The Fainting Goat
www.thefaintinggoatpub.com
846 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
303.945.2323
Attendees: Katie, Jen, Ang, Rhonda, Marie
Open Pick by Lara
I was sure this was a pub of some sort, but when I looked up the website I was not sure what to expect. Then, I drove up to it and realized many a bar, restaurant and pub had been in this location before! A fabulous three story building squished between businesses on Broadway creating this tall, slender building with a funky little rooftop patio.
We did not see the patio on this evening, only the bar--a very clean bar I must say being a bartender and a long time bar patron, I was impressed. I arrived to find a nice crowd of happy hour patrons. When I inquired about our reservation (which I knew was a bit tentative) the kind bartender, Mike, said he was unsure but he would be happy to let us have the booth in the back. Then, he poured me my favorite drink, Jameson on the rocks--and a nice pour it was. I was about to sit at a table next to the bar, when the two nice ladies said, "sit next to us & wait for your friends, there's plenty of room at the bar." I knew I was in a good place.
The decor is Celtic Irish, with shots of Powers Irish whisky on special for only 3 bucks and a sign advertising pancakes on at 7am for a Paddy's day Special. The ladies at the bar were friendly and we talked about the menu. They said the Irish nachos are awesome. One of the girls was eating Blarney sliders with a side of the horseradish dijonaise--she looked happy.
The girls arrived and we went to the booth, ordered some whisky, wine and fried pickle spears! Our server, Katie, was very nice and efficient. I'm a bit skeptical about the fried pickles, but when I dived into a bite of one, it was super delicious. Not soggy like I expected, but crunchy. And the ranch (not a ranch fan) was very good.
For dinner I ordered the Blarney sliders with the fun horseradish dijonaise the girl from the bar recommended. It is kind of like a hollandaise and honey mustard with horseradish--but not quite. The mini corned beef sliders have horseradish Havarti and are on a pretzel roll, served with really good french fries. The sauce was a perfect accompaniment to both.
The girls ordered a couple of Rubens, fish and chips and burger. Everyone seemed happy with their selection and we all agreed Rhonda's salad looked big and delicious--she substituted it for fries with her Ruben. All in all a good time.
I love a good clean bar with a good bartender, but I love it even more when it's an Irish pub with yummy food and lots of Irish Whisky!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
A Taste of Argentina
Buenos Aires Pizzeria
1319/1307 22nd Street
Denver, Colorado
(303) 296-6710
www.bapizza.com
Attendees: Ang., Jen, Lara, Marie
Marie's Pick
We really didn't know what to expect from this little joint in downtown Denver. What could pizza from Argentina be like, anyway? Well, I'll tell you! It is good - really good - with its own little twist.
My first comment would have to be about the service. There was one gal who was working the entire restaurant and she was awful cute but because she was the only one so service was very slow and sporadic. Fortunately the Dinnergirls are good at entertaining ourselves... I have no idea if this is normal but if you're in a hurry or have someplace to be, you might try BA Pizza another time...
First we tried the Empanadas. They were great - perfectly cooked and flaky. You could easily make a meal out of the empanadas alone if you wanted to.
For the pizza, I tried the Nepolitana, which listed the ingredients as: Mozzarella, Ham, Fresh Tomato, Garlic, Green Olives, Oregano. I substituted shrimp for the ham.
The first thing I noticed when the pizza arrived was the shrimp. I am not sure what I expected but they were the little tiny shrimps. That's fine and everything, just not what I was expecting. I also noticed that my pizza, compared to the slice that Lara ordered, was definitely lacking in ingredients. I had a few olives per slice but Lara's was covered!! This made me jealous. But that is ok. I still really enjoyed it, although next time I think I'd just order slices rather than a pie.
The next thing I noticed was the crust. It was thin, like I like it, but upon taking a bite, I realized how dense it is. It is a very dense crust! This makes the pizza deceiving as it will fill you up much quicker than you might otherwise anticipate. I really like pizza with lots of "stuff" so the sparseness of toppings was a teensy bit disappointing (maybe because I had seen Lara's slice) but not a huge deal as it was really good. I would like to try it again, for sure.
The best part of our meal was dessert, in my opinion. They make their own gelatos and I absolutely could not resist trying the Dulce de Leche ‘n Flan. It was amazing and delicious. I would eat it again and again. Oh the the gelato - yum yum yum!
Though I've never been to Argentina, the atmosphere in Buenos Aires Pizzeria reflects the feel of another place & time. The music, the decor, the photos and the artwork, transform the space to make you feel like you are in Argentina. I enjoyed our wine and pizza alike and look forward to visiting again. Great pick, Marie! xoxo
Saturday, January 23, 2010
It Was Meant to Bean
The Squeaky Bean
3301 Tejon St.
Denver, CO 80211
www.thesqueakybean.net
Attendees: Ang., Katie, Jen, Marie
Katie's pick
Looooooved The Squeaky Bean!
When I glanced at the menu online, I was thinking that the selection was a little limited, but interesting, and walked into the place not knowing what else to expect.
Upon entering on our Thursday night, the place was, of course, packed. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long for our table. The atmosphere in The Squeaky Bean is laid back and simple, but interesting in an old building, European, kind of way. The tables are tight so you're kind of back-to-back but once you dive into the food, you don't even notice the others around you. (Except for the kooky girl at the bar with the tiny, tiny hat.)
We started out with the Castelvetrano Olives and the Potato and Gruyere Fonduta "small plates" to share. I was not expecting so much for "small" plates and we had plenty to go around. The olives were not at all what I anticipated. They were mixed with toasted almonds in this amazing, light, curry sauce. While the curry was light, it had enough flavor to entice me to try another one. And another one. And another one. And the fonduta... it was so good. Served with oiled (buttered?) and grilled slices of bread, the fonduta is this amazing potato cheese dip - that stayed smooth and creamy, despite the fact that it was not kept over a flame, like fondue. We even had to ask for more bread and I think I ate ten pieces. For the four of us, it was plenty and filling for a "little" starter.
