There’s a little place on East Colfax in Denver that’s trapped in my brain and when I say trapped I mean like a vice grip that will not let go. It’s Sunday morning and I’m driving a rental, 5 feet of snow crunches on the ground. I’m the type of thirsty that only happens when you’ve slept in the scorching forced air heat of a low budget motel and it’s -9 degrees outside. At the 10:00 hour the Sun is performing madly, scattering photons on every snowy surface. I want a taco and I know I need to find an establishment with a plowed parking lot. A cleared oasis showing signs of life enters my windshield.
The TacoMex Trifecta
You can order broadly here, since it’s Sunday and they have a weathered paper sign taped to the glass entrance that states “Menudo $4.99.”
It’s typical for Menudo to be made only on the weekends, created by honored family recipes that often gain competitive momentum. If your going to go for a steaming spicy bowl of tripa shoot for a Sunday because (just like everything) menudo really shines after it is reheated a few times. I like to adopt authoritarian views on Menudo for dramatic effect, in truth, this is the first time I’d ever tried the dish. There are no experts here.
I only miss you on days that end in Y
On Sunday mornings I wake up and I want to be back in the green plastic booths at TacoMex assuring the waitress who delivers the menudo that she has the right table, she shakes her head and returns to the kitchen with my food. A few moments later a new waitress arrives with the same tray, smiles broadly and releases the feast. This makes me question how many gringas in Denver visit Tacomex for menudo. They are all missing out.
In the background you can see two tacos, one pastor, one lengua, both excellent. But the menudo, with the perfectly cooked hominy, balanced garlic and cilantro, garnish of dried oregano, lime, and onion creates one of those food experiences where an already sunny sky is suddenly gleaming and wide. I keep the business card for TacoMex in my wallet and on some Sunday mornings I take it out and simply turn it over in my hands.
After enjoying 36 days of a new-year vegan diet and surviving an embarrassing incident in which I nearly burned my apartment down baking spelt biscuits – I knew it was time to eat some meat.
There are many great reasons to go to Denver but for the sake of clarity only one reason matters: Euclid Hall.
Bruléed Center Cut Beef Marrow Bones
These were really sweet, bringing new definition to the term ‘meat candy’. When the menu writer calls this “bruléed” they are not joking around. The sherry gastrique was an excellent sauce choice for this dish, working to cut the sweetness with a solid acidic finish. I did not bone luge, an oversight I will likely never recover from.
Upslope Imperial Stout
This was an especially great beer, notes of dark chocolate and raisins. I bet you it smells like attractive Russian men and victory.
Pad Thai Pig Ears
I am not the best about telling people to ‘DON’T TOUCH THAT’ until I can take a picture of an initial plating. Oddly, this was once my specialty and I would bark at anyone who tried to dig in before I could take a picture, turns out that’s not an attractive personality trait, but you know what? That’s also not an attractive picture, and the dish was incredibly delicious, well plated, and probably the best thing I ate at Euclid Hall. I think this dish also deserves credit for making a plate of pig ears an enticing menu item by pairing them with Pad Thai familiarized ingredients: tamarind, sprouts, mint, peanuts. Well played.
Duck, Duck, Goose
This is duck poutine, squared. The dish starts with fried potatoes, duck gravy, black pepper, and Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds. To turn this poutine into the farcical iteration you see before you they add a sunny side up duck egg and an ounce of foie gras. I can’t figure out what makes this such a rich dish?! There is an obvious element of shock value here but if you enjoy a few bites while sipping an Old Fashioned you are Doing It Right.
Boudin Noir
Pitch black blood sausage. I will admit to a deep respect and fascination for these links, I’m not sure I’ve ever had boudin noir before but I know I will be enjoying more in the future. Fascinating flavors in a dish that has a long and varied history. I recently scored a never-used Oster grinder at a thrift store and my first project is boudin noir, I will (of course) report my trials and triumphs.
There are numerous places in my neck of the woods to acquire outstanding house-crafted meat items and Euclid Hall is stiff competition to all of them. Additionally, there are many appealing aspects of enjoying this type of meal in an area of the world where the sky is so expansive and the weather so mercilessly dry and cold. A visit to this great place is a terrific reason to eat whatever you want.
Last Friday I had the extreme pleasure of having lunch with Sarah. Before she moved to Chicago three years ago we were already making plans that I would visit and we would eat some serious sausages at Hot Doug’s, the Encased Meat King of Chicago. Maybe it would be a Friday or a Saturday and we could order the Duck Fat Fries, who could even know what the future would bring.
The Future Is Now. Well, The Future Was Last Friday.
After spending an hour in line behind two small siblings who were engaged in a long battle of “new shoe vs. old shoe” (don’t ask) we were pretty hungry, so we took the full court press approach.
Chicago Style
This was mainly for a photo-op, Aaron wanted a picture of me eating a Chicago Style Hot Dog so I obliged because I am endlessly benevolent and constantly in the mood for regional delicacies.
Turducken
This is/was the Turducken Sausage with Cranberry Mustard, Champagne de Pâté, Stilton. You don’t have to eat the bun with this one. In fact don’t eat the bun with any of them except for the Chicago Style photo-op.
Sarah's Choice
This was a chicken-beer sausage with white-cheddar jalapeno and some sort of fancy mustard.
ELK
THIS SAUSAGE. MY GOODNESS. Elk Sausage with a cherry-fig-onion marmalade, apple pear port sauce and sage derby cheese. I’ve been on a millet and green vegetable cleanse since returning from Chicago and all I can think about as I ladle more organic slop into my lunch containers is this darn sausage. I also have visions of sage derby cheese.
The most impressive fact about Hot Doug’s is that you forget all about the length of time you waited to make it in the door. What’s an extra hour of great company anyway? I’d go back, and I will. Next time I hope rattlesnake is on the menu.
bunny bread surprise 