FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS CAFE Destination Date Night BY STACI BERRY Open everyday 11am – 9pm Dine-in · Takeout · Delivery 4660 S Yosemite St, Greenwood Village dumplingfactoryco.com (720) 420-9461 As mountain roads begin to thaw and the urge to stretch your legs outside of Denver’s city limits builds, direct your car to a treasure in Nederland called Decent Bagel. It’s hard to miss the completely pink building at 95 East 1st Street. East Coast transplants Mike Gebhardt and his daughter Audrey, along with her fi ancé, Carl Fritschel, opened the eatery last October when they saw a need for hearty, on-the-go breakfast options in the mountain town. While the eatery’s bagels are a great option before heading out for a day of skiing or hiking on one of the many trails in the region, the real treat is the sobremesa menu, which is only offered from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Nederland may be a long distance from Spain (where sobremesa and tapas traditions originate), but the cozy building’s intimate dining area transports the palate abroad with thoughtful execution and instant satisfaction from each dish. The seasonally changing menu lists eight different small plates ($10 each) or an all-inclusive “Send It” option for $75 — a highly recommended date-night route for trying the whole roster. Sobremesa literally translates to “over the table” and refers to that time spent linger- ing at the table after a large tapas meal, but at Decent Bagel, it’s transformed into the main event, inspired by the trio’s travels and memorable meals in Spain, Italy and the Mediterranean region, as well as their motivation to provide a local date-night spot. “Carl and I were a little bit tired of driving to Boulder or Denver to go on a date, and we thought that if we had a place that had some amazing cocktails and some variety that was still affordable for a date night, then there might be other people who feel the same way, that wish they could go on a date in Nederland,” recalls Audrey. On a recent visit, the meal kicked off with 20 We Deliver RedGingerDenver.com 720-627-5769 two fresh salads exhibiting vastly differ- ent fl avor profi les. A nod to the Gebhardts’ home state, the house salad stars greens from New York-founded and sustainably grown Gotham Greens. These were topped with garlic-roasted chickpeas, tomatoes and cucumbers and complemented by the light acidity of a red wine vinaigrette. The kale Caesar with crispy panko breadcrumbs offers a sweeter alternative, thanks to the golden raisins that accompany dark-green dinosaur (or lacinato) kale, parmesan, wal- nuts and lemon juice. Next, a cup of lentil soup arrived — a well-seasoned reminder that lentils can be versatile and more than a boring legume Some of the sobremesa options at Decent Bagel in Nederland. when properly cooked. It was paired with a warm piece of bread highlighting Decent Bagel’s fi rst love: carbs. Following shortly after was an exem- plary charcuterie board with Manchego and Brie cheeses, seasoned pistachios, a sliver of spreadable honey, a date, a cup of olives and a variety of meats including coppa from Denver-based Il Porcellino Salumi. Stacking different charcuterie combinations atop crackers is a perfectly timed mid-meal break — and an ideal opportunity to order another glass of Rioja or perhaps one of the many cheekily named (mainly for the staff’s amusement) cocktails such as the popular Persnickety Punch, with Gold Dirt High & Dry gin, pomegranate, lime and cava, or the zero-proof Ginny Weasley, with apple cider, ginger and bubbles. The second act of the progressive menu transitioned to heartier dishes, starting with a classic Spanish tapa called patatas bravas, golden roasted potato bites served with a perfectly emulsifi ed lemon-garlic aioli and chunky red brava sauce. That was followed by a mezze platter, with crunchy za’atar pita chips to convey a trio of dips — hummus, baba ganoush and tzatziki. Once empty dishes were removed, allowing for more table real estate, the sobremesa concluded with the fi nal two plates: the Tortilla Española, a slice of tradi- tional Spanish omelet consisting of caramel- ized onion and potato; and a fragrant steak skewer with grilled NY strip accompanied by a chimichurri sauce containing a slight red-pepper kick. As the menu evolves and changes over time, the quality and locally sourced in- gredients will remain a core theme. “[We enjoy] getting to learn about what can be done simply but with a lot of love and care to make it special,” explains Carl. “It’s not about being complicated or elaborate; it’s just about using quality products from as many local providers as possible and handling them with care.” With the backdrop of a sunset behind the beautiful Colorado mountains, sobremesa at Decent Bagel is a memorable — and fi lling — experience. Decent Bagel is located at 95 East 1st Street in Nederland. It serves bagels from 6:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. Thursday to Monday, pasta from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, and the sobremesa menu from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For informa- tion and reservations, visit decentbagel.com. APRIL 21-27, 2022 WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | westword.com STACI BERRY
