572691 Sun Nov 16 10:45:16 -0800 2008 11 6 Southwest 0 4177847 Hi Chowhounds. My foodie friend and I would like your suggestions for dinner venues in Denver the first week in December. We're attending a conference at the Sheraton Denver but will have a car for forays afield. We've identified a couple of restaurants (including Prima) but would prefer to hear real world experiences. Especially appreciated: good food and wine at reasonable prices. It's hard to be gourmets in a recession! ;-) Thanks in advance. Seattle Chowhounder Sun Nov 16 10:45:16 -0800 2008 181981 afrikando 1 4180448 Hi Seattle Chowhounder - I am a former Seattlite now in Denver, so maybe if you tell me some places in Seattle that you like to eat, that will help narrow down the recommendations from me anyway? Mon Nov 17 11:36:34 -0800 2008 4177847 66343 SeattliteChower 1 4185871 One I would suggest would be Beatrice and Woodsley. Luca and Mizuna are of course fantastic as well but a bit more expensive Hope this helps a little Jonathan www.milehigheater.com Wed Nov 19 08:41:47 -0800 2008 4177847 174016 jwcolo 1 4187798 I was just in Denver last week, and was able to dine at Mizuna and Fruition. I enjoyed both, though I'd say that Mizuna was the stronger of the two; it was also quite a bit pricier however. Mizuna: http://www.kevineats.com/2008/11/mizuna-denver-co.htm Fruition: http://www.kevineats.com/2008/11/fruition-denver-co.htm As jwcolo mentioned, I've also heard good things about Beatrice and Woodsley as well. O's seems interesting. Wed Nov 19 20:04:37 -0800 2008 4177847 54503 kevin h 1 4196462 Thank you so much for the suggestions. I've checked them all out online (Kevin---awesome blog---thanks to you, I've squandered an hour on a culinary tour of Japan!). Mizuna is clearly in the running, even with the price point. The small plate menu is the only one I can access for Beatrice and Woodsley but it seems promising. SeattliteChower, my picks for modestly priced Seattle restaurants include Cafe Bizarro, Le Pichet, Lark, Shiro, the bar at Brasa, Machiavelli, and Cafe Campagne. Sun Nov 23 15:45:45 -0800 2008 4177847 181981 afrikando 2 4196760 Thanks afrikando! If you're willing to splurge a bit on Mizuna, then you might also want to consider Kevin Taylor: http://www.kevineats.com/2007/07/kevin-taylor-denver-co.htm Sun Nov 23 18:18:40 -0800 2008 4196462 54503 kevin h 2 4198359 If you can afford it I would definitly go to Mizuna Beatrice and woodsley is good but Mizuna and Luca are a level above. Mon Nov 24 11:34:58 -0800 2008 4196462 174016 jwcolo 3 4198593 I don't know that I agree with that, all due respect; though still new, B&W is IMO every bit as good as Luca d'Italia—not that it's so easy to compare, the one serving contemporary American small plates, the other nuovo(ish) Italian. You'll find full reviews of both on my blog. http://www.denveater.com Both are, however, relatively pricey. Rather more affordable yet highly polished experiences are also to be had at Black Pearl, Deluxe, and Osteria Marco (owned by the same guy who owns Mizuna and Luca). As for downright cheap eats, this city is of course chock-full of great taquerias. Mon Nov 24 13:02:26 -0800 2008 4198359 11106 tatamagouche 2 4199074 Ok, that helps! I won't recommend seafood/sushi here with the great stuff you get in Seattle. Denver is a bit lacking in moderately-priced, it is more great cheap eats and pricey joints. Fruition remains my favorite place in Denver. I like Luca d'Italia but can't say it blew me away for the price. Haven't tried Mizuna or B&W yet. Marco's Coal-Fired Pizza has been getting good reviews. It sounds like you like bistro, check out Z Cuinsine. You also might check out Mexican since Seattle doesn't really do Mexican like they do here and it's reasonably-priced. I am loving the Colorado green chile since moving here! Run a search if you're interested in that. Enjoy your trip and report back on your experiences. Mon Nov 24 15:38:27 -0800 2008 4196462 66343 SeattliteChower 3 4200476 You think? Again, not sure I agree with the statement about Denver's lack of moderately priced places...but it may depend on how we're defining that. For me, it's places where entrees remain in the teens-low twenties, and Denver has lots of those. I already mentioned my faves; I also really dig Table 6 and Buenos Aires Grill, and I get a kick out of bang!, whereas lots of others (I've not been yet) might add Vesta to the category. Among slightlier pricier places that haven't been mentioned yet, there's always Rioja; I also finally got to Panzano recently and really enjoyed it. Tue Nov 25 07:00:41 -0800 2008 4199074 11106 tatamagouche 3 4221863 Any tips for the Mexican to explore? Thu Dec 04 20:36:57 -0800 2008 4199074 49607 leland 4 4222564 38th is like Mexican Row....Tacos Jalisco, Santiago's, Chubby's, Los Carboncitos...Other board faves include Jack 'n' Grill, El Taco de Mexico, Tacos Patzcuaro, and Tacos y Salsas. Varying degrees of service/ambiance/heat... Fri Dec 05 07:14:53 -0800 2008 4221863 11106 tatamagouche