If you are ever itching for some of that rich, spicy, melt in your mouth comfort food from the South, then I would recommend that you get in your car immediately and take a trip down to Zydeco’s located in downtown Denver.  At Zydeco’s, you will be greeted and waited on according to the charms characteristic of Southern hospitality.

The menu is laid out to introduce you to the culinary traditions of New Orleans and the South.  Chef Melton’s Southern roots and upbringing are reflected in the award winning gumbo, fried chicken and waffles topped with honey butter and cayenne syrup, and the classic biscuits and gravy.  The list does not end there, including more of the southern classics such as Po’Boy sandwiches, smoked shrimp and grits, and “Calabash” style frog legs that are soaked in buttermilk before being breaded in a special calabash breading.

For those with less of an appetite than is required for eating southern specialties, you can indulge in the Jezebel peach salad that includes fresh Colorado peaches mixed in with basil and freshly made mozzarella.  This time of year, you can even treat yourself to a freshly picked heirloom tomato salad with fresh dill, mint, and feta cheese….yum!

If you choose to go on a Friday or Saturday night you may enjoy live music from 7 to11 p.m.  To top it all off, Zydeco’s offers Moonshine straight from Tennesee and Abita Beer from New Orleans that will set the mood right.  So, when you are in the mood for some of that southern home cookin’ round up the crowd and enjoy a meal at Zydeco’s!

Zydeco’s is located at 1730 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO, and can be reached at (303) 293-2887.

Whatever mood you are looking to set, the restaurant Colterra in Boulder will surely have the drink to do the trick. With a wide selection of creatively named and carefully created cocktails, along with a balanced menu of wines by the glass and bottle, you will be able to find that drink that seems to be calling your name when the 5 o’clock bell rings your freedom.

We all have had a hard day before where a drink named “Death in the Afternoon” may not be such a bad idea, perhaps a way to ease into a relaxing evening after a stressful day. According to the menu at Colterra in Boulder, this is a stiff drink that was invented by Ernest Hemingway. If you are not in the mood for that, perhaps a more romantically named “Honeymoon Cocktail” a.k.a. “Brown Derby” will satisfy. This cocktail comprised of dancing pines spiced rum, lime juice, and maple syrup will surely put you in a more alluring mood.

Colterra also has a wide selection of beers from Colorado and abroad. They even offer a gluten-free beer for those who are going the gluten-free route but still yearn for a beer every now and then. Their wine menu is balanced with white, red, and white sparkling from California, Colorado, Argentina, Spain, Oregon, and France among others. They have the global wine world set out for you to try!

Happy hour is filled to the brim with succulent house marinated olives and roasted marcona almonds sprinkled with coarse sea salt that makes your mouth water for an accompanying wine. For those who did not have time to eat a proper lunch and arrive with more of an appetite, the happy hour menu offers a petite pasture-raised sirloin steak sandwich and a duck confit and hazel dell mushroom ragu among other savory dishes. And those who are seeking a sweet way to spend their afternoon, won’t be disappointed by the “Colterra Bite” which is their petite sweet dessert treat that is oh so rich.

So regardless of what your body and mind is seeking after work this week, rest assured that you will find something to satisfy the senses and the hunger you will be feeling when that five o’clock bell dings.

Happy drinking! Salute-to your health!

If, this weekend, eclectic, Colorado-ized American fare is on the tip of your tongue, stop by Charlie Palmer’s District Tavern for a fresh and indulgent meal you won’t soon forget.

Chef Charlie Palmer continued his national tradition of culinary excellence right here in Denver when he opened, first, Wazee Wood Fire Pizza, and, second, the adjacent District Tavern, both in 2011.  Palmer and Executive Chef Jeff Russell have teamed up to create what they are calling a menu of “modern American tavern fare,” what I would call a giant’s step above the newly popularized term, gastropub.

Beginning with local and seasonal products, such as Haystack Mountain cheeses and freshly caught Rocky Mountain Trout, the chefs have created a wide selection of earthy dishes that ring in under $32 dollars on the entrée side and $14 on the snacks and starters.  This may seem a bit steep, but when you factor in Butter Braised Maine Lobster as a main course and Grilled Bone Marrow as a starter, things are put into perspective. This menu is comprised of unique and eclectic dishes that you won’t find just anywhere in Denver.

