I love Denver. I love the everpresent sunshine. I love the huge, blue skies. I love the friendly, open people. I love the gorgeous mountains and all that they encompass. I love the city, that there is something to do anytime, anyday. The one thing that I don't love about Denver is the lack of really good, fun and inexpensive restaurants. Don't get me wrong, Denver is full of delicious, beautiful and fun restaurants with really good food, but I haven't found that many great inexpensive restaurants.
Originally, I am from St. Louis. In St. Louis, there are a ton of great restaurants, all privately owned, that are very affordable, always happening with or without atmosphere. Last Sunday, I found a groovy little dive named Carl's Pizza in the Highlands area of Denver. From the street, the place looks closed or at the very least, no one is in there. Surprisingly, there were several tables full upon entering. (Hint to Carl's, open the vertical blinds all of the way to let people know that you are open and happening. You face north so the vertical blinds are useless anyway.) The atmosphere looks like you just walked into any local dive in southside Chicago or south city St. Louis; picture red and black booths, old cash register, the one booth with a week's worth of scattered newspapers on it, workers that are all related, and customers that have been frequenting the place generationally. Most of the food isn't cheap, but not expensive either...$12.00 for a Large Cheese Pizza and $6.50 for Breaded Mushrooms, but there are two important notes that I would like to share. First, I ordered a Black Olive and Mushroom pizza and each bite actually contained a plethora of both ingredients, not something of the norm at any other pizza place, and the pizza was quite delicious. Second, Carl's offers an amazing deal on spaghetti with meat sauce, marinara sauce, sauce with meatball or sauce with sausage. For $10 to $11, you will receive two to three helpings of spaghetti noodles with a quart of sauce that would last four meals for the normal person. The sauce was close to what an Italian Mother would make and if you want to impress dinner guests or bring home a very inexpensive treat for the family, pick up this deal. I made some whole grain linguini at home and used the rest of my marinara sauce. Lovely. I am picky about my pizza and I am picky about my sauce. My Mom and Dad were both born and raised in Chicago. My thrifty Father quickly realized the large profit margin of a pizza and considering that he had six children, he and Mom decided to open a pizza restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri. Even though Dad is 100% German and Mom Irish, German and Swedish, they introduced an Italian restaurant to St. Louisians. I was one year old when they started the business and I am the youngest of the six. Literally, I grew up working in the restaurant. My parents raised us on the earnings from their brilliant idea and we all worked there. Needless to say a pizza, pasta restaurant has to impress before I recommend it. Carl's Pizza and Frank the Pizza King are the only two, that I have frequented in Denver, that are even close to the caliber of Chicago pizza or my family's. I am not talking deep dish Chicago style, just delicious thin crust, Southside Chicago pizza. So go, enjoy an inexpensive meal!
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Cathy SchuberthI am a lover of life! As an eco-friendly interior designer and a social worker, my passion is to create fun, harmonious and healthy communities. I will be sharing design ideas and projects; green living advice; entertaining tips along with new recipes; tools for personal growth; travel ideas; restaurant and out on the town information; and so much more. Please feel free to send me ideas on topics that you would like to see. I'm excited to have you join us! Archives
October 2011
CategoriesInterior Design
Green Living Entertaining Recipes Personal Growth Travel Restaurants Events Outdoors |