Walking into Ash and Agave, with its warm, earthy tones, augmented by turquoise blue touches took me back to the last time I’d been in that space. It was a long time ago, when California Pizza Kitchen was still there, holding court on the north side of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Have there been other restaurants in that space in between? Maybe – I just hadn’t ventured there. But Ash and Agave offers good reasons to go, joining hungry mall shoppers and a steady flow of Cherry Creek locals.
One of the first thigs I noticed upon entering is the “uniform” the hostess and servers wear – a comfortable-looking (I hope so for their sake) shirt or shirt-waist dress in terracotta with decorative stitching. It’s the first indication that a lot of thought and intentionality has gone into the place. Comfortable seating and a rough-textured brick wall are augmented by cactus and succulents throughout. It all encourages guests to settle in for the southwestern/Mexican flavor to come.
Despite having opened in early April, and since our visit to Ash and Agave later that month, the menu has undergone a refresh. That has meant that some of the items we ordered are no longer on the menu, for better or worse.
The meal started with a complimentary basket of tortilla chips and a trio of salsas. I’m impressed that they offer this for free because it’s special enough to warrant some bucks. Both the chips and the salsas were so good, we had to remind ourselves to stop, lest we spoil our appetites for our meal.
I ordered the Flor de Fuego cocktail ($15) a creative, pretty pink thing with Weber Ranch agave vodka, Jalisco orange liqueur, lavender, pomegranate and lime. Other cocktails include the Paloma Negra and either Standard, Fruit or Toasted Coconut Margs, each of which is made with 100% blue agave Lunazul tequila, fresh lime and pure agave syrup. There’s also a strong cava/champagne, beer and wine menu. Plus, as the name would imply, there’s a separate section of the menu devoted to Mezcal and other agaves including flights.
Whistle wet, we were ready to dive into the menu. Our server recommended what is now called the Sweet Corn Fritters ($11). Previously called Maizitos, I’d imagine not enough people got a sense of what they were from that name to want to order them. But, it turns out, they are fantastic so, if “Sweet Corn Fritters” is more obvious and enticing, the name change is a good thing. Resembling funnel cake or spaetzle in looks, the fried wiggles of dough with whole corn kernels peering out, is drizzled with ancho chile honey and cotija cheese for sweet, heat and salt. Fun to eat and share, the fritters are addictive and delicious. Don’t miss them!
Other starters include Raw Bar items ($11-$19) like Baja Fresh Oysters, Veracruz Lobster Ceviche and an Octopus Tostada. With the suggestion to “fork around and find out,” other shareables ($11-$19) include Al Pastor Skewers, Guacamole with cheesy chips and Wood-Grilled Oysters served in chiltepin butter with cilantro. On the previous version of the menu, there was a “side” of wood-grilled oysters, cauliflower and roasted carrots that was terrific. No longer a general side, that dish can be had in the Coal Roasted Vegetable Taco – yum!
Ash and Agave also has a decent Salads selection ($16-$25) including a Wood-Grilled “Caesar” with poblano dressing to which you can add rotisserie chicken or shrimp; an Emerald Kale & Salmon Salad with tabbouleh, those coal-roasted vegetables, dried cherry and green herb yogurt vinaigrette. I like the way the restaurant includes their wood-fire core in a variety of ways, including in salad.
My husband’s seafood enchilada entrée is no longer an option on the menu and it’s just as well. I’m only torturing you by mentioning it because he wasn’t a fan of it but I was. That’s just to say, it’s good to share things with your dining companions because one of you might like something better than the other person. A stronger option has remained on the menu, thankfully. The Beef Short Rib Barbacoa ($38) is a big hunk of meat with a whole lot of flavor. At first, I was a little put off because most of the short rib dishes I’ve had were prepared sous vide, cooked long and slow in a water bath, resulting in super-tender texture. Ash and Agave’s version is more like what a home cook would do (and what my grandmother certainly did), cooking it low and slow in the oven, resulting in something that’s tender but still needs to be sliced, more like a steak. I suggest pinching a piece of the meat in some tortilla and taking a big swipe through the salsa guajillo sauce to really appreciate its rich flavor.
The flour tortillas come in a paper bag to keep them steamy and soft, anchored by a bowl of Verde Rice (green from a variety of flavorful herbs) and the best beans I’ve ever had! I could have made a meal out of those two sides and been quite happy. The Pork Charro Beans were smoky (but not overly), meaty and just the right texture. Mmmm! I’m taken right back to the flavor just writing about them and am hankering another fix. Not every entrée comes with those sides but I’d recommend making your entrée choice based on whether or not it comes with them – or ask if you can purchase a little bowl of them. Yes, they are that good!
Other entrée items ($22-$42) include Pork Carnitas, Lamb Rack & Gaucho Sausage, Pacific Sea Bass a la Veracruz, an El Burger and Coal-Roasted Sweet Potato Enchiladas with a cashew crema.
Ash and Agave also has tacos ($22-$25), served two per order with that yummy verde rice and pork charro beans. Consider the Gaucho (skirt steak), Pollo Asado, Spicy Shrimp and Coal-Roasted Vegetable (remember the mushroom/veggie melange from above?).
With the menu revamp has come a Casa Birria section, their house take on birria tacos that come three to an order ($26-$32). The options are Quesabirria with braised short rib, Quesalangosta with buttered lobster and Quesahongos with roasted mushrooms. I really appreciate Ash and Agave’s commitment to offering vegetable-forward items throughout the menu. Another example of their intentionality.
We were very full at this point but, out of our commitment to you, dear In Good Taste readers, we split a dessert just to be able to speak to that part of the menu. Options included Coconut Sorbet or Cotija Gelato, House Made Churros, Cheesecake and Flan ($9-$11) but we chose the Chocolate Tres Leches Cake because this chocoholic liked the sounds of a chocolate version of the Mexican classic. True to its heritage, this cake was moist and dense due to multiple (three to be exact) kinds of milk product, making it a blending of sheet cake and custard. The addition of chocolate to Ash and Agave’s was a nice one, leaning more towards a light milk chocolate flavor, accented by espresso crema and chocolate shavings. Dense as it was, I suggest sharing.
Ash and Agave is from the folks who also own Oliver’s Italian and Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood, a group with an awesome name, Shucking Good Hospitality. Despite a ton of buzz upon their opening, and probably because they are a restaurant group with a lot of experience, it’s admirable that they’ve already done a menu refresh. That tells me they’ve looked at what does and doesn’t work and are willing to learn and make adjustments, which takes guts. I wish them luck and implore them to never take those beans off the menu!
Ash and Agave is located in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center’s lower level near Neiman Marcus, at 3000 E. 1st Avenue. They are open for lunch, dinner and weekday happy hour. Learn more and see all of their menus on their website.
-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, InGoodTasteDenver.com
Please note, as is common practice in our industry, we were hosted for our visit. But as is always our policy, our opinions remain our own, honest and true, for the purpose of informing our readers.
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