You Are Where You Eat

What’s the quintessential Denver restaurant?

A A A Comments (10) By Jason Sheehan Thursday, Feb 15 2007

What's your favorite Denver restaurant? Not your favorite restaurant in Denver, but that restaurant (or diner, cafe, bistro, drive-thru) that, for whatever reason, speaks to you about the city you call home.

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I'll give you a minute to think.

Okay, got one? Good. Now tell me why. Not so easy, right?

This question has been on my mind lately. What with our annual Best of Denver issue looming (the readers' poll debuts next week), the third Denver Restaurant Week starting February 24 and my normal obsession with all things edible, I've been thinking a lot about bests and worsts and all the in-betweens. But what really set me off is that I'm not in Denver. I'm writing this from a couple of thousand miles away, tucked comfortably in a booth at the back of a diner a half-hour outside of Philadelphia, trying to figure out what my favorite restaurant in thatcity is. You know, so I don't forget to eat there before I leave.

Philadelphia is where my in-laws live. It's where my wife grew up. It's a city I know pretty well as a result, and I have a lot of options. Is my favorite the Spring Mill Cafe in Conshohocken? It's certainly one of my favorite restaurants in the grand scheme of things, but the little BYOB cafe with the cluttered decor and rough tables where I ate my first serious meal with the people who were soon to become my in-laws doesn't really scream Philly. Civet de lapin and bastilla aren't exactly the working-class, blue-collar cuisine that's such a hallmark of the East Coast. While Le Bec-Fin, longtime grand dame of the dining scene, will always and forever be identified as a landmark in the City of Brotherly Love (even now that the deep fleur-de-lis carpets and brocaded everything have been tossed aside in favor of a more sumptuously creamy and modern appearance), it doesn't taste like Philly. Nor do Buddakan or Vetri(though of the two, Vetri comes closer). And though I'd love to say that Morimotowas my Philadelphia restaurant, I wasn't able to get reservations.

As for those classic cheesesteak places, Pat's and Geno's, those are just tour-guide tastes of Philly. I never have to drive more than a mile in any direction for a good cheesesteak, and I can get passable soft pretzels at any Wawa.

No, to me (and to Laura), the best, most important taste of Philadelphia is the taste of a chrome-diner chicken croquette, perfectly done, fresh out of the oil and still steaming, served over mashed potatoes and smothered in chicken gravy. We're diner kids, both of us. And the chicken croquette -- more than coffee, more than pie, more than corned beef hash and two eggs over easy -- is the highest pinnacle of East Coast diner achievement. It's the dish that Laura and I talk about on the plane flying in, the dish we discuss when planning our days.

And though we haven't yet found a truly great one (sadly, it seems that making a decent chicken croquette is a skill that's passing into the dimness of history), we never stop looking. The Gateway Diner, the Limerick Diner, all those weird little forty-seaters down in the rough neighborhoods -- we try them all. The chicken croquette is our grail, and what matters to us is the looking, not necessarily the finding.

What's the Denver equivalent of a chicken croquette? Of a great chrome diner? Is it the Breakfast King? No. Even though the King is one of my favorites, it's a place I go to remind myself of my favorite places back where I grew up -- and that has nothing at all to do with Denver.

Sushi Sasa? The Palace Arms? Restaurant Kevin Taylor? No, no and no. All great, all notable Denver landmarks, both new and old. But not one of them has that subtle taste of Denver that I'm looking for -- a kind of green-chile-and-steak-sauce vibe, a blue-jean-wearing, Spanish-speaking, better-than-expected mix of excellence and nonchalance with bull testicles and strong drinks and foie gras and cheeseburgers. When I have friends coming to town, where will I take them to give them a real taste of Denver? Or say I fly off to some island in the Lesser Antilles, spend a year cavorting among the palms, getting smashed on rum-heavy fruit drinks and hanging out with renegade dope pilots, smugglers, prostitutes, mob lawyers on the lam and other disreputable characters, then come home one day aboard an unregistered Lear jet painted in black-out camo and landing at DIA in the dead of night. Where will I want to celebrate my return to my adopted home? Not the Palm, that's for damn sure. Not the Fort. Not Tamayo.

The Buckhorn Exchange? That's one of the better spots in town to get a mouthful of balls. Or how about Chipotle? Colorado-born and Colorado-raised, home of the big-ass burrito. Racine's is a contender, if only for the fact that everyone in Denver passes through its doors eventually. And for me, so are places like Venice (the first restaurant I reviewed in town), Pho 79 (where I go for my breakfast when I'm not working) and Los Carboncitos (lunch) and Mezcal (dinners). What restaurant really captures this city? I haven't made my final choice yet; in the meantime, I'm interested in your ideas.

