Where to eat in Denver: Watercourse

I'm back from Denver. Did you miss me? :) Hope so.

In the next week or so I'll share with you some of my favorite meals from Denver, Colorado. Let me just say this: the food was incredible and the service everywhere was genuine and attentive. It was as if the chefs, waitresses and the front of the house staff actually loved their jobs and were excited to have you in their restaurants!

After several hours of delays with my flight from DC, then finally landing in Denver, meeting up with my friend Kenny and taking the shuttle to the hotel, I was pretty hungry.

Luckily, I had a plan. I typically have a plan whenever I travel: restaurants, museums, salsa dancing places, etc.

This trip my job was made easier thanks to quite a few recommendations from my Twitter friends, Kenny's research and my friend Wendy's suggestions. What can I say? I'm a lucky girl.

The first meal in Denver was at Watercourse Foods. It was a short walk from the hotel and promised to be a fun experience: just look at their website!

I must admit the rabbits in the murals freaked me out a bit, but I loved the serene blue color. I also really liked the handcrafted lamps in the restaurant.

Since the weather was spectacular (sunny, not humid and with just a little breeze), we decided to sit outside. As we contemplated the menu, I ordered one of my favorites as of late: hibiscus iced tea. The color is stunning and there was no need for added sugar. This definitely quenched my thirst.

The waiter came over and asked us for our orders. Apparently I completely took him by surprise when I asked him to tell us a bit about the restaurant. Is that really such a shocking question? After he recovered (perhaps he just did not understand my accent), he told us a bit about Watercourse. Here's some info from their website:

WaterCourse Foods is proud to serve a 100% vegetarian menu.

WaterCourse Food's philosophy, like our food, is simple and accessible. We have created an atmosphere that welcomes everyone. We prepare fresh ingredients daily to produce incredibly satisfying vegetarian comfort foods in a welcoming environment served by a friendly and efficient wait staff for a reasonable price.

Kenny ordered a Reuben Smoky portobello mushrooms topped with homemade sauerkraut, a special sauce and Swiss cheese on grilled rye bread with onion rings. Apparently he did not even miss the meat, and that's saying a lot. I tried a bite of the sandwich and not surprisingly loved it. Mushrooms is something I've been a big fan of ever since I was a little girl. Sauerkraut is something my parents have made at home ever since I can remember: the sandwich spoke to me!

Alas, although pretty, the onion rings were overly greasy. I stopped at one.

I ordered Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos Three tacos full of marinated sweet potatoes, black bean, peppers and onions and topped with cilantro lime slaw. Served with avocado, jack/cheddar blend, and homemade salsa.

First, can we acknowledge how pretty these tacos are? Although it's something I can easily prepare at home, the combination of black beans, salsa and guacamole called my name. I also really liked the cilantro lime slaw. I almost wish the portion only included two tacos because despite not eating the tortillas, I was pretty full. And someone has mentioned ordering dessert...

That's right: we ordered carrot cake for dessert. It looked overwhelming when it arrived at the table, but I'm not a light weight when it comes to eating. Alas when I bit into my first piece of the cake, a few things became clear: 1) this was not a cream cheese frosting 2) the cake was incredibly sweet 3) the texture was rather dense. I was slightly disappointed.

Still, even though the meal ended on a slightly sad note, this was a great indication of the rest of the eating out adventures in Denver. Stay tuned!