Piccolo’s

For the past few years my family has met for my Grandfather’s birthday at Piccolo’s in Denver. It’s my Grandfather’s favorite place to go and we look forward to each birthday that we have with him going there. Now my family is large and growing. In total when everyone is home, there are 30 of us pulse a couple of close friends.  Piccolo’s has a side room for large parties that can be closed off from the rest of the restaurant  if needed.  The normal sitting area is dark woods and cloth cover tables with low lighting, very relaxing.

Piccolo’s is a Italian/Mexican that has wide range of options that will meet everyone’s tastes. They have seasoned chips with salsa and bread  for each table.
Simon and I ordered something different each time that we go and  have never been disappointed.  The servicing size is large for the dishes so don’t be surprised if you have to take some home. They have a wonderful children’s menu and my nephews and nieces always find something that they like.

I know this isn’t a very long review but you just can’t go wrong with Piccolo’s. 30 of us keep looking forward to my Grandfather’s birthday each year so, this isn’t a review of just one person, it’s a review of 30 with a fair share of picky eaters.




Piccolo’s is located at:
3563 S Monaco Pkwy
Denver, CO 80237
(303) 757-5166

Hours:
Monday-Sunday 11:00AM to 10:00PM

Sam's No.3

 

 Simon and I went to Sam’s No3 for the first time this past week. We had heard about it from Triple D and realized that one of the restaurant was here in Aurora. It was a nice treat to go to after a long day at work. When we got there we could smell the grill from the parking lot. We had been warned that the wait maybe long as they are very popular. With just the two of us we only had wait about 2 minutes.

It was extremely busy and we thought it would be a bit of a wait for our waitress. We were wrong! She immediately came over and got our drink order.  They offer a full bar and I have to admit I was very temped but since I was driving I passed it up.   When she came back with the drinks we ordered our appetizer. We decided the try the Mac-N-Cheese Dip. It’s one of their new dishes. It’s a cup of mac topped with diced chorizo and green chill, served with tortilla chips. I have to say, wow. I’m not a green chili fan as I find it to spicy for me but it was really good. The pork that they put in it is very tender and holds the spices well. Once we mixed it all up, the Mac Cheese countered the spiciness very well and it didn’t leave me reaching for my drink after every bite. Simon loved every bit of it.

For my meal I ordered the One of Each. It’s a Curtis Burger and Coney Dog that was covered with their Sam’s No. 3 Red Chili, mustard and onion. I got it with fries.  Simon got the Pork Souvlaki Sandwich with Mac n Cheese. Our meal came out just as we were finishing the dip. My burger and hot dog was good and I was happy to find it not drowning in onions or mustard. It was just enough to add to the flavor.  The fries were good. Simon’s sandwich, holy cow, at first I didn’t know it was pork, I thought that it was gyro meat.  The bites that I had were very tasty and the pork wasn’t dried out or stringy.  The pita bread was nice and fluffy.

For dessert I ordered the Death  by Chocolate Cake and Simon ordered a Hazelnut and Coffee Shake. The cake was really good. I wish I could have finished it and the slice was huge. Simon loved his shake. I was surprised that he got a shake as they have Homemade Rice Pudding. He said that he’ll get it next time.

We’ll be back that is for sure as we need to try their breakfast food too. They are very family friendly and the pricing is really good for the quality and quantity that they provide. The service was excellent and very friendly. They have an extensive menu that everyone will find something that they will like. Do try to go off peak hours if you don’t want to wait long.

Sam’s No.3 is located at:
2580 S Havana St
Aurora, CO 80014
Phone: 303-751-0347
Website: http://samsno3.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SamsNo3

Hours:
M-Th 6 AM- 9PM
F 6 AM- 10 PM
Sat. & Sun 7 AM- 9PM

The Bagel Deli and Restaurant

The Bagel Deli

Oy! What have we been missing? Ok, so we saw this little Bagel Deli on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives on the Food Network a couple of weeks ago. Simon has been begging to go so we finally went after I found that I’ve been driving by it for years! Tucked into a corner of a little strip mall is The Bagel Deli and Restaurant located at northwest corner of Hampden and Monaco. I’ll have to ask my grandparents if they knew of this little gem as they live not to far from it.

