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The Potager restaurant and wine bar, squeezed in next to the liquor store on Ogden and 11th, around the corner from The Park Tavern and caddy-corner from one of Denver's 10 million-thousand 7-11s is an out-of-place anomaly - a mystery, really. Upscale and exotic selections, 200-thread-count linen napkins, a wait staff that bathes - even the name, a French word for porridge, evokes a curiously raised eyebrow. This is Capitol Hill? It is, and only three blocks from the madness we call Colfax, too.
Don't let the porridge reference fool you, the Potager spoons up the best in fine dining. Lamb shoulder chops, pan-roasted arctic char, monkfish "osso bucco" stewed with abbondanza farm cherokee red beans - I can't even read half this menu, but I can read the prices just fine: Out of your league, school boy! The selections mentioned all ring in at 24 bucks, which is just as well since rarely do I ever have the chance to sample monkfish "osso bucco," much less have it stewed with cherokee red beans.
Ever the vegetarian, I opted instead for the pumpkin risotto, a nutmeg encrusted parmesano reggiano served with decadent cuts of mascarpone. My companion, a dedicated carnivore, cried "fowl!" and chose for herself the buttermilk-fried quail topped with shaved, baked pear and baby arugula, all doused with sweet fig vinaigrette. Both were $15, and both were good, very good. But for the investment, these meals came off regrettably bland, uninspired. ("Quail should be quail!" she wailed, "this tastes like lickin' the chicken.") Still, the curried winter squash soup ($7 with absolutely scrumptious baked apple butter) and the sweet potato ravioli (a pricey $11, but they come stuffed with more of that decadent mascarpone) saved the day.
If these selections don't tickle your fancy, give it a few weeks: Management is not married to the menu. In fact the Potager rotates their selections seasonally to take advantage of the latest market delicacies, publishing a new menu every six to eight weeks and always plating novel and unique eats. Head chef and owner, Teri Rippeto, shops locally, personally picking only the freshest from the Boulder county farmer's market - and this freshness comes through. The food tastes like it came right from harvest. Likewise, winemeister Karin Lawler keeps her nose on the hunt for choice spirits to compliment your evening's meal.
Did I not mention the wine?
Yes, in addition to exotics in the kitchen, there are a wealth of sophisticated bordeaux, chardonnays and ports along with an appreciative selection of earthy, fruity pinot noirs, all gracing the partitions rising up from the bar. Try by the glass or shake that tie and join the party by splurging on a whole bottle (I had a glass of dupeuble gamay that was so delish I did buy the whole bottle. Neither of us lasted long. Average prices range from the high 20s to better-break-a-benjamin). The Potager also hosts a deep selection of dark-and-rich or light-and-right pints for the beer connoisseurs of your bunch.
So that's the Pot on paper. And while reviews like this do need to interrogate the menu and do need to stress such an extensive wine list for your reading pleasure, what they often fail to capture are the intangibles.
No two ways about it: The Potager is just damn fun. From without it reeks of Polos and pinstripes - so moneyed that even the Trumpster would think twice before entering without his tailored Marks and Spencer's. But come inside, swank double-breasted or not, and you realize this place has a festively warm, welcome-homey feel that cannot be denied. The clientele do indeed look like you're average uppity uppities, but find an empty by the bar and strike a conversation - you'll find smiles abound and attitudes on the ground. (You might even have to suspend judgment or else forgive the Capitol Hill posh for dressing down in Levis and casual tops.)
And that's just the customers. Where the Potager really shines is in the staff. From hostess to wait staff to bartender to chefs making magic in the open-air kitchen, all prove themselves to have a genuinely vested interest in your night out. I could detail the details, (tell you how the hostess went out of her way to find a place to hang my coat, recall how the chef came out personally to ask after our meals, etc.) but that would be tedious and besides, it would cheat you out of the discovery. The welcome here truly exceeds your expectations - especially if you've been dining at the Merc.
As Bueller once quipped: If you have the means, I highly recommend it. It's not the kind of place a student is apt to frequent, but there're only so many Taco Bell burritos and Subway clubs a student can stomach. Find someone agreeable and pour yourself one at the Potager to celebrate the beginning of Spring semester.
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