“Success to me is having ten honeydew melons and eating only the top half of each one.” - Barbra Streisand
October 19, 2004
HAVING LIVED AND WORKED IN LAKEWOOD for the past thirty plus years, I spend a disproportionate part of my time dining in Lakewood, altho I don’t write that many more columns about Lakewood dining. Quite simply, there haven’t been a lot of “fine dining” or upscale restaurants in the city but there have always been a number of very good restaurants. I remember taking the former local paid belly, Bill St. John to task over his bitching in his column about the lack of quality restaurants on the West Side of town. In fact I will match 240 Union (240 Union Blvd, 303/989-3562; www.240union.com) against any eatery in metro Denver. But that’s about to change.
I’m talking about Belmar, Lakewood’s new “downtown”. If you haven’t driven by and seen all the excitement in the past six months, you’ve missed out. If you haven’t been to the fresh food European Market on Alaska Street every Sunday all summer long, you’ve missed out. If you didn’t attend the ultra fabulous First Annual Italian festival that was held on Sunday, September 26th with a packed crowd on the most gorgeous day of the year, you really missed out. Oh, but the dining that is happening and about to happen is gonna knock your socks off.
G and I have been to Ted’s Montana Grill about a dozen times since it opened 10 weeks ago. I gotta tellya. The food is really good. It‘s really close to my office and to my house. But in the 17 years I’ve been writing this column, I’ve never eaten at any restaurant so often. Wanna know why? Cuz G makes me do it. She likes the food and all that. We can take the grandkids and there’s lots for them to eat. But. It’s also J. Jill. And Chico’s. And Coldwater Creek, Brighton Collectibles, Ann Taylor’s, The Loft, DSW, Pier I Imports, The Children’s Place (we have now 4 1/3 perfect grandchildren), Victoria’s Secret, and a few dozen other stores to shop at. And that don’t include all the ones that are coming! Sometimes it costs me $300 or $400 just to have a bugger. Or buy some fresh tomatoes to take home. They also have the bestest movie theater in all of Colorado. Century Theatres with 16 screens and comfy chairs is now open. And it’s smack next door to Johnny Rockets. And lots of free parking.
If you ain’t been, visit Belmar (www.belmarcolorado.com) on line today or get in the car and go. Just head for the old Villa Italia at Wads and Alameda and there you are. There’s 4,000 free parking spaces including 1,900 spaces in the two giant garages. There is also short-term metered street parking for running in and out of one of the great retail stores.
So let’s talk grub. There are three restaurants plus Ben and Jerry’s Ice Creamery and Jamba Juice that are open.
Ted’s Montana Grill (330 S. Teller St, 303/922-7770; www.tedsmontanagrill.com) serves bison buggers, beef buggers, chicken, and some of the best soups in town. They also have fine steaks, fresh salmon, and a yummy meatloaf. And malts and shakes and other goodies. Try sitting at the bar near the cooks sometime and watching the action. GS Bryce goes crazy when he sees Scooter hanging on the back wall.
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill (7085 W. Alaska Drive, 303/991-9090; www.bajafresh.com) a division of Wendy’s, altho not the sucko quality you get at Wendy’s. Remember the old “hot and juicy”? They’re now cold and dry. Anywho, Baja fresh is serving some good grub. The salsas are handcrafted daily with fresh stuff. The steak is USDA choice and the chickens have never been on TV.
Johnny Rockets (450 S. Teller St, 303/922-7044; www.johnnyrockets.com) is full of fun, frolicking and good grub. While they still won’t cook me a rare bugger any more, it’s still deliteful to eat there. I don’t use the word “dine” cuz it definitely ain’t that. But they have a super tuna sangie, good buggers if you don’t mind well-done, great shakes and malts and assorted other yummies. The entire wait staff dances about every half hour to the tune of the day. The Belmar store is relatively small, but it has a great patio (weather permitting) and the staff seems to have fun working there. The customers get into the fun as well. Every one leaves with a smile and a full tummy. Just in time to catch the show next door at the Century Theatre, or maybe get some grub on the way outta the theater on the way home. The apple pie is quite yummy.
Ben & Jerry’s (7181 W. Alaska Drive, 303/934-2888; www.benjerry.com) is really here. I’ve never been fond of Ben & Jerry’s (as those of you who have been to my office can attest) because I don’t like paying all that money for non ice cream stuff when I buy ice cream. I don’t want nuts, marshmallows, bananas, brownie pieces or all that other stuff in my ice cream, and I don’t want to pay high ice cream prices for it. Now I know that they are going to be making some plain old ice cream in the basic flavors, but I haven’t seen it on the shelves yet. Anywho I like Dreamery Ice Cream better. But the folks at this new store are real nice so go in and buy a cone.
