Denver Travel Answers

Denver has good steak. That's kind of what it's known for and that's my first thought. I'll throw out this place, because they're not a typical steak place, and I really like them: LoHi Steak Bar. There's also Rioja on Larimer. And Proto's Pizzeria on Platte (excellent cannoli). There's a fantastic barbecue place in the suburbs called Jabo's, but it doesn't sound like you'd like it because it's very casual. You should also consider a trip to Boulder. They have some great restaurants and that's worth a trip either way.

This is YOUR answer. I know the Vesta dipping Grill, it is a lot of fun, but this place will be better. It is called The Fort. The Fort is located next to Red Rocks, which is in Morrison at the base of the mountains. You take the highway towards Grand Junction then turn off just before you start to go up. It would be about 25 minutes from downtown Denver. WORTH THE DRIVE.... The fort was built to resemble the fort that the Bent Brothers built to trade with the travellers along the Santa Fe Trail. This fort restaurant was rebuilt according to the plans that were found and is now Bent's Old Fort National Monument outside of La Junta where it was located originally. Go to my page on VT at : La Junta Things to Do Tips by painterdave You can see some photos of it. Now the Fort Restaurant is not a complete model of this fort, but closely resembles the construction, etc. When you arrive there you will see it kind of nestled into the rocks, and they will probably have a big campfire built outside to give you the cowboy feel.. touristy but also cool. the old west. Free parking. Inside the atmosphere is very very nice...also fireplaces built in southwest style, etc. You are looking to impress your friends, etc. This is it. You come from San Diego, I think, and so you have great places there, so you are looking for something fun and different. The food... I have eaten there maybe 3 times, and it was always a delight. I was a teacher then and had to save a bit to go, it was always a special occasion. This is not Denny's. But not overly priced. You can find something affordable if need be. They have....buffalo, venison, elk all southwest kind of fixings. I think I remember trout. If I wanted to take some to a place in Denver that was romantic, this is it. You can visit the Red Rocks State Park and even it the weather is cold, you can slowly drive through. Don't mis this! Of course the restaurant has a good wine list. You might want to make a reservation as you don't want to miss out on this great place. Good luck, and I wish I were there to go with you.. I now live near Venice, Italy.... p.s. Noah Noah is a Mexican Restaurant I like a lot, check it out, too, for a lunch time. Good Mexican food made in the Colorado/northern New Mexico way. 12 min. from downtown. Dave

And I should add it, but you probably already know about it. Every tourist and their mom goes there when in Denver. It's overpriced, crowded and not very good, but it does have interesting options, at the least. The Buckhorn Exchange.

Yes, Buckhorn is that, but also historical....going there for that, and not the greatest food helps a bit.

Vesta is great. We went there recently. Their sister restaurant is good too. It's called Stuebens and not similar at all to Vesta. Casual and affordable. Sushi Den and Izakaya Den are the most popular sushi places in Denver. They are owned by Japanese brothers, one of which lives in Japan and picks out the fish from the markets each morning to ship it here. I assume the dessert place you are thinking of is D-Bar. It is so good!!!! The Cake and Shake is amazing. It's my favorite place to go. It's very small and quite crowded at night, so keep that in mind. If you're doing to do the restaurant week thing, you need to make a reservation asap. I'm not sure we're going to this year, but I've heard the reservations are going really fast.

I don't know where you're staying, but there's a Cajun place on 16th and Blake downtown called Gumbo's that is one of my favorites. I've had some great meals there. It's got semi-elegant surroundings, but it's not outrageously pricy. For breakfast, try Snooze. I haven't been to the one in Denver, but it always gets great reviews. I've been to the one in Ft. Collins and loved it. They're opening one in Boulder soon. Can't wait!