OT: Visiting Denver

[tigervixxxen]

got my tix today for the new years eve game
I'm now committed

last game I was at the Can for was Jan 26 2001

Wow that's been a while! Awesome though. I got a few today too

I'm the one that started this thread...didn't end up making it last year (decided to take the ex to mexico instead lol)....I just purchased tickets to the season opener though! Will be my first time watching the avs play in the Pepsi Center (watched them in Calgary a couple times). I'm so friggen excited!!!!!!

Nice, love it when fans come to visit.

 

[Ozolinsh_27]

Hey, I was recently in Denver and just wanted to add info for people not renting a vehicle coming from DIA to downtown. Not sure if its entirely available in this thread or others but if it helps anyone, I'm happy to share.

Check this bus route, $11 one way/22$ round trip from DIA to downtown and then back. http://www3.rtd-denver.com/schedules/getSchedule.action?routeId=AF It was very easy to figure out once there, the most stress I had was waiting for my bags to get off the airline after arrival. My bus was leaving 50 mins after arrival, and that still kinda close. Note that it takes nearly an hour to get downtown from DIA so add that to your time budget.

We stayed at Hotel Monaco on Champa a block away from 16th Street Mall, felt safe enough for us to walk with our luggage from the Denver Bus/Curtis station to hotel (2.5-3 blocks away). There is also the free MallRide bus so if you're staying a bit further away that would help cut down on the walking if you're concerned about it.

I'd love to go to the alumni game but probably can't make it

 

[Hank Chinaski]

I'm going to be in Denver from Nov. 26th to 30th, can't wait.

Can anyone suggest a bar with NHL Center Ice that would show out of market games? Was hoping to catch the Jets-Wild game while I'm there. I found a few reviews for a pub called Sobo 151 (seems like a neat place), and apparently they have Center Ice?

Also looking for any suggestions on must-have food in Denver. I'm always up for trying good craft beer and pizza.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Yeah that bar and one on 16th street was mentioned once in this thread I believe. You might not quite understand that hockey isn't a big thing around here so don't expect many bars to have out of market hockey.

I'm not a big fan of pizza so the only place I really like is Woody's in Golden. I'm not sure there is a really great place downtown. Maybe if there is I'd like to know too. There isn't even one restaurant I'd recommend either, there are a lot downtown. The Larimer Street area has a lot of foodie places. On Wynkoop between union station and Coors Field has a lot of steakhouses (chophouse is pretty good for the money). Union station has just been redone and there are some good places in there. Southern Hospitality is a good BBQ place. Marlowe's is a good casual people watching spot on 16th street. Hope that helps.

 

[S E P H]

Hey, I was recently in Denver and just wanted to add info for people not renting a vehicle coming from DIA to downtown. Not sure if its entirely available in this thread or others but if it helps anyone, I'm happy to share.

Check this bus route, $11 one way/22$ round trip from DIA to downtown and then back. http://www3.rtd-denver.com/schedules/getSchedule.action?routeId=AF It was very easy to figure out once there, the most stress I had was waiting for my bags to get off the airline after arrival. My bus was leaving 50 mins after arrival, and that still kinda close. Note that it takes nearly an hour to get downtown from DIA so add that to your time budget.

We stayed at Hotel Monaco on Champa a block away from 16th Street Mall, felt safe enough for us to walk with our luggage from the Denver Bus/Curtis station to hotel (2.5-3 blocks away). There is also the free MallRide bus so if you're staying a bit further away that would help cut down on the walking if you're concerned about it.

I'd love to go to the alumni game but probably can't make it

Lightrail is going to have a connection soon (finished in 2016) between Union Station and DIA, so it will be WAY easier to get from the airport now to Denver, and Denver to other parts of the metro area. I was at the airport a couple days ago and I saw one of the trains in action (looks like a New York subway). Don't know if it is going to be finished before the events on February though. But if you're coming to Colorado for like a week and you don't live in a mountain state, then I highly recommend a car. It might be expensive with insurance, but you'll get much more from your trip to see the Rocky Mountains, than stay in Denver, which is a pretty dang boring city IMO.

I'm going to be in Denver from Nov. 26th to 30th, can't wait.

Can anyone suggest a bar with NHL Center Ice that would show out of market games? Was hoping to catch the Jets-Wild game while I'm there. I found a few reviews for a pub called Sobo 151 (seems like a neat place), and apparently they have Center Ice?

Also looking for any suggestions on must-have food in Denver. I'm always up for trying good craft beer and pizza.

As Tigre said, out of market hockey games are normally nonexistent here. Even with the humongous amount of Blackhawk fans, I have never seen a Blackhawks versus *X Team not named the Avs* in any bar. Avs games are pretty popular though, especially in the suburb areas.

Pizza for Colorado, EASILY Beau-Jo's. Personally I love it, but it can get expensive if you want more toppings (its between 2 to 4 dollars per topping, I accidentally ordered a 35 dollar pizza one time, it was damn good though). Some might give you other local joints, but Beau-Jo's is the name for pizza in Colorado. I only know of 3-4 locations, but the closest I believe to Denver is Colorado Boulevard which is basically the worst road in Colorado (ton of traffic, ton of red lights, ton of elevation changes, ton of frustration).

