WELCOME BACK, LEGISLATORS

"Some people like to eat octopus. Liberals, mostly." - Russell Baker

THIS IS THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL "Welcome Back, Y'all" column, with muh recommendations for scarfin' grub within walking distance, or not more than a short ride from the state capitol, All are open for lunch ceptin where noted otherwise. This year's column will again be two issues cuz of the large number of good eateries that abound in the surrounding area. The list is alphabetical, ceptin that new eateries have shown up recently that I haven't had a chance to visit are listed alphabetically at the end. The list includes places that lobbyists oughta take ya to cuz you can't afford them. It also includes some you can do on your own, or take your favorite restaurant critic to. If I left out one of your favorites, I probably don't like the place. A bit of info, Many eateries now have web-sites with everything from menus to reservation links. Take a peek.

Appaloosa Grill
535 16 St - 720/932-1700
A huge menu with munchies, soups & salads, huge buggers and sangies. The beef tenderloin meatloaf sangie is a must. The linguine with shrimp will torment your palate. Dinner brings out the Appaloosa ribs.

Avenue Grill
638 E. 17 Ave - 303/861-2820
The joint rocks. Grub served 'til 11 during the week, 'til midnite on week- ends. Have a bugger on a baguette roll with some of the best french fries in town. Yo!

Bambino's Ristorante
1135 Bannock St - 303/221-7215
A variety of very good Italian fare. Owned by Clyde Canino with son Mark in the kitchen. Lots of goodies to try, anything that comes on house-made bread is yummy.

Benny's Cantina
301 E. 7 Ave - 303/894-0788
A Mexican eatery with good food and service. The awesome shredded beef is spicy and fresh without being torched for days; the tacos al carbon and breakfast burritos are super.

Brooklyn's
2644 W. Colfax Ave - 303/572-3999
A full-menu sportsbar. Take a cab or go to new (bleep) Mile Hi Stadium and walk; it's a real find (LOL). Food's first-rate, atmosphere congenial, and service as good as any in town. They do munchies, soups, salads, sangies, seafood and steaks. The crab melt and club croissants are sooperb.

Brown Palace Hotel
321 17 St - 303/297-3111
With several great eateries, this is always a fun place to dine. Bring money. The Palace Arms is ultra-fine dining (lunch and dinner) with a price tag to match, but worth every dime - or dollar. There's no more elegant eating facility in metro Denver. If you're gonna collect on a chit or be indebted to someone, this is The Place. Damn near the entire menu is 2-die-4. The hotel's "main" dining room is Ellyngton's, a great room serving breakfast and lunch daily as well as a superb Sunday brunch. More relaxed and affordable for both lunch and dinner is the Ship Tavern, with great sangies and other dishes. The prime rib's fantastic; it's always available in sangie form (lots cheaper) even if not on the menu. Good buggers, Great atmosphere. For those of you not offended by smoke, the new "hot spot" is Churchill's (the cigar room) where lunch is now served. New this year is the end of the dress code in the Palace Arms at lunch. A jacket is still required at night.

Buckhorn Exchange
1000 Osage St - 303/534-9505
Alligator tail anyone? You can get most any game imaginable: elk, buffalo, pheasant, Rocky Mountain oysters (some real swingin' meat), grilled duck breast and more, all served in a great room loaded with trophies. Beats the heck outta The Fort for game grub.

The Burnsley
1000 Grant St - 303/830-1000
This fine dining emporium, located in one of Denver's nicer independent hotels, is off the main road, but only a four-block walk from the Capitol. Just great eatin'.

CityGrille
321 E. Colfax Ave - 303/861-0726
This popular legislative hangout is packed all day during "the session". Soups (including green chili) are fabulous; buggers and BLT's are yummy, Now serving dinner seven nites with nitely specials. Great prime rib deal Saturday nite. Try the huge rib- eye steak sangie. New are mac and cheese, meatloaf, chicken potpie.

Cuba Cuba
1173 Delaware St - 303/605-2822
The unusual cuisine is well prepared as well as fun to eat. Pronounced with a "G" as in Guba Guba. They ain't doing lunch yet, but if you beg, Kristy may someday make it happen. The Cuban bread will blow your mind.

