I try to eat as healthy as I can, but when I fall off the wagon, I go all out.  The Denver Diner is in the heart of downtown Denver and has the best breakfast you can find in the Mile High City.

It’s one of those places that when you walk in, you know you’re going to get a heart attack from the food you’re about to eat.

The building’s large windows provide a breathtaking backdrop for diners enjoying their meals.

Fair warning…. on weekends, especially after 2 in the morning,  it gets busy; you can expect to wait for a table, but it’s worth it.

The menu is long and getting what you want for breakfast, lunch or dinner shouldn’t be a problem.

I will be honest, I don’t remember the name of the dish I had the early morning I stopped by.  It was a long night of partying; when your buzzed, hungry and ready for bed—pointing and choosing always seems like a good option.

My dish can only described as breakfast pornography. It was homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs, hash browns, piles and piles of crispy bacon and topped with sausage gravy. The first bite was a treasures trove of flavors; a unique and delicious creation that should not be eaten more than once a year.

I can only imagine the number of calories, fat and carbs I ate on this rainy morning. If my personal trainer is reading this, please ignore everything you just read.

This dish truly was enough for two people, but on this trip it was all mine. I really couldn’t find one complaint about this breakfast.

I know the next time I am in Denver for breakfast, I will be back to the Denver Diner located at 740  W. Colfax.

 I usually don’t write about chains, but sometimes you can’t beat a deal, especially when it’s free.

To celebrate its summer hours, Panda Express will be giving away a free single serving of Orange Chicken™ on June 1 from 9 p.m. to close.

According to a press release from the Asian fast food restaurant, guests can download a coupon on Facebook starting today.

1515 is a place you could easily miss as you’re heading to Coors Field to take in a game.

Located in the heart of Lodo, off Market and 15th streets, it offers contemporary American creations that anyone in your family will love.

The restaurant owner says anyone concerned about food allergies should speak with the staff and the kitchen will accommodate.      

My friend Mia picked this gem for Easter Brunch and the menu surpassed what I expected.   

The brunch menu included a choice of an appetizer, brunch entrée and dessert for $25.  The restaurant wasn’t busy when I first walked in, but as the minutes ticked down to noon, it filled up quickly.

I can see why the restaurant had only two spots left for brunch.

For my appetizer I chose the pretzel crusted crab cake. The beautifully-plated cake wasn’t as simple as it looked. The complex flavors made this one of the best seafood dished I’ve had in Colorado. It’s not easy for get good seafood in a landlocked state, and this team hit a home run with the flavors of this dish.

What I loved most was the tomato-orange chutney. It took the flavors of this crab cake to the next level. The sweetness, along with the avocado hidden under the cake, was the perfect ying and yang of the dish. The poppy seed honey drizzled nearby seemed like an afterthought and wasn’t needed.

My main course choice was the lobster Benedict.

The perfectly centered pieced of house made brioche was topped with a spinach leek sauté and a sweet potato hash. The star of the dish was the lightly fried piece of lobster, coated in a tempura batter.

The lobster was perfectly cooked; the bright red peeking though the tempura coating, making it inviting and hard not to dig into.  

The carefully drizzled vanilla hollandaise sauce circled the  benedict and it was hard not to beg the wait staff for more.

The main course was delicious, but a few issues I found could easily be corrected. The sautéed spinach was overly salted and the tempura coating was just a little too thick, but don’t let either of these issues take away from the meal.

From the brilliance behind the plating, to the flavors of this dish, makes it a must have and I am hoping 1515 will have it on the menu again, sooner than later. 

For desert I had the lemon tart. The flaky crust was buttery, but the thickness made it hard to break into with a fork. The lemon filling was a perfect mixture of sweet and tang. The meringue on top was a masterpiece, just torched enough with a beautiful design.

A BoneFish Grill will soon open in Colorado Springs. It will be their first southern Colorado location.