I would recommend Cherry Creek district if you're staying in Denver, actually some of the Avs players stay in that location for the season (I've seen both Johnny Malkin and David Jones wandering around). It is the upper class of shopping, so expect it to be pricey, but good atmosphere. I recently checked out a local burger joint in the area called Cherry Cricket, damn good place. Service is slow, but it is worth the wait. They have a ton of different restaurants in Cherry Creek, with a big emphasis on sushi in the area as well.

East Colfax in Denver do have a lot of English Pubs, but the area is REALLY shady. Not really the neighborhood wise, but the clientele wise. Wouldn't really recommend that area, but I know a ton of people who've been to bars around there and have came out without problems. If you keep heading east on East Colfax, you'll eventually reach Northeast Aurora, don't go there. All it is, is Little Cesar's pizza, gang violence, and strip clubs.

Buckhorn Exchange is as Denver as you can get. Just a short trip with lightrail, but have a ton of exotic meats from rattlesnake to Rocky Mountain Oysters. Might want to reserve a table, gets mega busy.

Old Spaghetti Factory is on the West side of Denver, don't remember how far it is away from 16th Street Mall. For good quality American-Italy food in a historic building, it is a pretty cool place to go. It isn't anything mind blowing excellent, but maybe a place worth checking out.

Larimer Street as Tigre suggested is a good spot for food, and I believe beer as well. There are a ton of bars in LoDo, where Larimer Street is located, so I think they have good beer. BUT also be careful in LoDo. It is normally a great area to be around, but there have been increased violence when the bars get out at 2am. Not punches, but shootings.

Yeah that bar and one on 16th street was mentioned once in this thread I believe. You might not quite understand that hockey isn't a big thing around here so don't expect many bars to have out of market hockey.

I wouldn't say that hockey isn't popular, I think it has a really good following in Colorado. But only for the Avs and the local teams, as you said, hockey with two teams like Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs will never be shown here.

 

[RockLobster]

SEPH!!!

When my fiancee and I were in Denver for the U2 Cindy this past June, her aunt and uncle treated us to Beau-Jo's, Avs it was DEFINITELY very good! Can't wait to have it again!

 

[S E P H]

SEPH!!!

When my fiancee and I were in Denver for the U2 Cindy this past June, her aunt and uncle treated us to Beau-Jo's, Avs it was DEFINITELY very good! Can't wait to have it again!

I am going on a sugar free diet now, so I can't do this anymore....but did you put honey on your crust by any chance?

It sucks in my family though is because nobody ever wants what I want. I always want order like Spinach, Pepperoni/chicken, onions, banana peppers, bell peppers, and things like that, and they never want it. So I am always stuck with boring old pepperoni and cheese. I am like you can waste this on Pizza Hut pizza, not at Beau's.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Bah, I only like hipster pizza but I guess Beau Jos is Colorado. Go up to Idaho Springs to get it at least. I went to the one in Boulder was so blah. Woody's isn't hipster, don't know why I like it but the pizza buffet is delish.

Denver likes sports but not to the point where it's not a hunt to find out of market hockey. I'm sure it's available somewhere. I'd just watch it on iPad by the pool if it was me.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

SEPH and Tigervixxen: Thanks for the suggestions!

Yeah, I'm definitely more of a "hipster pizza" fan. I'll have to try Beau Jo's though, looks tasty.

Not surprising to hear about the out of market games, there aren't many places in Winnipeg that will show teams other than the Jets or whatever is on HNIC/SportsNet. Would be awesome to find a place to watch the game, but might be easier to just watch on GameCenter at the hotel.

 

[Landeslog]

Breweries you need to if you like craft beer:
(All in the same area in Denver, entirely different list if you can get to Boulder or north)
-Great Divide
-Epic
-Crooked Stave (if you like sours)
-Jagged Mountain for big beers
-Our Mutual Friend and Blackshirt Brewing are okay
-Prost for German style beers

If you can get about 40 minutes north on I-25 you have to do Avery's new tap room

Super out of the way: we like four noses, odd 13 and crystal springs.


There's just too many. Haven't even touched Boulder or Fort Collins

 

[henchman21]

-Crooked Stave (if you like sours)

They are simply one of the very best at what they do. I highly, highly recommend them.

Avery's new digs are pretty awesome.

 

[hockeyfish]

Breweries you need to if you like craft beer:
(All in the same area in Denver, entirely different list if you can get to Boulder or north)
-Great Divide
-Epic
-Crooked Stave (if you like sours)
-Jagged Mountain for big beers
-Our Mutual Friend and Blackshirt Brewing are okay
-Prost for German style beers

If you can get about 40 minutes north on I-25 you have to do Avery's new tap room

Super out of the way: we like four noses, odd 13 and crystal springs.


There's just too many. Haven't even touched Boulder or Fort Collins

Um, your forgetting one

Lightrail is going to have a connection soon (finished in 2016) between Union Station and DIA, so it will be WAY easier to get from the airport now to Denver, and Denver to other parts of the metro area. I was at the airport a couple days ago and I saw one of the trains in action (looks like a New York subway). Don't know if it is going to be finished before the events on February though. But if you're coming to Colorado for like a week and you don't live in a mountain state, then I highly recommend a car. It might be expensive with insurance, but you'll get much more from your trip to see the Rocky Mountains, than stay in Denver, which is a pretty dang boring city IMO.