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Anonymous 02/28/2007 4:56:00 AM

If "Denver" can be defined as "Denver Metro area"... ...for those who dare to venture outside of Denver's city limits, NoNo's Cafe in Littleton is the best food by a landslide. Family-owned and 10 years in the making, you can't get authentic southern cooking and flavor like this without driving further south of Denver...much further!
Sean 02/27/2007 5:00:00 PM

My vote would be Steuben's...I've been in Denver for 7 years, and I'm staying. One thing I find interesting about the mile high is that you hardly meet anyone here who is a native. So many transplants. Steuben's menu fits that crowd because it features local classics from around the country, Cuban sandwiches, Lobster Rolls, Fried Chicken, Rhode Island Calamari, and Green Chili Cheeseburgers to name a few. There's always a wide range of customers, from the Tattoo Culture to Park Hill Families, Jeans to Suits, Young and Old. The staff fits the same description, eclectic and authentically Denver.
Darrick James 02/24/2007 7:12:00 PM

Denver is a growing into an interesting city and 8 Rivers Modern Caribbean Cafe, in the Highland's is making it even more interesting. I stumbled on 8 Rivers when i attended a friends birthday party there. The food is over the top! Jerk Chicken like it was flown in from Jamaica. Reggae plays throughout the restaurant and on the outside patio, it just sets the mood and takes you to a point of prue relaxation. The evening i was there the Chef came out (Scott) and wished my friend a happy birthday, laughed with us for awhile and told stories of the islands. This place is so has much personal touch - something city restaurants don't often have. He also ordered up a round of his dirty mojitos - his creation made with dark caribbean rum - wow! is all i can say. So, what makes a a great restaurant - personal touch, great food and some hidden surprises, like the dirty mojito and too good jerk chicken!
jerry 02/18/2007 4:51:00 AM

Petes Kitchen on colfax, been going there since I moved here in 71, dont go there enought anymore, too far but it is my favorite that has lasted, always good food, friendly wait staff, also love Pho 79, eat there a lot because I have Vietnames girlfriend , talk about good food she is a really good cook and I eat vietnamese more than american anymore, but now am an addict, like your column thanks, jerry Also love Thai, been to Thailand 5 times and need to go try the one in Edgewater because have not had anything like in Thailand.
Penguin18 02/16/2007 4:12:00 PM

The most unique Denver dining experience, for me, is not at any restaurant. Most of my favorite Denver food memories, in fact, involve being handed a cooler-fresh, foil-wrapped burrito by a steadfast (and, I assume, very tired) burrito pusher. Nothing hits the spot more at 2am, after three Hoegaardens and two vodka cranberries, than a piping hot, three-dollar "cooler-burrito." While there is no "cooler-burrito" restaurant, one might figuratively consider the general idea of the "cooler-burrito" a restaurant all its own.
Mike 02/16/2007 2:29:00 PM

Jason- I'm from Lower Merion. Outside of Philly. For the best home-style Italian American food in Philadelphia... Don't miss... Shank's & Evelyn's 932 S 10th St Philadelphia, PA 19147 (215) 629-1093
Rosie 02/15/2007 8:15:00 PM

Personally, I love Dozens and it is most definitely Denver to me. I am a native and still get a thrill out of reading the menu with dishes named for our state. I will also have to say Bennys because it is still the most popular Denver restaurant I know. And even though the food is nothing to shout about, they have a great margarita and Ive been going there since I was a little kid. Oh! And Pasquinis has managed to not only maintain its popularity but keeps growing.
Porter Lansing 02/15/2007 5:40:00 PM

Mr. Sheehan, To be succinct, I'm a recently disabled chef who cannot drive. I rely on my boys to take me out once a week to dine. They respect my knowledge and taste as I am also a published food novelist and cookbook writer, so it pisses me off when I reccomend restaurants that don't deliver. My current research is on American peasant food, which entails almost every world cuisine at it's roots.I was sick in bed for a year and a half and these two, I craved. Brewery Bar II (ambience, green chile and the best handicapped parking..even on snowy nights) Bud's Bar (I was national hamburger champion in 1995 and adore the dbl. cheesburger, ambience and mixed crowds) It reminds me of K-Paul's, where you sit with strangers and are just pleased to get a seat. These two mean Colorado to me. Wild Ginger and the Italian deli, next door, are also excellent, but not unique to our state. Chef Porter Lansing IV
Eren 02/15/2007 5:12:00 PM

My vote would be the Cherry Cricket. It's a laid back all are welcome place that has retained its character even after all the development in the neighborhood around it. The menu reflects what Denver is known for - great cheeseburgers, green chili and other "Colorado-style" Mexican food, and a great beer list that includes a good representation of the local microbrews. I grew up in Denver but live in DC, and the Cricket is always one of the first restaurants I visit when I'm home (after El Tejado). As I write this, I'm already anticipating the pint of Guinness and the cheeseburger with green chile strips I'm going to order when I'm back next month.
greg 02/15/2007 12:06:00 AM

For me it would be a tossup between Cafe Jordano and Bang. Both neighborhood institutions putting out very good quality food, affordable wine lists and entrees and almost impossible to get a table at prime time. This is so because they cater to their local clientel and don't introduce change just for the sake of change. You always come away satisfied like Thanksgiving dinner.