40 Hours in Denver in the Middle of the Week

Denver surprised me. I expected a liberal, Teva-wearing granola city. Instead, I found a friendly, gorgeous, clean, modern city with great restaurants and nightlife. And I did not see one person wearing Tevas!

The Coors Brewery Tour in nearby Golden, CO, was one of my favorite things. I hate Coors Light, but I loved this tour. My new favorite beer is Blue Moon, brewed at the Coors brewery! I also have a newfound appreciation for everything Coors.

In the fall the colors are amazing. Being from somewhere that the leaves go from green to dead, I really appreciated the gorgeous fall leaves.

Everyone was so friendly; from the concierge who told us where the locals eat breakfast, to the guys that gave us a ride to a club, the people of Denver are amazing!

Quick Tips:

Drink lots of beer. Everywhere you go in Denver seems to brew their own beer! I tried lots of new beers during my trip and loved them all! The Wynkoop Brewing Company is a restaurant/brewery owned by the mayor (if I remember correctly). Great beers.

Don't drink too much beer! Higher altitudes mean your blood is thinner and alcohol has a much greater effect on you--and your hangover!

The 16th Street Mall (and there's FREE bus!) is great. There are a lot of restaurant, nightlife, and shops. But don't miss the restaurants and bars off of the main drag, especially the Vesta Dipping Grill!

Best Way To Get Around:

We tried it all:
- Rented Car - the traffic is light and it's easy to get around. Watch out for the freeways with three or four different names! Sheesh!
- Cabs - Fairly easy to get from our hotel, very friendly cab drivers!
- The FREE 16th Street Mall Bus takes you from one end to the other for FREE! At the far end is the state capitol and courthouse.
- Handsome Bicycle Cab (is that what they are called?) - Wow! We grabbed one of these guys post-concert at the Pepsi Center, and for and 10 minutes we got back into downtown. MUCH easier than waiting in line for a cab post-concert!! Plus, it was a unique experience!

The Westin Tabor Center fit all my needs perfectly: centrally located, with great restaurants and nightlife, including the pedestrian-friendly 16th Street Mall, within walking distance. We were in town for a concert at the nearby Pepsi Center, which was only a few blocks away. Plus, I love all Starwoods hotels and try to always stay in them if I can. I used my government ID to get us a $119/night rate, which was a great deal for that part of town.

The hotel was renovated in 2004, and it is beautiful and modern, done in neutral colors. Our room was on a top floor, with a breathtaking view of the clock tower and Rocky Mountains in the distance. A large bay window filled the wall, so our view could be seen from anywhere in the spacious room. We had a chaise lounge and plush chair near the window, a large king-size bed, a desk, and a small bar area with a small fridge. The bed, pillows, towels, and toiletries were all from Westin's own line of Heavenly products, which are well deserving of the name.

The modern lobby of the hotel features three award-winning restaurants and a Starbuck's kiosk, and upstairs is a trendy bar scene (often filled with hotel guests).

The hotel is located in the business district of Denver, but don't expect it to be very crowded, even at lunchtime. We were there during the week and were surprised at the lack of people near the hotel!

The concierge was extremely helpful in drawing us maps and giving advice on restaurants nearby for breakfast.

Self-parking was $20/day. Valet is also available. Cabs were available most of the time in front of the hotel.

Vesta Dipping Grill is very highly acclaimed by everyone, from critics to locals, I talked to in Denver.

I had heard stories that "you will wait, even with reservations," but we showed up to an empty restaurant at 4:55 on a Tuesday evening (they don't open till 5pm). We had a drink at the long, curvy sheet metal-covered bar (wine for me from their respectable wine list, a specialty martini for my date) while we waited. The restaurant seems as though it's inside an old building, from the original wooden floor to the exposed wooden posts and beams. Light is provided by dim lights and candles throughout the restaurant, definitely making for a trendy, romantic atmosphere. The whole restaurant and bar area is nonsmoking.

As soon as we were seated, more people came in to fill up the restaurant.

Everything on the menu looked delicious. All of the appetizers and entrees come with three of their signature dipping sauces. Their are recommended sauces, but you can also choose your own or add more sauces for $0.50 each. The appetizers range from $6 to $12, and entrees go from $18 to $30 (the vegetarian entrée is $16). I ultimately decided on the grilled beef tenderloin and my date decided on the ginger child seared tuna.

Both our meals came artistically arranged in a pile--entrée on top, side dishes below. My tenderloin was cooked exactly to my liking and was outstanding. The mushrooms complemented it, and the mashed potatoes were good, too (Of course, I've never had a bad mashed potato!). I was not particularly fond of the dipping sauces that were recommended with it. I usually prefer something sweet or tangy, but two of them were kind of peppery and the third was kind of bland. I wish I had ordered different sauces, but I did really enjoy my steak!

As for my date's seared tuna, he would not shut up about it! Just before our trip, he had been somewhere that he claimed had the best seared tuna, but he said that this one was even better--the best he's ever had. He also really liked the sauces that came with his dish (they were salty and spicy, which he likes). I tried his tuna--it was really good. I also liked his sauces a little better than mine, so I started trying his sauces with my tenderloin.

Overall, the food was delicious, but the portions were a little small. They do give you a basket of bread (and butter) before the meal, but I think I would have also liked to have had a small salad (the tuna came with a salad) with my meal. The experience was unique, and I loved the atmosphere. I would definitely want to take my friends there for a nice meal the next time I'm in Denver!

For our last morning there, we asked the concierge for a nearby breakfast recommendation. He told us that this place is "where the locals eat," and he was right. The morning before, we had found ourselves in a completely empty restaurant around the corner from our hotel. Sam's No. 3 was packed with people. It almost seemed like a diner that would be on a sitcom, very homey with lots of locals. Even with the crowd, we didn't have to wait for a booth. The restaurant is large and was kind of like a Denny's, if Denny's was more "fun." The color scheme is red, yellow, and blue, and the extensive menu was very loud and brightly colored.

Sam's offers up anything you can think of for breakfast, as long as it's American or Mexican (or some variation). They seem to specialize in comfort food. I love waffles, and with the diner atmosphere, I thought the waffles here would be terrific. My boyfriend opted for the Greek breakfast burrito. The waffle was average, about 9 inches across and thin. Nothing special. It also did not come with any sides (so you need to order those separately). The burrito was huge, a tortilla stuffed with eggs, potatoes, gyro meat, onions, tomato, and feta. My boyfriend thought it was great, and I tasted it--I liked it, except the potatoes did not quite fit to me. The burrito was definitely a lot more filling to him than the waffle was.

I also had their coffee, which was kind of a let-down. It was not very good. However, it seems to be the only Denver-unique place in the vicinity of downtown to grab a reasonably priced sit-down breakfast. I'd probably go back and try it again if in the area.