When opened in midsummer on the eastern edge of Park Hill, area residents quickly took to the restaurant. The neighborhood is not awash in dining options, save for the venerable and welcome additions such as and .
But the new restaurant’s rotating seasonal menu featured New American cooking. There was a bar with a large beer and wine selection. And for a neighborhood with its share of young families, the dinner hour started early, so Mom and Dad could swing by for a grown-up meal and still put the kids to bed at a decent hour.
Four months into its tenure, Table Top seems to be generally delivering on its promise. Prices are wallet-friendly, too, with several entrées on the tightly edited menu in the sub-$20 range.
Housed in a 2,400-square-foot space that has, over the years, served as everything from a gas station to a dance studio, Table Top has a casual neighborhood feel. Handsome decorative touches come courtesy of co-owner Josef Sykora, who brings a background in furniture making. (Sykora crafted the tabletops.)
Servers are accommodating. Patient, too, especially with a couple of toddlers wandering around on a recent evening. (Note: Families with diaper-age kids should probably ask to be seated far from the bar; it’s just not a good traffic situation.)
The current menu has an autumn-into-winter feel, so Denverites who endured the recent wave of should feel grateful.
Table Top offers a couple of novel dishes, including one dubbed cauliflower popcorn. Mini-florets of cauliflower are tossed with curried almonds and smoked garlic oil. The florets resemble hominy, but are far tastier.
Another interesting dish was a burrata whose set-up departed from the typical tomato-and-basil garnish. This version came with grilled pears, smoked lemon and scallion, with grilled bread to load with the creamy cheese.
A last blast of summer arrived with the warm tomato bisque, studded with a small crostini packed with goat cheese. The soup bore a light drizzle of olive oil and was flecked with dime-size oregano leaves.
Far less successful was a dish of grilled Japanese eggplant with chorizo, heirloom tomato, feta cheese and romesco sauce. Despite its billing, the chopped tomato was pink and tasteless. Frankly, it should not have made it out of the kitchen.
A pasta entrée dubbed Grandma’s Ragu tasted like Nona indeed was at the stove: housemade pappardelle noodles with a thick red sauce of veal, beef and pancetta dressed with pecorino cheese. A $6 glass of pinot noir — a refreshingly fair price — was a great accompaniment.
Another winner was a pork tenderloin with hearty sides of smashed pumpkin, Broccolini, pear mostarde and pomegranate. It came with a somewhat counterintuitive pairing of hush puppies, which were tender, corn-driven — and absolutely worked. A thick-cut, half-pound burger with aleppo aioli and cheese showed that the kitchen’s way with pork also extended to beef dishes.
Table Top still has some kinks to work out, but it also seems to be on its way to becoming a place with a loyal crop of regulars.
On a cold night with the fireplace cranking, it gives one thoughts of sitting out on the restaurant’s patio come springtime. Lift a glass to that.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
TABLE TOP
Contemporary Bistro
2230 Oneida St. 720-542-9035 tabletopdenver.com
**
Very Good
Atmosphere: Casual, offering food for serious diners but welcoming to children, too.
Service: Friendly, knowledgeable
Beverages: Beer, wine, cocktails
Plates: Starters, $4-$9; small plates, $8-$15; entrees, $14-$24
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m.
Details: Street and on-site lot parking
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
