Bernie's Hot Dog Co.

Disclaimer: I'm not a huge hot dog fan. To me, a typical hot dog tastes OK but not great. Plus I sort of avoid processed red meats. But my husband is an occasional hot dog eater, and he was intrigued by Bernie's after driving by their Highlands Ranch location. Since our first visit many months ago, he's become a regular, and I tag along every once in a while.

Bernie's is located in the most stereotypically suburban setting imaginable, in a small strip mall-ish cluster of restaurants near a main artery of Highlands Ranch and across from Home Depot. But don't be fooled by the location; Bernie's is one of very few non-chain, local restaurants in the south suburbs.

Walking into Bernie's, you might forget just how deeply entrenched in the suburbs you are.The interior is a combination of eye-popping red and green walls and, in an apparent reference to its own menu offerings, canine photos plastered all over the restaurant.

Anyone wary of standard hot dogs will be pleased to discover that Bernie's offers veggie dogs, turkey dogs, and "all-natural" dogs. The "all-natural" dogs are made of Vienna beef with no added color, hormones, or nitrites, and they're what my husband and I have ordered every single time we've visited. In other words, they're delicious.

The most difficult part of a visit to Bernie's may be deciding from their 20+ condiment offerings. Besides the usuals like ketchup and pickles, there are more exotic options including blue cheese, bacon, and green chili. My husband usually orders the "Michigan Ave" (aka a Chicago Dog), which comes with yellow mustard, pickle spears, tomatoes, sweet relish, diced onions, banana peppers, and celery salt. I've tried the Michigan Ave a couple times but got turned off by the subsequent bad breath and fluorescent green relish; now I stick to just ketchup and mustard.

All-natural dog with Michigan Ave toppings

All of our meals at Bernie's have included a side of their beer-battered fries, which are always served piping hot, and with all the salty and greasy goodness you ask for from a hot dog joint.

Beer-battered French fries

Nothing stands out as being the best thing i ever ate, but you can definitely get a great hot dog - customized to your liking - at a very decent price.

Everyday Dining

(7 of 10)

Pros: Good food. Lots of hot dog and condiment options, great service

Cons: Boring location, buns are nothing special, not many healthy options

Website:

http://bernieshotdogs.com/

Root Down

My husband and I first visited Root Down in the Highlands for dinner several months ago, and we loved it. Last night, we went back for seconds. 

Root Down is located on a fairly quiet, mostly residential street in the Highlands. Like Lola or Duo down the street, it is trendy and urban and filled with nicely dressed people. The interior is basically simple and modern, but decorated with vintage photos that had no apparent ties to the restaurant itself.

Root Down's philosophy centers around the increasingly popular "field to fork" concept, using fresh, local ingredients whenever possible. I imagine that's not the easiest way to go in Denver, but their menu credits numerous local suppliers. They also manage to cater to a very wide spectrum of dietary needs. The menu contains meat and seafood options alongside vegetarian and vegan dishes. Nearly everything can be prepared gluten-free, and they offer a raw dinner menu once a month. My husband and I don't have much of an "omnivore's dilemma" apparently; we stuck with mostly meat dishes.

The menu at Root Down is geared toward small plates that can be shared among diners. Even the "main course" dishes come in smaller, tapas-sized portions. Our waitress was attentive and extremely familiar with the details of the menu, and she offered several recommendations. After some heated decision-making, we settled on the Carrot & Thai Red Curry Soup, the "Devils on Horseback", the Buffalo Sliders and the Beef Tender.

The soup arrived first, it was a surprisingly large portion with a bright yellow-orange color. And it was delicious. The soup contains a "pear and apple chutney" which was actually blended into the soup; the sweet flavor of the fruit perfectly contrasted the spiciness of the curry. The broth was rich and creamy, making the soup a very filling starter.

Carrot and Thai Red Curry Soup



Next up was the Devils on Horseback; from the menu: "Date & Goat Cheese stuffed Peppadews, wrapped in Serrano Ham, Smoked Paprika-Sherry Gastrique". The bite-size pieces were tiny but extremely rich and flavorful. The Peppadew peppers were both sweet and spicy, nicely balanced by richness of the ham and goat cheese.

Devils on Horseback

Also delicious - but not quite as memorable as the first two courses - were the Buffalo Sliders and the Beef Tender (the latter was a half order of an entree portion). The sliders were pleasantly juicy for buffalo meat and flavored by array of condiments that included aged cheddar, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, and pickles.

Buffalo Sliders

We finished  the meal with the Seasonal Fruit Crumble, the seasonal fruit in late-April being apple (really?). It wasn't obvious from the menu, but apparently this was a vegan dessert. It was light and only mildly sweet, containing a nutty topping as the "crumble". A scoop of lemon sorbet on top brought out the tartness of the apples. The dessert was satisfying but a little lacking in flavor.



Apple Crumble



Overall, an excellent meal, but maybe just a little too much food. Our bill came to $68 for all the dishes described above plus a beer for each of us.  

 

I do have one very loud complaint, however, before I wrap up. Root Down seats maybe 80 people at full capacity. Get this: there is only one women's restroom for the whole restaurant. I was floored when I discovered this. Prepare to wait in line, ladies. And wait, and wait, and wait. 

I'll be back in a heartbeat, but I hope they can get the "facilities" upgraded!

Casual Dining

(9 of 10)

Pros: Amazing food, fresh ingredients, unique preparations, great service

Cons: Extent of vegan/vegetarian options comes at expense of fewer meat and seafood dishes. Waiting forever for the bathroom.

Website:

http://www.rootdowndenver.com/