Krameria Cafe: Denver, Colorado

Krameria Cafe
Date Visited: 24-March-2010, dinner
Location: 1401 Kraneria Street, Denver, Colorado 80220

In these days of chain food shops it's rare to find a real family diner. In Denver a quaint little "mom and pop" diner does exist, Krameria Cafe. When you first walk in you get the feeling that THIS is what a diner should feel like: a long bar seating with coffee and tea station on the right, window into the kitchen and several inviting upholstered booths lined down the left.

When opening the menu one gets flashes of "Denny's". It is deceptive in that it does look like standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu with a couple of differences. One, alcoholic drinks are offered and two, several items were listed with the words "homemade" attached to them (definitely NOT Denny's-esque). For dinner I wanted to sample come of this homemade food so the meal consisted of a cup of their homemade chicken soup (the soup of the day), pita with homemade hummus, and their signature Krameria Burger with homemade Serrano chili sauce. To drink I settled on iced tea (having just come from having pre-dinner drinks alcohol was not on my mind).

The chicken noodle soup was quite lovely with short noodles, chunks of chicken, bits of carrot, onion, roasted red pepper and a dash of Cayenne for touch of heat which was great given the temperature outside. While the pita was not exciting I have to say the hummus had great texture and again a bit of roasted red peppers and a little heat as well. The star of the evening was the Krameria burger which arrived with a toasted bun (something I don't see often these days). The burger was medium well and dressed with tomatoes, lettuce, a small amount of grilled onions, melted Jack cheese and a drizzling of charred Serrano vinaigrette which all came together to create a fantastic gastronomic experience. Loved the kitschy dill spear. The waiter was cute and very friendly and provided prompt serice, answering any and all questions I threw out. Once again we had sports on the television (basketball this time, the chef was a Laker's fan).

And now for the breakdown:

Location: B (well lighted, easily accessible with a drugstore across the street)
Parking: B (small shared parking lot adjacent to the bar)
Atmosphere: B (Worn, welcoming hometown diner feel)
Service: B+
Drinks List: C+ (small but serviceable, tilts toward tequila based drinks; only two varietals on the wine list)
Overall Food/Drink Rating: B+ (homemade touches raise the bar on diner food; good but not huge portions)
Staff Cuteness: B (Cute server)
Staff Friendliness: B+ (talkative, helpful)
Overall Experience: B
Would I Return? Yes

The Mozart Lounge: Denver Colorado

The Mozart Lounge
Date Visited: 24-March-2010, before dinner drinks
Location: 1417 Kraneria Street, Denver, Colorado 80203

I love piano bars, a throwback to when I was coming out in the early '80s in the Midwest where the neighborhood bar reigned supreme so when I travel I always try to find a small, quiet place where "everybody knows your name" (and not just your number from the bathroom wall). After asking a few locals if such a place existed in Denver I was steered to Mozart Lounge. If you look at the Denver bar map you find that Mozart lounge is sort of the gateway to the numerous gay establishments along Colfax.

The Mozart Lounge is an intimate little spot, long bar with an aquarium on one side and a baby grand piano on the other. Live music, primarily jazz, blues, and show tunes, is performed Friday and Saturday nights. Comfortable seats, quiet jazz playing in the background (and I mean quiet as I can hear the details of the conversations of the other patrons). The one strange addition was MAA playing on the lone television in the establishment.

The bar serves no food but there is a nice little cafe on the corner (more on that next post). The bartender was dressed in a suit in a casual manner (think Italian or American after-party) and very chatty and friendly. The patrons were primarily male ranging from mid-20's through a few years my senior.

The bar menu is small, totaling three pages (this is the mixed drinks page) but after talking with the bartender a couple of minutes I found that it is very common to simply call drinks. Not wanting to deprive myself from sampling their standards I did a bit of both (after all, how many places these days have as a standard a Harvey Wallbanger much less a Side Car... Auntie Mame would be so happy).

