962 S Monaco Pkwy
Denver, CO 80224
(303) 320-1104
www.monacoinn.com
When: April 9th
In Attendance: Jen, Ang, Katie, Caroline, Rhonda, Lara, Marie
I had been reading about the Monaco Inn for years in the Cherry Creek Chronicle which I receive at home. Over the years, there have been some good reviews of this family owned little hot spot. The article described fantastic food including Greek potatoes, killer dolmades, and excellent Mexican food including their special Monacoritos. I had also passed the somewhat unassuming and hidden restaurant for years but never stopped in.
After going to the Monaco Inn with my favorite group of women, I am kicking myself for not going sooner! When I first walked in, I was a little nervous because it seemed like an early bird special kind of crowd and I was ready to eat and laugh a ton! I saw Katie sitting at the bar and quickly walked over and sat down and ordered a drink. I recognized the owner, Mike Tsikoudakis immediately from the articles I had read and he graciously poured my drink with a friendly smile. I felt at home already. A short time after Lara arrived and ordered a yummy Greek wine at the recommendation of Mike. I knew I wanted some once we were seated at our table.
Alas, the other girls arrived after driving right past the Monaco Inn. It is very easy not to notice this place and pass on by. You must turn at the Hobby Lobby sign! I had made a reservation and our table was ready and waiting for our Greek feast to begin! Mike led us to our table where we were greeted by our cute server and the owner’s daughter, Antigone! Along with Antigone, there was a flock of other servers including Peter and Asimakis attending to our table! I could tell this place was special and the staff considered it home! I felt at home too!
After everyone sampled Lara’s Greek wine, we all decided to order a few bottles. The wine and two orders of on the house saganaki were presented by Mike! OPA my good man! Fire and cheese equals fun! The saganaki was very creamy, lemony, and delicious. One order needed a little more time under the fire but I didn’t care because cheese and lemon two of my favorite things! The saganaki was served with fresh, pillow soft, and delicious pita bread. Thank you Mike!
We also ordered some calamari. It arrived at our table piping hot and with lots of lemon, cocktail sauce, and tzatziki sauce! Cooking calamari seems to be difficult for some restaurants and is often times chewy and over cooked. I thought the Monaco Inn did a great job. I liked the golden brown batter and it had a peppery tang to it. I thought (as the girls called it), the tentacles were the best part rather than the “circle” part! OPA! Whatever it’s called, it must have been good because we ate the whole huge plate! There was a shot of ouzo somewhere during the calamari scarfing. The Monaco Inn serves very LARGE shots of the smoothest ouzo I have ever thrown back! OPA, once again!
We had all ordered big platters, which came with Greek avgolemono soup or Greek salad. I had the soup and it was thick, creamy, and hot! It had lots of rice and a rich lemon flavor. I ate it in about 4 big spoonfuls. A few other girls got the Greek salad. It looked like very good Greek salad, but some of them learned to get the dressing on the side next time! I was full at this point but did not quit eating, naturally.
Our huge platters came to the table from the friendly gentlemen being so attentive to our table. I immediately spotted the Greek potatoes I had read about in so many reviews. I was down right giddy to dig in! I ordered a combo plate with spanakopita, tyropita, and grilled shrimp. I decided to sub the grilled shrimp for dolmades and they were happy to oblige! So many restaurants have combos with one thing I don’t want, but the Monaco Inn was very accommodating about switching things up! Honestly, I was so in to my food I don’t remember what other girls ordered. I will rely on their blog comments to discuss their meals!
I tried the Greek potatoes first. I loved them simply put. The potatoes were rich, buttery, and full of lemon and herb flavors. They were some of the tastiest potatoes I have eaten and would like to make them myself! There was something light and airy about them when other potatoes can be heavy. Next, I tried my spinach pie called spanakopita. It was filled with delicious spinach that was flavored with dill, parsley, leeks, and feta cheese. It was layered with fluffy golden fillo and was scrumptious. It was time to try the dolmades! These dolmades were stuffed with herbs, rice, and ground beef all rapped up in a tender grape leaf. I enjoyed Monaco Inn’s beefy dolmades and thought they were delightfully different from dolmades from other area Greek restaurants, which usually don’t include beef.
I am saving my favorite part of my combo platter for last! The tyropita cheese pies are to die for! I wished I wasn’t so full by the time I sunk my teeth into these heavenly morsels of cheese and flaky fillo dough. They were warm, smooth, and had a wonderful tangy blend of cheeses. The Inn's tyropitas are divine! I could have just had a plate of those.
This is a long review but I don’t remember the last time I had such a fantastic time eating out. I must say I thought the great food was just an added bonus to the fun atmosphere and entertainment we received at our table from the staff at the Monaco Inn. This is what going out to eat is all about! So often you can go to a restaurant and feel like a bother to the servers. They kind of make you feel as if they want you to order in a hurry, eat, and get out so they can turn the tables over. I felt like we could have stayed at the Monaco Inn for days, and they would have kept us full and happy! In fact, we were treated to a wonderful magic show by Peter the great! He did three mesmerizing tricks for us as we laughed and had the best time! We also had our own mini comedy club going at our table as Peter told some funny jokes and stories! I think we may have been the youngest and most enthusiastic table the Inn had seen in a while! I think we gave the staff a thrill, with our dazzling beauty and smiling faces. We were all happy to take part in the fun!
After all the jokes, magic, food, and OPA’s, it was time for a group photo to commemorate my favorite dinner to date! You must try the Monaco Inn because it is a true Denver treasure. There is nothing better than a restaurant that takes pride in their service from start to finish. This little gem is my new neighborhood favorite!