Denver Chop House
1735 19 St - 303/296-0800
Next to Coors Field, the joint is packed day and nite cuz the grub's as good as the service. And it's perty. Super munchies, great buggers, fab London Broil and other entrees. The portobello mushroom munchie and the onion rings are super.

Diamond Cabaret
1222 Glenarm Place - 303/571-4747
Yeah, yeah, all you suckers will rake me over the coals cuz I wrote about a strip joint. So you know who goes to this place? Yuppie lawyers and old- fart businessmen, and a while back 'bout half the New York Rangers. Food and service are really good. Hey, weren't you born nekked? Friday lunch is all you can eat prime rib. Yo!

Dixons Downtown Grill
1610 16 St - 303/573-6100
A sister eatery to the two great eateries: Goodfriends and Racines, sans parking. Food and service are similar. I luv the place. Try the Mexican fare or one of the dozens of munchies, sangies, salads, or entrees. Leave room for dessert. If short ribs are on the menu, go for em. And the buggers? Outstanding on the flat grill, but you gotta ask.

Downtown Broker
821 17 St - 303/293-9832
Ed Novak opened this very popular eatery about Ought 6, and has been serving fine steaks and other goodies including the bottomless shrimp bowl ever since. One problem: while the desserts are fantastic, you never have room for 'em. Such a problem.

Duffy's Shamrock Grill
1635 Court Place - 303/534-4935
Last I heard this popular Irishery was owned by a coupla Eye-talian fellas. But that don't stop 'em from cooking the popular corned beef. I prefer the buggers, but that's me.
The place is loaded with character... and characters. And good grub.

Fifteen-Fifteen Market Grille
1515 Market St - 303/571-0011
Gene Tang's finest venture into dining. This one has the critics applauding. The rack of lamb is killer and the Big Bugger is super. The expansive menu includes seafood, game, steaks, chicken and pasta.

Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana
1631 Wazee St - 303/573-5050
The most gorgeous eatery in Denver also serves good food. The enticing menu offers pizza, pasta, and dinner entrees. The items that strike muh fancy are the bruschetta, calamaretti fritti, pollo toscano, and a 22-oz. bistecca alla fiorentina- Angus porterhouse steak. The Broomfield store sucks.

La Pasadita Inn
1959 Park Avenue - 303/832-1785
The chili is sooo hot but sooo good. Great pork, chicken, super house-made tamales, very good flan. Teeny but with linen tablecloths, good service.

Le Central
112 E. 8 Ave - 303/863-8094
This is "the affordable French restaurant", where the grub is truly exquisite. Desserts are 2-die-4. Sunday brunch is killer. The place reminds me of a country French eatery.

Lime
1424 Larimer St - 303/893-5463
The last good eatery in this space was Cafe Promenade about two centuries ago. Open for lunch and dinner, they offer tamales, lime nachos, and their famous Scorpions: jumbo shrimp layered onjalapeno halves stuffed with cream cheese, then fried in a crispy wrapper.

Maharaja
233 E. Colfax Ave - 303/832-4855
In one of Denver's tuffist spots, an eatery offering fine cuisine from India. Major lunch buffet, Try the tandoori masala chops (grilled rack of lamb).

McCormick's Fish House and more
1659 Wazee St - 303/825-1107
Great seafood as well as steaks, pasta, and a munchie list that goes on for days. Front Room is a gas; main dining room is gourmet at its best. They do a great Saturday and Sunday brunch. Service is top-notch. If it swims, it's on the menu.

Mizuna
225 E. 7 Ave - 303/832-4778
Some say the Best Restaurant in Town. Dinner only, very small, no groups larger than six. Sure is the best restaurant on this list. Great grub and service. It's quite intimate.

Mori Japanese Restaurant
2019 Market St - 303/298-1864
If you're into sushi, this is one of Denver's best. If not, still lotsa great grub. Super happy hour.

