The holidays are notorious for bringing out one’s indulgent side, and what more delicious way to celebrate decadence than with an unforgettable meal? We’ve collected the Mile High City’s most outrageously priced dishes for those on a flavorful mission at any expense.
Denver’s oldest restaurant, The Buckhorn Exchange, has catered to cowboys and presidents alike since 1893. Their New York strip large-portion steaks are meant for a group: The Big Steak, at $215, weighs 4 pounds and is meant to serve five; the extra cooking time required will give guests a chance to ogle the floor-to-ceiling Western memorabilia. 1000 Osage St.; 303-534-9505; buckhorn.com
At The Palace Arms inside the iconic Brown Palace Hotel, guests can enjoy not only the history the hotel is steeped in (yes, those really are Napoleon Bonaparte’s dueling pistols in the restaurant’s display case), but a Caesar salad for two. Prepared tableside from scratch, it’s priced at $40. Pair it with the $54 beef Wellington, made with steaks raised on Flying B Bar Ranch in Strasburg. 321 17th St.; 303-297-3111; brownpalace.com
Falling Rock Tap House is well known for its vast selection of craft beers, and less known for its doozy of a burger, made in homage to The King. The Elvis Presley Memorial Combo piles a ½ -pound rare beef patty, bacon, American cheese, L-pound of pastrami, grilled onions, Swiss cheese, guacamole and mayo onto a big bun. Served with onion rings and fries, the $46.50 sammie is, according to the menu, “over-inflated, just like Elvis, and served with a defibrillator.” 1919 Blake St.; 303-293-8338; fallingrocktaphouse.com
At sommelier Kendra Anderson’s (a.k.a. @SwirlGirlDenver) sleek and sexy new cocktail lounge, Bar Helix, the Bump + Bubbles combines Siberian Reserve caviar, champagne and “all the feels” for just $20. Enjoy a taste of sophistication at an approachable price and get in some prime people-watching from the cushy private dining nook. 3440 Larimer St.; 720-449-8587; insidethehelix.com
Barolo Grill has long been a Denver standby for Northern Italian food, and while their regular menu won’t break the bank, their annual Festa di Tartfui, hosted on the first Monday of November, is a six-course truffle-tasting menu featuring white and black truffles that will set you back $200. 3030 East Sixth Ave.; 303-393-1050; barologrilldenver.com
At Hearth & Dram, Chef Jeffery Wall hosts Whole Beast Feasts for $85 per person with a six-person minimum. The family-style meal starts with appetizers like beef tartare and Cuban sandwiches, and can be accompanied by items not normally on the menu, like classic caviar service and pork belly mac ‘n’ cheese. The main event is a whole roasted suckling pig, dry-aged and glazed duck, salt-crusted sturgeon or standing rib-roast cooked in the open kitchen’s 7-foot wood-fired hearth. 1801 Wewatta St.; 303-623-0979; hearthanddram.com
RiNo newcomer Izakaya Ronin and sister Sushi Ronin in LoHi share a common menu of Japanese favorites, with one notable difference: After 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, Izakaya Ronin’s basement boiler room becomes a late-night moguri izakaya (a Japanese hidden tavern). They serve warm pub-style plates like yakitori, shioyaki and ramen, and a selection of sakes and house barrel-aged cocktails, and the largest selection of Japanese whisky in town. Among them, the rare Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 single malt whisky, available for $350 per shot. 3053 Brighton Blvd.; 303-953-1602; izakayaronin.com
At Mizuna, Denver’s popular French restaurant, chef and restaurateur Frank Bonnano offers not just a charming and intimate dining experience, but inspired riffs on classics. Try the Juniper Smoked Foie Gras Steak, served with huckleberry cake and gastrique for $30, followed by the $47 Beef Wellington served with truffle duxelle. 225 East Seventh Ave.; 303-832-4778; mizunadenver.com
One would expect nothing but the best from the Four Seasons Hotel. At Edge restaurant, their indulgent 32-ounce Wagyu Tomahawk steak is sourced from Greg Norman’s Australian ranch and wet-aged for 28 days. Seasoned simply with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, it costs $130. For a truly special occasion, it can be accompanied with the shimmering Diamond Martini. Kept under lock and key until ordered, the cocktail is served with a two-carat cushion-cut diamond for $22,222. (And yes, you get to keep the rock.) Four Seasons Hotel Denver. 1111 14th St.; 303-389-3000; fourseasons.com/Denver
