Denver Restaurant Week: 2022

 

Denver Restaurant Week returns for its proud and awaited in-person event, this: Friday, March 11 – Sunday, March 20, 2022.

The event, organized by Visit Denver, managed to just squeeze by in 2020, occurring nearer to the first week in March, and then adjusting to the many ebbs and flows of restaurant openings and closings featured in the fall of 2021. Back to spring schedule, the infamous week to try and taste all that makes Denver such a great place to dine is sure to impress this new year.

Denver Restaurant Week also arrives just on the curtails of Boulder’s taste-event, First Bite Boulder, which also had the fortune of returning during its usual iteration (fall for First Bite Boulder, spring for Denver Restaurant Week), after uniquely replacing its 2020 in-person tour into a literary-tour in a storied cookbook.

Arrive with hospitality, toward the staff — before they even hand you a menu.

Mask mandates have recently lifted, and many locals are hungry to see what it’s like to socialize again and sink into a drink and plate of perfection. Restaurants have been long-evaluated by OSHA, and guests can rest assured establishments have sanitary practices down to a pristine routine — maintaining a clean environment is also to the staff’s benefit as well. But just be sure, you may also reference Denver’s: Clean & Safe Resource Guide.

Diners can select from more than 200 restaurants this year, opting for a $25, $35, or $45 per-person multi-course experience.

Efficiency-tip: plan your visit directly on the website, filtered to your preference toward price-point, location, style of cuisine, and dietary needs, including women-owned and minority-owned businesses.

If you’re like many work-from-home’ers these days, you might be sick of looking at the same wall and residing in that same parking spot, with sadly a layer of dust on your suitcase.

Perhaps consider splurging for a hotel at one of the many options that surround participating restaurants. While still a part of LoDo, Union Station has become its own neighborhood, surrounded by modern high-rises and cutting-edge restaurants; Hotel Indigo or The Maven Hotel, are some choice options, for example.

Tip your hospitality service workers

However you choose to dine, masked up and in-and-out, selectively chosen to reignite nostalgia, or making a whole night of it, just remember: an already challenging industry, restaurants have had it beyond rough over the past couple of years, arrive with hospitality toward the staff before they even hand you menu; then utilize the savings from the discounted prix-fixe prices and direct it toward higher tips to the staff, it will mean more to them than one could imagine.

Above all, enjoy! You’ll have a full heart as much as a full belly, knowing you’re feeding the spirit of the beloved restaurant scene in Denver simply by enjoying a long-awaited meal. The following is a sneak-peek at some of the participating restaurants this year:

Broomfield: Hickory & Ash

Nestled within the ARISTA community, Hickory & Ash boasts Colorado-centric cuisine and specializes as a meatery, led by Executive Chef Ryan Taylor. A $35-menu will present:

First Course

  • Choice of, Lobster Bisque, with Maine lobster, black truffle dumplings and herb cream
  • Wedge Salad, with beefsteak tomatoes, cucumber, bacon, blue cheese, and Green Goddess (gluten free)
  • or, Pumpkin Hummus, with pomegranate, almond, poblano, and frybread (vegetarian)

Second Course

  • Grilled, 8-ounce, New York Strip, with gruyere potato tots, haricots verts casserole, and pumpkin-seed Romesco
  • Root Vegetable Jambalaya, with Carolina gold rice, creole mustard and black-eyed pea “andouille” (vegetarian)
  • or, Hickory Grilled Salmon, with beluga lentils, beet pesto, asparagus, and sunflower (gluten free)

Third Course

  • “PBJ” Candy Bar, with raspberry, salted caramel, and dark chocolate
  • Whiskey Butterscotch Panna Cotta, with cherry, oat crumble, and honeycomb
  • or, Mandarin Orange Cake, with chamomile, cranberry, and pecan praline

Hummus Hickory And Ash

Downtown: Kachina Cantina

Aligned within the eye-catching strip at the Dairy Block in LoDo, Kachina Cantina reminds guests what makes Mexican food so great in the Southwest, including Baja cuisine, led by Executive Chef Cesar Tamariz. The $25-menu will present:

First Course

  • Chorizo + Asadero Empanada, with shaved cabbage, radish, and avocado salsa
  • Chileatole Verde, with Mexican corn chowder, lime aioli, cotija, and lime

Second Course

  • Cochinita Pibil, with braised pork shoulder, pickled onions, tortillas, rice, and beans
  • Wild Mushroom Tamal, with rajas con crema, pasilla-chili sauce, rice, and beans (vegetarian)
  • or, Chicken Relleno, with chicken picadillo, avocado salsa, rice, and cotija

