Destination: Denver DNC on the Cheap
Kingpin food on a volunteer budget at the
Democratic National Convention
While the bigwigs are eating expensive sushi, most young volunteers who make the trek to Denver for the 2008 Democratic National Convention will crash in dorms or friends’ apartments and graze on doughnuts, pizza, and any other freebies they can grab.
“At the volunteer site, I think Domino’s was the provider all the days I was there. They had sandwiches as well from some local deli,” says one former volunteer at the 2004 DNC in Boston. “Inside the FleetCenter they had concessions open, but I never wanted to waste time waiting in line when I got inside. You want to do everything, and eating is a luxury.”
But it doesn’t have to be. CHOW has put together a list of Denver restaurants and bars that are both easily accessible and relatively cheap. (Basic public-transportation info is included; visit Denver’s Regional Transportation District website for further details.) Why should the grueling volunteer routine cramp your style?
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Destination: Denver on the Cheap (cont.)
FOOD
What sounds good: seared sweetbreads or a burrito? Cassoulet or chicken pot pie? Whatever strikes your fancy, Denver’s restaurants have got you covered.
- Beatrice & Woodsley
- 38 S. Broadway
- 303-777-3505
- Open Monday through Friday 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- RTD bus route 0
THE PLACE: Self-taught designer-restaurateur Kevin Delk (see also Mario’s Double Daughter’s Salotto), inspired by a tale of runaway lovers roughing it in the Rockies of the 19th century, has created a forest clearing of an eatery, dotted with real aspen trunks; hung with lanterns, chain saws, and “waterfalls” of silver-bead strands; and lined with windows whose tint evokes sunlight filtering through treetops. Call it log-cabin goth.
THE PLATES: Likewise designed to “capture history,” in Delk’s words, Executive Chef Pete List’s small-plates menu is at once cutting-edge and familiar. You’ll find seared sweetbreads on croutons drenched in chestnut honey ($13), oxtail rillettes with a dollop of calves’ liver mousse on brioche ($11), and crawfish beignets filled with red pepper aioli and dusted with cayenne-laced powdered sugar ($9).
- El Taco de Mexico
- 714 Santa Fe Drive
- 303-623-3926
- Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- RTD bus route 9
THE PLACE: Corn-yellow stucco. Bars on the windows. Five booths striped like the Mexican flag. A letter-board menu.
THE PLATES: Tangy carne al pastor or savory carnitas—sprinkled with chopped onion, cilantro, and the wonderfully smoky, salty house salsa and set on coaster-size corn tortillas—will run you $1.50 to $1.80 apiece. A hefty burrito stuffed with Spanish rice, refried beans, and a whole chile relleno costs $5.30.
- Osteria Marco
- 1453 Larimer Street
- 303-534-5855
- Open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- About a five-minute walk from the convention center
THE PLACE: A destination for meat and cheese fiends, this is a subterranean Italian joint with a loud, laid-back vibe.
THE PLATES: Alongside intensely cheesy, crunchy gnocco fritto ($3) and nearly molten-in-the-center, prosciutto-flecked, deep-fried cheese balls called crochette (served with a ramekin of fonduta thinned for dipping; $5), Marco’s signature burrata—mozzarella with a creamy filling ($9)—is rich enough to make a meal. Order the pizza extra-crispy to ensure its crust holds up under practically frothy house mozzarella or ricotta ($8 to $12), and top it off with a house-made limoncello ($6). Come Sunday for maialino (suckling pig; $25).
- M&D’s Fish & Barbeque Café
- 2000 E. 28th Avenue
- 303-296-1760
- Open Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 2 to 10 p.m., Sunday noon to 6 p.m., closed Monday
- RTD bus route 28
THE PLACE: On your first trip to this sunny quasi–country kitchen, you might get an earful for not dropping in sooner from the woman wiping down tables in a hair net and apron. That’s Daisy Shead, the D in M&D’s, in business for 30 years.
THE PLATES: Dry-rubbed and smoked over hickory and mesquite, the pork on M&D’s ribs peels cleanly off the bone. Get the ribs on a platter with “sliced” (actually pulled) pork, eggy potato salad, and brown-sugar-smothered yams ($16.99). Or order them on the so-called “lighter side”: The Indiana-style tips-and-pieces basket (rib tips and fries; $9.64) douses chopped ribs in jalapeño-shocked house sauce, and heaps them on top of battered “peppa fries.” Sunday supper is chicken and waffles ($8.98).
- Buenos Aires Grill
- 2191 Arapahoe Street
- 303-296-6709
- Open Tuesday through Friday 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday 4 to 11 p.m., Sunday 4 to 9 p.m., closed Monday
- A 15-minute walk from the convention center
THE PLACE: An oasis in the cracked concrete desert of the Lower Downtown Historic District (a.k.a. LoDo), the Buenos Aires Grill’s patio is a great place to contemplate the Denver skyline while sucking down Pisco Sours. Or cool off indoors to the piped-in sounds of a bandoneon, amid stained-glass panels, white linens, and black booths attended by servers clad vaguely like gauchos.
