If you haven’t made your Mother’s Day (Sunday) reservations yet, what are you waiting for? The Colorado Restaurant Association says next to birthdays, it’s the biggest single dining-out occasion, with nearly 40 percent of folks responding in a national poll this year that they’ll dine out that day, up from 30 percent in 1996.
The association sends out this plea: If you make reservations and can’t go that day, please cancel as soon as possible, even if it’s last-minute, because it’s pretty certain the restaurant will fill every seat that day.
Our list of spots offering Mother’s Day meals appears today in the Food Calendar. A new one worth special mention is the former Pinnacle Club restaurant and lounge, with the best view in town, from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak when the skies cooperate.
Now that the Grand Hyatt Denver has taken over the space on the 38th floor at 555 17th St., the space is open to the public for lunch and special brunches on weekends.
The front of the house is run by general manager John Schafer, with chef de cuisine Kevin Villalovos, who headed the kitchen at Antares Restaurant in the Reunion Tower in Dallas. Doug Kennis, most recently at Ellyngton’s in the Brown Palace (321 17th St.), serves as maitre d’.
The official weekend opening will be Mother’s Day, with a brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $49.95 for adults, which includes champagne, and $24.95 for kids 4-12; little ones 3 and under are free.
Lunch runs 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays with delectable items to match the stunning scenery, such as mushroom cappuccino soup with brandy froth and porcini dust; and seared duck breast with braised red cabbage, jasmine rice and apricot rum chutney.
New to you: Bene Gourmet Pizza (8547 E. Arapahoe Road in Greenwood Village) has opened its first Colorado location, in the Arapahoe Marketplace Plaza. The Oregon- based chain offers pizzas and salads.
In Centennial, Sapa (6882 S. Yosemite St.) is pronounced “shah-pah” and serves Thai and Vietnamese food for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Owners Yume Tran and Jeff Nghiem also have Indochine (10920 S. Parker Road) in Parker.
Change is good: At the inviting neighborhood spot A La Tomate (1618 E. 17th Ave.), owners Michelle and Phil Collier have added a full bar and expanded the menu, including a prix fixe menu Friday and Saturday nights starting at 5:30 p.m. that focuses on French comfort foods.
At Bistro Vendôme (1424 Larimer St.), Wine & Cheese Wednesdays are taking off, starting at 5 p.m. and featuring three cheeses from The Truffle with a flight of three wines for $15 per person. No reservations needed.
Up in Berthoud, another French restaurant, The Savoy (535 3rd St.), is reinventing itself as a brasserie. Owners Chantal and Jean Martini say they have always wanted to have a brasserie in addition to their fine-dining restaurant, but they haven’t been able to find the right space. So they’ve decided to incorporate brasserie dishes into their existing menu. That means reasonable prices ($10.95-$15.95) for such classics as escargots, salmon ravioli, calamari steak, pâtés, cheese plates and terrines.
Adega Restaurant + Wine Bar celebrates its third anniversary this week with a three-course, prix fixe special 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. The courses include appetizer, entree and dessert for $30, but not alcohol, taxes or tip. Starting tonight, Adega offers Wine Down Wednesdays from 5-10 p.m., tastings of sommeliers’ favorite wines from $5-$30 per glass or $30 for all six, as well as $20 bottle specials.
Free advertising: The Colorado Chefs Association and the Colorado Beef Council will sponsor the 11th Annual Celebrity Pro/Am Cooking Classic May 3 at the Denver Merchandise Mart (Interstate 25 at 58th Avenue exit) 6-9 p.m. Cost is $50 per person for the massive food and wine tasting.
Dining critic Kyle Wagner can be reached at 303-820-1958 or kwagner@denverpost.com.
