Sartos

Sew, Sartos Will Tailor Make A Meal For You...

The first thing we noticed when walking into Sartos was the very large, sewing needles that served as handles on their front door.  Because we don't research our locations before we visit them, we were just a little bit confused.

The first question we asked our server was what Sartos actually means.  We were told that it was an occupational name meaning "tailor" in Italian, from the Latin sartus "to mend".   Well, that made a lot of sense.  It explained the door handles and the schematics of sewing machines as well as the actual antique sewing machines found throughout the restaurant.  The bathrooms are lined up in a hallway and are labeled "fitting rooms" and a there is a three way mirror at the end of the hallway which was a nice touch.  Plaster casts of scissors and other items used in sewing are hung on the walls as well.  The "tailor" theme is carried through all parts of the restaurant.  You see, the owner's name is Taylor which is why this theme was chosen.  Very cute, Sartos.  We like it.

The restaurant itself is beautiful.  With tons of natural light and large windows, it is a clean and pristine white with a beautiful patio area that also serves as a mini garden.  The restaurant grows things like tomatoes and rosemary to be used in their dishes.  They offer a pantry area where customers can purchase soups and sandwiches for lunch and buy food such as pastas and sauces to go.  They also sell boquets of flowers for six dollars. 

For our Maniacs with gluten issues, never fear!  Sartos offers gluten free options on their menu.

Brunch is offered on Saturday and Sunday and dinner starts at 5pm.

One of the unique offerings Sartos has is a chef's counter option.  This costs $60 per person with an optional wine pairing for an additional $30.  It consists of a "tailor made" (see what we did there?) five course meal made especially for you and depending on any limitations you give them, it can be quite the experience.  We had a few food allergies to worry about and they excelled at working around those issues.

We actually arrived quite a bit early so we tried some cocktails before dinner.  We would like to compliment, Josh, our wonderful bartender who made custom drinks on the fly based on our distinct tastes.  He was a master of beverages that night creating both alcoholic and virgin cocktails that were all very delicious.  He was knowledgeable and knew exactly where each glass of wine came from.  He gave accurate and detailed descriptions of each for those people who chose to add the wine pairing.  Thank you, Josh, for helping to make the evening a great one.

As we have said before, we love writing this blog.  Without it, we would not try a lot of the food we have in the last few years.  Some food we have liked and some food we have not, but  we tried it and that is what counts.  For instance, the first course included salmon, oko tuna from Hawaii, scallops, compressed melon, catfish caviar, fresh basil, oranges, and arugula puree.  These were all served on a block of pure, pink Himalayan salt which "cooked" the fish and added a delicious saltiness that paired with the sweetness of the fruit.  This is one of those things we would not try...ever.  All in all, it wasn't that bad.

From there we were served a fresh salad of seasonal veggies and pickled plums served over a creamy, fluffy goat cheese.  All produce, aside from what they grow on their patio, is sourced from Colorado farms. The night's produce was supplied by Leffler Family Farms in Evans, Colorado.  Farm to table is truly one of our favorite things.  The difference in taste and freshness is just amazing.

One of the more unique dishes was a risotto type dish made from huitlacoche.  Pronounced whee-tla-KO-cheh, it is also known as corn mushroom, corn smut, or Mexican truffle. It is a fungus, which randomly grows on organic corn (not sprayed with any fungicide) and was topped with fresh sweet corn.  Man, we learned so much that night!  So much fun!!!

The first main course was Oko tuna with a red onion ash, and forbidden black rice (rice that was only served to Chinese emperors),  Although we are not huge fans of fish, this was quite good and the ash coating tasted a little bit like coffee.

For desert we had a fabulous tiramisu which is always a favorite.

Thank you to Reggie, our talented chef, for a wonderful meal.  You were a lot of fun and we appreciate you putting up with all our questions.

On this outing, we were lucky enough to be joined by one of our Maniacs and budding photographer, Rio Rivera.  The photos on this blog entry are just a few examples of the extent of Rio's talent.  She has taken photos of our pets as well and they are simply phenomenal.  She has a real gift.  If you are in need of a photographer, please contact Rio at missrio@fuzzystaycations.com.

