Everyone already knows about the Barolo Grills and Riojas and Sushi Sasas of our fair city, those excellent restaurants whose names are tossed forth willy-nilly whenever the question of “What’s the best restaurant in town?” arises.
But there, just under the neon radar of those most-talked-about eateries, lurk more than a handful of hot spots that are, while not exactly out of sight, partially obscured by all the chatter about everybody else.
While the town is abuzz with Restaurant Week (Saturday through Feb. 29) we pulled together a short list of Denver’s hidden gems. Only four listed here are participating in Denver Restaurant Week (Bang!, Brooks Steak House, Jewel of India and Cafe Bisque), so you might actually be able to get in to most of them.
Arada
750 Santa Fe Drive; 303-329-3344; ; lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, dinner Sunday
East Colfax gets all the ink for Ethiopian food, but this friendly art-district restaurant brings the good stuff closer to downtown. Have some honey wine before you start trying to pronounce the menu; dinner here is a filling education in culture and spice.
Bang!
3472 W. 32nd Ave., 303-455-1117; ; lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday
Comfort food is de rigueur at many of Denver’s more talked-about restaurants, but Bang!, without much fanfare, nails meatloaf and mashed potatoes as well as anyone. Save room for dessert: The gingerbread cake with whipped cream all but guarantees a night of deep sleep and sweet dreams.
Brook’s Steak House
6538 S. Yosemite St.; 303-770-1177; ; dinner daily
As steakhouses across the country get ever-more glitzy and glamorous, Brook’s, one of the last independents around, maintains the old-school traditions steakhouse purists expect: flawless martinis, white-shirted waiters, a wood-paneled room and excellent prime beef.
Deluxe
30 S. Broadway; 303-722-1550; ; dinner Tuesday-Saturday
Without a lot of hype or hoopla, Deluxe continues to serve one of Denver’s more refined, relaxing, romantic low-key suppers. Visit on a cold night, and warm up with a plate of soothing, piquant paella and a glass of something Spanish.
Pho Duy
945 S. Federal Blvd.; 303-937-1609;
breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
On a strip of Federal Boulevard where restaurants specializing in pho congregate like tweens at a Hannah Montana concert, Pho Duy stands out with some of the best authentic Vietnamese soup in the city. Come early or late to avoid the lunch stampede.
Cafe Bisque
226 Union Blvd., Lakewood; 303-985-4151; breakfast and lunch Monday-Saturday, dinner Tuesday- Saturday, closed Sunday
Most celebrated for its breakfast and brunch dishes, this charming, popular western-burbs favorite also serves smart, innovative suppers like duck confit pizza and soul-satisfying tarte tatin. Well-edited wine list too.
Jewel of India
10343 Federal Blvd., Westminster; 303-469-7779; ; lunch and dinner seven days
Filled with the cozy, evocative aromas of curry and naan, this long-standing Punjabi restaurant dishes up crowd-pleasers like chicken vindaloo and saag paneer, as well as an extensive roster of vegetarian favorites. Curry fans swear that the drive to Westminster is well worth it.
Parisi Firenze a Tavola
4401 Tennyson St.; 303-561-0234; ; dinner Thursday- Saturday
Sure, you could have lunch or grab takeaway from the upstairs restaurant/ deli, or you could sneak downstairs and settle into the subterranean dining room for a multi- course Florentine supper. Designate a driver, as the wine list is worth exploring. Thursday-Saturday only.
Sabor Latino
4340 W. 35th Ave.; 303-455-8664; sabor ;lunch Monday- Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday
Folks focused on portion size will find no complaints at this pan-Latin eatery in north Denver, where the No. 16 Plato Carribeno (steak stir- fried with bacon, bell peppers, onion and black beans) sticks emphatically to any set of ribs. Wash it down with a glass of Chilean carmenère.
Tables
2267 Kearney St.; 303-388-0299; dinner Tuesday- Saturday
If Denver had an award for best chef whose name isn’t boldfaced in at least one gossip column a week, it would go to the exquisitely talented Amy Vitale, who helms this brilliant, homey Park Hill neighborhood bistro that is expanding into the space next door. The menu changes frequently, but if there’s fish to be had, have it.
