my late-lunch are set with four coffees, four spoons, four saucers and one pastry being nibbled at by four dieting secretaries. But Collier is upbeat. He's doing enough business to hang tight for now, and he truly believes that if people come to A La Tomate once, they'll come back.

Mark Manger

The mystery of pie: Marisa Cantarovici displays one of A La Tomate's tartes.

Location Info

Map

A La Tomate Cafe & Tarterie

1618 E. 17th Ave.
Denver, CO 80218-1621

Category: Restaurant > French

Region: Central Denver

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Details

1618 East 17th Avenue, 303-333-9555. Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday

Tarte a la tomate: 6” $4.95, 10” $10.95, 14” $14.95
Add-ons: from $.75 to $1.75
Chausson: $4.95
Half sandwich: $4.95
Whole sandwich: $6.95
Soup: $1.95/$3.95
Croissant: $1.95

Closed Location

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More About

• Phil Collier
• Majel Kimbal
• Toulon
• Eating Out
• Main Dish Recipes

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When we're done talking, Collier will head back out to the street with his sign. You never know when someone might drive by who doesn't know about the place, he says. So someone has to be out there to tell him.