Overall, Santos was a very good restaurant.  The staff was amazing, knowledgeable, and friendly.  We were given a tour of the restaurant, we met the Manager, and the atmosphere was fun and light.  The chef's counter is definitely the way to go.  It is a wonderful way to learn all about new food and to try something unique.  For all these reasons, we give Sartos a fork.

As they say in Italy, Grazie a tutto il personale Sartos per l'ospitalità e cibo eccellente. Ci vediamo presto!

Thanks again!

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was good. We’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.

3 Chicks Kitchen

When 1 or 2 Chicks are not enough and 4 Chicks are just plain excessive....

q

3 Chicks Kitchen is one of those happy accidents that we cherish here at MenuManiacs HQ.  We have driven past this little gem quite a few times in the past.  One Sunday morning while we were trying to find a place for breakfast, everywhere we stopped had up to an hour long wait for a seat.  Then we remembered the little breakfast spot next to Sonic, and we decided to give 3 Chicks Kitchen a try.


3 Chicks Kitchen is located in a little strip mall just off 128th Avenue and Zuni in Broomfield.  Parking is free, plentiful, and directly in front of the building.  3 Chicks Kitchen is appropriately named since it began it's existence with three sisters.  Over time the sisters moved on to other ventures and the final sister sold the business to a great couple, Corey and Sandy Christman.  Corey and Sandy took a hard look at the menu and realized great improvements could be made.  For example, they are switching from frozen and pre-made items to homemade, fresh cooking.  They are looking to add some spice to the menu with a variety of chiles brought directly from Mexico for fresh made salsas.  Luckily, we were able to sample some the day we visited (check out our Instagram for pics of all the goodies).

Juice, Mimosa, Bloody Mary

After meeting and talking with Sandy, we realized it was imperative for us to come back for a proper review so we could showcase the amount of passion and care they put into their food.  The following week, we returned to 3 Chicks Kitchen with empty bellies and notebooks in hand. 

Chicken and Waffles

In typical MenuManiac fashion, we asked for their suggestions.  They recommended any of the six varieties of Benny's on their menu.  These are variations of eggs benedict.  The burritos are a customer favorite and the sandwiches are amazing; however, the one item they insisted on us trying was their chicken and waffles.  Not being fans of chicken and waffles, we smiled and said "that sounds great".  You should understand that up to this point, this dish has been viewed as an unholy alliance of dinner and breakfast foods.  Well, 3 Chicks changed our mind in this regard.  The waffle was crisp and fluffy, the fresh chicken tenders were tempura fried which allowed the breading to remain light and crispy while allowing the flavor of the fresh chicken to shine through.  The whole dish was drizzled with maple syrup and smothered in sausage gravy.  It was topped off with crumbled bacon on the top.  It sounds odd, but it works.  Holy schmokes, does it ever work. Yes, after eating this amazing meal, you will be doing extra sit-ups but we promise it is worth it.  We regret nothing!

Chicken Fried Steak

Let's take a moment and talk gravy.  3 Chicks Kitchen sports two kinds of sawmill gravy (that's a pan gravy made with dairy) one with sausage and one vegetarian.  We really have nothing bad to say about either of these.  Served over biscuits in the Southern Benny or smothering the chicken and waffles, we think you'll agree that it is good stuff.

Pancakes with Candied Walnuts

Their pancakes were also a suggestion by the owners.  Specifically their candied walnuts.  They are a little sweet and a little spicy with just a hint of cayenne pepper.  We ordered a short stack and the two pancakes took up the whole plate.  Just a small amount of butter and little syrup is all you need for this delicious item.


Corey and Sandy are still in the middle of revamping the restaurant.  In addition to a whole new menu, they are planning a variety of special events including everything from beer pairing dinners to drag shows.  Because so many of these events are only found in downtown Denver, we are very excited to have them in our area without having to head downtown.  We will post these events on our Facebook page in the future.


3 Chicks will also rent their space in the evenings for private events like rehearsal dinners or company gatherings.


They are open for breakfast and lunch and are a perfect spot for delicious, homemade food with fresh ingredients brimming with creativity. For all their wonderful food and excellent service, we awarded 3 Chicks Kitchen a fork, or maybe we need to add a spork? We continue to look forward to all the changes the Christman's are making to the restaurant.  We'll see you all soon!

