That attitude changed after last night's meal. We went there for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was a less than stellar review of the place in the 5280 this month. Katherine was even moved to write a nasty letter to the magazine which, due to its length, they will never publish. We wanted to go and reaffirm our undying faith in Frank and Jacqueline Bonanno's unerring instincts when it comes to eating and drinking establishments. There were a couple of other reasons to make the trip. You don't need reservations. It is easier to park at then Osteria Marco. It is their most affordable venue. We had gone to the Y every day for two weeks and were, by God, entitled. Most important, PERA and Metro State had filled the coffers of our checking account.
Lou's is designed to be a neighborhood bar where guys on Harleys and folks arriving on foot or by stretch limo will feel equally at home. A rather garish (in my opinion) neon sign announces the place and a parking lot in need of repaving supplies parking if you get there early enough (before 6 pm). There is an outdoor patio facing 38th with twinkling lights and plenty of space for neighborhood dog lovers to hang out with their pets. Inside it is a potentially cavernous space that has been toned down with off-white walls, brightly painted window frames, and names of entrees stenciled above the banks of booths lining the place. A lovely young dark haired girl in alarmingly tight jeans greeted us at the door and ushered us to a table in the bar area where the vibe is noisy and serious cocktails dominate the scene. There is a more sedate dining area to the right.
The 5280 reviewer said the place was too severe and unwelcoming and the concrete walls and floors made the noise level pretty high when the place fills up. The place is pretty noisy, and while the walls and floor do little to buffer the din, it is the kind of conversational hum punctuated with bursts of laughter born of the fact that 90% of the clientele, especially the gang in the bar area, according to Joe the manager, are regulars.
The food is what makes them regulars. The 5280 reviewer dissed the place because the menu didn't have a focus. There are charcuterie plates, the kind that keep people coming back to Bonanno's Larimer Square standout, Osteria Marco. There are Nicoise salads and Lyonnaise salads and white bean salads. There are artisanal sausages of all descriptions probably whipped up in the basement of Bonanno's North Denver home. Hanger steaks and frites are listed on the menu right next to organic fried chicken, french onion soup, and spaghetti and meat balls. All this variety left the 5280's hapless reviewer confused. What is this place? French? Italian? Biker bar? She couldn't accept it for what it is, an affordable comfort food venue in the Highlands area offering the kind of food you might have in your own home if you happened to be the best cook this side of the Mississippi.
Last night we shared the Lyonnaise salad which was easily large enough for two. Kathie moved on to a house made pastrami sandwich and I had a blackened fish sandwich with a remoulade sauce that was a revelation. We ended up sharing an apple pie from another Bonanno venue, Wednesday's Pies, made, like all the pies, with an almond flower that transformed that all-American dish. On other visits I've had veal sausage with German potato salad, a great reuben, and steaming mussels. My mother in law even ordered the spaghetti and meat balls on one occasion. You can bet that the folks who run Luca d'Italia whip up a great version of that road house staple.
It was a great and affordable evening. I left with two convictions. One, the 5280 had no clue. Two, it was worth the drive.
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