THE PLATES: Try grilled flank steak layered with broiled, sliced tomatoes and crumbled blue cheese ($15); huge, beef-stuffed empanadas with tangy red chimichurri ($5); grilled provolone with mushrooms ($10); or pork tenderloin in creamy lemon-caper sauce ($17). Digest it all with the help of the popular Argentine cocktail Fernet-Branca and Coke ($8.50, or $5 during happy hour), served martini-style.
- Z Cuisine Bistrot / À Côté Wine Bar
- 2239 and 2245 W. 30th Avenue
- 303-477-1111
- Z Cuisine open Wednesday through Saturday 5 to 10 p.m., closed Sunday through Tuesday
À Côté open Wednesday through Saturday 5 p.m. to midnight, closed Sunday through Tuesday - RTD bus route 32
THE PLACE: The bistrot is decorated with mismatched chairs and tables, beach-glass-and-coral chandeliers, and art nouveau accents of zinc, copper, and enamel. In the wine bar, French flicks are projected on the wall.
THE PLATES: The charcuterie plate, with rillettes and pâté, comes garnished with sugared walnuts, rhubarb chutney, and caramelized shallots ($21); or try the pungent fondue gratinée ($17). If the cassoulet ($29) isn’t on the menu, look for the pan-seared, blue cheese–encrusted pork chop with market veggies ($25)—followed by a juicy little swirl of apple galette ($7).
- Domo
- 1365 Osage Street
- 303-595-3666
- Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., closed Sunday
- A 10-minute walk from the convention center
THE PLACE: Like some rough-hewn woodcutter’s cottage transported from 19th-century Japan, this curious hideaway is scattered with antique tools and jars of pit-viper wine. There’s a rock garden in the back.
THE PLATES: The Japanese equivalent of Korean banchan kicks it off—spicy chicken chunks fried with greens, beef-and-potato stew, sprightly sliced and sauced celery and mushrooms. Tojimono is a brothy omelet strewn with seaweed and onions ($12.50 to $18.50); battara yaki recalls a seafood pancake, thick and drizzled with a fruity teriyaki sauce ($4.80 small/$6.50 large). And the Wanko sushi—Domo’s version of chirashi, with each item in its own separate bowl of rice—rocks ($5.50 each, $23.50 for three courses, $29.50 for five); try it with mustard-glazed mackerel and salmon roe with grated taro on top. Domo also offers uncommon loose teas like black carrot and olive leaf.
- Los Carboncitos
- 3757 Pecos Street
- 303-458-0880
- Open Sunday through Wednesday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
- RTD bus route 38
THE PLACE: Except for citrus-bright walls and a few boxing posters, this small restaurant serving Mexico City–style fare is spare, and it doesn’t serve alcohol.
THE PLATES: The tostadalike carboncitos ($6.95) are homemade, thick-and-crunchy tortillas topped with meats like carne al pastor, melted Manchego cheese, and refried beans. There are also foot-long huaraches (like big, fat tortillas) topped with various things, like the Cubano ($7.95): beef, ham, Cotija cheese, tomato, red onion, jalapeño, avocado, and “Mexican sausage.” The vibrant, skillet-fried mélanges of meat, veggies, and cheese called alambres are good too ($8.95 to $13.95). Try, but take it easy on, the hot house-made salsas: tomatillo, avocado, and a duo of chile de arbol.
- Table 6
- 609 Corona Street
- 303-831-8800
- Open Monday through Saturday 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.
- RTD bus route 12
THE PLACE: A quiet little bistro with brick walls, wood floors, and a tiny, packed open kitchen. Even though it’s gotten a lot of press attention, it still feels like a special neighborhood place.
THE PLATES: Though the menu changes often, almond-studded tater tots with smoky tomato jam ($8) are staples, as is potted foie gras topped with grape or strawberry jelly and served with grilled country bread ($14). Other standouts may include calamari in mascarpone sauce with fried capers ($11), or chicken pot pie ($16). You’ll always find tasty roasted fish, and a good wine list with emphasis on lesser-known varietals from boutique vineyards.
- Snooze
- 2262 Larimer Street
- 303-297-0700
- Open Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- A 15-minute walk from the convention center
THE PLACE: Snooze sometimes gets razzed for good reason. Waits can be marathon and service erratic (except at the convivial bar), and the Space Age décor, though cheery, smacks of a chain in training. But a single sip of the house-blend coffee—imported directly from a single estate in Guatemala—signals how good the food will be.