Start your meal on the patio, people watching on Wazee, with the marrow, Pickled Vegetable Crudite or House Smoked Salmon Belly.  On a hot day, cool off with the Circle Fresh Farms Tomato Gazpacho, accompanied by fresh guacamole and blue crab or an heirloom tomato salad with house made buratta.  Sample the vast selection of wines or handcrafted cocktails during the happy hour which goes until 7pm…So, if you show up for an early dinner, chances are your drinks will offset the cost of your dinner.  House wines and select martinis are just $6, draft beers are merely $4.

For dinner in the industrially warm dining room, choose from a variety of pastas, seafood and proteins.  The Sweet Corn Risotto will melt in your mouth and the Smoked Bone-in Duroc Pork Chop will not soon be forgotten by your palate.  For any of the entrees, DO add a side of the Seasonal Succotash or Roasted Summer Squash.

Round out your dining experience with some pep in your step.  After putting yourself into a near food coma of indulgence, try the Espresso Crème Brulee with cinnamon ice cream and biscotti.

Stop into Charlie Palmer’s District Tavern at 1625 Wazee this weekend for dinner and happy hour beginning at 5pm.  They are closed on Sunday and Monday.

Ambria opened on the 16^th Street Mall in November of last year, giving Denver foodies a one-stop shop for a variety of dining styles in one rustic yet elegant setting.  Priding itself on its selection of protein, seafood, small plates and local ingredients, Ambria sets the stage for an elegant evening, happy hour or brunch that is sure to entice anyone in your party.

Chef Gabe Balenzuela, formerly of Mirepoix Restaurant in Cherry Creek and The Oceanaire Seafood Room, infuses Italian, French, Spanish and North African flavors into his own style and rapport, creating a menu of Mediterranean-American cuisine, presented in both entrée and small plate form.

This eclectic sampling is presented in an earthy and sophisticated setting with warm oranges, yellows and browns accentuating the predominantly wood interior.  The seating continues the tradition of variety at Ambria with patio seating, a community table, booths a bar and private dining rooms, all dotted with globe lighting and chrome and glass accents.

Start your weekend here with happy hour from 2:30-6:30 or 9 to close on Friday and choose from 10 wines by the glass for $5 each and a variety of small plates at discounted prices such as Meatballs Al Forno, Roasted PEI Mussels, Warm Ricotta, Short Rib Raviolis.  If you’re a bit more hungry, try the all-beef burger or the spiced lamb burger.

For dinner, start with a sampling of small plates ranging from $5-12.  If variety is the spice of your life, you can find it here amongst Roasted Quail, Salmon Tartar, Raw Carrot Salad, Market Priced Oysters or Roasted Beets.  For dinner, go for the Cioppino…Trust me, you should look no further into the entrees on your first visit here.  However, if seafood isn’t your game, Duck Confit, and Gnochhi are good alternatives!

Ambria is also on their A-game for Saturday brunch from 11-2:30, offering Poached Eggs, Pain Perdu, Shrimp Hash, Brazed Goat and Bottomless Mimosas AND Bloody Mary’s; all for $12 or under!

Stop in Ambria this weekend at 1201 16^th Street for happy hour, brunch, dinner or an ALL DAY happy hour on Sunday!

It’s a Tuesday, it’s after five and you are needing a drink, wait, not need, want, need implies too much future therapy.  Le Grand Bistro will deliver on your need I mean desire for an after work drink or after walk drink or pre-theater drink.  To start, you have to try Segura Viudas Brut Rose (non vintage), dry, refreshing, ummm, delicious.

Then, because, we know that Cava is just the beginning, Anika Zappe, bar manager at Le Grand, will make you a craft cocktail like no other.  Ask for the PX Sparkler with Pedro Ximenez sherry, Domaine Canton, lemon, bitters and sparkling wine – YES PLEASE! What a great cocktail on a hot summer day.  Enjoy it in the air conditioned dining room or the intimate patio for amazing people watching.

Wine, cocktails, not your style? Try one of their ten draft beers, a few to try, Paulaner, Fischer Amber, Angry Orchard Hard Cider , Steamworks Colorado Kolsh or Dale’s Pale Ale.  There are more other stellar selections so the beer drinker in you won’t be disappointed.

Try some tasty bites while sitting at the bar for their happy hour, from 3 pm – 6 pm everyday that ends in “y”.  Mmmm, mussels, cheese, charcuterie with wine. So good and a great stop before you head home, to the theater or to the other great restaurants in the theater district.

Want an even better incentive to come to Le Grand, try our Happy Hour pass where you can get two small bites and two drinks for $15.

Le Grand Bistro is located at 1512 Curtis St. Denver, CO 303-534-1155