Jamba Juice (7161 W. Alaska Dr, 720/974-3216; www.jambajuice.com) serves juice. And smoothies, boosts and baked goods. Healthy foo foo stuff. Hey, someone out there must like the stuff cuz there are 430 of them suckers around the country and more coming.
Scheduled to open are the following eateries. Note that most of the telephone numbers may be tentative and may not be operational yet. Watch for the opening dates or check on line at www.belmarcolorado.com
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro (7210 W. Alameda Ave, 303/922-5800; www.pfchangs.com). There aren’t enuf superlatives in the dictionary to describe this always packed, great eatery. I usta complain that they didn’t take reservations and I couldn’t understand why folks would spend time just waiting for a seat in any restaurant no matter how good. Ceptin’ now they take reservations. And it’s a good thing cuz now I can go more often. I’m in a rut when I go to Chang’s. It’s always the lettuce wraps with chicken for starters, then some ribs, then zee duck. Usually a double order of duck. I can’t help it, I luv that stuff. I just wanna know where they get the perfect lettuce leaves for the wraps. Must chop down one heck of lot of lettuce trees to get them that perfect. Go. They’re scheduled to open November 8th. Lotsa veggie dishes for those who do that. They can even do Gluten Free.
Frisco’s Deli and Market (7057 W. Alaska Drive, 303/229-2234; www.friscosdeli.com) is the brainchild of culinary school graduate Steve Devery and Bryan Lee who joined forces to find their ultimate dream. Open daily (10 am – 9 pm Monday -Saturday; 11 am – 6 pm Sunday) to bring you the freshest and finest housemade soups, salads and French and Italian style deli sangies. There will also be a butcher case with quality meat, fresh game (seasonal) and Boar’s Head brand deli meats. In the retail section of the store you can also find prepared dinners, imported cheeses and olives and lots of other accompaniments for your dinner table. This will be a welcome addition to the Belmar dining scene. Frisco’s is scheduled to open mid November.
Elephant Bar & Restaurant (7111 W. Alaska Dr; www.elephantbar.com) is another California chain but gets high marks from the locals who have dined at the Arapahoe Road store. Serving buggers well done is not my cup of tea, but they have other items on the huge menu that ought to find me dining there from regularly. Ooh, homemade chicken noodle soup. Anyone have Campbell’s in the last fifty years? Really sucks. Howsabout a JamaicaMojo salad? Or some Kona BBQ pork ribs? Sounds yummy. They have discounts for seniors and that’s me. Barely. Scheduled to open early November.
The Oven (7167 W. Alaska Dr, 303/934-7600; www.tarbells.com)
is owned by Phoenix Super Chef Mark Tarbell. This upscale pizzeria and Italian
trattoria came about because Chef Tarbell was so impressed by the Belmar development
and the creation of a city within a city, that he decided to open not one but
two upscale dining emporiums. At The Oven everything will be made from scratch
including all the sauces as well as the mozzarella cheese. The sausage will
come from Denver’s Marczyk Fine Foods (770 E. 17 Ave, 303/894-9499; www.marczyk.com).
Known for his fabulous wood oven pizza, you will now get to taste the best.
The Oven will open mid November. The other restaurant that Mark will open sometime
early next summer is tentatively called Home.
Home will be similar in concept to his well-known Phoenix fine dining restaurant, Tarbell’s (3213 E. Camelback Rd, 602/955-8100; www.tarbells.com). We know it will have moderate prices, gourmet dining and first class service. John Mariani wrote in Wine Spectator magazine, “Tarbell's is a strikingly handsome restaurant without a whit of chichi.” I don’t have a clue what “chichi” is, but it certainly sounds impressive. This genuinely nice guy was so generous with his time on the telephone, I know the restaurant is gonna be great because all great restaurants are run by great people. Mark assures me that his bugger will be the best I’ve ever had. How can a place like that go wrong? I can’t wait. Check out their website.
Lucky Strike Bowling Alley (415 S. Teller St; www.bowlluckystrike.com) Yeah, who sez bowling alleys don’t serve good food? Well, Steven Foster is out to disprove that myth. His first venture outside of California will be downtown Denver at the Pavilions and will open November 6th. Belmar will open sometime next spring. There will be 18 lanes of bowling, but more importantly 80 seats in the main dining room and 40 seats in the private party room. The menu will feature buggers, chicken specialties, ocean delites and other yummies. More about this entertainment center next spring. G and I may have to take up bowling…again. Some of you readers may remember those days.
The Problem. My office is less than a mile from Belmar. With all these great eateries close by, where’s the incentive to travel to other parts of the metro area?
Cya at Belmar.
You can write to dining critic Jay Fox as well as read his most recent columns at www.jayfoxcpa.com.