Denver Restaurant Week Tips

With the commencement of Denver Restaurant Week (DRW), I feel there may still be some folks who do not know how to properly exploit these two weeks of potential dining bliss.  Each year this time grows more and more popular with an increasing amount of restaurants participating.  It can be overwhelming to choose which place to dine at, and since it sneaks up on a lot of people, reservations can be hard to find.  Because I care about everyone's food interests, I've listed some tips below to help navigate this gastronomic event.

1. Find the best value.  This isn't exactly what it sounds like.  You're probably thinking that all places cost $52.80, so aren't they all equal?  Absolutely not.  Some of the nicest restaurants in Denver/Boulder participate, so you want to focus your efforts on these places.  If you can't imagine normally making it to one of the very expensive restaurants, then now is the time to make a reservation.  You pay only $52.80 and still get a meal that could normally cost you twice as much.
   
2. Steak(is)OUT.  Too many people think nice of a nice restaurant and immediately think of a steak place like Del Frisco's or Morton's or Brooks, but steak is a tricky thing.  Generally, I'm opposed to ever going out to a steak place.  They rarely do anything other than steak decently.  All other food tends to be awful, and the steak better be more than perfect to be worth my money.  So stay away from steak places during DRW, for there are better places to spend your mile high money.
   
3. Break the chains.  This is the most important rule.  Do not EVER go to a chain restaurant during DRW (or any other time).  It's the opposite of rule #1.  You end up at a restaurant that you would never spend $52.80 for two people to normally eat at.  I think restaurants like Outback or PF Chang's or Hacienda should be banned from participating.  Think about it.  All of DRW restaurants are equal during these two weeks.  You'll most likely spend a similar amount of money at any place, so you're choosing these awful chain over fantastic local restaurants?  Are you crazy?  Do you care about the taste of food?
   
4. Study the menus.  Some restaurants get pretty lazy during this time and their menus show it.  You don't want to arrive at a restaurant only to find that their menu consists of basic roast chicken or salmon (unless it's Thomas Keller, then he can make whatever the halibut he chooses).  Find some restaurants that you've always wanted to try then check out their menus.  Some places, like Rioja, are getting wise to DRW and include their normal menu with small surcharges for various plates.  It's a good idea, but it can add up to what you thought was going to be a cheap trip.
   
5. Yelp.  Check Yelp for reviews if you need help deciding.  I have a rule that I only go to a four-starred restaurant or better.  You know that if a place has over 100 reviews and at least four stars, it's probably worth your time.
   
6. Act like you've been there before.  This is just general dining advice, but don't act like a jerk when you're out to eat.  I've never understood people who act like waiters and waitresses are subhuman.  These people are great resources to what is good on the menu, and they handle you're food before you do.  Why anger someone who can easily influence the chef to mess with your order?  Be nice and courteous and chew with your mouth closed.  Enjoy the evening and take your time.
   
7. Be on thyme.  If you're going to be a late for a reservation, call.  I'm shocked at how thrilled these hosts/hostesses are when I call and say I'm running 15 minutes late.  They definitely appreciate the concern for their time.
   

Follow these tips for a successful DRW.  If you want to know some of my other thoughts about DRW, you can find them here.  Happy eating!

5280 Rant!

Perhaps it's been too long, but I'm back, I'm back with a vengeance. For those of you unfamiliar with 5280/Denver Restaurant Week, it's a week-long (or two weeks) celebration of local restaurants. Many of the restaurants offer a menu for $52.80 per couple. What's great about this time period is that it gets people out there enjoying some of the better restaurants in Denver. $52.80 per couple is a steal at many of these places, and you might try a restaurant that you would otherwise be hesitant to try. One could make the argument that it is like the Black Friday for restaurants, which is partially why it has been extended to two week the past couple of years. At the better restaurants in town, reservation are very hard to find. Anyways, you know how much I enjoy this time of year, read the reviews. Now it's time to rant.

