Denver Chop House: Big Big Steaks

I am on a mission to find the perfect steak house. The Denver Chop House is not it, but it was fun none-the-less. The Chop House is big with booths and tables scattered along walls, down hallways, and out in wide-open rooms. It can be boisterous and filled with corporate parties marching to one of the many private rooms in the back. We ended up sitting along this route right before Christmas when corporate parties were at their peak. Our booth was large though, which provided a modicum of distance between the revelers and us. The walls are brick and wood with a traditionally manly feel about them. You can sit by wine racks, by the imposing bar, or near the brewery tanks.

A shameless worshiper of beef, I ordered the porterhouse and a large magnum of red wine. Fortunately, I had a friend with me to share the bounty because each steak also comes with a monstrous, family-style salad, corn bread, and a mountain of white cheddar mashed potatoes. The steak was cooked to perfection and slathered in artery clogging bourbon butter. If you are going to eat a porterhouse, you might as well go all the way! Despite the immensity of the meal, we almost broke out into a fight when it came time to gnaw on the bone.

Totally committed to gluttony, it being the Christmas season after all, we also ordered dessert and splurged on a glass of Innskillin Ice Wine, which I have wanted to try. My sugar infused brain has forgotten what dessert we had but it will never forget the wine. It was delicate, tropical and crisp. At $25 for a few sips it should be. If you like dessert wines, treat yourself to this one. It will be a religious experience. My other suggestion is to drink it alone. A small quantity of elixir and steak knives do not mix.

If you enjoy people watching and a casual atmosphere, the Denver Chop House may be for you. The food is as good at more expensive Steak Houses without the pretentiousness.

Vita Restaurant: Worth the Trip

Vita is a must try. The food was fun and unique even if the atmosphere is not the greatest, which is ironic since it was their promo photo that attracted to me to it in the first place. The photo shows a nice warm booth, subdued lighting, and fun light fixtures. This is slightly misleading since there are just a few booths in the place. Still, the view of downtown from the standard tables by the window is very nice. There were also fresh flowers on the table and jazzy prints on the walls. The light features were unique but too sparse and the ceiling was another industrial painted ventilation system. The crowd of swankily dressed young’ens at the bar probably did not even notice these architectural features being far more interested in checking each other out over frosty martini glasses.

The ambiance may have been average, but the food was delish. I started with the Fall Salad, which came out as a checkerboard of red and golden beets, greens, sliced radishes and goat cheese. I don’t know what I liked more, the presentation or the distinctive blending of flavors. My companion had another unusual dish of pork bellies (uncured bacon) with potato dumplings, minced apples, and a most flavorful juice. Despite the country fair lip smacking I heard from across the table, this was not Iowa home cooking.

Our shared entrée consisted of a duck breast on a bed of slaw that included golden raisons, chunks of duck comfit, potato gnocchi, and diced apple. How many times have you seen duck l’orange on the menu? I found the subtle flavors in this dish filled with complexity. Each bite was an adventure as I mixed and matched the various ingredients together. To be fair my companion thought this dish was boring. You’ll just have to try it for yourself and report back!

So, if you want an escape from the same old, same old (industrial ceiling aside) make the trip to the Highlands. If the crowd a vita is not to your liking, you can pop next door to LoLa, which caters to similarly draped 30-somethings making love to brightly colored concoctions. Viva Vita!

Leadville Weekend: Part 3: Leadville Hostel

View from parking lot of the Leadville Hostel
I want to take a moment to talk about the place we stayed in Leadville. I am not normally the hostel type. I like gourmet food, cushy feather pillows, and fawning service. Still I liked this place enough to book it for the last weekend in July. It was comfortable, homey, and perfect for a group outing. There are private rooms and bunkrooms with varying sleeping capacities.

There are multiple common rooms as well. The basement contains a roaring stove with couches galore and a pool table. Close to the stove, heat was intense so if you are a delicate summer flower or hothouse succulent, you will feel right at home. Upstairs is another living room with wrap around couches surrounding a large screen TV. Behind this is a comfy couch ensconced in a picture window with views of the mountains. It is much cooler there of course, which would make it the perfect respite for my mother, whom I call “Judy of the Tundra” because of her whacked out thermostat. I was not about to ask, but it seemed like several hot flash mamas were enjoying it as well. Wool blankets abound, however, if you want to enjoy the sun and view without drastically lowering your body temperature.

The owners, Wild Bill & Kathy, hail from the Delta region of Mississippi where straightforward hospitality combine with the passionate vocalizations and rhythmic guitars of Blues. Wild Bill came to Leadville to ski but his soul is still in South. The hostel is covered in Blues festival regalia and the strains of Snooky Pryor resound from the large kitchen. Given the chance he will talk your ear off with the history of both his homes. He had us all watch a video on the history of the 10th Mountain Division, which trained for WWII at nearby Camp Hale. His unconsciousness ease in a room full of strangers makes him the perfect hostel host. Cathy is quieter but equally pleasant.

There is bottomless tea and coffee (for a small donation) in the kitchen. You can bring your own food and store it neatly in a named box in the fridge or pay $10 for dinner and $5 for breakfast. We opted for the latter, which was great. We had pasta and salad one night and pork loin the next. After a hard days snowshoeing, it is pleasant to hang around a large table and feed with friends.


Just to be fair, not all was perfect. Our room was in the basement and it was profoundly noisy. A 20-person church group came in at 1:30 in the morning dragging god knows what down the wooden stairs. The kids were screaming and doors were slamming. They were up again at 6 am to go skiing. The noise was thunderous and the 3-person communal bathroom filled with dripping teenagers. The adults were apologetic later once they learned they were not the only people in the 40+ occupancy basement, but this quickly evaporated the next day when the departed at 6am dragging what sounded like coffins up and down the floor and up the stairs. Later I saw that they had been dragging large, industrial sized boxes up the stairs. Most of our party stayed in the bunkrooms on the main floor, which not only had their own bathroom, but were also insulated from the cacophony below. If you are a light sleeper, stay in one of those rooms.

If you like people, are on a budget, or are just in the mood for something different, give the Leadville Hostel a try.