Taking Triple D back to the Mile High City

After I returned from Chicago with my Triple D count at 390 I really wanted to get 9 more in so I could plan a special visit for #400.  I am on a couple of Facebook sites devoted to "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" (in fact I am the admin for one of them) and one of Guy's crew is also on it and he will sometimes posts the places that they have shot.  Recently Guy did 5 or 6 places in Baltimore and I have been to all but one and I am saving that for #400 so I can get friends and family come out and celebrate that with me.  I had nothing planned over my usual days off and thought that maybe I could go off somewhere and get a few spots in.  I started looking at flights to different cities that have DDD spots that I have not been to and when I looked into going to Denver (I still had 5 places to try there) and my eyes almost popped out of their sockets, not only were the flights open but they were REALLY open!  I could leave after work and stay a couple of nights and then fly home all on my two days off!

After a day of work I got on the 230p nonstop from Dulles to Denver and it was great having an empty seat next to me so I could spread out and enjoy the 3 hour 40 minute flight.  The aircraft was an Airbus A320 and these are one of the few types of aircraft that has streaming videos for Apple IOS tablets.  It really does make the flight go a lot faster.  For any one interested I watched "Saving Mr. Banks".  On arrival I turned my phone on and it read 11 degrees, that bad part of that was that was the high of the day.  The day before it had snowed and the side roads were all covered but the mains were ok.  I got my car (of course they want you to upgrade to a larger car, so they gave me the doom and gloom about how much snow was expected, but I knew better, I had been watching the Denver weather all week, because if snow was forecasted I probably would not have made the trip!) and made my way to the hotel about 13 miles away and next to the old Stapleton Airport, now it seems to be a bunch of houses and shopping areas.  The hotel I stayed at looks a lot like the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World, I wonder f it was built around the same time.

After checking in I headed out to my first and only place of the night.  I drove into the downtown area and ffound the place.  It is on the corner of East Colfax and Pennsylvannia Streets across the street from a huge Catholic Church.  "Prohibition" is mainly a bar that serves good food.  They seem to cater to a "20 something" crowd, at least during my visit.  the entrance is two huge thick wood doors that would make you think of a "speak easy" during the 1920's, but that was about it for the theme.

Prohibition in Denver

The crowd was pretty lively and it was pretty loud and everyone seemed to be enjoying the drinks.  I decided to try an appetizer and the one that jumped out at me was the Crispy Polenta with Shaved Parmesan and 6 Hour Balsamic Ketchup sauce.  The name alone made it intriguing and I am not usually a fan of Polenta in my travels I have found it usually not very tasty, but this was not the case, it had a very good cheese flavor and I found the sauce was really not necessary, it was great all by itself. 

Crispy Polenta with Balsamic Ketchup Sauce at Prohibition

I had a very busy but friendly server and she signed my book and headed back to the hotel to call  it a night.  I think by this time it was down to about 7 degrees, thank goodness for car heaters!

The next morning I headed out to the same area to a very unusual place.  It wasn't really one restaurant but two!  I was pretty lucky and found some side street parking right next to the place and headed in to the "Atomic Cowboy".   I noticed that it was really two places.  There is a big bar in the center with over 25 beers on tap and I took a seat there, it seems that they like singles to go to the bar.  Inside there were actually two separate kitchens and menus on the walls,  One is called "Fat Sully's New York Pizza" and the other is the "Denver Biscuit Company" which is the main place during the morning hours.

Atomic Cowboy in Denver

Fat Sully's one of the restaurants in the Atomic Cowboy

The Crossed Rolling Pins to indicate the Denver Biscuit Company

I decided that all I really wanted to try was something small. I decided on the Chicken Biscuit with cheddar cheese.  I wish I hadn't gotten the chees because it was thick and way too gooey to my liking.  So I took some of the cheese off and tried the chicken patty the cheese really covered up the spice, the chicken had a pretty big bite.  The biscuit was fantastic, flaky and full of flavor.

Two views of my Atomic Café Chicken Biscuit (Denver Biscuit Company)

Next time I am in Denver I would like to go back and try some of the other items at both of the kitchens at Atomic Cowboy.  They feature their biscuits in most of the food choices there and it all sounded delicious.

I headed out to my next stop which was about 15 minutes away in an area of Denver called Highland Park.  This seems to be an older neighborhood with large homes that look to be from around the turn of the 20th Century

Some of the very cool houses in the Highland Park area of Denver

I arrived at "The Highland Tavern" and it was a very unique setting.  The tavern is in a neighborhood, but on the corner that it sits on there is the tavern, a coffee bar and a nightclub, those are the only business establishments in the general area.

Highland Tavern (paying homage to the local popular beer)

I walked in as it opened and sat at the big bar, the staff was getting ready for what would be a busy day. 

