Denver wedding anniversary

[tonyjohnson54]

I am going to be in Denver with my family for my wedding anniversary at the end of July. We are always on holiday for our anniversary and have eaten at wonderful restaurants in Asia, North America and Europe on the big night. What can we do in Denver - what is simply the best in or near the city?
Anything more modest that we shouldn't miss while we are in town? Thanks!

[ClaireWalter]

How about a hint. Is your family your kids (ages? do you expect them to dine with you?) or is your family parents who live in Denver? Is price an issue? Any kind of cuisine you love or hate?

[tonyjohnson54]

The wedding anniversary will just be the two of us . Looking for something special - any cuisine, any price - the other nights with four teenagers - all pretty adventurous foodwise.

[amana44]

A couple more questions: For your anniversary, are you looking for a special occasion and/or intimate setting? Or do you want the best food Denver has to offer regardless of atmosphere? For special occasion I suggest Palace Arms at the Brown Palace Hotel (though it has relaxed it's dress code recently, it was previously about the only restaurant in Denver with jacket required). For intimate and romantic I'm thinking of Z Cuisine (while they do not take reservations, you can wait at their next door bar A Cote).
And here's my list for the best food in Denver - which may or may not have the setting/atmosphere you're looking for:
Rioja
Fruition
Mizuna
Colt & Gray
Root Down
ChoLon

Denverites: Am I off-base here? What have I missed or forgotten about?

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Mizuna
225 East Seventh Avenue, Denver, CO 80203

Brown Palace Hotel
321 17th Street, Denver, CO 80202

Rioja
1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Root Down
1600 W. 33rd Avenue, Denver, CO 80211

Colt & Gray
1553 Platte Street, Denver, CO 80202

[ClaireWalter]

Four teenagers?!?!?! You deserve to treat yourselves

Restaurant Kevin Taylor in the Hotel Teatro is lovely, the service is excellent and the food beautiful as well as delicious. Bistro Vendome across the street from and under the same ownership as Rioja, is atmospheric too. Menu is more French in contrast to Rioja's Spanish/Mediterranean inspiration.

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Rioja
1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Bistro Vendome
1420 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Restaurant Kevin Taylor
1106 Fourteenth Street, Denver, CO 80202

[LurkerDan]

I think Restaurant Kevin taylor is a great choice for a romantic anniversary dinner. Excellent food, and a more "special event" feel than some of the other top restaurants.

If you're willing to travel to Boulder, the Flagstaff House would also be an outstanding choice for such a meal.

This thread has many good suggestions: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/670760 Though I wouldn't quibble with any of the choices in this thread. Euclid Hall, probably not in that thread because it's new, might be a good choice too.

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Flagstaff House Restaurant
1138 Flagstaff Dr, Boulder, CO 80302

[rlm]

Good suggestions. I particularly like amana44's list for food, although Root Down and its new sibling Linger have more of a hip/funky/loud vibe than something I'd consider for an anniversary. Went to a special dinner about a year ago at the Palace Arms and it didn't have quite the old-school opulence and high-end, polished service I was hoping for.

If you're looking for "simply the best" and you want to be treated like royalty, you have to consider Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder over anything else. If you can't get a res, ask to be on the waiting list in case they get a cancellation or try for a walk-in table. They have at least a couple of tables available on Open Table too, and a quick search reveals they have slots available Mon - Thurs the last week of July (weekends are always tougher). They are definitely worth the trip.

Their Pizzeria Locale next door would be a great spot to take the teens (and they always have a fresh non-alcoholic spritzer option available, besides the ability to order from the full Frasca wine list for the parents). I really enjoy Pizzeria Basta in the Peloton complex and Pizzeria da Lupo on Arapahoe too, as well as main-stay Proto's. These are all in Boulder (although Proto's has an outpost in Denver).

Mizuna's chef owns other spots in Denver including the more casual Osteria Marco (Italian) and Bones (noodles), my two favorites of the other options. The Kaya Toast in particular at ChoLon is not to be missed. Colt and Gray turns out delicious plates including offal, and their mixologist Kevin Burke is one of the best.

Euclid Hall is great, but more casual with high-end pub food--the owner's Rioja around the corner would be more appropriate for an anniversary dinner.

One of my favorite newer places is Row 14 in the Spire across from the Convention Center. Check them out: http://www.row14denver.com

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Mizuna
225 East Seventh Avenue, Denver, CO 80203

Osteria Marco
1453 Larimer, Denver, CO 80202

Rioja
1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Root Down
1600 W. 33rd Avenue, Denver, CO 80211

[LurkerDan]

I should have been clearer, I was suggesting Euclid Hall for dinner or lunch with the teens, not for the anniversary dinner.

[rlm]

Ah. Euclid Hall is definitely a great choice for the more casual meals. Their oyster shells and shooters are refreshing and delicious, and you can't beat the sausage/mustard combos and poutine. I like that they're open on Saturday afternoons in the "dead zone" between lunch and dinner. Plus there is a B-cycle stop close by where you can easily hook up with the bike path.

[tonyjohnson54]

Great Thank you so much for all that, it sounds like a great city to eat in!
I have a shortlist of two for the anniversary - one word answers please . Is it RIOJA or is it MIJUNA?

[LurkerDan]

I assume that you mean Mizuna? I have eaten at both places, but only once at each, so take my statements with a large grain of salt.

Mizuna had perhaps a more "romantic" atmosphere, food was good but not great (more accurately, some things were truly excellent, some just ok), bathroom was pretty crummy (not particularly clean or well appointed). I don't normally rate bathrooms, but when you go out for a pricey dinner and the bathroom makes you feel like you're in a local hole in the wall, it takes the place down a few notchs.

Rioja had a more "hip" atmosphere, which felt more fun and lively but perhaps less romantic. The food was fantastic and I really really want to eat there again. I don't remember anything about the bathroom. ;-)

My preference should be obvious.

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Mizuna
225 East Seventh Avenue, Denver, CO 80203

Rioja
1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

[tonyjohnson54]

Yes - sorry Mizuna

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Mizuna
225 East Seventh Avenue, Denver, CO 80203