Incredible staff, strong drink, good food, and prime people-watching are the things that make a good bar great.  The Cheeky Monk on Colfax has those in spades.

Off the Vine is a much needed addition to my neck of the woods. Located in the South Englewood area, across from Swedish Medical Center, this small bistro is cute and full of charm. Patio tables line the outside of this corner spot and the interior is an inviting mish-mash of lacquered wooden table and chairs in purples, greens and yellows.

Sushi Hai is located in a very popular area in the Denver Highlands, at 32rd and Lowell, right in the heart of the action.  Despite trying to get in three times, I discovered that when a restaurant is this popular, third time isn’t necessarily a charm.  Determined to give Hai a try, however, I made a fourth go at it and finally got a table.  Even on Thursday night, the place was packed.

Encore on Colfax is located in the old Lowenstein Complex that now also houses Tattered Cover Bookstore.  The narrow room is long and modern, with classy marble bar and neat paintings of Denver street corners hung up everywhere.  The patio is lovely, with long linen curtains draped over the railing, and makes you feel like you’re no longer sitting on gritty Colfax Ave.

India House Is located in an interesting building in LoDo…French doors open up to a small street patio and the dining tables near the front of the restaurant perch awkwardly on a hollow platform that vibrates as waiters stomp over the carpeted floor. On a semi-busy Saturday night, we came upon India house and decided to try it because 1. we love Indian, and 2. it looked like a nice establishment.

I have been to the rooftop terrace opening party at Tamayo for the last five years in a row and have always been impressed with it. The terrace is something like you would see in Tuscany; a rooftop garden patio with slabs of redstone and wide wooden benches to sit on in and bask in the sun. In previous years, upon arriving at 5 p.m., I could grab a seat and wait for the trays of botanas (bite-size appetizers) and margaritas to come around by the smiling staff.

Rack and Rye is a gastropub in LoDo. Gastropubs, as stated in my review about Argyll in Cherry Creek, are based around culinary experiences in a pub setting. Rack and Rye is certainly more affordable than Argyll, although I found both the service and the atmosphere at Rack and Rye to be somewhat lacking. The food, however, was quite tasty.

I would not recommend The Park Tavern for anything besides, maybe, karaoke on Mondays. The service is so horrendous that I don't even think the three minute walk from my friend's house is worth it. And from what I could tell, parking is a nightmare if it's busy.

You’ll never go to Sushi Basho for the ambience; it kind of feels like you’re in someone’s living room, observing their half-hearted attempt at Asian décor.  What Basho lacks in elegance, however, it makes up for in just plain tasty sushi.

California Café is located inside of the Park Meadows Mall, away from the food court, and is a full-blown restaurant.  Tastefully decorated and elegant, our first impression was that the menu was surprisingly underpriced for the ambiance.  That ended quickly though, once our entrees arrived.