** We’re sad to report that Max’s closed its location in Denver in 2020. We’ll miss their delicious food and sense of fun. **
We hate to admit it but we keep forgetting about Max’s Wine Dive! Yet every time we go there, we kick ourselves and say “We have GOT to remember this place, it’s so good!” And we vow to tell various friends and family that we should meet there soon for happy hour, dinner, or weekend brunch. Oh, that weekend brunch!
We recently visited (yay, we remembered!) to check out their new brunch offerings, having gone a little gonzo over them a while back. What would they whip up now, putting their twists on classics?
Here’s what we discovered/devoured on our recent visit.
Crispy Deviled Eggs give a whole new experience for fans of the retro appetizer. Max’s fries egg whites coated in potato flake, then fills them with egg yolk blended with mayo, mustard, housemade pickles and their dill aioli. You can add smoked salmon crabmeat for an additional charge. They were a tasty, fun mingling of a Scotch Egg and the picnic classic.
Candied Bacon, because, well, bacon and the PB & J Monte Cristo Bites. The bacon is spicy and sticky and the Bites are not your Momma’s school lunch standby! The sandwich is dipped in funnel cake batter(!) and fried, sprinkled with powdered sugar. It’s comfort food to the…Max.
Keep your Bottomless Mimosa at-the-ready because the not-overly-sweet drink is the perfect foil to this rich food, serving as a palette cleanser between bites.
This is what other Avocado Toasts want to grow up to be. The Avocado Crab Toast is hot buttered crab, tomato, jalapeno, herbs, smashed avocado and garlic nestled on an ample slice of sourdough bread. A very nice extra is the baby arugula salad with orange and grapefruit segments with a bright, citrusy dressing. This is a dish you can feel very good about eating.
In contrast, you might feel really bad about yourself for having eaten this dish. But it’s so good, you should totally forgive yourself. We give you permission to dive in! The Honey Butter Chicken Benedict takes the silly old slice of Canadian bacon you usually find and slaps on a piece of boneless fried chicken. Bam! Then they gently spoon on a couple of poached eggs and a ladling of black pepper gravy and call it good. So good. The only negative for us were the potatoes that just didn’t do anything for us. With a biscuit, fried chicken and gravy on the plate, a nice side salad (in a separate bowl) would have balanced it out nicely.
Other items from the new brunch menu include a Fried Egg Sandwich, Creme Brûlée French Toast, Denver Omelette Sandwich, Birthday Cake (batter) Fritters, and a Smoked Salmon Board.
Don’t make the mistake we did and forget about Max’s Wine Dive! With great service, consistently good food and something new to try all the time, it should be your go-to, your “Should we go to Max’s again?” fave.
Brunch is available Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm. Max’s Wine Dive is located at 696 Sherman St., Denver, in the Governor’s Park neighborhood.
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