1317 14th street (Denver) has held a variety of establishments over the years. From the legendary Soapie Smith's, to the "I can't remember what happened last night" at Martini Ranch, and finally "that was the best meal I've ever had" at Euclid Hall. Less than a year old Euclid Hall has blown away the competition in not only a variety of great food but some of the best beers Colorado has ever seen.
While beer bars are quickly becoming the establishment to open and spend time at few do it right. When looking at what a beer bar is the first thing that comes to mind is an establishment that carries just about every beer style known to man. You want to have the options! You want to see the best craft breweries and the best craft beer from around the country from the west coast to the east coast. You want your pick of amazing Belgian beer from strong ales to sours. German Lagers and Weizens and French Biere De Garde. Euclid Hall offers all of this and so much more.
Euclid opened it's doors August 4th, 2010 and Denver, Colorado would be changed forever. Euclid Hall is an American Tavern featuring some of the best pub food from around the world with a Euclidean twist. Chef / Owner Jen Jasinksi and Owner Beth Gruitch wanted a place where comfort food was always on the menu and the price wasn't what you would expect. With America facing a recession it was a no-brainer to start a restaurant that was affordable but didn't cut corners on great food. With the craft beer market becoming more and more mainstream it made perfect sense to pair great food with great beer and own a niche that was desperately needed for Colorado.
Euclid Hall has receive a lot of press for their food and the hours in which they serve. Open from eleven-thirty a.m. to midnight, Monday through Thursday, two p.m. to one a.m. Friday and Saturday, and two p.m. to midnight on Sunday; it's no wonder they won best late night menu from Westword's Best Of Denver. Knowing that Denver lacked a place to dine after ballgames, theater, and when all the other restaurants closed their doors for the night; Beth and Jen knew they were on to something with late night hours.
A lot of people ask, "Is the theme German?" This is more than a reasonable assumption since a lot of the menu items happen to have a German influence. Euclid is known for making the best sausages in all of Denver. The very best they serve happens is the Short Rib Kielbasa; bright pink with grill marks, snappy casing, and beyond delicious. Pair their Kielbasa up with Oskar Blue's Gubna for a phenomenal pairing.The Hopwurst comes in close second as a bratwurst filled with Centennial Hops, cheddar curds, and caramelized onions slow cooked in Lagunita's Censored amber ale; this sausage delivers juicy richness balanced by sweet onion mild bitter hops and is easily paired with Lagunita's Censored red ale. They also carry a Veal Weisswurst, Budin Noir (classic French blood sausage), and a kick-ass E-dog (smoked and skewered turkey Frankfurt breaded in sweet corn meal batter).
If sausage wasn't enough for German cousin Euclid also showcases schnitzel for their entree courses. Three types shine on the menu and each are distinct in their own right. The Veal Schnitzel's pounded thin, lightly dusted in Panko bread crumbs, and deep fried. Served with their pickled and braised cabbage (prepared, Sou-Vide with duck fat) this dish is hearty and comforting; paired with Russian River's Damnation and your one step to heaven. Their Dover Sole Schnitzel is perfect for the seafood fan featuring lightly breaded Dover Sole, deep fried, finished with grilled squid and an orange argon aioli; add a scallop and it's a trifecta of seafood best paired with Stone's Smoked Porter or Unibroue's La Fin Du Monde. Finally there is the chicken and waffles but not Rosco's style. Chicken paillard breaded and fried, served with sourdough waffles shingled across the plate, with salted walnuts, and grade A maple syrup; this dish is sweet and savory best paired with Piraat Belgian Tripel.
Euclid Hall also took a note from Canada when coming up with amazing menu items. Welcome Poutines! A poutine is a French-Canadian cheese fry. Translating to "a mess" Euclid takes this traditional street side dish and takes it to the next level. Kennebec French fries with melted cheese curds topped with gravy and meat makes this the perfect comfort appetizer or the best dish for dinner. Offering a short rib and prime tri-tip steak smothered with Bordeaux gravy is very hearty and best paired with Belgian dark strong ale such as Gulden Draak. The also offer a vegetarian poutine with Porcini gravy, melted curds, Kennebec fries, and a slew of wild mushrooms. The best however is their Duck Poutine. Rich duck gravy with duck meat slathered over fries and melted curds; make this even better by adding a kielbasa on top and pair it with Schneider Doppelbock Wheat.
Euclid Hall however is known for sharing. While all the dishes are perfect for single service per person it's even better when everyone orders a few items and share with each other. All the side dishes are shareable; the spatzel, cabbage apple slaw, and Colorado fingerling potato salad will have you shuddering in disbelief over their flavor. Try some pickles while your there as well! 16 gallons of pickles are curing daily in their prep kitchen and their pickle sampler is perfect for the table. Euclid makes a hop infused pickle, a sincerely spicy pickle, sweet bread and butter pickles, and their seasonal. Seasonal vary between pineapple express, escabeche, blood orange, and many more. Think sharing food is fun? Try sharing beer.
Euclid Hall won a slew of awards from Westword's Best Of Denver including: Best Rising Star Chef, Best New Restaurant, Best Late Night Menu, Best New American Restaurant, and Best Bottle Beer List. With a few beer bars in Denver to choose from it speaks volumes that they won the Best Bottle Beer List award. Euclid features a progressive beer list with categories such as Arithmetic and Algebra being more session able beers, to Calculus and Quantum Mechanics which are the upper end of alcohol by volume (abv) and complex craft beer. With an ever rotating reserve list labeled "Oddities and Rarities" having between 10 and 30 more beers available that will probably not be there the next time your in. They feature 12 taps for draught beer, four lines are dedicated to local microbreweries, and the other eight are for draft lines bringing barrel aged beer, sour beer, Belgian beer, India Pale Ale (IPA), and double IPA's to Denver beer lovers.
Euclid Hall also features an amazing amount of large format bottles for guests. Their philosophy when it comes to sharing is beyond apparent, when you look at their menu. Euclid decided to offer the same concept when it comes to their beer. 750ml bottles are a common place at this beer bar and they allow a table to partake together in drinking great beer. Staples on their beer menu include Van Steenberge's Piraat and Gulden Draak in large format bottles. Dupont, Boulevard, Deschutes, and Gouden Carolus are just a few of the 750ml bottles they offer. Recently they acquired few magnums of Rochefort 8 (that's two 750ml bottles in one) as well as Stone's Arrogant Bastards Jeroboam (four 750ml bottles in one.)
With some of the most amazing food in Denver and one of the best beer lists to choose from, it's no wonder Sam Calagione (owner of Dogfish Head brewing) said Euclid Hall is quickly becoming the best beer bar in the country. the Brewers Association (BA) frequently hosts their dinners at Euclid and just about every brewery in the country knows who they are and wants on their beer list. If you want some delicious comfort food and some of the best beer this world has to offer then you need to stop by Euclid Hall next time your in Denver, Colorado.
Marc Bayes is an expert author and scholar on Craft Beer as well as a certified beer server. Want to know more about craft beer, new releases, great breweries, and amazing events involving the world of beer then head over to http://www.notyourdadsbeer.com Sign up, take a look around, and join the conversation. Always on Face Book: http://www.facebook.com/notyourdadsbeer
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