The former, but beloved, Irish pub just off of Quebec Street and E. 29th Avenue in the Central Park neighborhood, had been gone for years. Nothing was going into the space and it was becoming an eyesore. When word went out that Lady Nomada would be taking it over, the neighborhood rejoiced. Frankly, I think it could have been just about any kind of restaurant and it would have been welcomed just to get something in there. As good fortune would have it, Lady Nomada not only brought new life to the space, it brought excellent food and a bright, light, fun vibe.
This Central Park location is Lady Nomada’s third, joining Olde Town Arvada and the Belmar Shopping District in Lakewood – nicely distributed!
Under the space’s Irish pub days, the décor was, as you’d expect, dark, heavy, leather-and-wood-laden. Lady Nomada, by contrast, made the front-facing windows full glass garage doors to let the outside in during warm weather. The dark wood, heavy bar against one wall became a lighter one in the center, providing additional seating, the better to watch creative drinks being made. Huge, hanging wire and macrame light fixtures replaced dusty brass ones. Light colors, art and decorator items complete the easy breezy, coastal vibe. A spacious wrap-around patio is augmented by a gorgeous mural of an almost mystical beauty on the Quebec side wall. She beckons diners in like a siren.
Sensing that we were having a hard time deciding between so many good-sounding items, our server offered to share his favorites. We took ‘em all!
As he set down the complimentary chips and addictive salsa, we ordered the Spicy Mezcal ($14) with La Luna mezcal, triple sec, muddled serrano and orange peel and the Zero Proof Coco No Loco ($8) with coconut, pineapple, passion fruit syrup, lime and agave. Good choices after we told our server we didn’t want anything too sweet.
From the Starters menu, our guide said the Street Corn and Birria Fries were really good but that he was partial to the Mini Chile Rellenos ($13) with roasted green chiles, jack & cheddar cheese and guajillo ranch for dipping. He said, “I don’t know what all they put in that sauce but I could seriously just drink it!” I was expecting little finger-size rellenos since they were an appetizer and, afterall, had “Mini” in their name. But they were pretty large, actually. We realized immediately that if we had more than ½ each, we wouldn’t be able to finish our entrees. They were delicious though, filled with spicy, melty, cheesiness. And that sauce was amazing but order that app for three or more people.
When we go out, one of us will often order a salad and the other orders a heartier entrée. Then we do halvsies just to keep the calorie impact lower. While Lady Nomada does have salads, after seeing some of the other menu items, we said “To hell with that! We’ll eat veggies later.”
Again, with some steering from our server, we ordered the Double Decker Taco Plate ($19) with carne asada, black bean puree, lettuce, Monterey jack cheese, guajillo ranch, pico on a crunchy corn tortilla, then wrapped soft flour tortilla. They were served with rice and ranchero beans that were very good and not incidental plate-filler like in other places. The rice was especially good and we learned that some butter and lime juice are part of the secret.
The other entrée we ordered was the Nomada’s Best of Plate ($23) with a birria taco, chicken enchilada and crispy carnitas, served with rice and beans. I mean, how can you pass up something named “Best of” when you’re having a hard time choosing between all the good-sounding items?
Both entrees were winners. The Double Decker Taco Plate’s carne asada was so tender and full of flavor. And that guajillo ranch made an appearance again from the Mini Chile Rellenos, perfect to drizzle over the tacos.
The Nomada’s Best of Plate’s best elements were the birria taco and consume that wasn’t overly salty and the crispy carnitas. One bite and my husband said, “You HAVE to try this!” He was right (as he often is, but don’t tell him I said that). It was that ideal combination of tender and moist meat with crispy bits that makes carnitas my go-to. Mmmmm!
We’d intended to only eat half of everything and take the rest home for leftovers but, when it came to our entrees, we just couldn’t do it. They were too good. So, we passed on dessert.
Just kidding! Do you even know us? We ordered the Churros because only this location has them. You can get Tres Leches Cake at the Belmar and Arvada locations-only. But you can get a Ghirardelli Chocolate Brownie at all locations. So, how could we not try the dessert that can only be found at the new Central Park location?
Ironically, the churros were more the size I was expecting the Mini Chile Rellenos appetizer to be but they were just the right size. Presented Lincoln Log-style, (or is it tik tack toe?) they were served with a little dish of chocolate sauce and one of dulce de leche sauce. Our server, providing guidance to the end, said he loves to dip a churro in one sauce and then the other to get a combo. “Go ahead, double-dip,” he said, like we needed permission. That was our plan all along! Crispier than usual, the churros’ texture was a nice foil to the creamy sauces.
A bit about restaurant servers: I wish I remembered our server’s name so I could recommend him here. He was great – chattier than most but in a way that was engaging, built a connection with us and provided very accurate guidance for menu items. I’m always surprised when I ask a server for their recommendations when I’m waffling between a couple of items and they say, “Oh, you know, I don’t know, I haven’t really eaten anything here.” What?! Every restaurant should make sure their staff has gotten to taste everything on the menu so they can speak to items knowledgeably and with personal experience. By contrast, when a server tells me something is their favorite and that they take it home with them on a regular basis, that’s what I want to hear. Our server at Lady Nomada gave us great recommendations and tips for what to order next time. And there will be a next time!
No matter what the weather, it’s always sunny and beachy at Lady Nomada. It’s a welcome addition to east Denver and the Central Park neighborhood.
Lady Nomada is located at 7301 E. 29th Ave. in Denver.
-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, In Good Taste Denver
Please note, as is common practice in our industry, we were hosted for this dining experience to help facilitate this article. However, as is always our policy, our opinions are our own and are for the purpose of informing our readers.
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