For my first drink I ordered the Lemon Drop, pretty standard vodka-based drink. Now when I make them I prefer not to use a flavored vodka but here, like 95% of the places I've visited, use a citrus infused vodka (Ketel One Citroen) which is fine. The bartender paid attention to detail, asked if I wanted a sugar rim (which I did) and presented a pretty little flavored vodka martini. As he poured the bartender said that if it wasn't sweet enough for me he would remake the drink and while it quite wasn't I didn't take him up on the offer. It was good, moderately strong, and just a touch more tart than I expected but that is more personal taste than a poorly proportioned concoction.

After the Lemon Drop I asked the bartender what he liked to make and after a brief thoughtful pause he replied "I make a mean rum punch" so that was what I ordered. Into a glass went Malibu Rum, pineapple juice, grenadine and few other things I couldn't make out and with a shake and the plop of a cherry I had before me a tasty little "girlie" drink. Again the ratios seemed to be perfect and after telling my friend Sarah about it I spent some time chatting with the bartender and patrons about the various venues in the area.

So one off the menu, one "dealer's choice", now it's my turn. Not wanting to ask for anything esoteric I simply asked the attractive young man for a Sloe Comfortable Screw Against The Wall and with a quick grin and wink off he went, coming back with what in my opinion was an expertly made blend of sloe gin, Southern Comfort and orange juice with just a touch of Galliano floated on top. Again another cherry and I was feeling quite pleased that I found this place. My only regret was not being there for the music.

And now for the breakdown:

Location: B (well lighted, easily accessible with a drugstore across the street)
Parking: B (small shared parking lot adjacent to the bar)
Atmosphere: B+ (Worn, welcoming; smoking patio out front; don't quite get the MAA thing though)
Service: B+ (one bartender but he had things under control)
Wine List: C (small, very limited offering)
Drinks List: B- (small list but they are open to any called drink, important to remember)
Overall Food/Drink Rating: A- (good quality alcohols; attention to proportion)
Staff Cuteness: B (Cute bartender)
Staff Friendliness: B+ (talkative, helpful; spent time walking through the bar section of the local "fag rag")
Overall Experience: B+
Would I Return? Yes

Racines Restaurant: Denver Colorado

Racines Restaurant
Date Visited: 22-March-2010 for dinner
Location: 650 Sherman Street, Denver, Colorado 80203

OK, they don't use an apostrophe in their literature so apparently the same is "Racines" and not "Racine's" so no [sic] needed. Have to say, the place is beautiful with a brick storefront and a brick, wood, and brass interior. Had a bit of a wait to be seated (even though there wasn't anyone in front of me, just no host(ess) up front when I arrived but once I was seated service as prompt.

The menu is rather large with headings of appetizers, salads, pastas, sandwiches, "southwestern", "specialties" (mainly fish and one steak offering), "late breakfast", and dessert. With such a diverse offering I was hearing Gordon Ramsay's words of warning about the difficulties with an all-encompassing menu and quality so I asked the waiter for help. My dinner selection turned out to be their spicy chicken ziti described as "Grilled chicken tossed in a spicy tomato cream sauce with ziti pasta. Garnished with steamed broccoli" and a side salad with their ginger soy dressing. The wine list was not large but did a good job covering the basics with a smattering of some I had not heard of so to drink I selected a glass of the Di Majo Norante Sangiovese.

The wine arrived promptly with a smile and was quite enjoyable but I did encounter one of my pet peeves... it was room temperature. Now if we were dining alfresco it would have been fine since it was below 60 degrees but we're talking mid-70's temp. Wine, regardless of color, needs to be somewhat cool. A plus for the waiter for delivering a glass of water along with the alcohol.

The side salad arrived with a dinner roll and butter. Have to say, it was quite good with nice crisp lettuce, cucumbers, crispy croutons, a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a lovely dressing.

My chicken ziti arrived as advertised, a large portion with visible chunks of grilled chicken tossed in a fire roasted tomato cream sauce and two slices of toasted bread. The chicken was tender and moist and the flavors meshed well though I was expecting a little more kick due to the dish being named "spicy". The pasta was just on the verge of being overcooked, a little soft for my taste but the steamed broccoli was good with a little crunch left in them.