Highland Tavern bar area

I looked over the menu and asked the server to remind me what was featured on their episode of DDD.  They had featured a huge burger, tater tots, and house made pork rinds.  I remembered the episode and seeing the pork rinds, which is something I have never tried (nor really wanted to) but I knew that if I didn't try them I would say "what if" so that's what I got.  The bowl of Pork Rinds came out crackling and popping.  I took a bite and knew instantly what I hadn't tried them before.  There is something about the texture that I didn't care for.  They were also very spicy (at least for me) topped with a chili-lime salt. 

Pork Rinds at Highland Tavern

After getting my book signed I decided to head off to my next stop, just a few miles away in a pretty neat small neighborhood that features a lot of small restaurants and shops.  I really lucked out finding a parking spot right in front of the place.  "Hops and Pies" sticks very close to it's name.  They feature a rotating menu of microbrews on tap, a full bar and pizza.  The name really is appropriate here.  I arrived about 20 minutes after it opened and it was pretty busy, by the time I left the place was packed, with people waiting!

Hops and Pies

Hops and Pies Specials Board

I took a seat at the bar and really just took the place all in.  This is a real beer bar. 

Hops and Pies Bar and Beer Listing

They have special glasses for the different types beers.  I decided to try their "Slice of the Day" which featured Pulled Pork, Pineapples and Jalapenos, 

Hops and Pies Slice of the Day

The slice was very good with a bit of a bite.  The crust was thin and crispy, very good.  I think this place would be great for a group to go and try the different beers and pizzas.  They have a special on Saturdays that includes 2 slices and 3 draft beers,  the price was very reasonable.  After taking off I decided to take a small road trip to the town of Brighton about 20 miles away.  When I posted my trip on one of the Triple D Facebook pages, the owner of the place I was headed asked if I planned to visit them and I said that I would try but I had been there on my last Denver visit.  "Lauer Krauts" is one of my favorite Triple D places.  They feature a very unique sandwich that is an old family recipe. 

Lauer Krauts in Brighton Colorado

Lauer Krauts is not a huge place they have three tables inside and a patio area, but being as it was in the 30's the patio was not much of an option.  Everyone sis together in a communal setting.  I ordered one of their namesake burgers.  It is a roll that is baked with the filled inside, in this case, ground beef, onions and cabbage.  The owner, Robin, came out and I was able to visit with her and the other diners there.  The reasons I like and recommend Lauer Krauts to anyone visiting the Denver area are twofold; one is the food, delicious and very reasonably priced and the other is Robin and her staff, they make everyone who enters feel like a special friend or a member of the family, and you don't see that very much anymore!

Robin and I

This picture doesn't do justice to the Kraut Burger, it was delicious

Robin, Guy and I!

After a nice visit, Robin presented me with one of their new T-shirts, what a wonderful gift and surprise!  I am so glad that I was able to get back and I know it won't be my last visit there!

I headed back to the hotel for a few hours of R and R before going to my last place in the Denver area.  I was really looking forward this because I was going to meet a good friend of mine from Oakton High School, whom I had classes with back in the day.  We planned to meet about 430p for a dinner at a place that is known for it's down home southern cooking.  Welcome to "Cora Faye's Café"!  My friend Kim, just moved to the Denver area after spending 3 years in London and she brought her daughter, Kara who was visiting from Guam and Kara's three young children.  We were seated at a big table, as you enter you are transported from Denver to a Sunday afternoon table in the deep south.  There are family photos and old time heirlooms adorning the walls.

Cora Faye's Café - A bit of the deep south in Denver

They feature a changing menu everyday and since it was a Friday, seafood was the special for the day.  They also have the southern basics of Fried Chicken and all the trimmings.  I chose the Fried Catfish and Kim chose the Fried Chicken plate which she shared with Kara.  The kids got sides and also tried my fish and the chicken.  After we ordered the kitchen sent out small plates of sides for the kids to try, that was really a great thing.

Kim and I and her grandson Jonathan

We got the meals and I am not sure that they know anything about the word "small" at Cora Faye's!  My plate was huge with two filets and greens and mashed potatoes with chicken gravy.  The fish was delicious, the gravy on the mashed potatoes had pieces of shredded chicken and the greens were sweet and very good! 

Enjoying my Cora Faye's Catfish dinner

The kids were awesome!  They seemed to love the food and behaved great, Kim has awesome grandchildren!  Funniest thing was everyone was getting full, but when dessert was mentioned the kids seemed to get their appetite back!  They ordered a dish of house made Banana Pudding, and I was mostly bananas with some pudding to hold it together!  About that time the owner came out to sign my book and we had a very nice conversation about the place, her history and the Triple D filming.  Cora was the owner's mother and Faye was her aunt, so it's an homage to them. 

The Owner and Chef of Cora Faye's with me and a young photo bomber

What a great place and a great night!  I enjoyed my short visit with Kim and her family and hope that we can get together again very soon.  I highly recommend Cora Faye's Café and I want to go back so I can try their Sunday Specialty - Rabbit or maybe a rack of Frog Legs! 

My wonderful dinner companions!

Well, my trio to Denver was done and my Triple D count was now 395!  400 is getting closer and closer!