Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we have been told since we were old enough to gum our Maypo. That doesn’t mean it’s always the one we most enjoy sitting down to.
Frankly, the first meal of the day can be boring. Too often it turns into a monotonous litany of same-old, same-old: Glutinous oatmeal, overcooked eggs tougher than a Marine Corps gunnery sergeant, stale toast, tepid coffee from a Bunn-O-Matic.
And that’s why Syrup in Cherry Creek is such a welcome addition to the Denver dining scene. (They also have a downtown location that’s become a go-to recommendation of the city’s savvier hotel concierges.)
The Cherry Creek restaurant, on the north side of East Third Avenue and Josephine Street, occupies the downstairs space that was once home to the Egg Shell. Big south-facing windows and gleaming white walls keep it washed in light.
Weekdays find Syrup teeming with early risers nose-deep in their newspapers and business folks cutting deals over their omelets. The lunch bunch show up for hearty sandwiches, including an estimable burger, and creative salads. Weekends draw the brunch crowd, often with kids in tow.
The staff is young and fresh-faced, quick to the table and knowledgeable about the food. Longtime hospitality veterans Tim Doherty and Ian McClure opened the restaurant in 2011. As MacClure puts it, “We’d been in the bar business and got tired of getting home at 4 a.m., so we decided to get up at 4 a.m. instead.”
Diner food it’s not, though the prices are easy on the wallet. Nearly all the dishes ring in at just under $10.
The breakfast anchors are pancakes and waffles, which are available as free-standing entrees or flights, sort of like a wine bar showcase with batter instead of grapes.
Doherty concocts the syrups. It’s quite the array: buttermilk, apple-cinnamon, strawberry, blackberry, maple-vanilla, butterscotch and apricot, plus seasonal variations.
I’m generally an egg guy, but the Double Berry Bliss is a stack of pancake heaven. The pancakes are topped with strawberries and blueberries, the latter a fine antioxidant foil to the whipped cream. (Culinary rationalizations are some of the most pleasant ones.) For the record, all pancakes and waffles are available in buckwheat and gluten-free versions.
For the decadent, there’s The Foster: your choice of pancakes, waffles or French toast topped with bananas sauteed in the restaurant’s maple-vanilla syrup.
Omelets are made with local eggs — white and Egg Beaters versions are available — and come with hashbrowns and fruit.
Standouts include the Aztec, a fat slice of the Southwest stuffed with chorizo, cheddar cheese and scallions, topped with Syrup’s bracing green chile stew. The Brooklyn would make any Jewish deli proud. The omelet is stuffed with housemade corned-beef hash, Swiss cheese and onions. The corned beef has the proper salt level and is crispy, to boot.
The eggs Benedict dishes are generally excellent. Bread options include a bagel, toasted croissant or English muffin. Stick with the latter option, since bagels tend to overwhelm dishes.
I liked the N’awlins, which features blackened shrimp topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. The highly seasoned shrimp work well with the runny yolks of the eggs. At $12.99, it’s the priciest item on the menu. Consider getting them with a side of beignets dusted with powdered sugar to make the Crescent City shout-out complete.
I was less sold on the Carolina benedict, pulled pork with poached eggs, hollandaise and a striping of sweet barbecue sauce. The slow-cooked barbecued pork was moist and flavorful, but I felt it didn’t pair so well with the eggs. Ditto for the competing flavors of the hollandaise and barbecue sauce. As culinary marriages go, it wasn’t like the wedded bliss of chocolate and peanut butter in a Reese’s Cup.
Syrup makes a fine burger, built with a half-pound of Angus beef, which should make the ranchers at the National Western Stock Show happy. Try the Fiesta version for a blast of green chile-meets-beef.
I was also fond of the Thanksgiving sandwich, even though I just recently emerged from my November turkey coma. It features roasted bird with stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy and a schmear of cranberry mayo — all piled on an open-faced baguette.
If you have to be up with the sun, Syrup should be on any Denver diner’s morning rotation.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
SYRUP
Breakfast/Lunch
300 Josephine St. 720-945-1111 syrupdenver.com
*** Great
Atmosphere: Sunny, light-filled room that does a brisk business
Service: Fast, engaging
Beverages: Coffee, tea, sodas, juices
Plates: Breakfast, $6.99-$12.99; lunch, $4.99-$9.99
Hours: Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Details: Metered street parking. Gluten-free menu available. A second location is downtown at 999 18th St.
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.