Central Bistro & Bar opened last summer amid the sort of buzz typically associated with honeybees eyeing an approaching bruin. It was to be a hip carnivore’s palace on the north side of the South Platte, perched on a rise on Central Street that offered lovely views of the twinkling lights of downtown Denver.
The restaurant has largely fulfilled that mission. The crowd skews young, and is drawn by top-shelf cocktails and sturdy, creative fare such as pork belly with Brussels sprouts hash and roasted duck breast with winter squash.
Lance Barto, yet another Denver chef who once worked under the late Noel Cunningham at Strings, designed the menu. Barto left Central last week, his departure fueled by a mix of personal and professional reasons, but his stamp remains.
Gerard Strong and Jason Clark are still on the stoves. That’s good news.
Recent visits revealed a contemporary room with some vintage touches, including a big red neon sign over the cooks’ line that spelled out HOT. The back story on it is a bit of a grin: Owner Isiah Salazar’s family once owned the Regency Inn Hotel in Denver, and when it was sold to create student apartments for the Auraria Campus, the letters from that sign stayed with the Salazars.
Brick walls and a cement floor finish the expansive dining area, and a bank of windows look out onto Central Street and on into Denver. There’s also a long bar. The banquettes at the back of the room are done in a mid-’50s turquoise-and-white scheme that would make Howard Johnson proud. The ceiling is vintage-look pressed tin — but it’s new.
But the music that’s piped in is straight from the 1970s. On one evening we listened to an extended funk workout, the guitarist working his wah-wah pedal so hard his right calf must have been the size of Von Miller’s thigh.
Waiters are cheery, quick with good-natured banter for guests and fellow staffers alike. It makes for a warm feeling on a cold winter night, and that carries over into the current menu.
We started with mac-and-cheese studded with Dungeness crab and topped with bread crumbs ($14). It was comfort food for grown-ups, perhaps a bit heavy on the salt, and came with a side salad of arugula tossed in a vinaigrette with slices of pickled shallots. The peppery greens were a leavening foil to the creaminess of the mac-and-cheese.
Another winner was the braised pork belly with Brussels sprouts hash ($12), with walnuts and apple butter. It hit all the tastebud notes, from sweet to umami and everything in between.
Less successful by a long shot was the delicata squash and bacon risotto ($11). It read like a dream on the menu. Unfortunately, the rice was cooked down into a porridge, and not a single grain was recognizable. It was a gooey, glutinous mess, and oversalted to boot.
A duck-breast entree ($23) redeemed things. Cooked to a lovely medium rare, it came with a hash of turnips, carrots and some additional shredded duck meat.
The flatiron steak ($24) was another winner. This lean and flavorful cut had a proper sear, and came with a potato-leek puree, onion rings and unctuous marrow — all plated with a veal jus.
Sea scallops ($13), an appetizer ordered as an entree, also pleased. The fat, sweet scallops were paired somewhat incongruously with cauliflower, but the dish absolutely worked, thanks in part to the additional flavor of ham hock bits, almonds and celery root.
Desserts aren’t afterthoughts. We particularly enjoyed a waffle with chocolate sauce that demanded two forks.
About the beverage menu. The cocktail selection leans toward the classics — mint juleps and the jack rose (applejack, lemon juice and grenadine) are featured. There are also original house concoctions. You might try the Star Power, a mix of Silver Tree vodka, sage and pineapple.
There’s a short list of microbrews, and a tight wine list that offers good value, especially during the Wednesday-Friday happy hour running from 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m., when all wine bottles are 40 percent off and you can order $5 wines by the glass and $3 drafts beers.
Central is a worthy addition to the Denver restaurant scene. Let’s hope they can make the transition in the wake of Barto’s exit.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
CENTRAL BISTRO AND BAR
Contemporary American
1961 Central St. 303-477-4582 centralbistrobar.com
** Very Good
Atmosphere: Contemporary, with lovely city views.
Service: Knowledgeable, outgoing
Beverages: Wine, beer, cocktails
Plates: Starters, $7-$14; entrees, $14-$25
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Sunday brunch, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday dinner, 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Details: Street parking
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