Palettes at the Art Museum
100 W. 14 Ave Pkwy - 303/629-0889
They are open for lunch Tuesday thru Sunday, dinner on Wednesday. The menu is munchies, hearty salads, soup, and entrees ranging from a charbroiled bugger to angel hair primavera with garlic, cream and pesto. Some of KT's famous desserts will tantalize your "palate" when you think you're done. Ha ha. That was a good one.

P.F. Chang
1415 15 St - 303/260-7222
The food is fabulous and service damn near. Every meal should start with a wrap and some ribs. I prefer the chicken wraps but all are yummy. After the ribs, after the wrap, I get the duck, often a double order. The room is gorgeous. Invite me.

Palm Restaurant
The Westin Hotel
1672 Lawrence St - 303/572-7222
The Westin Hotel houses the world- famous Palm Restaurant, known for huge prime steaks and monstrous lobsters, serving both lunch and dinner. I luv the place. Absolutely muh favorite luncheon spot in all of Colorado. The lunch menu offers good steaks and a (most of the time) good bugger. You can order off the dinner menu at any time (dinner prices, of course). Great service. Shhh...Joey's Backyard Chili is unbelievable!

Pint's Pub
221 W. 13 Ave - 303/534-7543
Good buggers, super fries, lotsa fresh brews, the largest offering of single malt scotch in North America and the best server in town. Her name is Liz. They do a Texas chili with fries that'll give you a month's worth of cholesterol at one sitting. Now if they'd just put in a tele line to Racine's soes you can get dessert.

Qdoba
550 Grant St - 303/765-5878
Zee Best in fast Mexican fare at looo prices, super-size burritos with you selecting the fresh ingredients: chicken, steak, rice, beans, and other goodies. Several locations.

Panera Bread Company
1350 Grant St - 303/830-7101
The line goes all day long. Great breads, yummy sangies, unbelievable desserts. Now if they had a place to park, I'd go there.

Racine's
850 Bannock St- 303/595-0418
If you ain't been for breakfast, you ain't important. This is still where the "See And Be Seen" crowd meet. It's convenient, lotsa free parking, great food and service, and sapient prices. Best steak and eggs in town. The pistachio cake is 2-die-4. Lunch
and dinners are great also.

Randolph
The Warwick Hotel
1776 Grant St - 303/861-2000
A perty set of rooms house some super grub served by a well-trained staff. Good buggers, great sangies, good soups and salads. Even desserts are yummy. Lots of legislators hang here after their workday is done.

Red Room
320 E. Colfax Ave - 303/830-7050
The menu offers munchies, salads, sangies, and a half dozen entrees. You can be tempted by Red Flannel hash cakes, mussels "Monet", Southwestern salad, Ahi tuna salad, catfish po'boys, a Rooster Cogburn sangie, baked ziti, shepherd's pie, Mighty Red gumbo, and more.

Rock Bottom Brewery
1001 16 St - 303/534-7616
I'm not into brewpubs, but this place knocks my socks off. Not only is it a great people-watching spot, but the quality of the grub and the service are super. The spinach con queso is unequalled, the grilled chicken salad is fantastic, and they have a cheddar cheesecake that'll blow you away.

Rocky Mountain Diner
800 18 St - 303/293-8383
The history is captivating but it's the food that will bring you back. Buffalo meat loaf, pot roast, and other fare make this an extraordinary eatery, but the huge array of fine bourbons and huge desserts make it extra special. Prices are modest; service is adept and friendly. Great for late dinner.

Rodizio Grill
1801 Wynkoop St - 303/294-9277
The all-you-can-eat menu includes: steak, ham, sausage, buffalo, lamb, chicken, and other goodies, all served table-side by "gauchos" from the pampas of Brazil. Or maybe an apartment in Corning, Iowa. The fixed price includes a large salad bar with salads (what else?), beef stroganoff, black beans and rice, quail eggs, Hearts of Palm and lotsa other goodies. The papaya milk shake thingee in a bowl is fantastic, as are all the desserts. Soft drinks, hootch and desserts are extra $.

Sonoda's
550 Grant St - 303/991-1000
While this store just opened a few weeks ago, Kenny Sonoda's other two locations get great comments. so how can this one miss? If you're into sushi, this is one of the best. Lunch 6 days, dinner 7 nites.

