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.
I’ve been sick for two days but this afternoon I got out of bed, washed the orange juice from the bottom of approximately 40 glasses and remembered that before all of this ickyness I was sitting in a sun-lit room in the NW corner of Portland having a lovely evening, an evening that morphed into a really awesome night. The Bent Brick is totally worthy of your business, I did the leg work for you. I recommend that you go before I next see you because I’m pretty sure I’m contagious.
stranger things have happened
Yup, that’s the name of the drink. Bourbon, coriander, verjus, spiced currant, egg white. I’m not a big fan of bitters and it’s used in so many craft cocktails, so verjus and I get along really well.
green beans
Char grilled green beans, bean leaf pesto. LEMON. These were nice and lemony, or maybe bean leafs are lemony. Matters not to me, I’ll eat greens beans any which way.
various pork parts :0
Actually, ‘crispy pork snacks, buffalo style’. I didn’t order these but I totally ate some.
Curds and Sauce
Okay, ‘fried cheese curds, fried apple sauce’. Although she refuses to admit it, my dining companion is well-regarded as the local expert on fried cheese curds. These can be found on a handful of menus and because they are so filling she usually takes the leftovers home in her purse.
BUT, these are not just any fried cheese curds, only SOME of these are fried cheese curds, the rest are fried applesauce and THEN they dust the whole plate with what looks like the contents of dehydrated cheese packets that are inside Mac and Cheese boxes but it really did not taste like that, it was much better and not salty at all, very subtle.
Pickle Plate
Don’t test me with a pickle plate, I am unafraid. I will go back to The Bent Brick and order the pickle plate again and again. I’d also like to thank The Bent Brick for not overly sweetening these pickled beets. You Yankees, I’ll tell you what, you like some sweet pickled beets. I don’t know where you get that from! These were so refreshing. I also really enjoyed the pickled kobocha squash.
SAME PICKLE PLATE Cheerios
Cheerio pudding, yeasted caramel, apples. With the presence of Cheerios in this dessert you’d think it would have the effect on the diner of “look at me! just a big old kid eating Cheerios for dessert!” However, I found this dish more compelling than that. First of all, that’s good old nutritional yeast flecked over the caramel up there. I have never seen that done on a plate before and it WORKED. The apples placed around the dish had the texture of potatoes and I don’t know what you’d have to do to turn an apple into a potato but keep on with it because this dessert was most excellent.
I had so much fun sitting at the bar for Happy Hour that it actually occurred to me just to ask someone to seat me in the dining room, make a whole night of it. But instead, I will go back very soon. You can order the whole menu for $48.oo and the bartender told me about a shrimp dish that contains popcorn. Go to The Bent Brick!
My favorite vegan breakfast parlor closed down. I walked up to the door, read the closed sign and cried. Aaron refuses to admit defeat and insisted we explore other vegan options that we would love as much. We tried brunch at The Blossoming Lotus and were not disappointed.
pancakes with fresh fruit and nuts, housemade jam, soy butter, maple syrup, house-made apple sauceLotus Benedict - spelt biscuits, maple peppered seitan, roasted butternut hollandaise, arugula, tomato, steamed kale
Real Talk: my olde vegan parlor (RIP) made The Best Spelt Biscuits. These didn’t quite measure up? The seitan is RAD and the butternut hollandaise is tremendous. I think the spelt biscuits could have been baked longer? Y’all know I don’t speak ill of food unless I can do a better job myself so I’m trying my hand at spelt biscuits this weekend and will report on my research.
Real Talk Too: The service at The Blossoming Lotus is so heart warming. Kind, funny, not pushy. If you ever tire of surly morning service just visit this place to be elevated.
bunny bread surprise 