A few weeks ago in this column, I presented a pie-in-the-sky wish list for Denver dining. I gassed on about how I’d love us to have many more high-end Mexican restaurants, more neighborhood bread bakeries, more fast-lunch Asian restaurants downtown and in the Tech Center, more restaurants open on Sundays and Mondays, more good neighborhood pizza-by-the-slice counters, and at least one ridiculously fancy French restaurant.
Turns out I’m not the only one with a wish list for Denver dining. Plenty of readers wrote in with their ideas on what would make Denver dining even better. (I’m using just first names here to protect the wishful.)
Here are a few of our culinary wishes:
“This Jersey girl is dying for a good bagel,” wrote Julie. “I’m talking a New York-style, crunchy on the outside, doughy on the inside, piled high with REAL cream cheese (not the kind you get in a little circle package and try to spread with a plastic knife).”
Julie’s right, but to be fair, Denver’s not the only place lacking in bagels. It’s a scientific fact that bagels produced anywhere west of the Hudson river just aren’t the same. But there are just-fine bagels to be had at New York Deli News over on East Hampden Avenue.
“I wish for restaurants that would serve food, real food, not bar food, past 10 p.m.,” wrote Laura. “I have gone to restaurants only to be sent away starving or offered nachos and wings.”
I have to wholeheartedly agree with this one. It’s just not fair to our health workers and others who work late or long hours. There are, however, a few options, like Mezcal on East Colfax Avenue, which is reviewed in today’s edition.
“Turkish food!” wrote Natalie. “After spending a year in Berlin, where Turkish food is everywhere thanks to a large Turkish immigrant population, I miss it. Central Denver could use the full range-from a nice, sit-down Turkish restaurant to a quick doner kebab stand.”
Agreed. In fact, I’d like to see more Eastern-Mediterranean food of all stripes, Syrian to Lebanese to Israeli to Egyptian. It’s good food, and it’s more than falafel.
“The few piano bars and such are all located downtown; it would be great to have a supper club or piano bar in the suburbs,” wrote Lois.
I’m with Lois. Charlie Brown’s on Grant and the Ship Tavern in the Brown Palace Hotel are two great piano bars, but they are decidedly downtown.
“I moved to Denver from New York about 26 years ago,” wrote Alfred. “What I miss most are Spanish restaurants. There was one a number of years back, but it’s long gone. Folks didn’t understand what it was. When I was there, I’d constantly hear people asking why they didn’t have tacos or enchiladas.”
Good point. I’m actually surprised that there aren’t more Spanish-inflected restaurants in town, because the savory-spicy flavor profiles in Spanish and Basque cuisine make perfect sense for Denver palates.
We have the Ninth Door on Blake Street, which serves a nice suite of tapas, and both Meritage at the Omni Interlocken in Broomfield and Baca at the Inverness Hotel near the Tech Center have menus with a bit of a Spanish accent, but we could use a good old-fashioned paella house in town.
So there’s your two cents.
Have faith, comrades. Christmas is coming.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-954-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
