Where Will You Be For 5280 Restaurant Week?

[Marc Bayes]

Where Will You Be for 5280 Restaurant Week?

Posted on February 25, 2011 by marcbayes

This Saturday, February 26th, begins what downtown Denver knows as: 5280- Restaurant Week. The popular magazine for Denver began Restaurant Week a few years back and it has grown in popularity ever since. Restaurant Week allows patrons to come out to a ton of restaurants, all over Colorado, that would not normally ever come out. Restaurant week runs from February 26th through March 11th, 2011.

This year there are over 100 restaurants across Colorado partaking. Each restaurant will showcase their food at a price of $52.80 for 2 people. For this price you will have an appetizer, entree, and desert. Not a bad price for some of the more expensive and fine dining restaurants around town. But one restaurant / beer hall is doing things a little bit different.

Euclid hall is a new American Tavern and Beer Hall located at 1317 14th street. Their menu ranges from schnitzel and sausages, to pigs-ears and bone marrow. Consider the food a 5 star gourmet twist to traditional pub food found around the world. While other restaurants are offering a choice of 2 or 3 items per course, Euclid is doing things just a bit different. They a

re offering their entire menu + beer.

Euclid is owned by Beth Gruitch and Jen Jasinski (also owners of Rioja and Bistro Vendome) and they view Restaurant Week a little bit differently than other restaurant proprietors in Denver. While other places give you a limited offering for Restaurant Week, Beth and Jen believe that no one should be put in a box. At Euclid you can order from either off the regular menu or anything on the menu (some up charges may apply) within the $52.80 price bracket. But that’s not all! They are giving away beer people and lots of it!

If you and a date make your way to Euclid Hall you’ll have every part of the menu laid out into 3 courses. Each person can choose 2 items from the course list which contains everything from the menu – not just 3 items like everyone else around town. I asked Jarred Riggs (Manger) if there was a mistake. Are you really offering the entire menu? he said, “Absolutely. Everything. We don’t wish to exclude anyone and with our prices where they are, it’s absolutely reasonable to offer everything.”

If that’s not enough when you come in with someone you’ll be offered a beverage. With the $52.80 price they are offering a slew of beer to choose from. Bombers and 750-milliliter beer! These beers are large enough to share amongst 2 or more people and they aren’t the run of the mill beer either.

Some of the breweries being offered are local Colorado breweries as well as world wild favorites; the idea behind Euclid is Crafted – Not Cranked and it’s not exception to the craft beer offered on their regular beer list and their 5280 list is craft beer. Unibroue (Canada), Avery (Boulder), Ska (Durango), Great Divide (Denver), and Boulevard (Missouri) are just some of the breweries offered. Tony Maciag (General Manger) says, “The idea is to share. We want people that wouldn’t normally try large format beers to have that opportunity and to enjoy these great beers on us.” Once you compare the prices of the their beers to the deal you get at $52.80 you’ll not only be sold for the weekend, but sold for life.

Unibroue beers will include: Maudite and La fin du monde (750′s). Averys’  Holy Trinity series: Reverend, Hog’s Heaven, and Salvation (22oz bombers). Ska’s Nefarious Ten Pen- Imperial Porter (waxed top 22oz bomber), Boulevard’s 6 glass (750-milliliter) and Great Divide will be a surprise!

There is more going on in Denver however this weekend than just Euclid Hall. At 1pm on Saturday (kickoff to Restaurant Week) Falling Rock Tap House (1919 Blake Street) will be unveiling a very rare beer. Russian River’s Pliny The Younger. This is an imperial IPA only offered in draught and is beyond rare. They only make this beer every so often and the allocation list is very small making this a once in a lifetime beer. Falling Rock released the first tasting last Friday and this Saturday is the 2nd and final tasting of Younger. Pours begin at 1pm so be at Falling Rock by 11am to get your golden ticket.

There is one more stop to make this weekend and that’s to Fresh Craft (1520 Blake Street) at 2pm. Fresh Craft will be unveiling their Rare Beers- Oskar Blue’s ODB and Stone’s Belgo Barley Wine on Draft. I had the pleasure of talking to Matt and Aron yesterday about this Saturday and what’s being offered. Aron says, “We won’t know how many people will show. With Falling Rock doing Younger we’re hoping to get hit right after. It’s hit or miss sometimes and really depends on the beer.”

Oskar Blue’s ODB (Old Double Bagger) comes in at 13.2% abv and is a hopped up barley wine with potential to age for years. Stone has released their Belgo Barley Wine and they will have it on draught. I had the pleasure of being the first to pop a bottle of it yesterday and it was amazing. Big tropical fruit, essence of bitter, sugary and full bodied. Another great barley wine meant to be aged. Both Oskar Blue’s and Stone are perfect examples of American breweries showcasing exceptional craft beer. With no idea how busy Fresh Craft might get, you better get in there while you can and enjoy some great craft beer.

So what are your plans on Saturday 26th of February to kick off 5280 Restaurant Week? Hit up Falling Rock Tap House at 11am for your tickets to Pliny The Younger at 1pm. From Falling Rock make your way to Fresh Craft and have a glass of ODB and Belgo Barley Wine and some pretzels and fried pickles to snack on. Right next store is Euclid Hall. Have your first dinner of the weekend for $52.80 and a bomber or 750ml of exceptional craft beer.

Just a thought..