I’ve had tons of out-of-town guests over the past four months. And like all of us, I feel obliged, and also excited, to show them what Denver’s all about.
But it seems like no matter how often I entertain out-of-towners, I still panic in the days before they get here, wondering what we should do, where we should go, and most important, where we should eat when they’re here.
Of course it depends on who’s visiting. A friend from Seattle doesn’t need to be taken out for fresh Pacific oysters, and pals from New York can skip the pizza parlors. Country cousins oughta be taken for martinis in LoDo, while big-city visitors get more out of a visit to the foothills.
What’s more, the goal when entertaining visitors isn’t always to hit the so-called “best” restaurants in town, it’s to visit a few places where Denver’s local color shines the brightest.
One place I always go after picking guests up at the airport is El Taco de Mexico (714 Santa Fe Drive, 303-623-
3926) for anything on the menu smothered in green chile. My favorite is the pork burrito, but others swear by the chile relleno burrito or the lengua (tongue). Sit at the counter with a glass of lemonade and watch the ladies work; guaranteed your guests will be riveted, and all memories of whatever inevitable miseries their flight involved are erased. After a meal at El Taco, you know you’re in Denver.
For someone who has never been to Colorado, it’s hard to beat The Buckhorn Exchange (1000 Osage St., 303-534-
9505) for delivering on all the preconceived Wild West fantasies most visitors have about our city.
Think great big steaks, fairly good game, rattlesnake dip, and a vibe that would almost be kitsch if it wasn’t so real, and old. And besides, it wouldn’t be fair to send company back home without stories of Rocky Mountain oysters. Head upstairs to the bar after dinner for a whiskey nightcap.
A weekend in Denver oughta include an afternoon in and around Boulder. Lunch at The Kitchen (1039 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-544-5973) provides good fuel for that Chautauqua hike. Don’t expect to walk out of there astonished at how little you’ve paid, but do expect to get a satisfying meal. Have the famous tomato soup and a flatbread with prosciutto and burrata and be sure to down the free El Dorado Springs water with abandon; you gotta hydrate around here.
If you’ve chosen a southward daytrip instead, be in the neighborhood of Amanda’s Fonda (3625 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs, 719-227-1975) when the urge for an afternoon margarita hits. Sit on the patio overlooking Fountain Creek.
If your guests are in town during the week, make it a high-low afternoon (or more precisely, low-high). Start with a link at Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs cart on 16th and Arapahoe in Skyline Park. Ask Jim what he’s got that day (expect answers like reindeer, pheasant or bison) and when he asks if you want cream cheese, suspend your disbelief and say yes. Say yes to sautéed onions, too, which he caramelizes in Coca- Cola. Afterward, stroll over to The Brown Palace Hotel (321 17th St., 303-297-3111) for Lobby Tea (think scones, clotted cream, and, duh, tea). No white gloves required.
Denver is nothing if not a beer town. It’s also a Hickenlooper town. So, swing by Wynkoop Brewing Co. (1634 18th St., 303-297-2700) for a beer and a plate of wings.
Not on the usual list of Denver attractions, but well worth a visit for a peek at the kind of Denver history that out-of-towners don’t always hear about, is Patsy’s Inn (3651 Navajo St., 303-477-8910). A throwback to the time when North Denver was primarily an Italian community, this popular joint has been slinging red sauce, pasta and meatballs since before World War II.
Finally, on the way back to DIA, I frequently stop at Avenue Grill (630 E. 17th Ave., 303-861-2820) to treat my guests to a burger and a martini, which certainly helps smooth out the bumps to come on their flight home. Besides, most airlines don’t even serve meals anymore, so fill ’em up right for the ride.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-820-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
