From Lobster to Duck: Menu Changes at Two Neighborhood Eateries

Here are a couple of changes at two Denver neighborhood restaurants, from new lunch hours at a Lowry Chinese kitchen to summer specials on South Broadway seafood. The first, Lucky Cat, is brand-new to town, while the second, the Chowder Room, has been ladling up seafood soups and other fishy delights for the past year and a half. Keep reading to find out what's new at both.
Chowder Room
560 South Broadway
303-777-3474
South Broadway's little seafood shop is switching up its summer menu with light fare and seasonal, off-menu specials. On the printed menu, the salad slate has been reconfigured for simplicity and variety, with four veggie blends that can be topped with a choice of eight different proteins: chicken breast, tuna salad, crabcake, salmon (grilled or blackened), clam strips, calamari, seared tuna or shrimp (fried, coconut, grilled or chilled). 
Maine lobsters are also at the peak of the season and can be ordered with 24-hour notice. Chef/co-owner Matt Stein says lobster is at its sweetest right now, so lobster rolls ($23) will be a verbal special several nights a week. Four ounces of lobster meat (whole-body, never frozen) are dressed in a light mayo sauce and served on a fluffy roll with a side of coleslaw. Chesapeake Bay soft-shell crab are starting to pop up on the specials list, too, and will continue to be offered through early fall when supplies are available. Stein says he's also fond of the Idaho rainbow trout he's been bringing in, currently served with Oaxacan seasonings, so think mole spices without the heavy sauce.

Lucky Cat
7559 East Academy Boulevard
303-364-2025
When chef/restaurateur Troy Guard switched over his Lowry location of bubu to a new concept called Lucky Cat in May, the Chinese-themed eatery was only open for dinner. But there are plenty of Lowry residents who lunch, so Guard just added lunch service beginning at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday (weekends kick off at 3 p.m.). While the lunch and dinner menus are the same, a discounted lunch special has been added that includes an entree, rice, an egg roll and a beverage (ice tea or agua fresca) for $10.88. Why all the 8s? You'll find the Chinese lucky number sprinkled throughout Lucky Cat's menu pricing. 

Also new to the Lucky Cat menu is a family-style whole roast-duck package, which comes with scallion pancakes, kimchi fried rice, pickled vegetables, sauces, garnishes and fortune cookies for four to six people. The duck rings in at $45 and requires 48-hour notice. Order for takeout and receive curbside service without ever leaving your car.