In Boulder, Frasca has won the James Beard award twice and been nominated numerous times, thanks to the perfection created by master sommelier Bobby Stuckey and executive chef Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson. The duo met while working at Napa’s famed French Laundry, and today, you can get four courses of their Fruili-inspired dishes with the Quattro Piatti for $105. Add white truffle to any dish for an additional $65. Frasca. 1738 Pearl St., Boulder; 303-442-6966; frascafoodandwine.com
Famed restaurant Nobu’s swanky sister restaurant Matsuhisa offers modern interpretations of Japanese sushi and other favorites. Their Mayazaki Wagyu Beef, served raw and cooked at the table on a Himalayan salt rock heated to 650 degrees, comes with dipping sauces and costs $38 per ounce with a 2-ounce minimum. Matsuhisa. 98 Steele St.; 720-408-6656; matsuhisarestaurants.com
Ocean Prime oozes elegance, from its sea-inspired sculptures and dimly lit dining area to its views of Larimer Square and intimate private dining spaces. Take in the atmosphere while enjoying their Dutch Harbor king crab legs. Served with asparagus and drawn butter, the dish will set you back $65. Dutch Harbor, located on Amaknak Island in Unalaska, Alaska, is one of the largest fishing ports in the country. Ocean Prime 1465 Larimer St.; 303-835-3663; ocean-prime.com
At Urban Farmer, chef Chris Starkus has created a hand-picked menu focused on quality, sustainability and humane farming. Start with the Tableside beef tartare or the foie gras (each $20) before moving on to the off-menu classic caviar service ($60 for two). Finish out the meal with a 20-ounce, 21-day-aged, bacon-wrapped chateaubriand for $110. Urban Farmer. 1600 17th St.; 303-262-6070; urbanfarmerrestaurant.com/denver
The Palm, which got an overhaul last year, has offered quality Italian and steakhouse fare consistently for the past 22 years in Denver. Its surf and turf is a 36-ounce New York double-cut strip steak and a 6-pound lobster and costs $219.50. The Palm offers special bonuses to members of their 837 Club, where every dollar spent on food and drinks equals one point. Want your caricature to grace their iconic celebrity wall? Guests who accumulate 15,000 points get a private party, their likeness on the wall, and a $1,500 gift card. The Palm. 1672 Lawrence St. (inside the Westin Hotel); 303-825-7256; thepalm.com/denver
Union Station’s newest addition, Ultreia, chef/owner Jennifer Jasinski’s nod to Iberian cuisine, is reasonably priced, and you can get a sampling of three types of ham for $20.40, including the Fermin Jamon Serrano, the Mangalica and the Cinco Jotas Jamon Iberico de Bellota. Serrano ham, made with heirloom Iberian white pigs, some of which are fed a diet made up strictly of acorns, is the most expensive ham in the world. Ultreia 1700 Wynkoop St.; 303-534-1970; ultreiadenver.com
In Morrison, The Fort restaurant, a replica of Bent’s Fort, has been serving up Western culture and cuisine since 1963. Its 8-ounce buffalo tenderloin is $64, including salad, potatoes, green beans, pumpkin bread and rolls, making this well-rounded meal affordable. The Fort. 19192 Colorado 8, Morrison; 303-697-9310; thefort.com
In Boulder, chef Bradford Heap’s empire of sustainable seafood, Wild Standard, serves The Wheelhouse, a shareable plate featuring six East Coast oysters, six West Coast oysters, 1 pound of shrimp, 1 pound of wild Alaskan king crab, tuna poke, octopus escabeche and house-made taro chips for $144. Wild Standard. 1043 Pearl St., Boulder; 720-638-4800; wildstandard.com
At Boulder’s Flagstaff House, you’ll get sweeping views of Flagstaff Mountain from the dining room — no doubt the reason the spot is so often chosen for marriage proposals. On the menu, you’ll find a locally raised lamb rack, loin, and braised shank, served with white truffle-infused polenta for $68. Their award-winning (and massive) wine list is conveniently stored on an iPad, where you’ll find a range of everything from wines by the glass to a highly collectible bottle of 1998 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti from La Montrachet, France, priced at $9,632. Flagstaff House 1138 Flagstaff Road, Boulder; 303-442-4640; flagstaffhouse.com
Elway’s and the Ritz-Carlton are synonymous with luxury, and it’s at the downtown Elway’s that you’ll find an 18-ounce 7X Wagyu rib-eye steak, prepared by their own in-house butcher daily. Pair with the maine lobster tail and finish with the complex flavors of a Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac at $120 an ounce. Elway’s. 1881 Curtis St.; 303-312-3107; elways.com/downtown
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