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was good. We’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.

Liks Ice Cream

We Lyke Liks...

After our dinner at The Africana Café, we decided to try one of Colorado's most iconic ice cream parlors, Liks Ice Cream Shop.

Liks opened their doors in 1976 and have served gourmet ice cream, yogurt, and sorbet ever since.  Judging by the line that spilled out the door and went down the street, their popularity has not wavered since the age of disco.

In addition to a constant rotation of flavors and varieties of delicious frozen treats, they offer shakes, malts, and banana splits.  In fact, they offer a Piggy Split for $22 that includes seven scoops of ice cream and like a cluster of bananas or something ridiculous like that.  This would be awesome for a group of friends on a summer night.

Sure the prices are a little higher, but it's all about quality and supporting local businesses, right?  Their ice cream is amazing.  No soft serve, chemical based, fake products here, just homemade, unadulterated deliciousness.  We didn't even mind the brain freeze.

Liks is located in the Cheesman Park area at York and 13th Avenue.  The only parking available is street parking and they do have both indoor and outdoor seating areas.  This is a definite must try when you are looking for something sweet and creamy.  We award Liks a fork..

Thanks to the staff of Liks for a fun evening!  We will see you guys soon.

Africana Cafe

Tena Yistilign, Ethiopia!

(Amharic for, Hello)

We here at MenuManiacs HQ have been looking forward to trying one of Colorado's many Ethiopian restaurants for a while now.  Over the last few years, we have noticed an increase in this type of cuisine, and we were ecstatic to try the winner of The A List's City of Denver Best Ethiopian Restaurant for 2012. 

The Africana Café is located in the South Park Hill Area near the corner of Colorado Boulevard and East Colfax Avenue.  It is a quaint, open space with no fussy decor, and they can accommodate both small and larger parties.

The food at The Africana Café was served traditionally which means it was with ourhands.  The Ethiopian people are known for feeding each other by a process called Gurshal.  The more they love a person, the more they feed them.  Well, apparently they absolutely ADORED us.  We had a lot of delicious food and it was an absolute treat to learn about this wonderful culture from the equally wonderful staff who moved to Colorado directly from Ethiopia.

They offer a full bar including several Ethiopian beers.  We did partake of their Honey Wine, or Tej, the national drink of Ethiopia.  Dating back to the fourth century, it is more of a mead than a true wine, it is incredibly sweet.

Chechabsa

The menu includes Appetizers, Breakfast, Lunch/Dinner, and Vegetarian dishes.  Ethiopian cuisine is known for being very healthy and mainly consists of sautéed meats and stews. 

For appetizers, we tried the Sambusa, a fried pastry stuffed with lentils and served with fresh honey.  The pastry was  delicate and the sweetness of the honey mixed with the mealy texture of the lentils.

Sambusa

Chechebsa is one of the few Ethiopian dishes that is traditionally eaten using a fork or spoon.  It is a special African bread seasoned with spicy butter and red pepper then topped with sour cream.  This was an interesting dish that had a kick to it.  It tasted  like battered, spicy, potato chips. 

Luckily, Africana had a couple combo meals on the menu that allowed us to try small portions of a few dishes.  The first was the Banatu Special.  This contained Quanta Firfir, Kitfo, Gomen, rice, and Ibe - a homemade cottage cheese.  Quant Firfir are jerky beef bits cooked with onions, garlic, hot spicy pepper and butter and mixed with Injera bits.  Gomen is a vegetarian combination of cabbage, carrots, onions, and turmeric.  Kitfo is freshly chopped tenderloin beef cooked with herbal butter and spices.  It is traditionally served raw; however, they will cook the meat if you prefer.  We were not emotionally ready to eat raw meat at this time so we wimped out and had it cooked. 

The Meat Combination was the other choice of the evening.  This was a combination of Doro Wot (chicken stew), Zigni (Beef with spices), and Yebeg Alicha (lamb stew).