Rant #1: The "Too-good-for-Restaurant-Week" Restaurant. I'm not referring to the restaurants that opt not to participate in this exciting culinary fortnight. This is for the restaurants that, for some reason, feel pressured to join in. If you're going to partake, you better bring it. Do we need to send the sassy cheerleader from Compton in Bring it On to force them to bring their A game? I'm calling out Frank Bonanno, chef/owner of Mizuna, Luca D'Italia, and Bones. These restaurants are highly rated, each of them made the top 25 in 5280's recent article. Unfortunately, he provides very weak menus at each restaurant during this week. Two main entree courses at Mizuna and Luca D'Italia and only one at Bones. All offered a very weak dessert. Really, Chef? Don't bother. I would love to try each of these places, but not with such a 'blah' menu. Give people a reason to come back outside of restaurant week.

Rant #2: The "You don't even have real chefs" Restaurant. Restaurant Week is a time where people should be trying restaurants they wouldn't normally go to, not restaurants that specialize in horrible commercials. Someone needs to serve as the Czar of Restaurant Week (Please nominate me). I would like to call each of these restaurants out by name: Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (runs Forrest runs, I got the runs!), Carrabba's Italian Grill (mmmmm, slightly better than Olive Garden, that wasn't a compliment), Hacienda Colorado (who spends a lot of money on Mexican food? not Mexicans), Hard Rock Cafe (does that include a free t-shirt?), Lodo's Bar & Grill (I hope several buckets of beer are included), Nick-N-Willy's Take-N-Bake Pizza (really? $52.80 and I still have to make my own pizza. . . thanks), Outback Steakhouse (wow, it's called Outback, so you know where to run to throw up), P.F. Chang's China Bistro (Bistro is French, but the food is Chinese? I don't get this), Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen (how many things stuffed inside a fish will $52.80 get me?), Pizza Republica (if pizza is in your name then you are ripping people off), Rio Grande Restaurant (go talk to Hacienda), Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (show up here and you've hit Rock Bottom), Saltgrass Steakhouse (how creative, let's name it after what the cows eat and what goes on the steak), Ted's Montana Grill (thanks Ted Turner for finding a new way to rip people off!), The Dusty Boot Steakhouse & Saloon (Dusty Boot? name it after something clean if you want me to eat here), The Melting Pot (fondue? 1970 called and it wants its restaurant back), Wingin' It (if you spend $52.80 on wings, that pain in your arm means you're having a heart attack), Wynkoop Brewing Company ($52.80 gets you three courses and a ticket to their comedy club, but they'll be laughing at you, not with you).

Rant #3: Snotty waiters during 5280. I've had little experience with nasty waiters during this time, as I believe many are thankful for the great increase in business. However, I did hear one story that angered me greatly. A couple went out to the Melting Pot last year and the waiter said how he hated 5280 week due to the number of people who only tip off of the $52.80 amount. Really??!! Are you serious??!! That's how much it costs. Since when do I make up how much I think this might have cost and tip you off of that? There are no coupons or BOGO deals during 5280 week. Plus, it's the Melting Pot. People dip tiny pieces of meat in hot oil. What's the cost of materials on 2 oz of filet and 3 shrimp? $5? Please, get over yourself.

Trust me when I say that 5280 week is my favorite week of the year. I had to get that those things off my chest. Now where did I put my toast for my escargot?

Denver Restaurant Week (Finale)

