Freshcraft ~ Denver, Colorado ***CLOSED***

Closed: 5/28/22

Last visit: Nov 2013

First visit: May 2013

While the RJG awaits to try his next new restaurant in DFW (though we already have 9 revisits as indicated by the 2014 update tag), and I have a little extra time to write, let's get back to our "second home" in Denver. Now that we sold our summer townhome, I tend to get to Denver only about twice a year for family and personal business.

And on both visits to Denver in 2013, I visited Freshcraft, which ironically I discovered for the first time last year. Freshcraft is located in the LoDo section of downtown Denver, right in the heart of the active nightlife section. I typically stay at a hotel in the Denver Tech Center, that is conveniently within walking distance of the RTD (Denver's light rail system). So it's perfect for a dinner. Train in, walk, eat, drink a few craft beers, walk back, train out. On both visits, I went on a Saturday night around 7:30 or so. In June I was able to sit at the bar with few patrons. And in November, it was very difficult to even find a stool for one and I had to wait a few minutes. It's that popular. And it's easy to see why. With a very diverse, and constantly changing beer list, combined with a hearty menu, Freshcraft provides the perfect balance of food and drink. Their beer list does not offer exclusively Colorado only beers, but even the out of state beers are not what you would commonly find at a typical bar. The link above changes on an almost daily basis. As for food, they offer anything from snacks to "large plates". If it fits your dietary needs, absolutely go for a cup of the Ale and Cheese soup made with a Pale Ale. It's creamy and delicious. Along with the soup, I've only stuck with sandwiches to date, and recommend their Cuban (which I'm not seeing on their menu as I type this), though I've had my eye on their Crispy Pork Schnitzel both trips. What I like most about their menu, is that it's not overly chef school fru-fru nor is it heavy on greasy fried "brown food" - which is what a lot of brewpubs unfortunately only offer. Its diversity is perfect for the traditional male and female diet.

Even though I have a long list of Denver favorites, Freshcraft has managed to secure a place near the top in short order. At this point, I plan on going here on each and every visit, where time allows.

5/11/13; 11/16/13 (new entry)

Weinberger's Deli ~ Grapevine, Texas

Latest visit: Nov 2013 (Westlake)

First visit: Mar 2005 (Grapevine)

Apr 8, 2022 update: Looks like the Westlake location is no more. There was one in Denton too once.

I seem to get over about once or twice a year. Tried the LA at Night this time. Basically like a chili dog but with pastrami instead of a frankfurter.

Managed to squeeze a visit to one of our favorite deli's earlier this week. They have tons of different sandwiches, so it's always difficult to just pick one. On this visit I tried the Wallstreeter, which is a hot pastrami with Russian dressing - and quite good.

The Weinberger legacy goes back to the early 1950's and a rejuvenated old chicken parts store in Homewood, Illinois. At its zenith, Weinberger's grew to 5 stores and covered the south Chicago suburbs as far as Indiana. A few years after the last store closed, the second generation picked up the name and opened a Chicago styled deli right here in Northeast Tarrant - specifically in old town Grapevine. And we're all the better for it. This was in 2003, coincidentally at the same time the RJG relocated back here from our 10 year stint in Colorado.

Finding authentic Midwest and Northeast deli's of any sort are difficult to find in DFW. It shouldn't be this way, living in such a large metropolis as we do. Of course, the hardest part is using authentic ingredients from locally made produce. Most deli's rely on specific meats, cheeses and breads, of which many of them aren't exported beyond their own city limits, and in some cases, their product may not even be available within the same city! We're not used to this concept here in DFW, where we're used to getting our meats, cheese and bread at the grocery store from national brands. It's our loss. But inroads have been made. Billadelphia's imports product from Philly. And Weinberger's does the same with vendors from Chicago. It's a bit more expensive to do business this way, but it's worth the premium for us consumers.

We've been regular visitors to Weinberger's since about 2004 or so, and nothing has really changed. That is to say, it's always excellent and remains so. Weinberger's offers a range of goodies from sausages to cold and hot subs and "dagwoods". And, of course, they offer that most recognized of Chicago sandwiches: The Italian Beef. Or as it is so proudly painted on any decent Chicago storefront worth its salt -- "BEEF". That's it - just beef. Personally I think Weinberger's is exceptional in all areas, except one, and that's the signature beef sandwich. Maybe it's just a fantasy, or I'm just plain stubborn, but it doesn't remind me of the beef sandwiches I've had in Chicago. It's either the bread or the flavor of the beef, but something is just a little off. That's not to say it isn't good - it is. Just not the same. And maybe that's for the better, as it gives us something to call our own, while giving me a perfectly good excuse to continue to go to Chicago. I could eat in that city for 50 years, and not discover the half of it.

On this visit, I devoured the "Italian" sub, with additional "sport peppers", which were pretty hot actually. And while I was enjoying my sandwich, I spilled mustard all over the Fort Worth Weekly where they apparently just discovered Fernandez Cafe. Are they sneaking a peek over here? That I doubt, but they did a great job actually - and I learned a few things about the Fernandez family. They were also going on about how "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" will be featuring Fred's Cafe in a soon to be aired episode. Is it just me, or is the Regular Joe in fashion now? Perhaps no longer can one afford $45 meals that include a thimbleful of meat and a nice presentation of arugula? Don't forget the $65 bottle of wine...

