City O' City — Restaurant in Denver

Though I visit Denver a couple of times a year I haven't been to City O' City in over 8 years. The menu hasn't changed since i was last there but my tastes have evolved.

The moment I walked in through the front door, i was struck by the feeling that the walk up from the Denver Convention Center was simply a prelude to a enjoyable experience. The open space cafe style entryway was only partially full and there were plenty of staff around.

Since I was alone I was given the choice of sitting at the open bar or getting a table. Oddly enough I choose a table near the front door. Luckily foot traffic wasn't too heavy for Friday lunch hour and ambient noise was fine since I was alone.

When I read the menu I had a clear taste memory of the kimchi noodles i shared with two friends the last time I visited which is unusual for me. That feeling and tequila thoughts were enough to draw me deeper into exploring the menu for new experience.

I settled on having a BBQ Mac bowl because that style of food isn't my regular fare. I suspected that even the vegan version would be a bit heavy and too sweet for me. It was bit too rich and sweet but I am sure most people will enjoy it. Luckily Kara providing an excellent substitution suggest for the coleslaw. We swapped that out for Kale which wasn't over dressed or over cooked it was tender with that bit of crunch you want. Add a little Carolina reaper pepper (that I snuck in) and you couldn't ask for a more exquisite dining experience.

I lie.........

The side dish Kara suggested using the perfect mix of intuition and professional insight, a smoked poblano chowder which swarmed with nice conflicting flavors the sweet corn, smoked poblano in a chunky potato broth, and tart pickled poblano, all cut through the rich sour cream topping and that helped my mind ascend past the oily rich base of the entire meal.

Before I even started I knew that a rich meal like this needed something to cut through that BBG Seitan and Vegan map. Luckily Kara clued me in that the pomegranate margarita I spotted on the menu was sweet. Cutting that off at the pass was well done Kara. We settled on a sipping tequila, none of what was offered really spoke to me after quick taste so she recommended a Mezcal those complex flavors cut to the bone and pushed the meal into the stratosphere.

Now if your likely me you may rebel against a mandatory 20% it's highway robbery. Just charge more and pay your staff more don't tack on service charge. I worked in food service for 20 years thank good those days are gone so normally i respond to that extorsion by not giving a penny more.

Unfortunately Kara exhibited the perfect amount of professional skills in helping craft choices that worked to push me in to complete hedonistic experience. Combine that with just a wee touch of friendliness and openness to complement the whole experience and connect with an old man eating by himself. I had no choice but to tamp down my righteousness and demonstrated the appreciation she earned.

Even though I skipped dessert because my weekly quote of sweet and rich and been maxed out. I had a wonderfully sweet experience walking to the 10th and Osage station. I crossed paths with the young girl whose alien earrings I noticed in the next table over and I got to tell her how striking they were.

I won't miss the opportunity to visit City O City next time I am in town even if the staff now has to live up to the "Kara" standard.

Good luck...

BLASPHEMY TRIGGER WARNING!!

My sister is in town and we took her out the first night she was here.

The request was for “veggie-forward” cuisine. At which of course, I rolled my eyes. 🙄

Katrina, being in tune with all the good eats spots in Denver, chose City, O' City. I was skeptical but went with the flow.

We arrived and the menu left me afraid for my life. I had to google several of the “protien substitutes.” 😬

Im always down for a nice sweet/savory mix, so I went all in on the “‘chicken’ and waffles”. Didn’t know what to expect with the “carrot bacon”; was pretty sure the meat gods would smite me… but what the heck. 🤷‍♂️

The plate looked delicious. If I didn’t know there was cauliflower hiding under the perfectly crisp fried chicken crust, I’d have thought it was a couple of mouth watering thighs! 🤤

Wasn’t sure what the green bits in the waffles were, but I wasn’t skeered to give them a go. 🌱

Cut one of the crunchy cauliflower pieces in half, watching crunchy bits of chicken fry scatter about my plate. Ok… you’ve got my attention! 😍

