WELCOME BACK, LEGISLATORS

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

January 6, 2004

THIS IS THE TWELFTH 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 column will be two issues cuz of the large number of good eateries that abound in the surrounding area. The list is alphabetical. 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: most eateries now have websites with everything from menus to reservation links. Go on-line and take a peek. If we could find the website address, it's listed. Watch the spelling cuz some names get tricky. If I couldn't find a website but CitySearch (or one of the other major dining info sites) had info on them that was useful, I put a "CS" at the end of the paragraph. Just do a search under the restaurant's name.

1515 Restaurant
1515 Market St - 303/571-0011
www.1515restaurant.com
Gene Tang's finest venture into dining. This one has the critics applauding. The expansive menu includes seafood, game, steaks, chicken and pasta. Yes, Gene changed the name again. But dud you read our Bugger review about the Kobe buggers and the unbelievable fried spud salad? This is Bugger Numero Uno! And
if you can't afford the ten bucks for the Kobe, the less expensive non-Kobe bugger is damn near as good.

Appaloosa Grill
535 16 St - 720/932-1700
www.appaloosagrill.com
A huge menu with munchies, soups & salads, buggers and sangies. They usta do a beef tenderloin meatloaf sangie and linguine with shrimp that will torment your tummy. Dinner brings out the Appaloosa ribs.

Avenue Grill
638 E. 17 Ave - 303/861-2820
www.avenuegrill.com
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. And they still do the best cioppino 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 housemade bread is yummy.

Benny's Cantina
301 E. 7 Ave - 303/894-0788
www.bennysrestaurant.com
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. Their website is rockin'.

Bistro Vendome
1424-H Larimer St - 303/825-3232
www.bistrovendome.com
Owner Chef Eric Roeder started his career at the famed Flagstaff House in Boulder as a pastry apprentice, and has been cooking great grub (I bet he hates that word) ever since, ceptin for the time it took him to attend Culinary Institute of America. G and I have been for brunch several times and it's always superb. The raves keep coming.

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. CS

Broussard's Creole Cafe
233 E. Colfax Ave - 303/861-0931
Newly opened last summer and haunted by many restaurant failures, owner Chris Broussard, a transplant from New Iberia, Louisiana, is gambling that his Creole recipes will draw a crowd from not only the state capitol across the street, but from all over town. I chatted with exec chef Ismael Reyes who's ready to rock. They're doing lunch and dinner six days. Look for alligator, frogs legs, and traditional New Orleans fare: gumbo, shrimp Creole, and crawfish etouffe'. A reader reports the po' boys are super and the french fries kick ass. But as to the real stuff, Chris prepares the gumbo from an old family recipe. Here's to you, guys.

Brown Palace Hotel
321 17 St - 303/297-3111
www.brownpalace.com
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. I usta give this room raves, but the last several meals and recent reader comments have been on the negative side. But 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.

Buckhorn Exchange
1000 Osage St - 303/534-9505
www.buckhorn.com
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. Check out Gramma Fanny's pot roast sangie for lunch.

The Burnsley
1000 Grant St - 303/830-1000
www.burnsley.com
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'.

Capital Grille
1450 Larimer St, 303/539-2500
www.thecapitalgrille.com
Since their opening in mid-November, I've been there four times. The bugger sucks, but the rest of the grub is fantastic, Service is primo. If you ain't tried the cold-smoked lox munchie, you ain't lived. If you haven't guessed, the steaks are superb. The sliced New York is it.

CityGrille
321 E. Colfax Ave - 303/861-0726
www.citygrille.com
This popular legislative hangout is packed all day during "the session". Soups (including some of the best green chili in town) 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 or the Cuban roast pork sangie. Open late.

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. CS

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
www.grdeating.com
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. Number Five on the Best Bugger List.

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. CS

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. CS

Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana
1631 Wazee St - 303/573-5050
www.ilfornaio.com
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 costata alle erba (bone-in rib-eye steak).

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 place, but with linen tablecloths, good service. CS

Le Central
112 E. 8 Ave - 303/863-8094
www.lecentral.com
This is "the affordable French restaurant", where the grub is truly exquisite. Desserts are 2-die-4. Sunday brunch is killer. And if you like mussels, this is The Place. The French bread - maaavelous.

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 on jalapeno halves stuffed with cream cheese, then fried in a crispy wrapper. CS

Luca d' Italia
711 Grant St - 303/832-6600
This Italian trattoria serves unusual dishes not found elsewhere in Denver. Fresh seafood, game, and meats 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.

Max Burgerworks
1512 Larimer St - 303/534-0944
www.maxburgerworks.com
Had this eatery been open more than a few weeks when Rocky Mountain News paid belly John Lehndorff did his Best Buggers list and I did mine, I'm not sure where it would have landed, but it certainly would have been on the list. Not only are the Nieman Ranch beef buggers fantastic, albeit a bit pricey at $9.00 +-, but they do delish sausage buggers, salmon buggers and chicken buggers, plus a variety of other goodies. But you gotta try the pancake batter onion rings. Service is first rate.

McCormick's Fish House and more
1659 Wazee St - 303/825-1107
www.mccormickandschmick.com
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. Service is top-notch. If it swims, it's on the menu.

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

to be continued...