Out on the town

Eric went home for the weekend which meant no cooking for me.  However, it did mean eating a bunch of random places that he doesn't want to go. Since I go alone, I don't have to worry about other people not wanting to spend money or wanting to go somewhere else.  So, I tried my hardest to remember to take pictures of my exploration of random restaurants throughout Denver.  

The first, Panzano.  I started craving lasagna Wednesday night and thought about getting Maggianos since I had never been there but I decided to go somewhere else instead b/c every now and then, Eric is open to Maggianos.  Panzano, however, he always says no to so I figured that would be a good start.  It was between Panzano, Luca D'Italia, and Osteria Marco and for some reason Panzano won. I was pretty happy to find out when I got there that their portions are available in half portions.  I had originally wanted the Chef's Tasting but the majority of the dishes had goat/gorgonzola which I don't like or oranges, which I can't eat.  The night went a little like this:

Ketel Martini, extra dirty

Chianti Classico

Three types of bread: Honey walnut, Garlic focaccia, sourdough with a sun dried tomato, olive, anchovy, and garlic tapenade

Grilled caesar salad

Veal Scaloppini

Pastiche

Hazelnut pot du creme

Marenco 'Pineto' Brachetto d' Acqui 2009

Homemade chocolate gelato

 My overall opinion: I'd go back there.  It was pretty good.  The Pastiche was definitely the best thing I ate.  The grilled Caesar was also pretty good.  Of the three breads, the focaccia was my favorite and to my surprise, I actually liked the tapanade which I usually don't.  The texture of the gelato was a little strange and the pot du creme was way much for one person to eat but the pairing was delicious with it and I usually don't like sweet wines.  I think the carbonation definitely helped.  The veal was good but perhaps a little bland.  The mashed potatoes could have used some more salt, and I'm not a big salt eater so they must've really needed salt.  However, the food was prepared well and parts of the meal were good enough to brag about so I will not pass this place yet.

Place #2 is Le Grand Bistro and Oyster Bar.  I went there for brunch with my friends Trent and Nancy on Father's day, thinking it would be crowded, but much to our surprise was kind of empty.  This was a first for both Trent and me but Nancy had been there a couple of times so she had some suggestions on what to order.  Much less pictures of this place so don't feel overwhelmed yet!

Foie Gras Mousse 

Prince Edward Oysters

Duck Confit Hash

The foie gras was pretty delicious.  It was incredibly smooth and the port gastrique added the perfect amount of sweetness.  The grilled baguettes were also a nice touch instead of a crostini.  The oysters were ok.  They were out of the Kumomoto, which are generally my favorite.  The cocktail sauce could have been hotter, along with the grated raw horseradish that came along with them.  The duck confit hash was quite delicious.  At this point, I wasn't hungry enough to eat it all but I did what I could.  You can't tell from the picture, but there were 2 sunny side up eggs on top.  They were a little over cooked for me, as I like mine runny, but no big deal.  The mix of purple, yukon, and sweet potatoes was a nice touch and the duck was cooked very well.  It wasn't at all dry, which seems to happen more often than not to duck confit.  I took the rest home and ate it later in the day.  The atmosphere was cute, the bloody mary bar was great, and they had bottomless mimosas of 3 different flavors for $9.  I would visit this place again, maybe for dinner instead.  

Lastly, was lunch today at Hillstone.  I have definitely been here before and blogged about it but today, after this weekend's madness, I really just wanted a salad.  When I was younger and living in Memphis, I would order the Thai Steak and Noodle salad frequently since we went to Houston's all the time.  Seeing as how Hillstone and Houston's have the same menu, I decided it was time for a flashback.  

Thai Steak and Noodle Salad (after I mixed it together, it was prettier) 

Chocolate chip, white chocolate chip, walnut cookie

There was a huge plate of cookies by the door of the restaurant.  No one took one and I didn't want to be the first.  There wasn't a cookie option for dessert on the menu, but since no one was eating them, I didn't want to take one to find out they weren't for free.  Lucky for me, as I was walking out of the restaurant, a rather large man reached over and grabbed one.  I felt like this was my cue so I very stealthily grabbed one on my way out.  I am incredibly happy that I did b/c they may honestly be in the top 5 best cookies I have ever had.  I don't know if they make it in house or get them from a bakery but the chocolate was still melted and the cookie so perfectly buttery it was the perfect kick to my sweet touch without going overboard.  The Hillstone chain of restaurants, including Houston's and Cherry Creek Grill, I think I can easily say are some of my favorite chain restaurants.  They have become my "go to" places when I can't decide on lunch or dinner when I'm alone.  

Eric comes home tonight so cooking will begin again tomorrow :)