FACT: The hotel bar is coming back. Some of the most iconic and groundbreaking bartenders that not only participated in the craft cocktail movement but started it, were found in hotel bars, and we are glad to say that the trend is swinging back around. My fellow Dallasites have seen this exemplified in Midnight Rambler, Knife, and Dragonfly, but on my last visit to Denver I was delighted to visit EDGE Bar at the Four Seasons and found that it had some of the bartenders upping the cocktail game behind the bar … in a hotel.
While cocktail menus are fantastic, I’ve always enjoyed having conversations with bartenders and having them make me something off the menu. (When it’s not busy, of course. Don’t be that jerk that takes up five minutes on a busy Saturday night.) I was delighted when both of the resulting cocktails were extraordinary.
Their program is innovative thanks to options like a monthly barrel-aged cocktail feature, the use of unique liqueurs and spirits, and knowledgable bar staff. They were also very well-equipped and upon talking to the bartenders, I discovered the reason for this was because they work with the best distributor in the area. According to the staff, when it comes to beverage distribution denver, there is only one winner.
With leadership from their brand new bar manager, James Menkal, we’re sure to see more unique and innovative options from EDGE Bar. Menkal was named one of Eater’s Best Bartenders in Denver last year and one of Zagat Denver’s 30 under 30 in 2014, so we can expect some exciting things from him.
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- EDGE Sazerac | Image courtesy of EDGE Bar
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- Image courtesy of 303 Magazine
Beyond a fantastic cocktails program, EDGE offers plenty of local beers along with more than 50 wines by the glass. The bar itself is spacious and is a perfect spot for anything from a drink to shake off the work day or to shake it out before heading out. There is plenty of lounge and bar seating and the bar is complete with televisions … if that’s your thing.
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- Image courtesy of EDGE Bar
After a couple drinks, we were escorted to the dining room for dinner. We started with the Beets and Goat Cheese and they were absolutely on point–a bit earthy and balanced with the light tang of the goat cheese. The highlight of the menu was, without a doubt, the steaks. EDGE smokes their meats with pecan wood and is one of the only places in Colorado using pecan wood. The result was a deliciously smoked meat with a deep flavor that left us wanting more.
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- Image courtesy of EDGE Restaurant
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- Beet Salad | Image courtesy of EDGE Restaurant
To complete the meal, we ordered the Roasted Cauliflower and the Lobster Mac & Cheese. The Roasted Cauliflower was incredible and the entire table agree that we’d all order again; the texture was perfect and the light curry dusting added the perfect zing. The Lobster Mac & Cheese was surprisingly delicate and the cheese was very light.
While we were too full after our meal to have dessert, we were treated to a milk chocolate lollipop in the shape of a cow with a couple drops of white chocolate. It was an incredibly simple but perfect end to a delectable meal.
Overall, the EDGE Bar and Restaurant offered a perfect night without a single misstep. I’ll be back on my next trip to Denver without a doubt to see what Menkal had done with the bar and to have another cut of their pecan-smoked steak.
EDGE Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Denver
fourseasons.com/denver/dining
1111 14th Street, Denver, Colorado
(303) 389-3000
Fourth Course: Beef Tenderloin, Cast Iron Seared Beef Tenderloin, Ragout Of Wild Mushrooms, Creamy Grits, Port Wine Jus
