Among the most ubiquitous signs of March are the sprouting green clovers and college basketball.
Follow that train of thought, if you will, and it will take you to your favorite neighborhood pub, albeit a bit modernized and Americanized in Colorado.
A bit of jolly old England has been incorporated into the Baker St. Pub & Grill, named for the London thoroughfare where you’d be likely to find Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes.
There’s a fireplace, old bottles and other artifacts on wooden shelves that are as omnipresent as TV and college games. The wooden tables and booths are dimly lit, as any good pub seating should be.
Through March, in honor of St. Paddy, the pub is serving corned beef and cabbage with red potatoes and carrots ($8.99). You can also dine on Irish beef stew in Guinness broth that’s served with buttered parsley potatoes ($7.99).
More English favorites are menu mainstays: Scotch eggs ($5.29), hard-boiled eggs encased in English sausage and seasoned bread crumbs; British sausage-roll dinner ($7.99), sausage encased in puff pastry served with beans and garlic mashed potatoes; bangers & mash ($7.99); and shepherd’s pie ($7.99).
If you’re not enamored of such fare, rest easy. Much of the menu is decidedly Western.
Appetizers include grill favorites: potato skins, quesadillas, cheese sticks, calamari and onion rings.
We particularly enjoyed the Buffalo chicken wings, which were well-cooked and crispy with a moderately spiced sauce. The jalapeño poppers — stuffed with cream cheese and breaded — were the first finger foods to disappear from the platter. (You can pick any three appetizers for $13.99)
The black and bleu burger ($6.99) was juicy and tender and loaded with crumbled bleu cheese.
The fish and chips ($9.99 or $7.99 for a half- portion) were served on a fake newspaper, a traditional touch that inspired travel memories from the diners at the table. The cod was moist and flaky, but the light batter could have been more flavorful.
Most entrees are served with seasoned French fries or kettle-cooked chips.
One of the best bargains is the grilled chicken breast ($6.99) served with savory garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. The hearty dish can be split into two meals.
The menu is extensive, so the next time I visit, I want to try the chicken, grape & toasted almond salad ($7.99) or the shredded chicken breast torta ($6.99).
For dessert, we had the seasonal fruit cobbler ($4.99). The cobbler of the day was mango, sprinkled with cinnamon and served with vanilla ice cream. The generous portion was shared, and everyone loved the crispy/chewy batter and the slightly sweet mango.
Next time, we’ll try the chocolate confusion — layers of chocolate cake and fudge with chocolate sauce ($4.99).
Cynthia Pasquale: 303-954-1722 or cpasquale@denverpost.com
Baker St. Pub & Grill
English fare and American grill. 8101 E. Belleview Ave., Denver, daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. 303-577-2790, . $2.99-$12.99. Also 7260 W. Alaska Drive, Lakewood, 303-953-5510.
Front burner: Inexpensive. Excellent service without a hovercraft attitude.
Back burner: No noteworthy complaints.
Gennaro’s Lounge
Why overthink things when what you really want is a couple of beers (and maybe a couple of shots) at a friendly, casual neighborhood bar with a jukebox, a couple of TV sets, and on weekends, nonannoying live music (with no cover)? Bonus: Italian-American food, including decent pizza and a very good chicken parmesan plate. 2598 S. Broadway, 303-722-1044.
Tucker Shaw