String's
1700 Humboldt St - 303/831-7310
World headquarters for Noel Cunningham, Chef Extraordinaire', creator of some of Denver's finest food. There's veal, pasta and other dishes, as well as elegant desserts. Service is efficient.

Sweet Rockin' Coffee
414 E. 20 Ave - 303/318-9788
A bit off the beaten path, muh old bud, Tammy Davis (of Divine Temptations fame) is still doing the best chocolates in town, as well as a zillion other fab desserts. And a dozen or so super yummy sangies, house-made soups, and a breakfast burrito that will warm you up for the entire day. Last week I stopped in for a sangie and some of Tammy's butterscotch pudding. Oh, my. The pain. 2-die-4. Just about everything ceptin the water is made on site.

Tamayo
1400 Larimer St - 720/946-1433
Open to rave reviews by both the media and the public (now that's a rare event) this new eatery is serving fab Mexican fare, but not what you'd expect. This is the good stuff, gourmet grub. Even without founding chef Sean Yontz, the grub is great. The guacamole dip is 2-die-4.

Trinity Grille
1801 Broadway - 303/293-2288
An elegant eatery, directly across from The Brown Palace Hotel. Stop in for veal meatloaf or a sliced steak sangie, fine pasta, Maryland crab cakes, or just a salad. Dinner is up- scale with fine steaks and other fare. Plan to wait. The green chile is UN-believable!

Walnut Cafe
338 E. Colfax Ave - 303/832-5108
Great breakfast burritos, inexpensive lunch specials, and a zillion papers for your reading pleasure. Yummy!

Wazee Supper Club
1600 15 St - 303/623-9518
I'm not a pizza fan, but this ain't no ordinary pizza. Not only do they pile on toppings (don't even think about more than three), but the pizza itself is delish. Served on high trays with legs soes you don't have to move your swig out of the way.

Wolfe's Barbeque
333 E. Colfax Ave - 303/831-1500
Wondrous brisket sangies, delish baked beans and a great homemade cheesecake is all man (or woman) needs to sustain life forever. It's all right here. Louis is The Man.

Wolfgang Puck's
500 16 Street, 303/535-9653
Of the Pavillion eateries. this is the only one I go to. Mixed reviews after opening caused me to leave them out of this column, but having had lunch twice in the past six months, I find the food incredible and service good. The menu is huge and somewhat pricey, but it is a classy joint.

WHAT'S NEW PUSSY CAT? I love that line. Anywho, several eateries have opened recently or are about to open, so all we can tellya is what we've been told by the restaurant staff and others. Tell me what you think.

Capital Grille
15th and Larimer St
Having dined at the Capital Grille in Providence and received reports from friends about the Kansas City store, this place is gonna put Denver Dining on the map. It's gonna blow you away. They are tentatively scheduled to begin construction early this year.

Luca d' Italia
711 Grant St - 303/832-6600
Scheduled to open February 15th, this tiny Italian trattoria will serve unusual dishes not found in Denver. Fresh seafood, game, and meats will showcase regional cuisine. If you've dined at Mizuna (just around the corner), you'll see it in the menu cuz the same folks run that great eatery. Sorry, dinner only.

Cielo
1109 Lincoln St -
In the space vacated by the Denver Buffalo Company, owners Curt Sims and wife, singer/chef Pam Savage decided a southwestern theme is in order. At this writing we don't know if they are going to do lunch, but we know that a signature munchie will be Queso Flameado - melted cheese with chorizo or sautéed mushrooms flamed tableside. Entrees will include stuffed beef filet and Cielo ribs. Sounds yummy.

Monza Pizzeria
1503 Grant St, 303/839-5300
New to the neighborhood, but the raves from the East Coast crowd who say this is the real New York pizza keep coming. Subs (heros to New Yawkers), salads and calzones round out this menu. Wide free delivery area. Pizza available by the slice.

The Parlour
846 Broadway -
What usta be a fantastic eatery has been sold several times, then several other eateries came into this location, and now re-opened as the Parlour, word sez it's too soon to tell. Preliminary comments not so hot but give 'em a chance to settle in.

"A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle." - Gloria Steinem