Root Down, Denver, CO

My last night in Denver I went to the most fabulous restaurant in the LoHi neighborhood called Root Down with my Colorado Springs native/current Denver resident and friend, Mike. Being that Mike is a fellow foodie and culinary graduate I knew his dinner recommendation would be quite the experience.

Root Down is everything a good restaurant should be: located in a scenic area where downtown Denver's skyline is in clear view, a great atmosphere that lets you choose between two patios and three different eating rooms inside, great customer service (our waitress rocked and had the best hair ever) and of course, amazing food.
The restaurant claims itself as "earthy and sustainable.." while being "rustic but refined." It "hopes to create a story that you'll want to be a part of as we continue to put down roots in Denver."

Below is a list of five out of the seven dishes I shared along with my new favorite local beer, Agave Wheat:
(I copied them straight from their websites menu)

Organic Roasted “Cherry” Beets

Mache, Arugula, Haystack “Cadillac” Goat Cheese, Micro Bulls Blood.
Toasted Hazelnuts & Beet-Sunflower Pesto 9

Sauteed Organic Carrot Gnocchi
Fresh Morels, Asparagus, Parsley, Parmigiano &
Carrot-Corriander Sauce 8

Hoisin Duck Confit Slider
Maple Leaf Farms Duck, Lemon Creme Fraiche,
Shoestring Sweet Potatoes, Arugula & Udis Challah Bun 7.5





Strawberry-Mango Shortcake / 8
Crystallized Ginger Biscuit, Passion Fruit Whipped Cream

Udi’s Croissant Bread Pudding / 8
Stranahan’s Whiskey-Butter Sauce & Organic
Sour Cream Ice Cream

The bread pudding, that I was too eager to eat to stop and take a picture of, was over the top fantastic. The sour cream ice cream really made it unique and rounded out the dish perfectly.
It's quite possibly the best dessert I've ever eaten. There, I said it.
Mike and I both agreed the shortcake was too acidic with the mango, strawberry AND the Passion Fruit whipped cream. I do like the idea of a crystallized ginger biscuit though...I may have to make some soon.

All of the dishes were delectable and I'm glad I was there with Mike who insisted on ordering the Duck Sliders. I'm not usually a duck person, especially after gutting so many of them in France, but these were perfectly rich, balanced in texture, salty and sweet...oh goodness.

If you are in Denver, dining here is a must, that's all there is to it. I would highly suggest making reservations; we went on a Thursday night and it was packed!