Inexpesive Eats at Sam's no. 3

Instead of all the moaning and groaning about the current economic state I believe it’s a time to celebrate in it. It all boils down to attitude. I personally love the stories of previously defined cubicle dwellers who have taken whatever changes have happened in their lives and decided to embrace the future. I’m talking about the stories of the person who has started up their own dream enterprise. That might be baking cupcakes, doing design, picking up the camera, or even (ahem) writing. And how (un)shocking is it that almost all these new fun enterprises that people are starting up are something creative, artistic, or expressive of their own passions.

Heck yes, there is something to be said about the strength of human character and creativity in times of change. Along with that character however there is the reality of a new monthly budget. Perhaps you are a starving artist, struggling small business owner, or saving up for that just in case emergency fund. Whatever you are doing Denver is a city where you can still have a great meal, a great time, and not break the bank (which by the way you can’t do because they already broke themselves).

So The Urban Brain will be sharing some ideas and looking for you all to share your tips and findings for great restaurants, happy hours, and those magical hole in the wall restaurants that deserve great praise.

Today it’s all about BREAKFAST. The best way to start is with the meal that starts your day. And for a great meal on a budget one of my absolute favorites is Sam’s no. 3 on Curtis. Many of you may have tried Sam’s for your weekend “wow I can’t believe last night” recovery meal. You are missing out on the bargains they offer in their exclusively MTWRF breakfast menu. For $4.99 I enjoyed two eggs, bacon, and french toast. My need for caffeine required that I bump up my cost with a cup of joe for $1.85 pushed me up a bit but still a great breakfast for the price.

And Sam’s has all the warmth and character you would want in your breakfast diner.  If you go to Manhattan and love the corner diners serving up good grub and good atmosphere you really need to check out Sam’s.  Chicken fried Steak and Eggs fan, look no further.  And it’s one of the breakfast specials.  Want to be healthy, go ahead and low carb it for $0.99 and swap those potatoes for some cottage cheese and tomatoes.  And I have to mention the rockies burrito… two chili rellenos inside a burrito and covered with pork green chili.  Mmmmmmm that’s one that can sustain you for the entire day, but it’s a special so if it’s not on the chalkboard you had better ask REALLY nice to see if they will make it for you.

Well that’s it for the first of what I hope to be many Denver deals.  Embrace the economy and go find some creative meals, deals and also the creative genius within yourself.

Here’s the detail…

Jon and Adam Schlegel, owners of Snooze, have been going to the Denver Parade of Lights as long as they can remember. They want to give back, so the sale of each pancake on this menu sold on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at both Snooze locations will be given to the Denver Parade of Lights to keep the tradition alive.

www.snoozeeatery.com

When I started my new project I also began my new lifestyle of working in the heart of downtown Denver. The first element to my day was to pick a favorite commute. It’s an easy path, I jump on the 16th street free shuttle while reading the New York Times on my Kindle 2 (I don’t know how many trees I am saving by switching to Amazon’s Kindle.. but my guess is quite a few) and then I always get off at Curtis.

Curtis offers me two very simple things.  A great breakfast spot and the pleasure of the Soundwalk while looking into the artistic entrance of the Denver Performing Arts Center.   Most people have no idea what the Soundwalk is, I certainly didn’t.  I just happened to be wandering around the city searching for those little restaurants and shops that give an Urban village it’s personality.  I found a piece of Art in the form of Sound.  Here is a description of the Soundwalk from Smithsonian America Art Museum Index.

I am telling you it is cool.  I walk to work listening to the running subway underneath (We don’t have a Subway), the sounds of ocean waves crashing against a beach, music, animals, birds, and more.  I never know what I’ll hear on that stretch of Curtis.  But I do know what awaits me at the corner…. Sam’s no. 3.

Sam’s no. 3 is a “reminds me of NYC” corner diner with some incredible work week breakfast specials.  $2.99 for eggs, toast, hasbrowns or a couple dollars more for every combination you can think of.  Chicken Fried Steak, Biscuits and Gravy, Corned Hash, Pancakes and more.  The service is quick, the food is good, and it’s a true diner.  Another little local gem I only found by exploring our downtown.  So much to see, and I encourage you to go check it out.

While I was out of the country I didn’t miss hearing about the economy. I didn’t miss the moaning and groaning about work, sales, business and the such. I didn’t miss the millions of hours of political commercials.