My favorite time of year has finally come to an end. I was able to knock out four restaurants, which is definitely an improvement over last year's two. Was it worth the cost? You bet. Should I have done one more? I'll probably be asking myself that last question until 2010's Restaurant Week. Some people may question going out four separate times at approximately $52.80 per meal, but doesn't everyone has something they spend money on? What better way to sample some of Denver's finest restaurants? Other people are sitting at home microwaving dinner while I'm enjoying a three-course dinner, so I don't feel guilty about the price.
We ended our two weeks of epicurean bliss at Kevin Taylor at the Opera House. It was a wonderful setting for a restaurant. They set the mood of lounging in an open wheat field under the stars. The tables are set rather spaced apart under a ceiling not unlike a planetarium with maple wood floors. Walking down the stairs towards the host stand reminds one of parading gallantly into a palatial ball. At least that's what I imagine a palatial ball would be like. The service is reminiscent of other Kevin Taylor restaurants, in which one is treated with delicate professionalism. I cannot give them ratings as high as Restaurant Kevin Taylor, however they did very well. I began the evening with the Roasted Red Kuri Squash Purée. It was excellently displayed in the bowl with a thinly sliced piece of Granny Smith apple and the cardamom cream. The soup was then poured into the bowl at the table. There was an excellent contrast of savory and sour with the creaminess of the soup and the tartness of the apple. The main course was a Dry-Aged Colorado Strip Loin served with Yukon Gold Potato Mousseline, Broccoli Rabe and topped with a dab of Prosciutto Butter. It was an excellent portion and of course everything complemented each other. I was able cut my steak with a butter knife, which certainly signifies a good cut. Last and not least was dessert. I went with the Milk Chocolate Bombe, Housemade Toffee, Malted Anglaise, Cajeta Caramel. To be fair, I'm not a big chocolate fan. Chocolate on the dessert menu is probably one of the last things I'll choose next to a bread pudding. That being said, they nailed this one for me. Despite it being completely chocolate on the outside and on the inside, it was not overwhelmingly chocolatey. Am I making sense? I feel like this dessert would unite chocolate and non-chocolate lovers.
It was a wonderful meal and a great ending to two delicious weeks even if it wasn't the best meal out of the four. As I've mentioned before on this blog, get out there and have a good meal. Enjoy the experience and savor it.

Denver Restaurant Week (Part 3)

Part 3 means we, my wife, Julie, and I, went to our third restaurant. Tonight's winner was Elway's in Cherry Creek. This place has consistently been fairly top-rated on many of the review sites, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to see if I'm missing anything. I kind of expected this place to be too snotty for my taste, but I was surprised to see a friendly hostess and to be promptly seated at 8:00. We only received one 5280 menu, and as we looked around, we realized that was the norm. I don't understand why each person would not have their own menu. I perused their wine list and was impressed to see approximately 50 selections for wines by the glass, which was split about 50/50 between reds and whites. I like it when restaurants don't immediately assume you will be drinking a bottle. Perhaps the table has different tastes in wine. They started off good here. We received bread not too long after we had been seated, which was nice; however, the bread was really boring. Julie made a good point of saying if you're paying a lot for the dinner the bread should be better than plain rustic slices. Since she's pregnant, she obviously can't drink alcohol but wanted a drink that was fun. We told the waiter the situation, and he was very nice about it. She asked for a strawberry daiquiri, but they don't have blenders. Really? That's rather odd to me. Anyway, he said he would have the bartender make her something fruity, which was nice.
She started with the Caesar salad, and I had the charred red pepper soup. Mine was presented nicely in a very small iron pot. It came with a random piece of toasted bread with something drizzled on it. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to eat it or put in my soup. I opted to do both. My problem with the menu was that they lacked descriptions of what anything was. For example, I ordered the soup, but I didn't know what was drizzled on top of it or what other flavors were in the soup. That's information I like to have. For dinner, Julie had the salmon and I went with 10-ounce sirloin (medium rare). She said her salmon was the driest she had ever had. My sirloin was more on the rare side, but it was a thick cut, so that made sense. The cut of meat was a lot better than what I expected. It was seasoned very well, not overpowering. For sides, she got the mashed potatoes, and I had the creamed corn. I didn't try the potatoes, but she said they were good. The creamed corn was great. It wasn't too soggy or overwhelmingly creamy. The corn had just enough pop to it and just the right amount of sweetness. For dessert, we had no choice. They came out with their cheesecake/brownie lollipops. Now I was under the impression that they were a combined cheesecake/brownie experience not two different lollipops, but no, that's not the case. Anyways, they were blah. Considering this appears to be the signature dessert, it stunk. The only positive thing was how I thought the outside chocolate was a wrapper because it had Elways written on it, but other than that. . . The brownie piece was way too cakey and "out-of-the-box" tasting. The cheesecake piece was too sour and creamy.
The service was very good. They were fairly absent for most of the meal, but my water glass never went empty. In the end, Elway's was decent, however I think the restaurant thinks it is better than it actually is. Examining their non-5280 menu, I felt they had too many items on the menu. I think they'd do a lot better by focusing on fewer items and making those stronger.