When we walked in we were greeted with wonderful aromas and the chatter of customers enjoying their meals. We were told to go ahead and have a seat. As I looked around, you can’t help but smile at the love that is found in this place, family pictures on the walls and little sayings from Bubbie, the grandmother. Oh and you have to have a picture of Guy Fieri from Triple D on the wall to! It was nice and warm, the lighting good and the staff extremely friendly.

On the tables, they had a little thing that said, Try what Guy Ate! They made a little sampler appetizer with the three dishes Guy had tried on the show. It had a small serving of Matzah ball Chicken Soup, a meat Knish and Kishke. Wow! I’m not a soup person. If soup comes with the meal I will try it, drink some of it but soup doesn’t appeal to me. I have to say, the Matzah Ball Soup, is the best soup that I’ve ever had. Chucks of chicken, carrots, spices and the Matzah ball. The Matzah ball just soaked up the flavor of the soup.  I can’t even describe the taste of the soup, I just don’t have the words for it. Now, I’ve been sick for the past week and I’ve always heard that Chicken Soup is good for you. Here’s hoping the small flavorful portion that I had will knock what’s left of this cold out. I also could have eaten a whole plate of Meat Knish. The pastry was nice and flaky, the meat in it very flavorful. The Kishke was very good too. Simon insists that it tastes like stuffing but I can’t put it into words the flavor of it. 

Simon ordered the number P2, Pastrami, Tongue and Swiss cheese on marble rye bread. It came with potato salad. He describes the meal a flavor blitz. Jared came out and asked Simon how the sandwich was and if Simon wanted to try the Russian Dressing and Horseradish. He said sure and we had little samples of  each for us to try. We each tried and loved the Russian Dressing, it was very good with my fries and on my sandwich. Simon put a small spoonful on his sandwich, took a bit and did the same with the Horseradish. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. Jared then asked him if he liked spicy mustard and suggested to Simon that he may like that too. Simon told him to bring it on. Same result, eyes rolling and head nodding in agreement. Jared smiled with a chuckle and then went back to the kitchen. Simon said that his only problem was trying to decide what he was going to put on his sandwich for the next bite. He said that the Sandwich was wonderful on it’s own, the flavor of the meats blending well. Then adding each sauce to it as he took bites just took it to whole new level.

I ordered the number the number 3, Hot pastrami, brisket of beef and Swiss cheese on a plain bagel with fries. The blending of the meats was wonderful. The bagel was nice a crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. With the amount of meat that they put onto their sandwiches, I’ll get my next sandwich on bread as I ended up having to eat it with a fork and knife. As I had already stated, I added the Russian Dressing to my sandwich and also dipped my fries into it. The dressing was heaven.

For dessert we both had a cheese Strudel. Our waiter asked us if we would like it warmed up and we said whatever they suggested would be good. They warmed them up and gave us whipped cream to add to it as we pleased. It was very good, not sweet like I was expecting.  On our way out we also bought 4 bagels and home made whipped cream cheese for later.

The Bagel Deli and Restaurant is very family friendly, good prices for the amount of food. Simon and I will be back and I look forward to trying something else. They serve Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with breakfast served until  7:30 PM daily. They offer dine in, take out, and catering. They offer special order items for the Jewish Holidays.

The Bagel Deli and Restaurant is located at:
6439 E Hampden Ave.
Denver, CO 80222
Phone# 303-756-6667
Fax# 303-756-58002
Website: www.bageldeli.com
Facebook: The Bagel Deli

Hours:
Mon - Sat: 7:00 am- 8:00 pm
Sun: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm