luckylily's Profile
Looking for Sushi grade fish near Boulder/Denver
Pacific Mercantile Company (1925 Lawrence St) in Denver. HMart has cheap, packaged sashimi, but you'll get much better quality at the Japanese store.
Korean Fried Chicken in Denver/metro?
Please keep me posted if you find anything. There used to be a place in the 1980s that served this when I was growing up in Littleton. Korean-owned mom and pop shop, and all they served was fried chicken and french fries. Too bad they weren't open very long. I never realized until reading the NYT article just now that it was Korean-style chicken.... Duh! I never knew such a thing existed. No wonder it tasted so good. Man, that was the best fried chicken ever!
Recent Meals in Boulder and Beyond
I prefer Pho Duy in the same complex, but I admit it's been a while since I've been to 79.
I already mentioned this on Claire's blog, but that sign on the old Armadillo says "Hong Sing" in Chinese, which is the same as Super Star's Chinese name. However, the English on the ex-Armadillo sign says "Heaven Star".
I live close by and am keeping my fingers crossed, as well!
Help for Food in Longmont, CO
It's been almost a year since I've been to Longmont, with the obligatory stop at Deli Cioso, but it was still terrific! Cheap food (especially the daily special). Great green chile - a little watery, but flavorful with huge chunks of melt-in-your-mouth pork. Steer clear of the tacos, and stick to the burritos or tacos azetca.
Efrain's is okay, but if you're in Lafayette, there's a great taco cart next to the Mexican grocery store.
Rib House gets rave reviews from a friend of mine.... I'l have to check it out someday.
Big City Burrito (CO)
Just tried the one near 136th and I-25. Got a burrito and did not like it at all. On the plus side, the service was friendly, and they have a bunch of hot sauces and flavored wraps. However, the food was bland, a bit cold, and definitely not tasty. I'd actually rate it under Illegal Pete's (my personal fav, cuz I get my burritos in a bowl... and they give you chips), Chipotle, and Qdoba. Won't be back to Big City.
Middle Eastern in Denver/Boulder
My favs are Damascus on Colorado and Beirut Grill (by the old Cinderella City on Hampden), evidently sister-restaurants. Syrian, I believe... amazing hummus. I also love Jersualems near DU... been going there since high school and can't seem to find tabouleh as good anywhere else, or chicken sharmawah sandwiches, for that matter. Don't expect good service, there though. ;)
I've also tried Ya Hala Grill, Pita Jungle, and Kabob Station but not as impressed as the restaurants above.
Also, Falafel King is a nice chain fall-back for good gyros fast, and they package their hummus in containers that they sell in store and at Whole Foods. A local company, Blue Moose of Boulder, makes dips including hummus that they sell in grocery stores. I even saw them at a roadshow in Costco, once. I'm not particularly fond of their hummus (too thick and cumin-y, IMHO... I prefer the airy, creamy, kind), but I like some of their other dips.
dim sum... denver
First off, dim sum on a non-Saturday/Sunday here in Denver is not worth it. Food is cold, selections are limited, etc. Kinda like going to a buffet at 3pm. =)
The downside to going on the weekends is that it's always a zoo. As for flagging down servers, prepared to be agressive! Same thing when it comes to asking for drinks, getting your bill totaled, etc. Idle sitting around expecting the American definition of "good service" will not get you very far in a crowded dim sum place on the weekend. Don't worry - the staff won't be offended. Usually, they're just too busy to fawn over guests.
Went to KL for years before there was SS. Personally, I think the food is tastier at SS, but both are good.
As a Chinese-American who is a Denver native (and who has eaten at dim sum places all around North America), I think we have pretty good dim sum here now.
dim sum... denver
No, it's in the strip mall behind the old Ocean City, in a spot that was previously a buffet, I believe. Have not been there myself, but drove by it the other night.
Sushi restaurants in Denver?
A second vote for Sushi Sasa. Lunch special is simple (items like salmon terriyaki) and well-priced. But go for the omakase! An amazing variety of food, elegantly presented and tailored to your comfort level. I eat just about anything, and the monkfish liver I had there once was incredible. However, if you are only interested in rolls, you might be happier with a place like Bonzai.
Lack of Denver Chowhound postings
I had the tacos and the smothered breakfast burrito at ETDM. Neither good. Plus, they put sauces on my tacos that weren't really that great. I thought the tacos at Rancho Libirio were better than ETDM (same price and same size).
Go try Tacos y Salsa. The al pastor is amazing! The salsa bar is a huge plus, because I eat my tacos with all the fixings. I get to choose the sauces I put on, if any. Some of them don't need sauce. And, for the same price, they're bigger than the ones at ETDM, too.
Frasca Hype (Boulder)
I finally made it to Frasca. And it was a huge disappointment. None of the food tasted that great.
The first two courses were drenched in olive oil. The first course was just bizarre: supposedly a mushroom and cheese custard. But it was strained, and I couldn't see nor taste any mushroom. The only evidence of mushroom being present was in the color of the custard: an ugly gray. Incredibly unappetizing to look at and even worse to eat. The main course was good, but much too salty, almost to the point of being unedible. The cake served for dessert was dry. The tablespoon-sized scoop of gelato was the highlight of the meal. As my husband likes to say, "At least we paid a lot for it!"
I admit that the service was excellent, probably one of the best in the area. But I felt my money was better spent at any one of the other "trendy" places in Boulder or Denver.
Lack of Denver Chowhound postings
I know this thread is a little old, but just have to interject... We checked out El Tacos de Mexico the other night. I prefer Tacos y Salsas (the one on Federal and Missippi) for tacos, hands down. Not sure how authentic taco-truck style tacos are, though....? I don't think the store was open when Megiac posted this back in December, though.
Denver Soul Food Question (with a focus on hush puppies)
When it comes to BBQ, there's nothing like Yazoo's rib tips in my mind. But I've been to M&Ds and thought it was good eats. My husband thought it was just ok. It's a different style of 'cue; it doesn't have that heavy smoky flavor I love.
We've been to M&Ds twice. I've had the BBQ and the fried fish. Both were tasty. The BBQ comes heavy with sauce, so I got it on the side. The candied yams and mac 'n cheese are my favorite sides. I could eat a giant bowl of each! Definitely a home-style cooking joint.
Denver Soul Food Question (with a focus on hush puppies)
For me... Yazoo's for rib tips, period. Forget the ribs. The Bob didn't really impress me. Alas, they don't serve hush puppies.
global chili company
Drove by while I was in Boulder a few months ago, and it was gone (replaced by a D.P. Dough, I believe).
Cooking Classes in Denver, CO
Seasoned Chef http://www.theseasonedchef.com caters to the home cook. Looks like there's an Indian cuisine class in September.
All you can eat Sushi in Denver
That was a Todai. It closed at least 10 years ago. Man, I love Todai.
The only AYCE sushi you'll find here is at the Chinese buffets. The sushi quality is questionable, the selection usually limited to rolls and a few common nigiri. It's just something they include so they can advertise about it. My husband loves sushi (we're both Chinese), but he won't touch it at these places. Some have already been suggested: LD, Great Wall, New King Buffet. If you go expecting to have great sushi, you will be SORELY disappointed. These are $10-$15 chinese buffet (dinner) places... sesame chicken, chow mein, etc.. that happen to have some california rolls and such on the menu.
Consider spending the money and go to a nice sushi place... or maybe go for happy hour if you don't want to spend that kind of money.
If I were you, I'd skip the idea of sushi altogether and save it for when your kids return for a visit to SoCal. Denver is landlocked... cheap/good sushi is definitely hard to come by. Why not try some the local cuisine instead?
Denver recs near Coors
You'll find that this area has one of the highest concentrations of microbreweries/pubs around. Actually, Colorado has one of the largest microbreweries per capita in the nation, I believe.
These restaurants welcome families, so it's not really a bar scene (although the brewery smell is sometimes strong), and your brother would certainly fit in no problem. They're like.. CB&Potts, Hops, Chili's, Bennigan's... bar and grill type places, but they brew their own beers. Also, the breweries usually have reasonable prices, as opposed to the more Chowhoundish places along Larimer and in LoDo which are usually a lot pricier. That's probably why there are so many brewery suggestions in this thread, since you asked for affordable good eats. Also, you mentioned you were college students, so these places match your demographic.
As far as these types of places in LoDo go, I like Wynkoop Brewery, Blake Street Tavern, Breckenridge Brewery... all family friendly and good food. I can't recommend Celtic Tavern, as they're one of the few places that allow smoking, and that doesn't sit well with me, but the food was good.
Denver recs near Coors
I love the rib tips at Yazoo's. Also, McCormick's cheeseburger deal at happy hour is a good deal, especially if you usually order drinks anyways. If you're near the Highlands, Sushi Sasa has an affordable lunch special (never been to Mori's... I'll have to add that to the list).
longtime Boston hound moving to Denver...
Last time I was at Swing Thai, I heard Cantonese being spoken. I agree it was pretty bad. We recently checked out US Thai in Edgewater, which I thought was good and authentic. Khow Thai (Boulder and Broomfield) has a good lunch deal. Hubby still prefers the pad thai and prig pow noodles at Zo in Broomfield (used to be named Siamese Plate - same chain as in Boulder, but recently changed names), but it's really close to where we live. It's probably not as authentic, because it didn't taste like the pad thai at US Thai or Yummy Yummy Tasty Thai. But it suits our taste buds.
I still need to check out Chada Thai!
Denver area info needed, please:
Welcome! Some great rec's here. I'll try not to repeat. Just a warning... I like a bargain, so these might be on the cheapie side.
Chinese (authentic) - For lunch (and the same menu / prices late-night), JJ's on Alameda is fantastic. It's a couple blocks east of Federal, next to the Premier Bank.
Vietnamese - I'm a big regular of Pho Duy and Pho 79. Also, the banh mi place... Paris...? Next to the Lollicup and old JJ's location.
Korean BBQ - My favs are Silla and House of Korean BBQ, especially for lunch. Korea House isn't bad, either.
Dining in Littleton/Morrison, CO
I always thought Thai Hiep was Vietnamese. Or that's how they started, but perhaps they've branched out.
You've probably discovered there's not much immediately by your hotel but chain restaurants. You might considering venturing into Denver or maybe head outward from C-470 towards Golden or Highlands Ranch for more dining options.
Got a new Zojirushi, recipe suggestions?
Love mine! Don't know how I lived without it before. However, since we're at high altitude, I cook the brown rice on the semi-brown setting, but add water to the brown rice line. I like making steel cut oatmeal in it, too.
Best Desserts in a Chain
Every few years, I'd get random cravings for the apple skillet with ice cream at Bennigan's... that was until Taco Bell's empanadas came into existence (already mentioned by katiepie). Outside of the States, KFC's egg tarts (in Asia) are incredible.
Jason Sheehan @ Westword
Thanks for starting this thread. It definitely belongs elsewhere -- I hate hijacking other threads. I was a little weary of checking it out because it felt like I was being reprimanded on the post that spawned this discussion.
Advertising controversy or not, I felt like Jason Sheehan's reviews have gone downhill lately. And I agree about the lack of anonymity factor (which almost made me NOT try out Sushi Sasa... he wrote about being acknowledged when he walked in... glad I decided to anyhow).
I do commend his sense of adventure, especially when it comes to authentic ethnic dishes and hole-in-the-wall eateries. And he's certainly my favorite local critic; usually, I find his articles extremely entertaining.
I've just been more wary of his reviews lately, after visiting some that were complete disasters, which is why I like reading others' opinions right here on Chowhound and other consumer-review sites.
Denver cheap ,and tasty Italian
I agree we all have different tastes and preferences. I wasn't trying to attack Jason Sheehan's credibility. He has certainly introduced me to some great new restaurants, including Sushi Sasa and Frasca. I also like how he's written about some of the more hole-in-the-wall restaurants that I found on my own or through friends. And I love how he's not afraid to try some of the more authentic dishes at ethnic restaurants.
All I'm trying to say is maybe I just had a string of bad luck with his recommendations lately, so I'm more cautious now. Maybe it's just that -- bad luck -- and nothing more. The places that come to mind off the top of my head are:
- Forbidden City Buffet: I'm all about cheap Chinese buffets. But the food was awful, especially compared to joints such as LD, Great Wall, and China King. Forbidden City very well could be one of the worst in Denver in that price range, in my opinion.
- Ya Hala: Terrible experience here. Over an hour wait for the food (even though there was only one other table there) and it didn't taste very good. Personally, I prefer Damascus/Beirut Grill, Pita Jungle... heck, even Falafel King or Jerusalem's.
- Cowbobas: Didn't think it was all that cheap, plus there was more fat and gristle than meat. The bobas were flat out terrible - chalky mix and tapiocas not cooked properly.
- Han Kang: Wasn't terrible, but not stellar either. Better Korean food elsewhere. I guess I was especially miffed with this visit because we went during lunch, and there wasn't a lunch menu (like at House of Korean BBQ or Silla). So, the thrifty diner in me was disappointed. Also, I thought the side dishes weren't very good compared to other restaurants.
And yes, all of these places run ads in the Westword.
Granted, I may have very well gone on "off" days. Or we might not have the same tastes. Or my expectations were too high based upon reading Jason's reviews before visitng. Or my opinion is skewed because I have a tendency of factoring in value (money spent vs. quality received) into my equations. Or I've just had a really terrible string of bad luck with his rec's lately.
And of course, these are all just one random gal's opinions... take 'em or leave 'em.
In any case, I didn't mean to offend anyone.... especially not Mr. Sheehan... and I'm sure he of all people understands that not everyone agrees with his reviews.
Now, can't we all just get along? ;)
Pupusas in north Boulder (CO)
My first time eating pupusas after the Boulder Creek Festival this past weekend. Carnitas were great for $1.50. Stuffed to the brim! I enjoyed the Rajas con Queso. Thought it was great for the price, but the hubby felt it was just okay. Maybe I hyped it up too much beforehand. ;)
