*Not yet rated!
Denver, CO, USA 80202
Review of Rioja Brunch
Food ordered:
rioja benedict:
goat cheese biscuit, bacon, spinach, tomato, poached eggs, parmesan sauce | 10.50
&
crispy potato galette:
smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, dill cream | 12.50
Rioja had possibly the nicest ambiance for having brunch – low lighting (but not so low as to require flashlights, as seems to be the trend nowadays). Tables spaced a reasonable distance apart (not all scrunched up at some of the other brunch joints I will refrain from naming in this review). from their own description:
“hand-blown glass fixtures, copper-topped bar, exhibition kitchen, simple decor that allows the food to shine.”
Indeed. They started the meal with a selection of different rolls from which to choose from. I didn’t quite catch the names of the two I selected, but one was more of a cheesy biscuit, and the second more of a chewy artisan bread. I’m not a fan of filling up on bread prior to the meal, but their bread was so good that it deserved a corner of my increasingly growling stomach – held me over till the main dish.
Funny, I’m not a typical Benedict person, but for some reason for the second time in a row I’ve selected the house benedict. The twist on the typical benedict for this one was the switch to a biscuit from the typical English muffin. I think that by itself is an improvement, as I am a huge fan of a well-made biscuit, and the ‘goat cheese biscuit’ is a winner. The second twist is the addition of a tomato slice, which seemed to add color and a needed acidity to this egg dish. The third improvement is the switch from a typical hollandaise to a parmesan sauce. What’s great is that they added just a splash on top of each egg,; it wasn’t drowned in sauce as I’ve noticed other places do to their eggs benedict. It was very good, and very filling – what you want a benedict to be.
My friend Allison also let me try her “crispy potato galette.” One bite, and I wished I ordered that dish. The smoked salmon, scrambled eggs topped a potato pancake sort of thing that was fried to an ideal crispiness. The salmon gave that nice salty/smoked/sea flavor rounded off with the dill cream topping. Yum! Next time I will be sure to order that one. Jason and I both agreed that this was one of the top places we have had the pleasure of brunching, both for food, ambiance and service. Five stars all the way!
Denver, CO, USA 80211
Review of Rootdown brunch
Food ordered:
Root Down Benedict
Quinoa “English Muffin”, Arugula, Iberico Cheese,
& Oven Dried Tomato Hollandaise & Organic Home Fries $9
*add “House of Smoke” Canadian Bacon $2.00
For brunch, I ordered the signature benedict: the Rootdown benedict. The quinoa “English muffin” was more like a quinoa brick of goodness – which was a welcome change from the yeasty brick. And I’m using brick descriptively – it was a lighter and welcome change from the typical english muffin to hold the eggs and their version of hollandaise: oven dried tomato hollandaise. I also got the side of Canadian bacon, which I had to ask about, since this is not the reddish Canadian bacon you find at your local pizzeria. It was, well, pork colored (as it should be) and tasty as, well, Canadian bacon. (While I didn’t check its passport, I am assuming it is Canadian – heh).
Anyways, this was one of my favorite brunch places. Service was slow (over 40 minutes) so I rated it only 4 stars, otherwise it was great. Everyone seemed to enjoy their brunch selections. The porch is fine for the perfect Spring weather we were having today. Czechit, mos def!
Welcome to Brunchology, the art and science of brunch. This site has emerged out of a group of friends love of brunch. After about the 6th brunch I realize that all of the brunches were starting to blend together in my head, and that I really wanted a way for my friends and I to record the memorable, the tasty, and also the places to avoid. Feel free to email me about other brunch places that you are fond of (or not so fond of) and the reasons why, and we’ll add it to our growing list. With that, let’s eat!