Both dishes were served on a large, family style platter and covered with what our server called a Masob or handmade wicker cover.  The meal is served with Injera which is a spongy, textured, sourdough bread that is made from teft flour.  The texture of the bread was similar to a pancake. Ethiopians use this bread as a way to scoop up the ingredients from the platter.

The Africana Café does not offer desserts but they do offer a traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony.  This is a tableside preparation where the raw coffee beans are roasted tableside, brewed and then strained into an adorable clay pot.  It was presented to the table after incense was ignited and coffee poured.  The final result is a pleasant espresso with an almost flowery taste.  It was delightful.

Coffee Ceremony

We left The Africana Café with a greater understanding of both the culture and the people of Ethiopia.  We award The Africana Café a fork.  Thank you for all your knowledge and assistance with the menu.  You guys are awesome!

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was okay. Not our favorite, but we’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.

2nd Anniversary - the plimoth

the plimoth rocks on…

July 2016 marked the second anniversary of the MenuManiacs blog.  Can you believe that?  It seems like just yesterday we were riding in our car talking about writing a blog about a restaurant a month, sort of like the restaurant reserves.  After several unfortunate name changes and writing styles we have finally hit our groove, and as a result we are happy and well fed here at MenuManiacs Headquarters

The maniacs

When we started thinking about places to celebrate our anniversary dinner, we immediately decided on one of our favorite restaurants, the plimoth.  We have literally been trying to revisit the plimoth for two years ever since our first visit back in December of 2014. We have tried to secure reservations several times during the last two years for birthdays, holidays, or just a routine meal, but due to the popularity of the restaurant, we were unable to get a table. Luckily, we were finally able to get in and coincidentally it just so happened to be on our anniversary. We love it when a plan comes together...A-Team style.

The drinks

We were happy to learn that the plimoth purchased the adjoining property and will soon be expanding their space to allow for more tables.  This will mean an easier time to secure a reservation.  Good news for all!

The eats

MenuManiacs would like to thank the plimoth for their hospitality and kindness in helping us celebrate our second year. They were very generous by providing us with a complimentary champagne toast and appetizer of chicken liver pate. This was completely unexpected and we appreciate this more than they know.  Also, thank you to Carrera, one of our Maniacs from Seattle, for participating in our anniversary celebration.  We were happy you could make it!

the plimoth's menu is constantly  changing depending on the availability of local ingredients; however, they do have items that are staples.  If you try only one thing from the plimoth's menu, be sure it is the cracklin' chicken.  For a full write up of the plimoth, check out our blog entry from our first visit.

The sweets

Our server, Mitch, was astounding.  We gave both Mitch and the chefs free reign to feed us so appetizers, main dishes, and desserts were their choice.  We loved each and every dish we tried.  This restaurant is one of Denver's best, if not THE best. 

For the second time, we awarded the coveted golden spoon to the plimoth.  They are our first and only double spoon. Yes, we just made that phrase up, and we dig it.
 
The past two yeas have been filled with so much fun and we look forward to another year of food, friends, and frivolity while celebrating Colorado eateries.  Thank you all for your support of MenuManiacs!  Here comes year three!

Great server, Mitch!

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was okay. Not our favorite, but we’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.

Blackbelly Market

Whoa, Blackbelly, Bam-Ba-Lam...

What's not to love about locally sourced meats and vegetables, a dynamite staff, and seasonal cocktails that are based on classic rock and roll albums?  Um, nothing.  Not a thing.  Therefore, stop reading this and go eat at Blackbelly Market immediately.  Thanks for playing.  Have a good day and thank you for supporting MenuManiacs.

Just kidding.  Don't worry, we'll tell you more.  Settle down.  Geez, you guys are so demanding.

Blackbelly Market is located on the west side of Boulder near the intersection of Arapahoe and 55th in a strip mall-slash-office park hybrid.  Blackbelly is not only a great restaurant but it is also a butchery.  Actually, it is two shops in one!  One half of the property is a butcher and deli that serves breakfast burritos and delicious sandwiches.  Next door to the butchery, they have a dining space that opens in the evenings.  Ian, the manager, was kind enough to show us around the deli side during our visit and we hope to get back soon to try breakfast or lunch, or breakfast AND lunch, or basically whatever they put in front of us because it's all delicious.

