Lola

The second meeting of Denver's Din Din and I am now the only member to be at all (i.e. both) gatherings. Starting out in the completely wrong place (14th and Colfax instead of 1439 SOUTH Pearl Street) I was about ready to give up when I got a call from Brie. She couldn't find the place either. We were both in the wrong place and she asked me to wait for her. I waited on the corner. Big mistake. If I'd been wearing my boots I'm sure I wouldn't have fared quite so well when those two very nice young men asked me if I was looking at them (I wasn't and I promptly sce-dattled away).

Anyway, we found our spot and Jenya, bless her heart, had waited the necessary 35 minutes for a table so we sat right down. The guacamole made at your table was everything it was made out to be. It can't possibly be more fresh than when you watch the person carve the avocado right in front of you and add all the spices in and mix it all up. Surprisingly, the chips left a little to be desired, but the guac more than compensated.

Everyone's dinner had so many flavors you couldn't possibly absorb them in one bite. Brie had the blackened salmon special with an interesting tangy green sauce. Jenya had the mussels and shrimp with a wonderful cream sauce. I had the red snapper with an apricot walnut sauce. On the side was a mini sandwich made out of a vegi tortilla bread (forget the spanish name) with peppers, asparagus, green beans, leeks, and more crammed in with such proportion that it looked like the mouth on one of those strange creatures on that show with the muppets that live under ground--I don't remember the name but either you know what I'm talking about or you don't.

Everyone's meal was good. I liked mine the best. The dessert menu was served in a picture frame which was very cute. A little pricyso enjoy with caution: $33 total, including tax and tip.

Din Din Rule #2: Don't be afraid to call and ask the restaurant for directions.

Jason's Deli

This is a place to go to eat and eat and eat. I ordered the veggie po boy to go. I was overwhelmed by fresh veggies, mainly red and green peppers and avocado, all in the middle of a Colorado winter. The sandwich was fresh and tasty. A lot of flavor packed in. A little pricey for a deli but well worth it.

I'll be going back for the salad bar and the soups and more sandwiches. I think I could try just about everything on the menu at least once.

Wahoo's

I still love this place, but the green sauce (called green pepper sauce here) just isn't the same as I remember it being in warm, foggy L.A. Next time I'll try eating in and see if it makes a difference.

J. Alexander's

OK, I know this is a chain, but I've never been so it's new to me.

The house chardonnay was perfectly acceptable and the waitress offered my guest the opportunity to try two different wines (a first in my restaurant dining history). I ordered the Thai something salad. At the first bite, I detected a distinct mustard taste in the light lemon dressing that covered the salad, but the peanut dressing on the side more than overcame the mustard, so I survived. I think I may have even learned to at least slightly enjoy a sauce with a hint of mustard flavor...next thing you know I'll be covering my gourmet hot dogs with it....;-)

Luna Hotel

What a place for a company holiday party...man was the food good.

In addition to the free-flowing wine, I started out with a ceaser salad. As the waiter promised, this was not a typical ceaser salad so I was happy to try it. Full leafs of romain lettuce were sort of tied together with a thin cruton. You had to break it all up to create the salad. A little messy for such a fancy place but since so many people at my table ordered the same salad and made a mess, I didn't feel uncomfortable.

Next up, the cheese. The cheddar bacon was amazing (and I don't typically like bacon flavored things). This was anything but bacon-flavored, it was reall bacon and it didn't overwhelm the cheese. I mostly indulged in the swiss because it was right in front of me. I dabbled in the blue cheese which was surprisingly mild and encouraged a second and maybe even third try (at this point, the wine has started to take it's effect).

Then, the entree. Filet mignon turned prime rib was amazingly flavorful even though I got someone else's well done (I go for medium rare). Although slightly sad, I indulged in the garlic whipped potatoes and asparagus. I've never had potatoes that were so creamy.

Finally dessert. I was so full even without really eating my steak that I dipped a few apples and pretzels in the white chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate pans. Dark chocolate definitely ruled the day but it was in a far off corner. The white chocolate did me well.

If only my white elephant gift (a book of famous people drawn smally) could have half lived up to the expectations set by such a wonderful meal...that I wasn't paying for. All the better. Live long and prosper.

Brix

What: inaugural meeting of Din Din...Denver's hippest new social network (read: me and Ric/k squared)
Where: Brix, Cherry Creek
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 9--if you're reading this you already missed it.

Details:
For me, this was like a little bit of L.A., seeking out comfortable places in the midst of overdone class (that's me making broad, sweeping generalizations about CC since I can't afford to live there and really in all honesty don't know where to go). Then again, it might not have felt like L.A. at all except for the guy who walked in wearing plastic white-rimmed sunglasses.

Food:
Delish.....we had the Duck Flauta as an appetizer, at the parting bequest of our very nice, but very drunk acquaintence in the waiting booths. Served with super-fresh avocado, a light chili sauce (flavorful but not spicy) and topped with a light diced tomato. We were fighting over the last bites.

I had the blackened salmon (which was black just on the very outside but not in a way that overwhelmed the dinner). It was served on top of "dirty rice" which I learned meant rice with beans and semi-smothered with a paprika butter sauce. Topped with asparagus. I enjoyed every bite.

R1 had the pork tenderloin--the bite I tried was very good. R2 had chicken panini. Luckily the restaurant provisioned A1 sauce or I think my entire experience would have been in some way tarnished (just meeting the Rs this evening I can only imagine how).

This place has a very cozy atmosphere. Water is served out of wine bottles that are left on your table. And the real wine is reasonably priced. All in all, a great little dining experience. Worth trying. I will go back to try the "gourmet" hot dog just because I must figure out what this means and I don't believe the waiter when he shook is head with a slight bit of disgust when I questioned him about it.

Din Din Rule #1: You must be willing to share a taste of your dish with those at your table.

The Elephant Bar

True to it's name, this restaurant is full of statues of elephants (and other animals). I was there around 9 p.m. on a Saturday night and the bar was almost empty, so not a place to go out. The menu is huge and has some unique selections at reasonable prices. It claims to be unforgettable, though I have already forgotten most of it. Hungry for something light, I ordered the spring rolls--they came with a great dipping sauce which would have been wonderful smothered inside the rolls instead of on the side. I'll be back to try the lunch specials during the work week.

Salty Rita's

Still convinced I can find affordable housing in Denver in an area with a main street sort of feel, I head to Lowry. One look and I know I'll never live here. But I'm hungry so I stop and eat.

Salty Rita's has a somewhat limited pseudo-Mexican menu. I order the cheese quesadillas. They're perfectly acceptable, but nothing special.

I wish I had something witty to say, but there is nothing about Lowry or the restaurant that inspires anything but dullness.....

Castle Rock Bar and Grille -- for breakfast

It was a beautiful day right after Thanksgiving and I'm meeting Brock and Megan for a Saturday morning breakfast--I haven't eaten breakfast out in months, but looking for a house and living in such temporary digs get me out and about much earlier than normal.

Anyway, the perfect looking breakfast place is lined up out the door, so we find our way to the one other open restaurant on main street. It's a bar and it's rather dark, but they serve breakfast so we eat.

The first bizarre thing is that the bartender requires a name for the "tab". We are one table out of maybe three full in the whole place. Since it's required by the computer (damn computers) I give him my name, but why not make something up? I ordered a normal breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese. Very good. Brock and Megan decide to split the breakfast burrito at the encouragement of the bartender. The thing is huge--each half pretty much fills up a full size plate.

All in all. This is not a great breakfast atmosphere (or really a great bar either), but the food was cheap and good. I'd go back in a pinch.