April 23, 2008
My favorite places to dine
By Stan Dyer
As often as I dine out and as many reviews as I write, people have come to believe I never eat at home. The truth, however, is very different. Nonetheless, I still enjoy sampling the wide variety of hospitality available in the area. Sometimes it seems I have to kiss many frogs in search of a few princesses, but I have found some happy-endings and I want to share my favorites with you.
When choosing between frogs and princesses, first impressions are always important, but consistency and overall value are ultimately just as important. When deciding to dine somewhere, people like to know what to expect and that they can expect the same quality of product every time at a reasonable price. Just because an establishment gives an unfavorable first impression, does not mean it does not deserve a second chance. The same is true of places that seem nice on first look. I try to be fair and avoid rash judgments. Personally, I make my assessments by rating and balancing value, menu variety, food quality, ambiance and the overall dining experience over multiple visits. I would eat great food sitting on a rock in the rain, but, on the other hand, not even the most lavish of settings can make up for an inferior product. With that said, I now present my rating favorites.
My overall favorite is Szechuan Chinese Restaurant at 6 th and Garrison in the Meadowlark Shopping Center. This is an unusual choice since Chinese is not my favorite food. I favor this restaurant because they treat customers as valued guests. They will substitute tofu for the meat on any dish they offer, they serve brown rice if asked for, and the product is very consistent. The real kicker for me is the price. Relatively speaking, they practically give the food away. Two adults can enjoy an ample meal at lunch or dinner for under $20 including a very generous tip. I will warn that some guests have reported unfavorable experiences with the meat, but I just tell them to try the tofu. They wok it the way it should be done and they use whole peppers, not pepper flakes. My favorite dishes are Hunan Tofu and Basil Vegetables with Tofu, but you have to ask for these; they are not on the menu. If you like other Chinese or you think you might not like tofu at all, try my favorite dishes at Szechuan and see if your opinions are not altered.
My favorite pizza, (the pizza I believe to be the best in Colorado), comes from Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs. You have to go to Idaho Springs. The product in town is similar, but not quite the same. The Idaho Springs location was the first and just has so much going for it. Try driving to Idaho Springs some day, stopping for an hour or so at the Indian Springs Resort to soak the city away, and then heading over the Beau Jo's for a pitcher and pie. The pie I prefer is the Five Pound Veggie Mountain Pie on Whole Wheat with Marinara. There is nothing quite like it in the world. Honorable mention in this category goes to D-Note for anything they make on their whole-wheat crust, Old Chicago's Veggie Seven, Angelo's in Pueblo, La Piazza off Kipling, Pietra's and even Arvada Villa, in that order. If you think delivery pizza is good, it is time for you to try one of these choices.
Mexican food is one of my all-time favorites, and there are many places in the area serving nice varieties in a number of styles. The problem with Mexican is trying to find truly vegetarian choices that taste as good as the ones made with pork and lard. It is difficult for me to pick just one favorite, but, based on my criteria, I choose El Tapatio on Alameda because I like the authentic
feel of the restaurant and the vegetarian choices. Another one I like is Monterrey House on Ralston Road for their lightning fast service and good salsa. Tres Margaritas has great veggie fajitas, Alamos Verdes has nice cheese enchiladas, and Rio Grande downtown has the best, hot salsa. I give honorable mention to The Armadillo for offering Health Mark choices that leave off the cheese and use beans made without lard. They taste good with a pitcher of their margaritas. If you like New Mexico style, try Jack and Grill on Federal and one of their "mega" burritos, or Las Margaritas in Belmar, but I am still checking the latter out. I also like Chipotle's big burritos better than Qdoba's, but both of those are really "fast" food, aren't they?
I love Italian food and no one makes it the way my grandmother did. Nowadays, when I want Eggplant Parmesan, I go to The Cherry Tomato at 23 rd and Dexter in East Denver. I like Pulcinella's for wine tastings, Valente's for Martini Night, DiCicco's in Arvada for their good marinara and their chunky minestrone, and Bella Bistro on Ralston Road for raising the bar. When I want good, simple and inexpensive Italian, I still go to the Spaghetti Factory downtown, and I am fine with either Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden. I admit that I need to make it back up to the Lafayette/Louisville area to check out the great Italian I remember there from my childhood, if it is still there.
Despite being vegetarian, I still enjoy burgers, except now it's "veggie" burgers. The Red Robin "Garden Burger", (that they will substitute for the patty on any burger they serve), is the cream of the crop. It is consistent, comes with endless fries and soft drink refills, and is somehow better than most others I have tried, even though the patty comes from the same manufacturer. Red Robin is expensive as far as burgers go, but I like the fries and I always get excellent service. Ruby Tuesday also has a decent veggie burger, but Red Robin does it better. Ruby Tuesday, however, does have the salad bar that I probably should be eating instead of bottomless fries.
To round out my choices, my fast food favorite, (as I said before), is the Chipotle Vegetarian Burrito with guacamole. I also like Falafel King for, what else, falafel, and Kokoro for a great, quick veggie bowl on brown rice. My favorite vegetarian restaurants are Water Course, BD's Mongolian Barbecue, Sultan Grill and The Mercury Café. Unless I am forgetting someone, that rounds out my list of favorites.
I hope you will take my recommendations and try my favorites. Please, give these establishments a fair look, visit at least twice, and then email me with our comments. If you have a favorite you want reviewed, please email me and I will put it on my list. If you are a restaurant that did not make the list, I hope you will take my comments and suggestions into consideration when deciding to improve your product, and, if you would like, I will be happy to do an anonymous appraisal of your operation. I am not always completely right, I am not the "absolute word" on dining, and my opinions may not reflect the experiences of others. I am completely aware of that. I am, however, still a customer, and if one of us feels the way I do, chances are good that many others do too. Sometimes being a frog or a princess can be a matter of choice.