For dessert I had the Racines' brownie a la mode which comes in three options: original, German, or white chocolate. I chose the original chocolate option and experienced a lovely, rich warm chocolate brownie with creamy vanilla ice cream drizzled with a warm chocolate sauce. As much as I hated to leave food I couldn't eat it all.

The restaurant remained full during my 75 minute visit with lively but not overpowering din. People were obviously enjoying themselves without raising to the level of being obnoxious.

One interesting disconnect for me was the large flat screens over the bar. From my vantage point one television was showing CNN while the one next to it sports. The place didn't have the look nor the feel of a sports bar so I was a bit confused.

And now for the breakdown:

Location: C+ (Located on a small one-way, out of the way street)
Parking: A- (they have their own multi-tiered parking structure)
Atmosphere: B (eclectic, especially the bar; noisy but not too much so)
Service: B (slow at first, got better once seated)
Wine List: B- (small but something for everyone)
Drinks List: B+ (full service bar)
Overall Food Rating: B-
Staff Cuteness: B+ (very nice eye candy)
Staff Friendliness: B (nothing from the host, waiter made up for it)
Overall Experience: B
Would I Return? Yes

Welcome!

Welcome everyone to another blog devoted to hedonistic tendencies.

Why?

Why not? I mean, anyone who has ever seen me can tell I have a tendency to (over)indulge in certain pleasures, but unlike those who simply overeat or over imbibe I'm a foodie (and I might add a "drinkie" if such a term exists). I've been trained in cooking, earned certifications in wine and mixology, and have eaten in a wide range of restaurants and had drinks in bars in over 40 different countries and in every major city in the USA. I love to cook, love to mix drinks, love dining (both in and out), and love wine. I keep up to date with styles and trends through visiting various restaurants and bars, experimenting in my home kitchen and bar, attending wine and food tastings, reading periodicals and cookbooks, talking to trade professionals, and of course watching The Food Network (recorded of course).

So what makes this blog different? Well for one thing I will try to focus on food and drink from a "pink perspective", that is, I will always try to review establishments in the LGBT community in any city I am currently in. This doesn't mean I won't review restaurants, bars, and events that aren't part of the gay establishment but rather if there is even one gay bar or gay owned and operated restaurant in the area I'll make an effort to check it out. For another, I'm not a professional in the trade. I have no agenda other than to tell people where I went and whether or not I liked my experience. Since I am paying my own way how I spend my money and my time is important and I hope to let people know that I considered it worthwhile to go and plop down my hard earned pink dollars at the place under review.

While I'm not a Ruth Reichl, A. A. Gill, or Patricia Wells I do have some rules that I will always try to follow:

• If there is a gay owned/operated restaurant in the area I will pay it a visit.
  
• Never write a bad review based on one visit (though I will allow myself to write a generally positive review based on one visit. For someone like me this makes sense as it's my time and my dime).
  
• If the first visit is bad, must take someone with me the second visit.
  
• Wait at least 6 months after a new opening or a major change before going for a review visit.
  
• Always go into a new environment with a positive attitude. From time-to-time this might take some effort on my part as like any normal human being I am predisposed to enjoying certain experiences and not being so thrilled about others, but I will do my best to disclose up front any such bias and try not to let it color my experience.
  
• Never reveal when I am putting together a review before the bill is paid.
  
• When possible, take someone with me.
  
• Be fair but pull no punches.

When grading restaurants I will be using a grading scale of A - F similar to ones used in schools throughout the country. For the final overall grade you can use this as a general guide:

• A - If you're anywhere in the city, go to it.
  
• B - If you're in the general area, go to it.
  
• C - If you're on the same street and you remember the name it's ok to drop in.
  
• D - Sorry, you had at least two shots. Unless there is something peculiar about the place that interests you, skip.
  
• F - Watch for it on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

One other note... this is not simply a bar/restaurant review blog. It's all about food, drink, and fun so you might find information about an upcoming event, an interesting article I've read, an experiment I've tried, or just a general rant simply because I felt like it. So stick around and let the fun being.

Thanks,

Michael

P.S. I'll continue keeping a my reviews of wine at my other blog, so check it out.