The restaurant has a blend of industrial and modern elements making it feel contemporary and cozy.  They have an amazing bar and we have to give a props to them for the incredible drinks we enjoyed. One of the things that sets Blackbelly apart from other places is their quirky sense of humor,  Each month their master mixologist creates new cocktails using music as inspiration.  In the month of June, the cocktail menu was based on songs off the Slippery People album by Talking Heads.  July's inspiration came from Van Halen's classic album, 1984.  We told them to surprise us with a cocktail.  What they brought was a delightful concoction called Jump!  Sparkling water with fresh blackberries, bitters, and of course Panama rum.  See what they did there?  Van Halen...Panama...Panama rum.  Oh, we just love that.  It was refreshing and fruity without being overly sweet which is exactly how one might describe Van Halen now that we think about it.  Huh.  Interesting.  Anyhoo, it was perfect for a hot afternoon.

Charcuterie and Cheese are some of the most popular items on the menu at Blackbelly.  In fact, they are in the process of opening a Charcuterie Bar where people can sit and watch the preparation of a variety of meats and cheeses.  We were told they have a state of the art slicer that creates very thin slices of meat.  After all, the thinner the slice, the more intense the flavor.  You can pick and choose your selections or you can order the grand selection of all the options Blackbelly has to offer.  We suggest the Genoa salami and their bay bleu cheese.  They are astounding.  If you can't decide, the staff is incredibly well versed in pairing meats and cheeses to your liking.

From the soup and salad section of the menu, we ordered the carrot-ginger soup and the local romaine wedge.  The soup was served warm which was unexpected.  When sampling carrot soup in the past at other establishments, it has been served chilled.  It was delicious with date mastardo, almonds, and spiced yogurt.  The soup was mild without being overpowered by either the ginger or carrots.  The salad was one of the best we have had in a while.  Their house made green goddess dressing was so flavorful and the fresh greens were amazing.

For dinner, we ordered the Colorado Angus Bavette Steak, the Golden Potato Gnocchi, Wild Sockeye Salmon, and Colorado Berkshire Pork.  We also added a side of marrow butter for something new and different.  From their sides selection, we ordered Creamed Greens and Roast Local Carrots.  Everything on this menu was excellent.  The meat served at Blackberry is some of the freshest and most delicious we have come across thus far.  Probably because 80-93% of the meat is sourced from local Boulder farms.  They acquire their salmon fresh from Washington state.  One of the interesting revelations of the evening involved the greens served with the meals.  They were so flavorful and fresh that the non-vegetable faction of our party actually grabbed second and third helpings.  That included fresh asparagus.  Asparagus, people.  Asparagus. 

For dessert, we selected three items.  The Triple Chocolate Espresso Torte with smoked sea salt caramel, huckleberries (insert Tombstone movie reference), and elderberries (insert Monty Python French taunter reference).  The Olive Oil Lemon Cake served with blueberry-thyme compote, crème fraiche ice cream, and crumbles was definitely the favorite dessert of the evening.   Finally, we ordered Evelyn's Famous Carrot Cake with candied pecan and ginger syrup.

We would like to commend the manager, Ian for being so personable and friendly.  He is very knowledgeable about wine and the entire menu.  Our night started out with a snafu regarding our reservation (not their fault), but the staff dealt with it without even a trace of bad attitude.  Erick and Makenna helped us with our meal delivery and both were fun and friendly.  Last but not least, Lenny our main server was hilarious, knowledgeable, and is basically our new best friend.  Also, as a side note, Lenny is a famous giver of hugs.  Be sure to request him when you visit.  He's the cherry on the sundae of the experience.

Blackberry is safely nestled in the upper echelon of our favorite restaurants.  We will definitely come back as soon as we can. We awarded them the coveted golden spoon simply because they are awesome.

Do yourselves a favor and get to Blackbelly immediately.  We're not kidding, they are that good.

....Wait, you're still reading this?  Seriously.  Go to Blackbelly.

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was okay. Not our favorite, but we’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.