Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Ambrosial Brunch: Rioja

Mr. Monkey and I met one of his best friends at Rioja for Saturday brunch.
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The pleasant but generic decor didn't impress, but everything else about our brunch did!

(1) Rioja Mary -- Absolut Pepper Vodka, special house recipe ($7).
(2) Berry Lemonade -- fresh-squeezed lemonade, berry purée ($4).
(3) Mochakick -- espresso, Leopold Brothers French Press Coffee Liqueur, steamed milk, chocolate ($10).
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Great drinks for both alcohol lovers and teetotalers! I really loved my Mochakick!

Complimentary goat cheese biscuits and mini olive baguette.
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All of this bread was awesome. Fantastic way to start!

Eric's housemade doughnuts, lemon curd mascarpone, blueberry compote ($6).
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Fresh, hot, and filled with a creamy mild tartness! Fabulous!

Apple basil soup, cheddar crostini, pickled Fuji apple, micro opal basil ($7).
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Beautiful blend of flavors! A little salty! A little sweet! A lot of love!

Rioja benedict -- goat cheese biscuit, bacon, spinach, tomato, poached eggs, Parmesan sauce ($10.50).
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Our friend let me have a bite, and it was wonderful. So rich and so incredible on top of the goat cheese biscuits!

Duck confit hash -- slow-cooked duck sauteed with Yukon Gold potatoes, pickled red onion, herb crème fraîche, two eggs ($14.50).
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Shredded duck in the morning! A savory mountain of joy! Few things in life are better than this!

Lobster crepes -- Maine lobster, roasted pumpkin and Shiitake mushrooms, vanilla brown butter walnut cream, spinach-treviso salad ($16.50).
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Lobster in the morning! Ok, this rivaled the duck. Big, generous chunks of lobster in a warm dough blanket? Served with nutty sauce? Please and thank you!

The three of us enjoyed every sip and every bite of this Denver brunch. Cheers!

4 comments:

  1. Glad to see that so far, Denver doesn't seem to be embarrassing itself food-wise.

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  2. Oh-em-gee. I would have been all over that duck confit hash and the lobster crepes! Good thing Mr Monkey is willing to share ...

    I agreed to share once with an ex and he ate the ENTIRE lobster benedict by himself after giving me only one bite. Maybe that that's why is is an ex ...

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  3. Doughnuts, duck, and lobster! Three of my favorite things EVER.

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  4. i love hearty breakfasts. looks so good.

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