1) 54Thirty Rooftop is a rooftop restaurant/bar with a reasonably good view of Denver. I can't say the restaurant or the view blew me away, but it is a classy place with a good drink and appetizer menu. Some tables were under the roof while others not weather protected. Some also had a firepit. It seems a popular spot for conference-goers, which keeps this place higher up in price.
2) Scileppi's at The Old Stone Church in Castle Rock was a really neat experience. It is a restaurant in an old church. I made reservations a few days in advance and was only able to get an 11 AM time slot on a Sunday. We were seated in a private section at a table for two. Food was reasonably good, but probably not the best. Still, I found the place to be very unique, and service pretty good as well.
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| This was the view to the rest of the restaurant |
3) Sinners & Saints in Castle Rock was also a cool place to visit. This was my second time there. They have limited food menu as well, but I opted just for an apple cider. The atmosphere is what I liked the most. There are couches all throughout the bar that offer a lot of privacy and comfort. Service was okay for the most part.
4) Cana Wine Bar was one of my favorite spots that I visited twice during my stay. It is a cozy and private wine bar with a great selection of wines and a knowledgeable owner. There is also an outdoor area but both times I went there it rained, so I was not able to check it out.
5) Teocalli Cocina is a Mexican restaurant that I found to be very light and airy with great service, drinks and food. It is a semi-casual place in Arvada that has a nice feel and relaxing atmosphere.
6) Humboldt Kitchen + Bar is another pleasant restaurant to visit. Their happy hour offers good apps and drinks, and the overall environment is good for having a conversation without hearing loud music. There was a screaming baby who clearly was starving for the most part of my dinner. Apparently, the parents forgot to bring the bottle, so as soon as the dad showed up with baby food the baby peacefully shut up, and I was able to again enjoy the atmosphere.
7) Somebody People is a weird name for a restaurant. It is a vegetarian restaurant that charges 20% gratuity for any party size + 1% for the charity (who the heck knows if it ever goes to that charity). The food and service were good, but it was way too loud because of the tiny space. I would not go back there.
I have tried a few coffee spots as well but for the most part was disappointed, so I am not going to mention any.
The social life also differed from my expectations. I anticipated meeting a lot more people while in this big city, but I was disappointed by how detached people were. It reminded me of California where connections were sparse and non-committal. One of the locals told me that it is a "transient city" where people come and go. Indeed, many people I met were new to the area. It almost felt like everyone was ultra-focused on themselves without needing to establish friendships. One woman I met at a Meetup event seemed very interesting, so we met for coffee only to never talk again afterwards. Some of that could be related to me being a nomad, but I wonder if part of it was really the people. It did not seem to be the place where I would want to settle down.
Interestingly enough, I did reconnect with someone I met back in South Carolina. He was also nomading in Denver, so we met for dinner and coffee. It is fascinating how small the world is sometimes...
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