I almost forgot -- Katie's salad. Katie ordered the beet salad. It came out with the small plates. We all got bites and it was amazingly tasty! There were two kinds of beets and it was drizzled in a basil dressing/sauce. It was a pretty good sized salad, too. The basil dressing added a very interesting flair to the beets that I did not expect. Coupled with the small plates, it would have been a fine meal, I'm sure.
For my "entree" I opted for the Burrata, which was labeled as a small plate, I believe. Marie ordered it too. Our waiter explained that the mozzarella cheese came from a small, special place in California and was handmade. It is two kinds of mozz, the "skin" on the outside and a creamy mozz on the inside, and butternut squash. When the plate arrived, it was not really what I expected. And my first bite was not what I expected either. It was a pretty little circle on the plate, with the cheese sitting on top of the squash. First of all, the mozzarella was cold! But ok, I took a bite and grabbed another piece or two of the squash. I cannot explain the flavor, or the texture, and I could not really figure it out myself, either, but each bite I took after that intrigued me more than the previous bite and I fell in love with the dish. The squash (and I think our waiter also mentioned bread - like croutons - are in it) was so tasty -- kind of cinnamony and crunchy - like it had been fried, but I don't think it actually was. It was super -- by the time I took my last bite, I was in love! I would order the Burrata again. A simply fascinating blend of flavor and texture!
The other girls seemed to enjoy their plates as well. Katie ordered a giant duck sandwich, Ang. ordered the tasty and interesting lasagna, and Marie, like me, the Burrata.
After we finished our dinner and wine, we took the plunge and ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding even though I'm sure we were all pretty stuffed. How can one resist Sticky Toffee Pudding?! I thought it was great too. It was served very hot and was a tasty little cake of sweetness, with hot sticky toffee - just like the name says.
All in all, The Squeaky Bean was a prize of a find and I would absolutely go back anytime. According to their website, they also serve lunch and brunch. Combine that with an ever-changing menu and I doubt one could ever get bored eating the different flavors of The Squeaky Bean. So go! Check it out sometime -- and let us know what you think! xoxo
3301 Tejon St.
Denver, CO 80211
www.thesqueakybean.net
Attendees: Ang., Katie, Jen, Marie
Katie's pick
Looooooved The Squeaky Bean!
When I glanced at the menu online, I was thinking that the selection was a little limited, but interesting, and walked into the place not knowing what else to expect.
Upon entering on our Thursday night, the place was, of course, packed. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long for our table. The atmosphere in The Squeaky Bean is laid back and simple, but interesting in an old building, European, kind of way. The tables are tight so you're kind of back-to-back but once you dive into the food, you don't even notice the others around you. (Except for the kooky girl at the bar with the tiny, tiny hat.)
We started out with the Castelvetrano Olives and the Potato and Gruyere Fonduta "small plates" to share. I was not expecting so much for "small" plates and we had plenty to go around. The olives were not at all what I anticipated. They were mixed with toasted almonds in this amazing, light, curry sauce. While the curry was light, it had enough flavor to entice me to try another one. And another one. And another one. And the fonduta... it was so good. Served with oiled (buttered?) and grilled slices of bread, the fonduta is this amazing potato cheese dip - that stayed smooth and creamy, despite the fact that it was not kept over a flame, like fondue. We even had to ask for more bread and I think I ate ten pieces. For the four of us, it was plenty and filling for a "little" starter.
I almost forgot -- Katie's salad. Katie ordered the beet salad. It came out with the small plates. We all got bites and it was amazingly tasty! There were two kinds of beets and it was drizzled in a basil dressing/sauce. It was a pretty good sized salad, too. The basil dressing added a very interesting flair to the beets that I did not expect. Coupled with the small plates, it would have been a fine meal, I'm sure.
For my "entree" I opted for the Burrata, which was labeled as a small plate, I believe. Marie ordered it too. Our waiter explained that the mozzarella cheese came from a small, special place in California and was handmade. It is two kinds of mozz, the "skin" on the outside and a creamy mozz on the inside, and butternut squash. When the plate arrived, it was not really what I expected. And my first bite was not what I expected either. It was a pretty little circle on the plate, with the cheese sitting on top of the squash. First of all, the mozzarella was cold! But ok, I took a bite and grabbed another piece or two of the squash. I cannot explain the flavor, or the texture, and I could not really figure it out myself, either, but each bite I took after that intrigued me more than the previous bite and I fell in love with the dish. The squash (and I think our waiter also mentioned bread - like croutons - are in it) was so tasty -- kind of cinnamony and crunchy - like it had been fried, but I don't think it actually was. It was super -- by the time I took my last bite, I was in love! I would order the Burrata again. A simply fascinating blend of flavor and texture!
The other girls seemed to enjoy their plates as well. Katie ordered a giant duck sandwich, Ang. ordered the tasty and interesting lasagna, and Marie, like me, the Burrata.
After we finished our dinner and wine, we took the plunge and ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding even though I'm sure we were all pretty stuffed. How can one resist Sticky Toffee Pudding?! I thought it was great too. It was served very hot and was a tasty little cake of sweetness, with hot sticky toffee - just like the name says.
All in all, The Squeaky Bean was a prize of a find and I would absolutely go back anytime. According to their website, they also serve lunch and brunch. Combine that with an ever-changing menu and I doubt one could ever get bored eating the different flavors of The Squeaky Bean. So go! Check it out sometime -- and let us know what you think! xoxo
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