Lynn "cooky" L.'s Profile

Came here for lunch recently, and really enjoyed!  I agree with Thomas - very authentic Eurobistro feel.  Nice selection of salads, paninis, and entrees, as well as beer and wine.  I hear they have events here sometimes,  which could be really cool - flamenco anyone?  I look forward to coming back here once I relocate to try more of the menu, and some of their coffee!

Hmmm, what am I missing?  I just got back from Erika's and was very underwhelmed with the food.  There were parties of 18, 12, and 6 in attendance, so clearly it's popular.

The interior is very basic and surprising.  There is some German decor, but the interior is stark and rather institutional.  Erika is wonderful - warm and hospitable.  One extra star for her (2 stars for the food "meh" is the perfect descriptor).

I first ordered the Rouladen, my favorite, which for some reason they don't have on Tuesdays.  So I quickly chose the Hänschenschnitzel Jäger with sauerkraut.  Each dinner entree comes with a side, as well as salad.  The salad came out first - nothing special:  iceberg lettuce, some red cabbage and carrots in a vinaigrette.  

Then my entree came out.  I immediately caught a whiff of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, which made me suspicious.  Turns out the mushrooms used were from a can - gross!  Not only are mushrooms plentiful at any grocery store, they're cheap. Using mushrooms from a can is completely disgusting.  Other than that, the chicken had good flavor.  Sauerkraut was good.

I ordered a piece of Black Forest cake to go, as someone told me that it was to die for.  Well, guess what?  They were all out at 6:30 pm.  ???  Kind of lame.  I got the coconut cream pie instead, and it was completely unmemorable.  I didn't finish.

Bottom line, I won't be back here until I scout out some other German restaurants and see what they have to offer.  Even if I don't find a suitable replacement, I don't think I'll waste my dinner calories here.

I can't find one thing to complain about during my dinner here.  The service from top to bottom is courteous and spot-on.  The decor is tasteful.  The wine list is expansive, and has many excellent bottles in the sub-$100 range.  The food menu is also expansive, and the prices are reasonable as compared to other steakhouses (Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Capital Grille, etc.).

After perusing the wine list, one bottle caught my eye:  Owen Roe's Yakima Red.  I asked our server, who had not tasted that particular one, so he sent the sommelier over.  His eyes lit up and said it was a secret staff favorite.  We were so happy with my selection.  The perfect balance of plush fruit and chewy tannin - and didn't break the bank at $72.

We decided to skip appetizers and just go for the glory - it was what we were there for, anyway!  I got the bone-in filet and short rib enchilada.  I felt it was a very generous portion for $32.  First the filet - cooked to a perfect medium rare and melt-in-your-mouth tender.  I got some bearnaise on the side for dipping, just because I felt like being decadent!  The short rib enchilada I got "Christmas" with both red and green chile.  I felt there was a little too much chile on there and nothing to sop it up with :(  But the red chile was the star (usually I tend toward green).  The red was almost mole-ish with huge depth of flavor and the perfect amount of heat.  Enchilada was stuffed full with shredded short rib meat.  Delicious.  Not one complaint and I ate every bite.

My dining companions got a 13 oz filet with bleu cheese butter, and the double-cut pork chop with roasted Colorado pear and bacon vinaigrette.  They both ate every last bite, too.

There was a lot to choose from in terms of sides, and we settled with simple sauteed mushrooms and au gratin potatoes.  Both tasty (potatoes were a little too salty).

Would definitely return.  I'd like to try the new location downtown as well.

Okay, I was highly skeptical of this place.  Asian/Mexican fusion just doesn't sound like it would be a successful venture!  Came here with a large group for a birthday party and had a great time.  The interior is a little spartan, but it was comfortable enough not to be a deterrent.  

First of all, on Tuesdays, it's $15 bottle of wine night - SCORE!  There were about 5 different options for wine bottles, along with a split of unfiltered sake.  This is a great deal, and it's nice for large groups, too, to keep the costs down.  We drank the Malbec all night (well, until we got into the sake, but that's for another story...).

Our server informed us that they were best-known for their Mexican side of the menu, but having had Mexican the night before, I was feeling like some noodles.  I went with the beef Vietnamese noodle bowl.  It was great!  Cold rice noodle bowls are my favorite Viet staple, and this was a lighter version.  Great flavors, no complaints!  I started with some veggie spring rolls, and I wouldn't waste the calorie consumption on them.  Nothing special.

I also got to try my friend's shredded beef-stuffed sopapilla, and that was delicious also!  Would definitely get that next time.  Steer clear of the fideos as a side, however.  It's bland, overcooked pasta soup with diced tomatoes in there - disappointing.  Stick to the rice and beans!

Our server was great - she handled 14 of us like a champ, and we were never want for anything.  I think the prices are very, very reasonable here, so it's a great choice for those on a budget!  Also, they are open for lunch.

Definitely had a great meal here the other night.  I got 3 sopes:  steak with bacon, chorizo, and chicken.  Delicious!  The chorizo was really spicy, the chicken moist and flavorful.  I thought the steak and bacon was the weakest of the 3 and would not order again.

