Since Black Eye Coffee’s {800 Sherman Street, Denver; 303.955.1205} second location opened in Capitol Hill eight months ago, it’s been living with a deliciously big secret. That secret’s a fabulous dinner/late night menu and cocktail program that opens up when the coffee shop closes down. And while the plan to roll this all out has been in the mix since the very beginning, the team decided to stagger the launches of these two very separate offerings.
“White Lies… plays on the hedonistic lifestyle of poets who produce moving, beautiful pieces of literature or poetry, but have notoriously bad habits,” says Steven Waters, one of Black Eye’s five owners.
We stopped in to pick up a few bad habits of our own, beginning with a well-crafted $10 cocktail list. And with options like the White Witchcraft—a tequila-forward cocktail that features lemon verbena syrup and activated charcoal for coloring—and the Pink, Small, and Punctual—with mezcal, pluot syrup, and fresh lemon—we can’t help but say that there’s little to no shame in our indulgences.
And when you gander at the menu and still don’t know what to try, simply tell your server your likes and dislikes and have them make decisions for you. Our recos, you ask?
Beignets with foie gras and rhubarb are the sweet, meaty donuts we never knew we needed. These are the definition of sweet and savory, with a foie gras/jam dipping mixture underneath the donuts and a dehydrated foie gras dusting on top.
The Summer Garden appetizer is a fresh medley of grilled eggplant, heirloom tomato, zucchini, and burrata. A note to the world: the tomato jam served on the side really needs to be bottled and sold.
Duck and Pie proved an inventive entrée, with a mashup of perfectly cooked, crispy-skinned duck paired with delicate elderberry pie slices and a vanilla fennel cream. The magic here really comes in how the duck is prepared—first sous vide, then seared.
For dessert, the deconstructed Panna Cotta is a lovely choice that melds a variety of textures and flavors. We especially loved the hibiscus sorbet and spicy mango chunks.
By Alexis Methven
Photography by Dylan Osborne
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