Colt & Gray has never billed itself as a steakhouse, but seven and a half years into its tenure on Platte Street, it doesn't take much squinting to see that this restaurant does a very good imitation of a steakhouse. This is one of the few restaurants in Denver dry-aging steak in-house; its grass-fed beef waits 21 to 28 days before it ever sees a plate. This gives the steak a deeper flavor, a subtle and tasty funk and a more tender texture — and it puts Colt & Gray in company with some of the best old-school steakhouses in the world, which age their own beef to ensure correct flavor. The meat goes on the menu in three cuts: a filet, a New York strip and a massive porterhouse, which is priced by the ounce. The kitchen cooks these steaks in brown butter, which exaggerates the savory crust around the edges and traps juice inside. You can have your steak with bordelaise or béarnaise, but we prefer ours plain: Beef this good doesn't really need sauce. The rest of the Colt & Gray menu fits nicely within an elevated version of the steakhouse paradigm: refined but classic sides (broccoli with anchovy vinaigrette, crispy rosemary potatoes), appetizers fit for a meat-centric meal (oysters, foie gras, frog legs), a rich dessert list that includes potted cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding, and a well-curated wine and cocktail list that's likely to please you as much as your meal. Moreover, every storied steakhouse has its burger, and Colt & Gray is no exception — though to find it, you'll have to head downstairs to Ste. Ellie (where you'll also find a nice flatiron steak frites). The version here is ground in-house using trimmings from other steaks and aged for fourteen days, which gives it a bit of that same funk present in the steaks; add Gruyère to exaggerate it.
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