THE PLATES: The biggest draw is lace-fringed, fluffy pancakes in offbeat flavors such as bourbon-caramel-glazed sweet potato with ginger butter ($7.50) and sherried cherry cobbler with brown sugar–oat crumble and cinnamon whipped cream ($7.50). Fried on the flat-top, then broiled with cheddar and Jack, the Spuds Deluxe comes mixed with homemade chicken sausage ($7.50). Snooze makes a killer smoked-cheddar hollandaise that tops various dishes—in an ideal world, you could drink it straight from a shot glass. As for beverages, try the piquant Bloodies ($6) garnished with plenty of vegetables.
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Destination: Denver on the Cheap (cont.)
DRINKS
Dives versus DJs, Scotch versus PBR: Take your pick at Denver’s best bars for DNC visitors.
- Mario’s Double Daughter’s Salotto
- 1632 Market Street
- 303-623-3504
- Open daily 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- About a five-minute walk from the convention center
THE PLACE: This split-level bar in LoDo is another dramatic creation by Kevin Delk (see Beatrice & Woodsley). It’s named for a pair of conjoined circus twins whose story is detailed on the website, and the décor has a sideshow vibe: red and blue backlit wall panels, booths shaped like drops of blood, fake doves hovering about rebar-and-nylon trees, and ax-lined banisters. DJs create a hypnotic soundtrack.
THE POURS: On tap from a tank that resembles something out of a mad scientist’s laboratory is a red house-made cocktail called the Succo Vaffanculo di Mario ($8), translated on the receipt as “Go Fuck Yourself Juice.” Allegedly a blend of 17 liquors, the recipe cannot be revealed. Or try the Rabid Monkey or Severed Goat’s Head (both $7.50)—they may sound hard-core, but they go down smooth.
- Pints Pub
- 221 W. 13th Avenue
- 303-534-7543
- Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- RTD bus route 16
THE PLACE: Decked out in British iconography—the Union Jack, portraits of Churchill, Tube signage—this pub is a bit corny. But it’s also cozy, and stocked with enough good Scotch to lure connoisseurs.
THE POURS: Owner Scott Diamond’s collection of roughly 250 single malts features not only the UK’s finest (including some now-shuttered legends) but also Japanese and Indian producers. Bruichladdich 3D Mòine Mhòr ($10) is all peaty goodness, while even the Scotch-shy can savor the supersmooth, slightly sweet Balvenie Portwood 21 Year Old ($17). Meanwhile, of the dozen house microbrews on tap, two are hand-pumped cask ales. Soak up the booze with hand-cut curry fries, smothered in genuine Bisto gravy and melted Swiss ($7.25).
- PS Lounge
- 3416 E. Colfax Avenue
- 303-320-1200
- Open daily 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- RTD bus route 15
THE PLACE: Parked on Colfax Avenue—a storied Denver street lined with Ethiopian cabbie hangouts, midcentury motor inns, flophouses, and burned-out marquees—the PS Lounge may be the dive of your dreams. It features faux-Greek statues draped in Mardi Gras beads, Elvis icons, and a jukebox blaring the Charlie Daniels Band one moment, Portishead the next; you’ll be drinking alongside well-worn regulars and young scenesters in roller skates. And then there’s the owner, Pete. Some nights he’s silent and scowling; others he’s all smiles and handshakes. But either way, he hands every lady a rose with her first drink.
THE POURS: Not only are the cheap, stiff well drinks generous, but the first round comes with Alabama Slammers on the house. Which isn’t to say the PS is a glorified drunk tank: Since it serves as the unofficial dining room for the neighboring pizzeria, Enzo’s End, the crowd uses slices of properly charred thin-crust pies to absorb all the alcohol.
- Sputnik / Hi-Dive
- 3 and 7 S. Broadway
- 720-570-4503
- Sputnik open daily 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Hi-Dive open for shows only (see the calendar for info) - RTD bus route 0
THE PLACE: Unlike the hair dryers on the salon chairs at Sputnik, the old photo booth actually works sometimes; throwback turntablists spin 45s; trivia contests and bingo games abound; and everyone from New Zealand punk trio Die! Die! Die! to chirpy LA-based popsters Dengue Fever has played next door at the Hi-Dive, Sputnik’s live-music venue. No wonder these adjacent joints attract such an eclectic bunch, from goths to geeks to neighborhood grandfolks.
THE POURS: There’s free-flowing PBR on tap, and lots of girly cocktails named for cakes and pies. But there’s also a surprisingly decent, if small, wine list (you’ll find Viognier and Verget du Sud), fetched by pigtailed waitresses who sometimes slide into your booth to take your order. There’s some bar food too: Try the skinny sweet-potato fries with kicky banana ketchup and habanero jam (among several other house-made dips; $3 small/$4.50 large).
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Destination: Denver on the Cheap (cont.)
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Restaurants and bars recommended in this article. (Click on the map icons for location info.)
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