Back in September I enjoyed one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life (thanks to my lovely parents who were helping me move me in). The meal consisted of several shared plates, drinks, and an excellent dessert. I experienced this unforgettable dinner at Acorn, located in Denver’s River North Art District.
Acorn lies within The Source, a trendy market/food court that resides in an old brick building from the 1880’s. Other than Acorn, you can find a bakery, a flower shop, a coffee roaster, a brewery, a taco joint, and an eclectic mix of other shops. For more must-visit Denver food courts, check out this awesome article.
So not only do you feel extremely hip being in an old warehouse in one of Denver’s trendiest areas, but you’ll enjoy truly tasty, locally sourced food at reasonable prices- every dish is $15 or under. Counting on locally sourced food, Acorn’s menu changes every week so some of the things I enjoyed aren’t necessarily offered right now. But I can promise you that every single dish is perfected to a T.
First up: dranks
We started off with some drinks, of course. According to Acorn’s website, one of the owner’s, Bryan Dayton, is a renowned bartender and sommelier.
Espresso stout for my dad and peach soda for me… #under21life
Main Dishes
Acorn uses the ever-popular shared plates style of dining so we ordered five different dishes to share.
This kale and apple salad was perfection. Not going to lie, I am not the biggest salad fan but the one’s I love are finely chopped and very simple. A nice touch to the salad was the sprinkle of togarashi: a spicy Japanese spice mix. It added a salty kick that balanced the sweetness from the apples and candied almonds.
Sushi is my weakness, so this hamachi (yellowtail) crudo with chunks of avocado chilis was all I could ask for.
Who knew carrots could taste this good? These ones hail from Red Wagon Farm located in Boulder, CO and were roasted in Acorn’s oak fired oven. And, to our delight, hidden underneath the carrots are dollops of burrata.
This crispy Icelandic cod brings fried fish to a whole new level. Paired with peanuts and cucumbers, of all ingredients, made it unlike anything I’d tasted before.
Not pictured were the oak oven roasted clams that were possibly the best I’ve eaten. Trust me, if those are on the menu, order them.
Dessert
Ok… this peanut butter-y, caramel, popcorn, marshmallow, ice cream concoction might be too much for some people. I am not one of those people. This was insanely good and I think I might go back just to have five more of them.
So next time your parents are in town and want to treat you to dinner, or if you just want to treat yo’ self, you know where to go for a superbly good meal.