Whether you’re a vegetarian looking for some good natural eats, or someone who wants to hear some great live music, or even someone who needs to learn a new dance step, the Mercury Cafe is for you!

Serving up both vegetarian and meat dishes, the Mercury Cafe is an all natural foods eatery designed to excite even the pickiest eater. Vibrantly painted murals cover the walls, and the staff is super friendly and ready to help you find just what it is you’re craving.

Set on the outskirts of downtown at 2199 California Street, the Mercury Cafe is known for more than just their tasty dishes. Offering up dance classes, concerts, poetry slams and film showings, the Mercury is truly a community center in every sense of the word.

They’re serving up dinner Tuesday through Sunday, brunch on the weekends, and late night desserts and coffee. The Mercury boasts a full bar for your enjoyment, and they serve some of Colorado’s finest wines. Bring cash or a check, because the Mercury doesn’t take credit cards!!

[photo- SXC]

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The first of these fabulous places is Namaste. Located at 3355 S. Wadsworth Blvd in Lakewood, Namaste boasts a killer lunch buffet that has to be tasted to be believed. For $6.95 per person you are presented with Tandoor Chicken, naan, Paneer, mango custard, and much more! All of the food is fresh and extremely tasty. Having been to a buffet or two in my time, I was worried that the food would be less than stellar, as I have seen so many times in much more expensive places. However, I was more than pleased to see that the food looked as good in the buffet bar as it would have had I ordered it straight from the kitchen.

The service is excellent and very friendly, and the open dining room is refreshing. I haven’t had the chance to dine in their outdoor patio area yet, but it always looks inviting. Maybe when the snow leaves for good! Vegetarian options are readily available (you don’t even have to ask for something special!) and are also very tasty. I highly recommend you try out this place if you are looking for a great, inexpensive taste of India.

Namaste is open 7 days a week. Lunch is served from 11 am to 2:30 pm, Monday through Friday and from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm Saturday and Sunday. Dinner service starts at 5 PM and lasts until 9:30pm Sunday through Thursday, and until 10pm on Friday and Saturday.

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The menu is extensive: A platter of prepared meats for $63.00, and by the looks of the platter that is a bargain- on down to Combination plates for $6.95, and a la carte items for even less. I am quite fond of the Chili Rellenos, while Alicia favors the Flautas. The Sopapilla is great, the Flan tremendous and the Fried Ice Cream divine!

All of this and it stays open until 3:00am! Located right at 70 and Federal. Put on your adventurous spirit and give El Padrino a try.

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The name of this awesome place?

Why, Casa Bonita, of course!

If you aren’t a Denver native (or anyone who has lived here for a while), Casa Bonita may not seem like some place that you should laugh about when you mention their food. You might wonder why people get a glint in their eye, a little smirk at the corner of their lips.

Well, to put it in a word, Casa Bonita is….. Wild. As you come toward the 85′ tall pink tower (adorned with one of three real gold covered domes in Denver – one of the others is the Capitol Building itself!) outside, you might think to yourself that this place cannot be that big. Oh ho! Casa Bonita is HUGE inside!! Boasting a 30 foot waterfall in the middle of the restaurant, they also have a full arcade, Black Bart’s Cave, a photo booth (where you can dress up in costume and have your photo taken), and multi-leveled dining areas. Strolling guitarists serenade you as you eat and watch the cliff divers leap from the waterfall’s edges into the large lagoon below (and sometimes they set the lagoon on fire). And of course, the one thing people always go for when they visit the Beautiful House…. the little red flag on each table.

The little red flag, you see, brings you the best part of Casa Bonita. The sopapillas. Always served warm with a generous amount of honey, the sopapillas are divine. You’ll want to save a lot of room for these pillows of deliciousness, because they are all you can eat! All you have to do is raise the little red flag, and the awesome wait staff will bring you another basket full of sopapillas.

A must see sight when you come through the Mile High, Casa Bonita is a great place to take the kids and relax. Make sure you check it out! And have a sopapilla for me!

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If you’re looking for delicious Italian fare in the Mile High City, then look no further than Pasquini’s Pizzeria!

Pasquini’s has three funky cool locations to serve you. Two of them offer up not only delicious food, but they have local artist’s wares decorating the walls, and it’s all for sale! The atmosphere is great, the wait staff attentive, and best of all, the food is spectacular!When you sit down you’ll be served a plate full of Pasquini’s famous breadsticks, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and drizzled with garlic butter. Don’t worry if you wolf them all down before you’ve decided what to have, because they’ll keep on bringing them. The menu is filled with traditional Italian fare, including lasanga and ravioli, as well as pizza and pasta dishes. I recommend the penne pasta with meat balls, or the chicken parmesan, but honestly, I haven’t had a meal there that I didn’t love. They also offer vegetarian fare, and not just a side salad with some croutons on top. They have a delicious eggplant parmesan and many pizzas and pizzettas that are meatless.

I have to be honest here for a moment. I really do love the food at Pasquini’s, but the real reason I wanted to feature them here is the dessert. Namely, the Chocolate Candle.

Post from: The Denver Traveler