Adrifting back into town

I know it's been a while since I've touched this blog but I think it's time.  After consulting with my Uncle Bill and discovering that new restaurants had continued to pop up in Denver, (even without me being around) I figured it was time to start talking about stuff that you eat. 

I will start with Adrift down on South Broadway.  I thought it was just a bar but it turns out they have some pretty tasty foods. I ate one of the thai dishes, the curry, egg noodles koa soi and chicken. 

We somehow all decided we loved the cubano sandwich.  I must have been in the sandwich mood but it was damn tasty and the fries were addictive, I wanted to shove the whole plate of fries in my mouth all at once. 

It had a pretty cool feel to it, a relaxing tiki type thing, and the good kind of cheesy.  I felt like I should have seen more people having a cocktail and smoking cigarettes with the relaxing old school bossa nova type music playing in the background. 

That's a real blowfish.

Those little devils

Lechuga's has to be my favorite place to get "little devils" (it's the only place to get little devils). My mom used to bring them home after work every once in a while, that's when I fell in love.

This spicy italian sausage cannoli (little devil) is the only way to go. If you get the lunch special they come smothered along with some spaghetti for 4 freakin dollars. The atmosphere is elegant, quiet, intimate... definitely wear your tuxedo shirt and jorts to this fantastic hole in the wall.

The waitresses won't take any of your lip and will keep you on your toes with their witty remarks. A quick and friendly service is how they get you into the restaurant, otherwise I would always take those little devils to go. Although I would miss out on the great hole in the wall feeling that I love, it's also a great people watching spot.

Here is a piece of crap picture that won't do them justice.

Please take a moment out of your life and go eat here if you haven't already. It is a Denver classic. Put it on your bucket list and once you've eaten a little devil, report back to me.

You little devil.

Tapas, real tapas, not that fake crap

I will explain the title of this post.  When I hear the word "tapas" it makes me think of Spanish tapas.  So when I go to a restaurant claiming they have tapas I usually expect tortilla, croquetas, chorizo, patatas bravas and all that good stuff. I understand that tapas style is the cool thing now but it still makes me sad when I can't get the Spanish tapas that make my mouth water when someone mutters the word, "tapas".

I apologize to any tapas restaurant, I don't want to call you fake or crap.  I love tapas style. 

This is why I say real tapas, and not that fake crap.  Tapas de España gives you real Spanish tapas, not just a plate of cheese and maybe some olives.  They've got everything: the champiñones, tortilla española, croquetas, patatas, sangria, tinto de verano, the list goes on.

If you want to try legitimate Spanish tapas (from the northern part),  then please, go here.  With about 4 people you can order quite a few different tapas and be pretty satisfied, throw in a few beers and you'll be feelin good.

Maybe start out with some tortilla española and croquetas.

My friend JJ told me that I have to try carne a la piedra.  Say hi to Francisco if you see him.

If your friends are hungry...

If your friends are hungry, get dim sum dim sum.

I never knew what the hell dim sum was until my parents introduced me to one of the most generous couples I have met, the Yips. We cannot seem to eat any sort of Chinese food without them, we would all just feel lost and maybe a little scared.

It was my mom's birthday and they had invited us out to dim sum, again (they seem to do this a lot).  I thought I knew what was coming, we were going to Star Kitchen over on Federal and Mississippi, but I really had no clue.

We walked in and our friend Jimmy immediately points us in the direction of the live seafood.  I felt like a kid again, watching the shrimp and fish float around and thinking that if I got too close to the king crab that it would jump out and claw my face off, or maybe eat my ear. (I had a bad experience at White Fence Farm when I was little. A goat tried to eat my shirt, now I don't trust any animals that appear within 200 feet of restaurants).

Little did we know we were going to eat an entire king crab that day.  And dude, it was a regal experience.

Pictured below: the crab's legs, it's fried innards and finally the remnants mixed with rice. Again, regal.

After we ate the rice out of its body/skull I felt like wearing it around like a hat. It would make a good accessory at a crazy hat and/or wig party.

Go here for dim sum, it's awesome.  The food is so good you won't care that the entire place isn't too easy on the eyes.

 If you ever get the chance to get some king crab here, do it.  Although I think it's a pretty rare thing at this place.

Legit Shawarma

I love Lebanese food.  

There used to be a place called Cedar's back in the day down on Federal and Alameda-ish.  My family and I seemed to go there quite a bit back when I was little.  It was one of my more vivid memories of going out to eat. I remember the hummus, a huge fish tank they used to have and the belly dancer that would occasionally be there.  Sadly they closed it.

The other day Pierre and Abe gave my dad a call... they opened up a new restaurant! It's over on Dry Creek and University and called Shawarma Mediterranean Grill

This time though it's the fast casual type. The focus is on the shawarma, and don't call it a gyro.

 

If you decide to check this place out, don't go during lunch time.  It's packed with highschool kids and the line is out the door. 

The hummus was just as I remembered it, the shawarma was tasty as ever and the falafels were cooked perfectly.

That is all I have to say.  Why don't you go lay by the bay and make things out of clay, what do you say?

Some phine pho

I went to eat at L'Asie which I think means Asia in French.  It's more or less a fusion of all things Asian.  A while ago I had an alright dinner with their spring rolls to start and then some mongolian beef.

I returned this time for the rumor about their pho.

I know I've eaten pho before and it really wasn't a memorable experience.  This time, though, it was a bit more memorable.  If I ever come back for the pho I won't get the pork meatballs, I think I'll stick to the chicken or maybe try the veggie one.

I'd say the pho is phine. I crack myself up.

They have sweet drink specials too! 2 for 1 drinks... I'm not even really sure when there isn't a 2 for 1 special.

I also heard that pho is a great hangover cure, thank my buddy Brock for that one.

Our waiter was a cool guy. Very nice. I don't like to use the work awkward, but I just did.

Good variety on the menu, if I ever go back, I guess I'd have to try some of the seafood.  I also really liked those dang spring rolls.

Ángel Caído

Ángel Caído is a biblical figure representing the angels who were banished from heaven, also associated with Satan and Lucifer.  It's also a cool statue in Retiro park found in Madrid, Spain.  One of the few statues that doesn't depict a saint or an angel that wasn't banished from heaven.

That's all besides the point.  I ate lunch at the restaurant El Diablo on Broadway.  I think El Diablo is Spanish for like, a fighting chicken, but I really can't remember.

Since I'm so adventurous and was in such a crazy mood that day I ordered tacos, again.  But it was a different kind of taco! Tacos al pastor, my favorite kind of tacos in the world.

Simply put, they were good.  I will never find tacos al pastor like I did in Morelia.

I asked for some of their diablo salsa because the waitress said it was super hot... I'm pretty sure it was a basic habañero salsa and it definitely gave my tongue a nice bite.

I would like to give this place another try... not bad at all... I had a nice lunch on their small patio on a beautiful, sunny Colorado day.  Next time I want some margs.

Our waitress was awesome, a bit quirky, extremely nice and fun to chat with.  She told me that next time I should try their carnitas and give their torta a shot.