What I did miss, I am sad to say, was the news that there would be something as fun as a Gorilla Run today. Walking back from a delicious breakfast at Lola I noticed a lineup of Gorillas on the bike path as I crossed the Platte River Bridge. With zany costumes including bikini clad Gorillas, Guerrilla military Gorillas (clever) and business suit gorillas (perhaps a statement about the baboons on Wall Street) it looked like fun. One friend I ran into who was also watching the parade of furry costumes commented that they were surprised I wasn’t doing the race as it was “right up my alley”. I would spend some time thinking about the implications of this statement concerning my psychological well being if I hadn’t already thought the same thing. This would have been fun. It’s for charity with all benefits going to the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund, its healthy, and you get to be a little or a lot wacky. Dang, the first news that I truly regret hearing.

To learn more about the race for next year, and you can bet I’ll plan to be there, visit denvergorillarun.com. Oh yeah, the gorilla suit is included with your registration. It’s whatever you use to dress it up that is up to you.

All these things factor together for your vote for the Best Sushi in Denver.  I have my favorites, and I love it fresh.  I was in Japan last year and during that trip I think I spent half a day at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo because I love sushi so much.  I arrived in the wee hours of the morning, just as they were starting to set up and before many of the workers, let alone other tourists had arrived.  I was jet lagged and woke up at 3 am so this was easy.  The market is amazing and I recommend you plan to add this to your list of sights if you visit tokyo.  the fish come in, are auctioned, chopped, iced, sealed wrapped, boxed and shipped in an amazing feat of organization.  Hundreds upon hundreds of small stands line this dockside location with every possible fish, eel, or squiggley thing you can imagine.  I got a treat knowing that somewhere in the ranks of people milling about was the buyer for my local Sushi Spot and the items he picked out were going to be ending up on someone’s plate in Denver within 24 hours.  AMAZING. I finished my morning by stopping by a very small local sushi stand/restaurant (not sure how to describe this, it was a permanent temporary structure) on the outer edge of the market and had one of the best breakfasts or sushi meals ever. Talk about fresh… WOW!!! A link to my Japan Photos on Flickr is here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/theurbanbrain/sets/72157602140178957/

Anyway, let’s hear from you Denver… where do you go for your favorite sushi fix.

Today feels like Fall. It’s cold, gloomy and a constant mist seems to fall from the sky. I could swear I was back in Ohio but if that was true the weather would stay this way through March.

What the weather is doing to me is a different story. It is making me crave a sit down breakfast, a hot cup of coffee, and my newspaper. This is the kind of day that just begs for warm and cozy comforts. So I ponder… where should I go. I love Snooze and eat there almost every time I get a breakfast craving. I also love the Gallop Cafe where the warm atmosphere and huge windows make enjoying food a delight. Of course the Gallop also has my absolute favorite early morning bloody mary… and it is a Friday. Nah.

Old fashioned sausage gravy and biscuits sounds good to me too, but that is a dish that must be done very well or shouldn’t be done at all. After all, the price to our bodies for such a high fat high cholesterol dish means I don’t want to do it unless it is really a masterpiece. I can’t afford to be eating like that often so when I do it had better be worth it. There are some magnificent brunch menus out there, more than enough to keep lines of people waiting every Saturday and Sunday for their culinary delights. This poll and question is about where to go for the best breakfast on any given day of the week, but most importantly the Monday through Friday schedules. Here is the question, let’s hear your thoughts… and let me know if you find a magic spot for that Sausage and Gravy.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

I’ll do a quick summary for those of you who are thinking about it. First of all, groups are the best. We had a group of 107 folks so we pretty much ruled a car and a half. At first I think everyone worried about seats and being right next to each other but the reality is that with train travel everyone is walking, talking, leaning, moving pretty much all the time. It’s a social scene on wheels.

The views are amazing, although again this became second place quickly to everyone being social. Yet far more scenic than a flood of taillights on I-70.

If you live downtown the Ski Train has a special appeal. We walked over the bridge in Riverfront Park right at 7:00 for our 7:15 departure. I personally set my alarm for 5:30 to take the pup for a long walk and to give me quite a bit of time cushion just in case, so it is not a good night to plan a big Friday out on the town.

Then on the train everyone greets each other, has fun, and kicks back and RELAXES all the way up. No white knuckle driving, no fighting traffic, and there is always a place to buy coffee or breakfast only a short walk away. Some slept, some read the paper, most chatted. Nice.

On the way back this gets magnified into a huge social gathering. Beverages flow throughout the car, there is laughter everywhere and no one is driving. What a great solution for downtown residents… instead of trying to balance doing apres with the drive home and fighting crowds on that sometimes painful return the ski train becomes the apres location. No risk, no worries. One person said it was just like staying in the mountains with no worries about the commute. Considering I carried my skis there and back in less than ten minutes I’d have to agree.