April 2016 as far as I know. And thank god. It should have been built along with the airport.

 

[S E P H]

Bah, I only like hipster pizza but I guess Beau Jos is Colorado. Go up to Idaho Springs to get it at least. I went to the one in Boulder was so blah. Woody's isn't hipster, don't know why I like it but the pizza buffet is delish.

Denver likes sports but not to the point where it's not a hunt to find out of market hockey. I'm sure it's available somewhere. I'd just watch it on iPad by the pool if it was me.

What is hipster pizza?

Agreed, the best Beau Jo's is EASILY the one in Idaho Springs. The Evergreen one is also very good, with a great view as well. The outdoor sitting for the restaurant overlooks the river, which passes through downtown Evergreen.

April 2016 as far as I know. And thank god. It should have been built along with the airport.

Agreed, how they decided it like a year ago is pretty ridiculous, but the new additions are looking great at the airport.

The new train is supposedly faster than the normal lightrail ones, and it will make travel so much better. Now you won't need to get charged for parking or keep your car in the hot baked sun all day. Just need a friend to drop you off at a lightrail station with your luggage and then head down to Union Station to switch lines for the airport.

 

[RockLobster]

I am going on a sugar free diet now, so I can't do this anymore....but did you put honey on your crust by any chance?

It sucks in my family though is because nobody ever wants what I want. I always want order like Spinach, Pepperoni/chicken, onions, banana peppers, bell peppers, and things like that, and they never want it. So I am always stuck with boring old pepperoni and cheese. I am like you can waste this on Pizza Hut pizza, not at Beau's.

No, I didn't put honey on the crust...that's mostly because I'm not too much of a "honey" person though. I will say, the crust was really good by itself (in my opinion).

We went to the one in Arvada, because that's where her aunt and uncle live.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Breweries you need to if you like craft beer:
(All in the same area in Denver, entirely different list if you can get to Boulder or north)
-Great Divide
-Epic
-Crooked Stave (if you like sours)
-Jagged Mountain for big beers
-Our Mutual Friend and Blackshirt Brewing are okay
-Prost for German style beers

If you can get about 40 minutes north on I-25 you have to do Avery's new tap room

Super out of the way: we like four noses, odd 13 and crystal springs.


There's just too many. Haven't even touched Boulder or Fort Collins

Literally all of thee are awesome. Odd 13 is fantastic and is like less than 10 minutes from where I grew up which is a nice treat when I go home. Also check out Liquid Mechanics on Baseline and 287 if you end up down that way again.

Also TV have you tried Lucky Pie? There is one in Louisville and I think one in Denver now. It is fantastic "hipster pie" with a really good beer list.

Edit: Poor hockeyfish

 

[tigervixxxen]

Hipster pizza is like that favorite restaurant of mine called the Oven that died last year. Nothing like it, I'm still bummed. Generally no red sauce, thin crust, premium toppings, upscale.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Hipster pizza is like that favorite restaurant of mine called the Oven that died last year. Nothing like it, I'm still bummed. Generally no red sauce, thin crust, premium toppings, upscale.

Go try Lucky Pie. You won't regret it.

 

[henchman21]

Um, your forgetting one

Which one do you work at again? I remember it starting with a 'B'... but my memory sucks so that could be totally off.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Go try Lucky Pie. You won't regret it.

I'll put it on my list but I dont get out of SW Denver often

 

[ASmileyFace]

I'll put it on my list but I dont get out of SW Denver often

It's right downtown by the Can. Report back when you do. I want to see if the one in Denver compares to the one in Louisville.

 

[hockeyfish]

Which one do you work at again? I remember it starting with a 'B'... but my memory sucks so that could be totally off.

Your nearly an entire alphabet off there.

Hipster pizza is like that favorite restaurant of mine called the Oven that died last year. Nothing like it, I'm still bummed. Generally no red sauce, thin crust, premium toppings, upscale.

Hops & Pie is my fav "hipster pizza."

 

[henchman21]

Your nearly an entire alphabet off there.

Hey! I said I have a terrible memory!

 

[hockeyfish]

Hey! I said I have a terrible memory!

Ha, no prob. Vine St.

 

[henchman21]

Ha, no prob. Vine St.

Yeah I was WAY off.

I need to go on another round of Denver breweries. So much is changing there.

 

[twostroke27]

So as I had previously mentioned, I'm coming to Denver on the 8th for the season opener. Myself and my brother were only going to come for the night, but we decided to stay for the Dallas game on Saturday as well.

I know there are probably lots of comments somewhere about what I'm about to ask in this thread but I don't feel like reading through the thread to find what I'm looking for so I'll just do it this way:

What's some decent pubs around the downtown area? Doesn't have to be anything too classy, but we are looking to go out on Friday night and although my brother knows the area somewhat, I'm just curious if the locals know some good ones!

Thanks in advance!