In 2005, you most likely hadn’t heard of Facebook; you could buy a decent home for under $300k; and Denver got its first-ever Restaurant Week, with 83 participating eateries.
Oh, how times have changed. Facebook hasn’t just entered the conversation but controls it; houses cost a smidge more; and this year’s Denver Restaurant Week, Feb. 22-March 3, will feature 238 restaurants. So …progress?
Like DRW’s format over the past two years, a (typically) three-course meal will run you $25, $35 or $45 per person, depending on which pricing tier the restaurant chooses. For some spots, this is a steal, which is why this week can be a lot of fun for both diners and, believe it or not, the restaurants.
“Restaurant Week is like a food festival in Denver that celebrates all of the incredible culinary experiences we have in the city,” said Andrea Frizzi, chef/owner of RiNo’s Il Posto. “It provides the opportunity to so many people who may have never been in before to try our restaurant. We love the energy it creates in the restaurant and all of the new faces we get to see. It’s truly a beautiful thing for the city.”
Besides being beautiful, DRW also can help restaurants attract new diners throughout the year. Il Posto general manager Kell Kaiser has tracked the restaurant’s numbers via a customer management database and OpenTable. He said that 62 percent of DRW diners returned to Il Posto at least once within the following six months.
“Restaurant week can be a real win for restaurants,” Kaiser said. “When done correctly and deliberately, the increase in guest count opens the doors to numerous opportunities for a profitable program.”
Visit Denver, which launched the program way back when, did so to promote the city’s dining scene to its own residents. Travel + Leisure had conducted a reader poll where Denver residents ranked the city’s dining scene 25th out of 25. So, yeah, we didn’t think too highly of our city’s culinary offerings then.
“We wanted to turn that perception around,” said Justin Bresler, vice president of marketing for Visit Denver. “We had good restaurants — not as many as we have now — but they were there.”
The plan seems to have worked. With nearly triple the number of restaurants participating and hundreds of thousands of meals served each year, diners and restaurants both are filling up.
If you haven’t made reservations, you’re not completely out of luck. If you’re booking online, check weekdays first and be flexible on your time. A light lunch can make those early reservations pretty appetizing, and snacks (snacks!) make the later ones doable. If you’re coming up short with online booking systems, try calling the restaurant. Sometimes they save reservations for callers and walk-ins.
Need more convincing? We’ll let the food speak for itself. Here are some DRW menu highlights:
For $25
Check out Cuba Cuba Cafe’s tostones con ceviche, fish sandwich and key lime tart. 1173 Delaware St., 303-605-2822; cubacubacafe.com
For $25, not just one person but two people get beer, dessert, meat platters and sides at Burnt End BBQ. 5332 DTC Blvd., Greenwood Village, 720-538-1153; burntendbbqdenver.com
At Max’s Wine Dive, choose an appetizers like Crispy Deviled Eggs, main dishes like Southern Style Meatloaf, and finish with the Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding. 696 Sherman St., 303-593-2554; maxswinedive.com
Feed two for $25 at Tag Burger Bar in Congress Park: Choose two orders of fries, two burgers and get a buy one, get one draft beer to boot. 1222 Madison St., 303-736-2260; tagburgerbar.com
For $35
Fill up on Bamboo Sushi’s menu of rolls, smoked duck stuffed with bao bun and scallop, bass and salmon nigiri. 2715 17th St., 303-284-6600; bamboosushi.com
Lots of choices at Il Posto, but beef tartare, pappardelle pasta and pork cheeks with polenta are a good start. 2601 Larimer St., 303-394-0100; ilpostodenver.com
At Bacon Social House, try the Crispy Brussels, Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin and Creme Brulee. 2434 W. 44th Ave., 720-550-7065; baconsocialhouse.com
The Rhein Haus will start you off with a house-baked pretzel with sauce; a choice of salads or charcuterie for an appetizer; one of three entrees (try the Schweinhaxe); plus dessert. 1415 Market St., 303-800-2652; rheinhausdenver.com
For $45
You’ve got a full menu to choose from at Old Major, including salmon crudo, charcuterie and fried chicken — and that’s just the first course. Keep going with short ribs, lamb, duck confit and lots of other meat-centric plates. 3316 Tejon St., 720-420-0622; oldmajordenver.com
Satchel’s on 6th has roasted carrot salad, seafood pasta, pork belly with broken pistachio sauce and apple tarts on the menu.1710 E. 6th Ave., 303-399-2560; satchelsonsixth.com
In Cherry Creek, Cucina Colore‘s Restaurant Week menu includes Filet Mignon Carpaccio, Strawberry salad, Maine Lobster Ravioli, Veal Marsala and tiramisu. 3041 E. 3rd Ave., 303-393-6917; cucinacolore.com
Even The Palm downtown is getting in on the act, with choices like Poached Pear Salad, Saffron Spaghetti a la Lobster Arrabbiata and New York Cheesecake. Plus, there are upgrade options. 1672 Lawrence St., 303-825-7256; thepalm.com
Get the full list of restaurants and menus at denver.org/denver-restaurant-week.
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