Some bits of advice for you…

Avoid car 2. It’s behind the engine so the front is sealed. Don’t worry, you don’t get any fumes but the lack of ventilation gets TOASTY. We had folks stripping down to the minimum so maybe chair two will be the naked car. Your choice.

There isn’t much you can do about this worry, but if you get behind a slower train your trip could take a bit longer. This happened on our way up but not on our way back. Not too bad, some folks slept longer and the train is comfy. But keep this in mind if you are making strict plans involving timing and make sure you have a puppy sitter on reserve in case your return is late.

Get your food or drink quick if you want it. They sold out of burritos pretty fast on the way up and while they had beer all the way through the trip back, the Stella was the first to go. Don’t forget they close the catering car when they think they are 30 minutes away from the station. This might be longer so if you want stock up before they close.

There is a great lounge car with scrabble and other games. Consider grabbing a spot there for awhile if you have a small group but be quick if you want a seat.

We will be doing the Ski Train again. Give it a shot for yourself. I forgot to mention that the train stopped on a cross track exactly where another train was heading at us. The folks in our car started getting a little bit nervous as it got closer.. and closer… and closer. Then we quickly moved, picture is one of others below.

September 12, 2007 – Invitation to Thursday, September 20th Breakfast Meeting

UNION STATION REDEVELOPMENT AT 3% PRELIMINARY DESIGN STAGE!

Friends of Union Station will hold a Breakfast Meeting on Thursday, September 20, 2007 in the Theater Room of the Oxford Hotel (entrance at 1637 Wazee Street) from 7: 30 to 9 A. M.

There will be a cover fee of $5 per person. Coffee, tea and a continental breakfast will be provided.

Mr. Eric Anderson of Parsons Brinckerhoff, Senior Project Manager for the redevelopment of Union Station, will present an updated status report on the project. Due to design considerations and negotiations between the City/RTD and Union Station Neighborhood Company over the past three months, there has been a dearth of information about the development plans. Now with the project reaching the 3% preliminary design refinement stage, more insight into the planned transportation elements and the impact on the surrounding site is coming to light. The meeting will be an excellent opportunity for you to ask questions and get clarification.

Seating is limited, so please RSVP to info@friendsofunionstation.org soon.

Thank you. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Friends of Union Station

Since I have my scooter now and am searching for excuses to use it (ie “sure I’ll go pick up lunch” or “lets get carry out, I’ll fly”) I thought it might be a fun time to try and find the best breakfast pastries, breads, etc. in Denver. So every morning before work I jump on my scooter and cruise out to search out something I can bring back and share with the office.

Not exactly Magellan setting out for the new world, but a good enough of an excuse to cruise around as any. Plus I get to share my finds with others so maybe there is some good karma there as well.

The ground rules are easy. I don’t want to get in my car so the distance shouldn’t be too great (not that I wouldn’t scoot far, I just don’t have that much time before work) and any pastry could work. Bagels, croissants, donuts, etc. Just as long as it counts as breakfast fare.

Day one I scooted up through the Highlands. I remembered seeing a number of bakeries around the 32nd street area. Sure enough, just past Duo I saw a familiar sign for a bakery. It was Rosales Mexican Bakery located at 2636 W. 32nd Ave. I parked my scooter and shot inside.

First of all, the bakery looks like a wonderful spot for great authentic cookies, sugary breads, and other sweet delights. For breakfast fare the options were equally as sweet. Already prepared were a number of sugared donuts, Pan Dulce, and other tempting items.

I asked about other donuts they might have and they said they were about to slather up a number of fresh donuts with some Mexican chocolate sauce. That works for me.

Minutes later I am headed out the door with a dozen donuts under my arm. 6 sugar coated and 6 smothered in chocolate. Not exactly a health breakfast but a little indulgence now and then is good for the soul.

I brought the first day’s bounty back and they got quickly snatched up. The most popular… the chocolate. The donuts themselves had an even richer, more sugary texture than most donuts. Perhaps a characteristic of the Mexican Bakery technique.

And there you have day one of the pastry quest.

Just wanted to make sure and pass this info on for you. The previously announced Pasquini’s is now OPEN!!

I didn’t get a chance to check it out as I was grabbing myself some breakfast at the Gallop Cafe but I do plan to try it some night soon. Rumored to have the Best Calzones in town this opening of a second location in the Highlands should do great.

Who has the best Pizza in Denver?  You decide.