A popular and established restaurant in Aspen has sent its sister concept. Ajax Downtown, to Denver. See what writer Ron Stern discovered when he visited.
Ajax Downtown, a sister property to the Ajax Tavern inside Aspen’s Little Nell Hotel, represents the tastiest addition to the gastronomic scene in Denver’s Union Station Neighborhood. Located on the lower level of the Limelight Denver Hotel, this restaurant features modern American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The newly designed space is a comfortably casual respite for hotel guests, locals, and tourists alike. Employing a live-fire approach to cooking as well as some truly creative menu offerings, Ajax Downtown is generating quite a culinary buzz in the Mile High City.
An overnight stay at the Limelight Hotel would provide an ideal location from which to explore Denver. It’s within easy walking distance of some of the most popular venues like Union Station, Coors Field and the 16th Street Mall.
The interior is clean, open, and bright with elements drawn from Aspen’s Ajax Tavern such as their distinctive plush red banquettes. The colorful blue-gray walls, textured window coverings and whimsical overhead lighting exude a cool, relaxed vibe. “We worked hard to ensure that Ajax Downtown’s interior is like nothing else in Denver,” said designer Nina Gotlieb. “The space is cozy but experimental, meant to envelop the guest with hidden details to be discovered…”
The bar sits adjacent to the dining area where you can sample some pre-meal cocktails, craft beers, or wines. The “live fire” ethos even extends here with signature spirits such as lemon cordial prepared from charred, spent lemon husks. One of their signatures is a smoke-infused cocktail called the Beast of Bourbon ($20), prepared with Woody Creek Ajax, dry-aged ribeye fat, maple, black walnut and oak. This is a lively spot at night where you can enjoy an adult beverage while people-watching along the bustling pedestrian mall.
Executive Chef Jared Becker sources from nearby purveyors to ensure the freshest ingredients are integrated into his dishes which are all made in-house. He and his staff developed a menu influenced by recipes drawn from childhood memories, other chefs, and even their vast collection of cookbooks. His novel cooking approach using Josper live fire charcoal grills means that the embers come into contact with “most items…from salads to desserts.” The result is an eclectic, palette-pleasing menu that you will only find here.
Coming at lunchtime, I started by sampling their Farm Salad ($15) prepared with Esoterra Farm greens, shaved vegetables, sesame seeds and an herb vinaigrette. This is a light, flavorful salad enhanced by its use of locally-sourced ingredients and seasonal herbs.
I followed it up with their Pate + Foie ($24). This appetizer came loaded with chicken liver pâté, foie gatzatua, pickled vegetables, fruit compote and a generous portion of grilled ciabatta. Enough for two, it was quite filling and delicious.
For my entrée, I went with their signature Chili-Smoked Pork Sandwich ($24). The lovely combination of ingredients included sweet Jimmy Nardello peppers, pickled onions, Fresno chili peppers with Kosho aioli and house-made hot sauce. I could see why this is a local favorite being sweet, tangy and with a little heat. Paired with some wonderfully crunchy battered rosemary fries, they rounded out this excellent meal.
For dessert, something on the menu instantly aroused my culinary senses-Baked Alaska ($16). It had been years since I had one, the last time being on a cruise ship accompanied by a conga line. But this wasn’t your “typical” Baked Alaska as it was made using unusual ingredients like prickly pear and calamansi sorbets, almond cake, black sesame, Swiss meringue, and rum. Whoa!
Proudly delivered flaming to my table by pastry chef Gaby Navas, I began to appreciate the passion and creativity that goes into every dish at Ajax. Cutting into this revealed an eye-popping fuchsia-hued sorbet that tasted as good as it looked. When asked about her choice of ingredients, she simply replied, “I like the color combination and flavor profile.” I completely agree, and my advice is to not leave without sampling this decadent dessert.
The breakfast menu is equally impressive with hard-to-find items like duck hash and Dutch baby pancakes. Dinner includes titillating offerings such as coal simmered bangs island mussels, 48 oz. Tomahawk Steaks, and roasted duck breast.
Whether your gastronomic aspirations trend toward sweet or savory, this eatery will surely satisfy your cravings. What’s even better is you don’t have to drive to Aspen to experience the same sort of ambiance and culinary pleasures. They all await at Ajax Downtown.
The restaurant is located at 1899 16th Street, Denver, CO 8O2O2. To learn more about Ajax Downtown, visit their website.
-Story and photos by Ron Stern
Please note: As is common practice in our industry, Ron was hosted for his visit but this does not, in any way, affect our opinions or our goal to bring our readers information they can use.
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