Audrey O.
Yelp
Came here with my partner on a date night -- here are my thoughts!
1. Ambiance--This place is perfect for a second date night if you don't mind shelling ~$75 pp (2 drinks, shared app, 2 entrees). The interior is quite sexy, with thought provoking quotes on the walls which make for great conversation starters. The bill is served in an art of war booklet if that tells you anything.
2. Service --Dinner Service is EXCELLENT, there wasn't a SECOND in which Bo our server didnt ensure our water glasses were brimming, our table was clean of crumbs, and food was cleared. He even packaged our leftovers, going the extra mile and labeling them which was a nice surprise the next morning. Probably some of the best and most attentive service I've experienced in Denver.
3. Food-- this is where I think this restaurant is still getting its sea legs in terms of menu items. TLDR-- the entrees are AWESOME, The following is what we ordered:
a) Mile Hight Heat Cocktail: Delicious, and I'm not even a rum and pineapple girl. A slight touch of jalepeno, so wasn't really packing the "heat" -- but it was delicious.
b) Moroccan Meatballs: Beautifully cooked, fluffy, with this delicious whipped feta. Sadly the table least favorite since the bbq "spices" didn't really come through, and was very HEAVY on the sauce, which overpowered the flavor of the meatball. It made the bbq profile the star, giving a strong sweet undertone rather than a Moroccan spice twist. I would avoid this if you are not a STRONG bbq sauce fan. The meatballs sauce aside were delicious, I almost wish there was no sauce/much less sauce or even more garlicky lemony gremolata to give the sweetness a contrast.
c) Thai Curry Steak Tartare: Texture was spot on and the Thai curry flavor was quite cool, sadly similar to the meatballs with the dish being on the sweeter side. With a tartare you want a nice contrast of bright tangy flavored to contrast with the savory of the beef. Instead you get savory sweet, and you miss that tang. A bit of a missed opportunity dish wise, but if a stronger tang element was added i have no doubt this app would be a star.
d) Lamb Burger: Goes to show you don't have to order the fanciest thing on the menu to be like DAMN that is SO GOOD. Burger cooked to perfection, with this delicious Gorgonzola fondue. The red onion Marmelade was a tad sweet, so perhaps less quantity to make it more balanced, but that doesn't change the fact that it was a delicious f'ing burger and I promise you won't be disappointed. Fries also were perfect.
e) Braided Ravioli: This was f*cking fantastic. For a restaurant that is not Italian, this ravioli gives spuntino, tavernetta, Rioja, etc a run for their money. First getting a perfectly even cook especially with it being braided isn't always easy on a busy night like Saturday. Each ravioli melted in your mouth... and don't even get me started on the sauce. It had this wonderful richness, with pops of tang due to some capers. It's served in the massive bowl and a heap load of sauce, with delicious crostinis on the side, given the best of both tomato soup/incredible pasta worlds. This is the kind of dish you door dash ignoring the price because it will heal all the bad things in your day.
Church and Union is the hot new bombshell on the lodo block, and if you stick to the entrees for now you will have an amazing meal, and a hot date night to boot.