The bf got chicken enchiladas mole, and of course I helped myself!  The mole was really good - excellent depth of flavor, and a little bitter.  Sometimes mole can be too sweet, but this hits the mark.

I thought the entrees were a little on the pricey side for a mexican restaurant, but the taco/burrito prices are right in line with what I would expect.  Definitely will come back!

I love patronizing small businesses like this.  The service here is incredible - always so helpful and friendly!  I think the meat is reasonably priced, and they have a great selection.  I came here after going to tons of markets in town looking for a "secret ingredient".  Oliver's was the only place that had some!  They also make some pretty amazing sausage varieties!  They were a great "in a pinch" grilling staple this summer.

Try this place, I think you'll be pleased!

Let's be honest.  Denver isn't a great place for stellar Chinese food.  All of it is Americanized Chinese food, which serves its purpose on occasion.

That being said, China Star take out is pretty good.  The crab wontons were great, and I loved that you could get their combo of both lemon chicken and sesame chicken (two of my faves!) called Lover's Chicken.  I thought the lemon chicken was actually pretty weak, so I won't order it again, but the sesame chicken was pretty good (not nearly as good as Spicy Basil's though!).  The Mongolian beef was tasty, but not very spicy, so ask for extra hot if you like the heat!

Bottom line - one of the better choices for delivery Chinese when you get a hankering!

My Little Star experience came when back in SF visiting a friend.  How strange that I lived in the city for a decade and never came here!  It wasn't even on my radar.

Anyway, we got take out (a smart choice, I guess, since it's always packed!).  Ordered up some spicy chicken wings, a mixed salad, and two small pizzas:  Mediterranean Chicken and Brass Monkey (the latter I learned of reading Yelp reviews, so thanks!).  It was an expensive undertaking - I'm not used to spending $70 on pizza take out!

The wings were great - nice and tender, and great flavor.  The salad was a small portion but flavorful.  On to the pizza!  I was completely skeptical of the Mediterranean Chicken.  I'm not a fan of chicken on pizzas for some reason, but this was out of this world!  I really enjoyed it.  Tons of flavor.  The Brass Monkey was ok, but I felt that the flavors were muted, especially as compared to the Chicken.

In both cases, the crust was great.  I'd definitely get this again if I got a deep dish craving and wasn't able to get to Zachary's!

Enjoyed my recent take-out experience from SmashBurger!  I, for one, enjoy that the burger is "smashed" because there is nothing that bothers me more in burger-land when I attempt to eat a burger that is too thick.  More of a ball than a patty, ya know?  It bugs me!  

I got the BBQ bacon and cheese (and why wouldn't I??) with the SmashFries.  I polished off every last bit of the burger, though I did add more BBQ sauce at home - I felt it was a little light on that flavor.  The SmashFries were delicious!  Great flavor.  The BF also got the BBQ bacon and cheese (in the 1/2 lb size) along with the Haystack Onions.  Those were really tasty as well, though I think I enjoyed the flavor of the fries a bit more.

I like how you can get your burger in 2 different sizes, or with chicken!  You can also concoct your own creation with their variety of toppings (I'm looking at you, spicy chipotle sauce!!).

Bottom line, I'll be back when I want a flavorful burger!

I've been contemplating writing this review for a while, because I'm definitely the dissenting opinion.  But, Yelpers need to know!

The bf and I came here for dinner one night on a Friday night.  The place must do a great lunch business because it was EMPTY.  I mean, only 2 other tables empty.  Because the decor is minimalist, it made for a strange dining experience.

The food was delicious.  Top to bottom, we enjoyed everything.  Food was flavorful, presentation was gorgeous, and we ate every last drop!

The service, however, was AWFUL!  We ordered a bottle of Sinskey Rose of Pinot Noir.  The server came back and said they were out, but we should consider one of the two bottles in her hands, in the same price range.  She presented a Shiraz and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  I was surprised and remarked that the two bottles were QUITE different than what we ordered.

She said, extremely condescendingly, "well, Pinot Noir is going to be a red wine."  I was pissed.  Excuuuuuuse me, lady, a ROSE is a "pink" one, and it would be in the refrigerated section.  WTF?  Don't give me that tone - you are a server and your job is to know your menu and wine list (wine list was only 2 pages, so not that hard!).  I couldn't believe it.  It really overshadowed our experience.

We asked her to go back and check, which she did, and SURPRISE!  She found the wine.  She gave some sort of strange excuse about "not hearing us correctly".  In the meantime, our first courses had already come out, and the host had come by to figure out what was going on.  I think the host was mortified because he serviced our table for the rest of the night (except she brought the check to us - lame).  The host was awesome, and definitely of the caliber I would expect of a Kevin Taylor restaurant.

When the waitress brought out the check, we realized that they did not charge us the prix fixe menu prices, even though we ordered 3 courses each.  Apparently you have to state that you want the prix fixe at the beginning of the meal, even though you can mix and match any dishes you like.  She of course, didn't advise us of this, and was surprised when I asked her to re-do the bill.

We will not be back based on the experience.  I am a huge fan of Kevin Taylor's restaurants, but I'd rather have the complete dining experience and enjoy.