Denver Restaurant Week (Part 2)

So it was back to our favorite restaurant. We hit up Restaurant Kevin Taylor tonight. As usual, it did not disappoint. It was definitely the most crowded we had ever seen it, and it was a little loud. Our one complaint is that we were a bit rushed. Keep in mind I don't mean rushed like Olive Garden rushed. This is normally a very relaxed place with a European-style of service. Tonight, we felt as though they might need our table. However, no food came out before the other course was through.
I started with the pork belly, which was very tender. For dinner, I had the sirloin and braised short-ribs, also very tender. I finished the night off with the crème brûlée, which is always done well. Accompanying my dinner, was a nice Bordeaux. The interesting part of the night was watching this couple having a very nasty fight, but trying to keep it civil. They spent about an hour there and never ordered. The man stormed off several times. Finally, they both stormed off. We passed them on the street arguing, and the man was crying. Interesting situation. I'm not sure why I felt the need to share that.

Denver Restaurant Week (Part 1)

Oh yes, it's my favorite time of year. Denver Restaurant Week has finally arrived!!! Can you feel the excitement? I expend so much energy in the weeks preceding this event trying to get people to make reservations. Am I heard? No. Do people care? No. What do I hear after the event starts or is over? "I forgot that was this week, and now I can't get in to any places." That's why you plan ahead. Roughly 225 restaurants are participating this year and about 160 have agreed to extend the $52.80 deals one extra week. How great is that? This year is a new record for me. I have signed up for 4 restaurants, one of which is my regular place, Restaurant Kevin Taylor. Tonight, we kicked off Denver Restaurant Week at Lucy. Below is my review of the place.

Yeah, I NEVER complain about service. I usually give everyone an excuse for any service issues, but this was too annoying. Most people's complaint of service is generally along the lines of poor, rude, or inattentive service. This was just annoying. We were promptly seated in a relatively quiet area of the restaurant and greeted by a very nice waitress. Our issues were how quickly she wanted to take our order and how dessert was presented to us. My wife and I were not eating fast, but definitely not being slow. It's Restaurant Week and for a 3-course meal, I'm going to take my time. She put out the silverware for our dessert while we were still eating, asked my wife if she wanted a doggy bag while she was mid-bite, and brought out our desserts while we were still eating dinner. She asked if she should take them back, and I was so thrown off by the action that it took me a moment to say yes. Let me say that she was very nice about it and never pushy, but what a horrible way to serve a table. Also, (and this is just my own quirkiness) she kept pacing around our area not doing anything. From my count, she had four tables under her command. Each table appeared to be relatively low maintenance, yet she hovered around like a Chinook trying to find a place to land in a rain forest. Every five seconds, I heard her swish by. I wanted to yell, "nothing else has changed, I'm still chewing the same bite you watched me put into my mouth moments ago!" I've said it before and I'll say it again, that's America, it's a problem. We like to rush you out the door. The worst part of it was that the place wasn't that crowded and there was definitely no one waiting for our table.
Now that I'm done with my complaint, I will say that the food was quite good and the menu did look impressive. I really enjoyed their wine selection by the glass, which was a lot larger than most places. I'm not sure that this place is ready to charge as much as it does for food. The service level does not really match the price. However, I do believe it has potential and is worth trying if you're in the neighborhood.