Beast + Bottle

You already know that Denver is filthy with brunch spots. Pretty much every review we've written of a new-ish restaurant in this town refers to eggs benedict at one point or another. But for us, most of them fall short of the brunchtime hype (hi Snooze). Feel the same way? Not to worry. If you’re tired of chocolate chip pancakes, campy retro decor, and ironically eating $4 bowls of Fruity Pebbles, Beast + Bottle has you covered.

Taking over the space of dearly departed Olivea, Beast + Bottle opened back 2012 and made a lot of noise doing so. People were excited about this restaurant out of the gate, and for good reason. This place is serious, in a way that has made other chefs and people in the restaurant industry take note. The food is very ingredient-driven, which means the menu changes constantly, and the concepts are...advanced. As a matter of fact, the dinner menu can often be intimidating and full of things that the lay person might not be familiar with like "fregola" or "candied pepitas." What? You don't always keep a little fregola in your kitchen? That said, we've always enjoyed coming here and trying new things, especially with a glass or two from their excellent wine list in hand.

Back to brunch. This is our favorite time to hit Beast + Bottle. The scene is a relaxed, and the upscale country house vibe fits perfectly with the farm-to- table focus of the menu. And if you tip to the savory side when it comes to eating on Saturday afternoon, Beast + Bottle’s menu is right up your alley. They make a chicken and cherry sausage that is officially in the Infatuation Food Hall Of Fame, and the arctic char eggs benedict (told you we'd mention it) and pizzas are good too. Things can certainly get a little bit pricey, but the portions and quality ensure that you get what you pay for. In a Denver rarity, they even take reservations for brunch. Book a table, order a drink, and maybe bring your "obscure ingredient dictionary."

Food Rundown

Arctic Char Benedict

A solid eggs benedict to be sure. The béarnaise is tasty and that extra bit of salt from the capers balances out the richness of the runny poached eggs and silky char.

Chicken-Cherry Sausage

One of the best brunch dishes we’ve ever had in Denver. Perfect, yolky eggs, sweet and savory sausage, whole grain mustard hollandaise, and a “crostini”, which is really just a big

Dinner

There's no easy way to write a Food Rundown of a restaurant who's dinner menu changes as much as Beast + Bottle's does. What we can tell you is that you want whatever pastas are available, and every time we've had a lamb dish here, we've loved it. Whole fish is never a bad idea either. Just be prepared to get adventurous with both presentation and flavors.