Bistro Provençal opened last week, bringing a French bistro to the neighborhood of Riverfront Park, right across from Zengo.
It’s owned by chef and French native Alain Veratti, who started the Crepes ‘n Crepes eateries in Denver and wanted to expand.
“It’s nice to do something new,” he said. “I’ve been doing crepes for about 11 years now.”
Last week, during a soft launch for friends and family, lots of people chose to eat on the streetside patio, where the vibe is casual and relaxed. Life moves at a slower pace here, as in the French countryside, compared with the fast-casual lunch bustle on the 16th Street Mall.
The focus is on food from the south of France, and inside, the cheerful bistro includes a large painting of the deep purple lavender fields of Provençe.
The menu includes such specialties as Tourte aux Fruits de Mer a la Provencal — puff pastry with salmon, shrimp, crab, tomatoes, garlic, white wine and Provencal herbs — and Lasagne de Crepes a la Polenta et Bolognaise, a casserole of polenta crepes and Bolognese sauce that sold out daily.
In addition to such classics as Salade Nicoise and lots of tempting quiches, there are gaufres — waffles are common throughout France. They include waffles topped with bacon and eggs, and waffles with spinach and feta cheese or waffles topped with smoked salmon.
And, of course, there’s a wide range of crepes for dessert.
Bistro Provençal also features French wines.
“People have been very warm and welcoming,” said sous chef Jonny Garcia. “They’ve been saying that we add a lot of flair and a different style to the neighborhood.”
It’s open seven days a week, starting at 8:30 for breakfast until 10 p.m., except on Monday, when it closes at 3 p.m.
1590 Little Raven St. 303-623-0605
Blue-ribbon cookie bar
Just the name of the recipe — Maple Bacon Chocolate Nut Cookie Bars — makes you hungry.
Bacon is one of those food trends that’s still holding strong, and Mike Milosavich is happy to share his recipe.
He won a blue ribbon and $200 for his sweet concoction, which placed first in the 2015 Gold Medal Flour Cookie Contest at the Colorado State Fair.
“I was kind of tired of regular cookies, so I made this up,” said Milosavich, who lives in Pueblo with his wife, Laura.
“My wife likes to dip her bacon into maple syrup so I figured I’d make up a nut bar,” he said. “I used a lot of walnuts, and maple flavoring instead of vanilla.”
It’s been a stellar week for the couple.
“Last night, we both won in the cinnamon rolls contest,” he said. “She won first and I won third.”
Milosavich got into baking about 10 years ago, when he got a bread machine and started experimenting.
He credits his wife, who excels in the culinary arts, as his inspiration.
“She’s got bags of blue ribbons,” he said.
For his recipe, go to
Conscious coffee
Edgewater is home to a cool new coffee house that’s also a , which means it’s top-rated for social responsibility.
It’s also a business success story.
Brothers Tim and Tommy Thwaites started Coda Coffee in 2005 as a local, wholesale coffee company that also has an online store.
Last year, Roast Magazine named Coda Coffee roaster of the year.
The brothers just opened their flagship retail store in Edgewater, where people can hang out drinking great coffee that’s both organic and Fair Trade-certified.
The 1,800-square-foot space near Sloan’s Lake features a high-end espresso machine that lets baristas modify the espresso extraction, based on bean density.
They offer four blends of espresso, with espresso flights for people who want to try more bean varieties.
And there’s food to go with the coffee — paninis, bakery goods and salads.
The grand opening starts at 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 18.
The first 25 people to arrive will receive a Coda Coffee travel mug plus a $75 gift card for drinks at Coda’s coffee shop.
The celebrations, which last until 8 p.m., will feature unique coffee blends, including a rare Ethiopian Geisha coffee with a subtle, fruit-like flavor.
Fifty percent of the proceeds made on opening day will go to Girls on the Run – Rockies Chapter, which aims to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident through running.
5224 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater. Codacoffee.com.
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083, coconnor@denverpost.com or twitter.com/coconnordp
