May 11 , 2007
“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.” – Red Foxx
IT WAS ALMOST FOUR YEARS AGO when I did muh Top Ten buggers list after the Rocky Mountain News’s paid belly, John Lehndorff and I traversed the Great Plains (well, some of it) to find the best. Let’s see who’s still around. Numero Uno, 1515 Restaurant has changed chefs – what else is new? – But they are still around and still serving fab food. Number 2, Mel’s Restaurant, shut its doors last month but owners Mel and Janie Master have since opened two new eateries. Number 3, Outback Steakhouse, is still pounding out them buggers along with fine steaks, prime rib and other fare. Numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 (Rodney’s, Dixons Downtown Grill, The Palm and Annie’s Café) are all still going strong and still serving the same fine buggers. Alas, numbers 8 (Le Delice) and 9 (Manhattan Grill) are gone and replaced with other eateries. Number 10 (Jack-N’-Grill) is still a happening place.
I’m not sure if the 7 of 10 above-listed restaurants would have their same ranking if I reviewed them today. I’ve discovered several new contenders since those great days of yesteryear. Let’s look at some new favs, not in any particular order.
Q’s Pub (10133 W. Chatfield Ave, 303/973-2905; www.qspub.com) is the best-kept secret in town. This neighborhood eatery has been serving fresh, hand-packed half-pounders for many years, but nobody knows the place is there. Besides serving terrific buggers and a whole lot more, they offer live entertainment every week, Wednesday thru Saturday nite. Go very early on the weekend or you’ll be SRO.
Yard House (14500 W. Colfax Ave, 303/278-9273; www.yardhouse.com), a super huge eatery located on “the street” at Colorado Mills Mall is known for their several hundred brews on tap. But the foodies know that it has one of the most extensive menus in town and all of it done very well. The prices are a bit high compared to the market, but the quality is first class. I usually have a snack b4 muh bugger, of which there are over 20 munchies on the menu. Muh fav is the grilled Korean BBQ Beef. Then, after drinking at least two large diet drinks, I’m ready for the bugger. After a giant, hand-packed patty of Certified Angus Beef cooked a perfect medium rare and I’m crawling outta there. Sit at the high tops next to the kitchen where you can watch the action. More on this great eatery in a later column. Don’t try to go on a weekend nite; it’s jammed.
Café Del Sol (608 Garrison St, 303/238-7999). This fine Mexican American and some Greek Grub restaurant has been around for over 20 years with the same ownership and some of the same staff as when they first opened. It’s usually the half pound plus bugger with green chile strips and jack cheese that I go for. Yeah, I know, a bugger should be nekked. But here it’s different; don’t know why, just is. Along with maybe the best fries in town and some of BJ’s homemade pies, I can go back to work very happy.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House (8100 E. Orchard Rd, 303/796-0100; www.delfriscos.com) is the upscale entry of Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon and Sullivan’s Steak House. Located less than a mile from each of its two main competitors (Brook’s and Morton’s) it’s the only one of “the trio” opened for lunch. So what better time is there for a bugger? When I was in there for lunch last week, the joint was packed. But I was the creative genius on site who reinvented their popular bugger; GM Marc Steron just doesn’t know about it yet. Having been served this magnificent specimen of fresh ground beef, I looked at the OK bun and the side of sautéed onions (yeah, yeah, but this was an exception). Then I looked at the loaf of fresh house-made bread just delivered (after I polished off the first loaf). Hmmm, I sed to my self. “Self”, I sed, “Let’s do it”. So I cut the loaf of house-made bread in half, slit it sideways, pulled out a pile of the insides, slid my bugger in the middle, slapped a few sautéed onions on, and chomped. Yo! This was one might fine bugger! Of course, after finishing the giant beast (and some crab cakes) I was stuffed. But not too stuffed for the house-made lemon layer cake. Then I walked back to my office in Lakewood.
Cool River Café (8000 E. Belleview Ave, 303/771-4117; www.coolrivercafe.com) is home to the bugger that blew me away. The first time I had one, it was so good, had sooo much flavor that I had to have a second one for dessert. Now I have two every time I go.
Prime 121 (121 Clayton Lane, 303/398-2627; www.prime121.com) will certainly make the Top Ten cuz it’s fab. They grind the meat every day and hand-pack the sucka onto a fine bun. This new Cherry Creek eatery, located in the former Bob’s Steak joint, is packin’ 'em in. Former Palm GM Scott Fickling is running the place and keeps a watchful eye on the grub as well as the service. Check out the scrumptious lamb chops which G sez are the best she’s ever had. Cuz I lean to the unbelievable chops at the Capital Grille. We’re gonna do a contest shortly.
The Capital Grille (1450 Larimer St, 303/539-2500; www.thecapitalgrille.com), in all honesty, is my favorite spot for lunch in town – especially if someone else is buying. I didn’t care for the bugger here when I first started dining here, Maybe the recipe was abit different then, or maybe the rib-eye steak sangie was so damn good, I don’t know. Now I have to spend more time deciding what to have, but in either event, this bugger is a sure winner. And that’s in spite of the fact it has onion, bacon and Havarti cheese ground up in the mix. The accompanying onion roll is good, but I swap it for one of the hard rolls that comes in the basket. Make note of the fact that there is no better service anywhere, day in and day out, than at this upscale steakery.
240 Union (240 Union Blvd, 303/989-3562, www.240union.com) serves a mighty fine bugger. It’s tuff to find on the menu cuz you gotta look for the keywords, “quarter kilo cheese burger” – shucks, I had to look three times on the menu tonite to find the damn thing. My good friend Michael Floorwax and I dine here regularly (Table 13). He constantly asks me why I get a bugger here when there’s so much other great grub to choose from. My answer is always the same. “Cuz it’s on the menu”.
As you mosey around town checking the buggers at the above-mentioned eateries, note that the trick at most of these is to get some else to buy. Unless you think dropping your drink on your plate and all over your lap just before you take the last bite will get you a comped meal. Hell, I’ve spilled enuf food on my clothes over the years to feed the entire population of the state of Wyoming for a hundred years and I ain’t got a freebie yet. Long Live The TideStick.
Cya.
In his real life Jay Fox is a CPA. He offers all kinds of good tax planning advice, financial calculators and the latest in tax news at his website: www.jayfoxcpa.com. He just writes this column for the money.