Dining Out
AMERICAN
CafeBar
295 S. Pennsylvania St., 303-362-0227,
* * (Very good) Small plates $8-$12; salads $8-$12; entrees $12-$24. Diners can opt for one of two rooms. The front one offers expansive views of the street. The back room, which holds the dozen-seat bar, also offers views into the open kitchen and a large communal table. While the food has refined touches, including artful presentations, it is at heart rustic, seasonal fare, served by a smart and attentive crew. Last reviewed January 2012.
Coohills
1400 Wewatta St., 303-623-5700
* * (Very Good) Starters, $8-$14; salads, $7-$9; entrees, $17-$39.
Despite a few forays into French cooking technique — brandades, confits and the like — Coohills offers smart versions of straight-up contemporary American fare, down to the use of Snake River Farms beef, Duroc pork and local produce. Diners are a mix of cool kids from downtown, business people seeking post-cubicle resuscitation and food fans working their way through their culinary to-do checklists.
Last reviewed January 2012.
EUROPEAN
Trillium
2134 Larimer St., 303-379-9759,
* * ½ (Very good/Great) Most small plates $8-$11, with the fois gras mousse $16; $7 smorgasbord dishes; entrees $23-$28. This stylish Scandinavian restaurant opened in Denver’s ballpark neighborhood in late 2011, generating buzz as soon as the doors flew open. You’ll find cured fish dishes, a seared duck breast with mushroom dumplings, and a resplendent pork chop with warm applesauce. Last reviewed March 2012.
GLOBAL
Axios
3901 Tennyson St., 720-328-2225,
* ½ (Good/Very good) Appetizers $6-$13; sandwiches $7.50-$12; entrees $13-$27. No one is likely to complain about skimpy portions at Axios. They are large: just the thing if you plan to drag a giant wooden horse up to the gates of a walled city. Pastitsio ($15), Greece’s homey take on macaroni-and-cheese, comes in a square the size of a box of holiday greeting cards. Brizole ($18) is another simple dish: bone-in pork tenderloin finished with pan drippings. It is paired with a salad of sautéed Swiss chard studded with garbanzo beans. Last reviewed December 2011.
ChoLon Bistro
1555 Blake St., 303-353-5223,
* * * (Great) Starters $7-$12; entrees $22-$30. Talk about a nonstop party: ChoLon, located just off Denver’s 16th Street Mall, has been jam-packed since its opening in 2010. Share-plates rule the menu, with standouts including soup dumplings and lobster shu mai. Come at lunch for a relatively relaxed meal, or during the happy-hour rush for a more see-and-be-seen experience (wear your new shoes). Last reviewed May 2011.
Paxia
4001 Tejon St., 720-583-6860,
* * ½ (Very good/Great) Appetizers $5-$13; soups-salads $5-$9; entrees $9-$21. You won’t go wrong with a plate of Chiles en Nogada ($15) at this north Denver gem, helmed by some of the same folks behind the popular Los Carboncitos collection of restaurants. It’s a roasted poblano pepper stuffed with pine nuts, almonds, pecans, raisins and beef, dolloped with a rich walnut-cream sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds. Wash it down with an expertly prepared margarita. Last reviewed February 2012.
TAG Raw Bar
1423 Larimer St., 303-996-2685,
* * * (Great) Small plates $2-$8; larger shared plates$8-$15; noodle bowls $4-$13; chef’s tasting menu $50-$65-$90. TAG’s creative melding of Asian and Latin flavors brings fans to its stylish subterranean LoDo setting to dine on (mostly) uncooked dishes from sashimi to salads to kangaroo tartare. Vegetarians and omnivores will both find creative options, and a fine drinks list to wash it all down. Last reviewed April 2012.
Our star system:
* * * *: Exceptional
* * * : Great
* * : Very good
* : Good