Back to the topic at hand, Weinberger's comes wholeheartedly recommended. For awhile, they attempted expansion in Watauga and Westlake. The Watauga location, which we visited a couple of times, closed down quickly. It was pretty sterile compared to the original if truth be told. Weinberger's is the kind of place that's worth driving long distances for, so if they do decide to expand again, they should think about Arlington, Dallas or Ft. Worth first.

The Grapevine location is on Main Street, on the primary drag through old town. Definitely an essential stop for deli hounds!

3/6/05; 4/23/06; 1/12/09 (new entry); 11/6/13

Bleu Monkey Grill ~ Hot Springs, Arkansas

On now for the final restaurant from Mr. Music's Hot Springs trip. This one apparently did not live up to its lofty reputation.

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Our friend, Ms. ChefGirl had done some research and wanted to try a place called the Bleu Monkey. It looked like a modern, American spot. The menu had some interesting items and they boasted a dozen or so beers on tap so we decided to give it a try. My buddy, BeerBoy and I bolted for the bar, but the most exciting things on tap were Blue Moon and Goose Island Honker’s ale. I opted for iced tea. We sat down and looked at the menu and I actually saw a few things that looked really good. Cuban sandwich? Bleu Monkey Shrimp, a dish made with pan seared shrimp seasoned with a pickapeppa sauce served with Cuban black beans, fresh mango salsa, steamed white rice and fried plantains was a contender as well. But Mr. Music settled on what seemed to be a twist on a Vietnamese specialty: Lemongrass chicken sandwich! Grilled lemongrass chicken with marinated cucumbers, carrots, onion, chilies, and cilantro all on a fresh roll with shallot mayo. Mrs. Music ordered the Crabby patty! Being a huge SpongeBob fan, Music Junior immediately wanted that too until I explained it was a patty made from crab! With that she opted for chicken tenders. Baby Music got some grilled chicken and mashed potatoes. The food came and everything looked really good and the portions were good sized too. The crab cake on the Crabby Patty was huge! Mrs. Music took a big bite of her Crabby Patty. And then another. After a few bites she said the patty barely had any crab and was almost all corn meal! I took a bite myself. It was mushy and didn’t taste like crab at all. My Lemongrass chicken didn’t have much lemongrass or any other seasoning that I could taste either. I noticed Baby Music wasn’t eating her food so I tried the grilled chicken. Dry and bland! The mashed potatoes were as well. How could everything sound so good on the menu, look so good, yet all be so blah? Our friends also said their meals were lacking taste as well. Our waiter was really good and the staff was friendly, but overall what a disappointment! I couldn’t believe this place got “Best new restaurant in Arkansas” by the Arkansas times!

- Mr. Music

The English Muffin ~ Hot Springs, Arkansas

(photo courtesy of Urbanspoon)

Oh where have thou gone RJG? Well, believe it or not, we haven't been to a single new restaurant since Burrito Jimmy in late August. You can always tell when the RJG is in work hell by my total absence from this blog. My last two months have averaged 75 hours a week (some closer to 90). I use the weekends to catch up on stuff a normal person would do during the week. When I'm cooking on this blog, so to speak, I'm at a usual 45 to 50 hour a week pace. And even better are the stay at home vacations. We have been eating out some - certainly not near as much as normal - but mainly to our favorites around NE Tarrant. I do sense the clouds are breaking some. November might be my re-entry point. For certain in December we should be back on pace. I have been diligent in keeping up with the updates, which keeps me tethered to the blog in some form or fashion anyway.

Just because the RJG stopped doesn't mean that DFW did. There are a lot of new restaurants in the area that we are anxious to try, plus some new breweries coming along such as Grapevine Craft Beer, Shannon Brewing (Keller), and Cobra Brewing (Lewisville - and a personal friend of our own Mr. Music).

And speaking of Mr. Music, we still have two more entries from his Hot Springs trip back in August. Time to get these out there!

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This restaurant got some of the most promising reviews of any place we read about, so we were excited to go. Nestled in a corner spot that overlooked Lake Hamilton, we got a nice long table by the window. The menu was pretty basic: This is for certain a breakfast diner. I ordered a spinach omelet with Swiss cheese and a side of fruit. Mrs. Music ordered Eggs Benedict. Music Junior got pancakes and Baby Music had some scrambled eggs and a sausage patty. The omelet was really good - lots of spinach and the eggs were whipped or something as they were so fluffy! The cheese they used was processed Swiss cheese food, not real Swiss cheese. I would have preferred real Swiss, but it was still good. The biggest disappointment for me was the fruit. I was expecting a bowl of fresh fruit, but it was canned fruit in syrup. My dish also came with a sourdough English muffin. I’m not sure what brand they used, but it was thick and sour and really, really good! Mrs. Music loved her eggs Benedict. She asked for the yolks to be fully cooked and they were perfect. ChefGirl got the homemade corned beef hash with hash browns and said it was fantastic. She gave me a bite and I agreed - some of the best corned beef hash I’ve had. It was very meaty with almost no filler. Overall, it was a good experience. So much so that BeerBoy wanted to go again to try the corned beef hash. We did and I had the same omelet but went with home fried potatoes instead of the fruit. They were great! They sautéed fresh onion, bell pepper, and diced potatoes on the grill for a tasty companion to my omelet. Mrs. Music had a seafood omelet and loved it. BeerBoy loved his corned beef hash and gave me some - again I concurred. We had read the coffee was very good and so we all had it and agreed. On each of our visits our waitress was friendly and attentive. Two good experiences!

- Mr. Music