Best Power Lunch -- Liquid 2003 | CityGrille | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Power Lunch -- Liquid

CityGrille

A three-hour liquid lunch? Why not? Anyone who's anyone has done some time on this pine, so just belly up to the bar and start working on it. CityGrille is the place to go when you want to see exactly how your local legislator or councilman behaves when there's not a TV camera being poked in his face. It's the place where smart lobbyists go to stake out their prey and where smart reporters hang out to try and catch a little of the hush-hush action going on in the booths along the walls. Whether you're stopping in for a solid burger, some of the gringo green chile or just to watch the wheels of city government getting well-lubed, you're certain to be in good company at City Grille.

Best Diner

Denver Diner

There's no better way to check the pulse of a town than to sit for a while in one of its diners. You hear the news, trade a little gossip and see how people from all walks of life come together when -- and where -- status is irrelevant. Taking a seat at the Denver Diner's long counter is a democratizing experience; you never know who might be on the next stool. Construction workers and councilmembers, bums and bus drivers: All men (and women) are created equal here. They all receive the same polite but hurried service and the same solid grub from a short-order kitchen that makes everything hot, fast and greasy, just the way it should be. The coffee is strong and plentiful; the chicken-fried steak is crisp, salty and veiled in wonderful, artery-clogging white country gravy; and the breakfast burrito smothered in green chile meal is enough for two. Whether you're dropping in for a quick cuppa joe with the morning paper, a big plate of fries to help you sober up on a Saturday night, or a discussion of the liberal Zionist media conspiracy with a total stranger, there's always room for you at the Denver Diner.

Best Diner

Denver Diner

There's no better way to check the pulse of a town than to sit for a while in one of its diners. You hear the news, trade a little gossip and see how people from all walks of life come together when -- and where -- status is irrelevant. Taking a seat at the Denver Diner's long counter is a democratizing experience; you never know who might be on the next stool. Construction workers and councilmembers, bums and bus drivers: All men (and women) are created equal here. They all receive the same polite but hurried service and the same solid grub from a short-order kitchen that makes everything hot, fast and greasy, just the way it should be. The coffee is strong and plentiful; the chicken-fried steak is crisp, salty and veiled in wonderful, artery-clogging white country gravy; and the breakfast burrito smothered in green chile meal is enough for two. Whether you're dropping in for a quick cuppa joe with the morning paper, a big plate of fries to help you sober up on a Saturday night, or a discussion of the liberal Zionist media conspiracy with a total stranger, there's always room for you at the Denver Diner.

Best Capitol Education While Noshing

Wolfe¹s Barbeque

Wolfe's Barbeque

Wolfe's Barbeque, a jewel-box-sized restaurant on Colfax, feels like a Southern lunch place. But head cook and bottle washer Louis Wolfe is a Kansan by birth and a Denverite by choice. So much so that his walls are lined with collectible postcards of area buildings that date back to the 1900s -- and he can tell the story of each one. The Section 8 housing at Colfax and Grant used to be the Grand Argonaut Hotel, for example, and Temple Emmanuel was stunning in its early glory. As Wolfe gives his colorful and entertaining history lesson -- served up with a slice of great pecan pie -- you can stick your head out the door and still see the remains of what he's describing.

Best Dive

Rodney's

Appropriate, isn't it, that the best dive in town is a subterranean spot? When you walk down the stairs into Rodney's, you know you're really going somewhere. This place is a landmark, the sort of joint that Charles Bukowski was talking about every time he opened his mouth. Rodney Utz, who opened his namesake spot over twenty years ago, makes sure the lights are dim, the drinks are strong, the steaks are cheap, and all those folks settled in around the rectangular bar are treated well. Although Rodney's may not be the place to bring a date, it's the perfect spot for forgetting how long it's been since you've had one. If you want to spend a little time with the beautiful, the bungled and the botched, look no further.

Best Dive

Rodney's

Appropriate, isn't it, that the best dive in town is a subterranean spot? When you walk down the stairs into Rodney's, you know you're really going somewhere. This place is a landmark, the sort of joint that Charles Bukowski was talking about every time he opened his mouth. Rodney Utz, who opened his namesake spot over twenty years ago, makes sure the lights are dim, the drinks are strong, the steaks are cheap, and all those folks settled in around the rectangular bar are treated well. Although Rodney's may not be the place to bring a date, it's the perfect spot for forgetting how long it's been since you've had one. If you want to spend a little time with the beautiful, the bungled and the botched, look no further.

Best Place to See Lawyers Behaving Badly

The Palm

The Palm

The Palm, the Denver link in a chain of classic steakhouses, is ground zero for watching the city's legal establishment (those members who don't mind being watched, at least). Attorneys from the city's top firms hold down reserved tables, where they entertain clients and keep tabs on their rivals. Seeing a legal eagle in an Armani suit make the rounds at the Palm is both fascinating and horrifying -- but always entertaining. Extra points to the Palm for good food, a well-stocked bar, and wall-hung sketches of Palm regulars, which give this place something lawyers aren't always known for: a sense of humor.

Best Place to See Journalists Behaving Badly

Denver Press Club

The venerable Denver Press Club -- one of the few journalism organizations in the country with its own building -- has been lubricating the lips of Denver's ink-stained wretches since 1905 and received a much-needed makeover last fall. But while the new bar (complete with martini glasses featuring the likeness of late Rocky Mountain News columnist Gene Amole), restored fireplace and updated dining room are lovely, they haven't changed the antics of the press club's patrons one iota. Notorious hacks and flacks alike gather to swap stories, trade lies and occasionally take a swing at each other. If only the publications they put out were as lively!

Best Place to See Journalists Behaving Badly

Denver Press Club

The venerable Denver Press Club -- one of the few journalism organizations in the country with its own building -- has been lubricating the lips of Denver's ink-stained wretches since 1905 and received a much-needed makeover last fall. But while the new bar (complete with martini glasses featuring the likeness of late Rocky Mountain News columnist Gene Amole), restored fireplace and updated dining room are lovely, they haven't changed the antics of the press club's patrons one iota. Notorious hacks and flacks alike gather to swap stories, trade lies and occasionally take a swing at each other. If only the publications they put out were as lively!

Best Place to See Politicians Behaving Badly

Cherokee Dining on 12th Avenue

Every Monday night after Denver City Council adjourns, you can see your city government at work at the Cherokee, a longtime hangout in the Golden Triangle (it even predates the neighborhood's nickname). Councilmembers, their staff and assorted lobbyists head for the bar or order late-night suppers, sulking after a losing vote or offering up a victory toast as deals are made or unmade, coalitions cemented or taken apart. Politics rules at lunchtime, as well, when the place is filled with city officials and bureaucrats. If you want the inside story from inside City Hall, grab a stool and get an earful.

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