Third Course

  • Concha Rellena, with whipped house-made Requeson, and strawberries
  • or, Pineapple Empanada, with mixed berries and cream

Kachina Cantina Nachos

Morrison: The Fort

The infamous adobe structure kissing Red Rocks, remembered for its impeccable views, incredible steaks, and western spirit, The Fort, led by Executive Chef Ethan Torres, will present at a $45-menu:

First Course

  • Signature Seven Greens Salad, served with a selection of house-made dressings, and a basket of Freshly Baked Dinner Rolls and Pumpkin Walnut Muffins

Second Course

  • A five-ounce Buffalo Sirloin, served with a Teriyaki Marinated Quail, potatoes, and seasonal vegetables
  • or, Two Teriyaki Marinated Quails, served with potatoes and seasonal vegetables

Third Course

  • The Fort’s signature dessert, Negrita, a blend of dark chocolate, whipped with Myer’s Rum, and served in a chocolate tulip cup
  • or, Seasonal Crème Brûlée

Vegetarian options are available at the second course, including side-protein upgrades and other sides, as well as wine specials.

The Fort Drw

DTC: Le French

Located along the local foodie block at Belleview Station in the Denver Tech Center in Greenwood Village, Le French is a fresh bakery and bistro, led by Senegalese sisters, Chef Aminata Dia and Chef Rougui Dia. The $45-menu will present:

First Course

  • Cup of French Onion Soup, with baguette croutons and Gruyère gratiné
  • or, Niçoise Salad, with a house-made Dijon vinaigrette

Second Course

  • Saumon & Potato Truffle Emulsion, with seared salmon, Provençal vegetables, and balsamic reduction
  • Steak Frites with pan-seared Bavette steak, french fries, and béarnaise aioli
  • and, Gniiri Cakes, which are creamed cornmeal fries, served with black-eyed peas, braised tomato sauce, peanuts, and truffle oil (vegan)

Third Course

  • Chocolate Tart
  • Meringue-based Pavlova

Pro-tip: after you visit during restaurant week, do return for a Croque Madame, any of their fluffy Quiches, and a glass of Champagne on the patio.

Le French
(photo by: Sarah Carpenter)

Cherry Creek: Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood

With a new location in Lone Tree, the Blue Island Oyster Bar in Cherry Creek, led by Executive Chef and Owner Sean Huggard, bestows fresh options such as from their dedicated oyster farm and deliveries from trusted fishery partners. The $45-menu will present:

First Course

  • Clam Chowder, with sea clam fritters, bacon, and potato
  • Fried Calamari, with apples, oranges, sesame, and Thai glaze
  • or, Smoked Trout Dip, with red onion jam, and sea-salt potato chips

Second Course

  • Shrimp & Grits, with jumbo Gulf shrimp, Tasso ham, and roasted green-chile grits
  • Prime Sirloin, with mushroom fricassée, red-wine demi, crispy potatoes, and pickled fennel salad
  • or, Pan-Roasted Striped Bass, “Prik Nam Pla,” with coconut-curry risotto, cilantro, and lemongrass

Third Course

  • Key Lime Pie, a Blue Island Classic
  • Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake, with macerated berries, and fresh whipped cream

Boulder: Jill’s Restaurant

Cradled inside the dazzling St Julien Hotel & Spa in downtown Boulder, Jill’s Restaurant + Bistro boasts the locally-sourced and dynamic ingredients the Flatirons and Front Range farmed areas are known for supplying Boulder’s restaurants. The $35-menu will present:

First Course

  • Milk & Honey Lettuce Gems, with buttermilk-honey dressing, shaved onions, pomegranate, and spiced almond
  • or, Classic French Onion Soup, with focaccia croutons, and Raclette

Second Course

  • Heritage Roasted Half Chicken, with guajillo demi-glace, and southwest-chili spoon-bread
  • Handmade Potato Gnocchi, with fermented garlic and sage crema, exotic mushrooms, and Pecorino pepato
  • or, Pan-Seared Sustainable Verlasso Salmon, with fried wild rice, teriyaki glaze, and sesame pea shoots

Third Course

  • Yuzu Mousse Cake, with persimmon, white chocolate nut-crunch, and meringue
  • or, Citrus Crême Brûlée, with turbinado sugar

St Julien

Bon Appétit! And, thank you for supporting Denver’s restaurants and workers!

Visit: Denver Restaurant Week to start planning your menus and making your reservations.

 

(all photos are courtesy of the restaurants unless otherwise attributed)