The address according to a source will be : 5102 N NEVADA SUITE 130 AVE
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80918

No word when they’ll open.

Here is a link to their menu to give you a better idea of what they serve.

http://www.bonefishgrill.com/our-menu/

Jack Quinn’s Irish Stout BBQ Spare Ribs

Ingredients:

1 qt    Beamish Beer
1 gal   Water
1 tbsp. Black Pepper
2 tbsp. Salt
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp liquid hickory smoke
4 spare ribs

-Combine all ingredients in an oven-safe pan large enough for all ribs to lay flat.

-Submerge the ribs in liquid and bake for three hours at 400 degrees until tender.

-Remove liquid and bake ribs for an additional 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

-Baste ribs on both sides with Irish Stout BBQ Sauce (recipe follows) and bake for another five minutes, or throw on grill.

-Add more BBQ sauce if desired

Jack Quinn’s Irish Stout BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp honey
1 cup tomato ketchup
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. Distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
1 tspn kosher salt
½ tspn garlic powder
½ tspn onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tspn black pepper
¼ cup stout beer

-Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stir frequently.

Recipe Courtesy:

Taste of the Springs 2006

Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub
21 S. Tejon
Downtown Colorado Springs
719-385-0766

It looks like the Little India Restaurant & Bar (6^th Ave., and S. Downing ) is offering its neighbors a free meal.

Last week it began giving out 100,000 free lunches door to door throughout the Denver Metro area.  According to a press release given to 7NEWS,  ”Coupons will be distributed for the next 3-4 weeks.  Any home within a 7 mile radius of either location will receive a postcard from Little India (so long as soliciting is permitted)”.

The owner said that it will be given to promote healthy eating, and, as the owner says, “this is a small way to give back to the community that has been supporting my restaurants for nearly 14 years”.

We plan on keeping our buffet completely stocked and have scheduled staff like never before” says the Director of Operations Robert Yoakum.  Little India offers a wide variety of options on their lunch buffet all completely gluten free.

    Who doesn’t like something for free?  The International House of Pancakes will offer free pancakes for 15 hours Tuesday (February 28) as part of National Pancake Day.

While the cakes are free, IHOP is asking you to make a donation to Shriners Hospitals for Children and other charities.

For every short stack of pancakes served between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. guest will be invited to make a donation.

IHOP hopes to raise $2.7 million.

Ooey gooey buttermilk goodness are the words I would describe my new favorite breakfast food place in Denver.

The Denver Biscuit Company, 3237 E. Colfax, has quickly become a place I call home, at least when it comes to foods I remember mom making.

The menu is simple; six sandwiches and several sides to add to your breakfast delight.

The sandwich I chose was the Ellsworth.

They take their extra large biscuit that’s light and fluffy, add a deep fried piece of chicken, slathered in sweet honey and slapped with fresh stone-ground mustard.

What I loved the most were the homemade pickles that top the dish.

The balance of flavors; sweet, savory and spicy make this a good morning wake-me up. Eating it with your hands is not only a crime, but it’s also very difficult.

The first bite transports you back into a time when simple foods without complex flavors ruled, but don’t be fooled, this comfort food kicked up a notch.

There is also the Franklin, like their Ellsworth, they take a nice big fluffy biscuit and add fried chicken, but this is where it takes a turn that will send you to the gym for an extra 500 sit-ups and three miles on the treadmill. They add cheese, then smother it in sausage or vegetarian gravy.

The DBC restaurant has two other businesses inside it; Fat Sully’s Pizza, where you can get a good slice of New York Pie and Atomic Cowboy Bar. The Biscuit Company is opened from 8 am – 2 pm. The sandwiches are first come, first served. I learned quickly that favorites go fast, so don’t delay getting there in the morning.

If you are counting calories in the New Year, beware this isn’t the place to go, but I know where I will be spending my cheat day for breakfast!

Prices for the sandwich range $6 to $8.50.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 17,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.