Going for a “perfect bite” I chunked off a corner of the waffle, skewered a piece of cauliflower on top of it, mopped up some of the generous portion of bourbon maple syrup, made the sign of the cross, just in case the mouthful of produce imposterness took me out. And in it went. And then… WOW. An explosion of flavor cooked off in my mouth. The hit of sweetness in the amazing syrup. The perfect mix of spice and crunch of the chicken crust punched me right in the taste buds, and the waffle brought it all together. It was legit, truly DELICIOUS! 😋

I brought myself back to the earthly realm momentarily, as I continued to tempt fate, my eyes focusing on the carrot “bacon.” 🫣. This was a tough one… I love me some 🥓. I resisted the infantile urge to close my eyes and hold my nose as it parted my lips, trying to insulate my senses from this depravity. 😑. With wreckless abandon, I steeled my senses, manned up, and started chewing. Ok… it definitely wasn’t 🐷, but it wasn’t terrible. And no one got smited. 🌩️

Then, similar to my beautiful fiancé grabbing me by the beard and pulling my attention back to her when my eyes wander to something less stunning, the maple syrup vapor tickled my nose and drew me back to the main course. And the feeding frenzy began. 😛

And just like any unbelievably incredible experience… it was over. The sheen of the last drops of syrup on my plate surrounded by crunchy chicken crust crumbs stared back at me. My hunger stated. The smile on my lips glistening with sweet stickiness. My eyes glazed over. Completely satisfied. The waves of confusion and bliss washing over my brain. How could it have been so delectable… and… so… VEGETABLE at the same time?!? I was gobsmacked. 🫢

It took me three days to come down off the gastric high… continuing to question if it was all just a gastrocolic hallucination caused by a protien deficincy or it was really that good.

Three days Later, I’m still thinking about it. So it must be empirically, authentically, undeniably true. Or was it? 🤔. I might just have to go back to validate my hypothesis!

Thanks...

Love the BBQ bowl, but some times the seitan isn't great. And sometimes it's a amazing. It can be too tough and chewy, about 50% of the time. I think they need to cut them into thinner, more irregular shaped pieces.

Because their seitan varies so often I'm going to update my review every time I go.

9/12/19: 10/10. Crunchy, juicy, and airy and perfectly sauced. Whenever they give you irregularly shaped pieces it's always the best because the texture has nooks and crannies for sauce and crispiness.

9/18/19: 4/10 This time it was more dense and not that crispy. The shape of the wings were extremely rectangular which makes me think it wasn't kneaded as much as it needed. Also kinda frustrating to see your wings set out on the counter from the kitchen but then it takes the waiter a good 5 minutes to bring it to your table. The waiter walked past the counter multiple times not really doing anything before they brought the wings over. It was midnight and it wasn't very busy. There's a small window of time when seitan wings are good before the cool down and lose their texture.

10/3/19 7/10 Price of the bbq bowl went up, so my typical order of bbq bowl with a side order of buffalo seitan has been nixed. Now I get the buffalo wings start with a side of Mac and cheese. Save two bucks that way and get the best parts. This time I changed it up and requested the wings extra crispy. The texture was definitely different, some pieces were perfect, but others were a little tough. Overall it was better than my last experience, but i think cooking them extra time dried out some pieces, so I probably wouldn't ask for it extra crispy again.

1/22/2020 8/10 Since I moved away, I don't get to eat here as often. Finally was able to go back last night, and the seitan was a 10/10. Crispy, airy, flavorful and juicy. All around a great chewing experience, and it reminded me just how bad most restaurants are at making seitan compared to City O. Unfortunately, the prices have gone up again. The BBQ Bowl is now for $15 (previously $14, previously $12). So this time I got a Kimchi Hot Chicken sandwich (really good but also pricey) and a side order of seitan. The side order only had 4 pieces, they used to give 6 pieces with it. My typical meal here used to clock in around $21 after tax and tip. It would now cost $25. For that reason it's a 8/10 experience...