Whether you’re in town for the Great American Beer Festival or a local who’s attending the fest, you’re going to need some serious fuel to get you through GABF week. Feeling the effects of all that great beer? Here are 6 Denver restaurants with some incredible dishes (and drinks) to start your day.
With a solid list of Colorado beers on tap, Postino WineCafé (2715 17th St. – www.postinowinecafe.com) isn’t just a vino-lover’s paradise, and the unique Postino brunch from the scratch kitchen holds just the ticket for the morning after a night of indulgence. If you want to start light, try the Walnut Toast with triple crème brie and tartly sweet house made berry preserves. If you need something to really line your belly, dig into fan favorite B.E.L.T., a hearty grilled breakfast panini on soft ciabatta with applewood smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, dijonnaise, lettuce and tomato. Naturally, the signature bruschetta boards are available, including the seasonal grilled cauliflower and corn bruschetta served over spicy romesco. Wash it down with a selection from the eclectic wine list or grab a pitcher of craft Colorado beer for $5 until 5 p.m., and the fresh housemade mimosas are also $5.
Stop by Del Frisco’s Grille (100 St. Paul St. – www.delfriscosgrille.com/cherry-creek) in Cherry Creek North and nurse your hangover with the promise of an “anytime eats,” upscale, casual menu of brunch comfort food designed and built for sharing, indulging and enjoying. Try something sweet like the Red Velvet Belgian Waffle with whippped vanilla bean-spiked cream cheese and thick cut hickory smoked bacon, or go savory with the crabcake benedict with poached eggs, asparagus and toasted focaccia and a spicy fresh Cajun lobster sauce. Wash it down with the hangover-busting Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary that arrives at your table with house-made Bloody Mary Mix, Tito’s Vodka and a hefty plate of “fixin’s.” If you’re still celebrating, stay simple with the House mimosa of champagne and fresh squeezed orange juice, available by the glass or in a carafe, as are all the Grille’s brunch cocktails.
Hit Ace Eat Serve (501 E. 17th Ave http://www.aceeatserve.com) not far from GABF in the Uptown neighborhood for a comforting bowl of Shoyu Ramen with pork shoulder, wheat noodles, soft egg and fish cake. Don’t miss the Tiger Wings with a triple effect of of salty, sweet, and crispy created with fish sauce—the funky Asian condiment. Or, opt for for a filling vegetarian dish with the new Green Curry Noodle Bowl filled with chicken, snap peas, green papaya, broccoli, local greens, coconut milk and cashews. After you’ve replenished with your brunch, don the terry cloth headband, grab a carrot-pineapple-tumeric fresh juice from the Ace juice bar and hit the pong room for a few all-star table tennis matches.
Whether you’re hungover or just hungry for more than necklace pretzels, pop over to Punch Bowl Social (65 Broadway http://punchbowlsocial.com) to indulge in hangover cures like the popular Crispy Chicken Biscuit from the brand new menu courtesy of culinary partner and celebrity chef Hugh Acheson. No need to choose savory or sweet when you can have both on this sandwich with bread n’ butter pickles, spicy honey and crisp potatoes. Or, go bigger with the The Knockoff Burger, two grass-fed hormone-free patties, comeback sauce, pickled onion, lettuce, American cheese on a sesame seed bun. For a somewhat healthy reset pair any brunch item with a house made juice such as The Sharpest and bring back those braincells – the juice is made with apples, cucumbers and fresh lime juice. Take it easy and sing some tunes in one of the private karaoke rooms or burn some calories bowling, playing 80’s arcade games, corn hole and skee ball.
A burger’s a no-brainer for a hangover, and at Hopdoddy Burger Bar (1747 Wynkoop St. – www.hopdoddy.com) skip the fancy brunch crowds and head over the the fun and funky burger joint where the all-natural beef and bison is hand-ground throughout the day. Grab the October special Boss Hog Burger, with pulled pork generously slathered with Hopdoddy’s sweet mustard BBQ sauce then piled high on a fresh ground Angus beef patty. Topped with three slices of applewood-smoked bacon, oozing melty Tillamook Cheddar and a dollop of chipotle cole slaw, brunch-goers know to top it with a farm fresh egg and call it brunch. Pro tip: pair it with a local craft brew from draft or the Hopdoddy October special cocktail High &Rye, with the zippy flavors of ginger, honey and lime with local rye bourbon for a mile high sipper.
Sugarmill (2461 Larimer Street – www.sugarmilldesserts.com), the cozy RiNo cafe, bistro and daytime hang-out spot offers an understated and streamlined brunch menu with a few dishes known to locals as serious hangover-busters. The Pastrami Hash comes with a pile of house-cured pastrami alongside glossy tender duck fat potatoes and tangy mustard vinaigrette, topped with a pair of sunny side eggs; or go traditional with the Croque Madame on ciabatta with tender ham and tart swiss and a béchamel sauce. Topped with a sunny side egg and a side of local greens, it’s a serious, solid hangover cure. Chef/Owner Ryan Witcher knows his sweets, so don’t miss the Brioche French Toast with a sweet and herbal strawberry-basil compote, candied almonds and marscapone crème.
