Highlands Garden Café in Denver Colorado

Highlands Garden Café

Address: 3927 W. 32nd Ave.

Cross Streets: W. 32nd Ave. and Perry

Phone: 303-458-5920

Price: $$$$

Reservations: Yes

Hours: B-L-D:Daily, BR-D:Sat-Sun

Imagine a restaurant more beautiful than many homes, with grounds that rival those of the Botanic Gardens. Add perfect food, wine and service and you have Highlands Garden Cafe. Chef/owner Patricia Perry has come a long way from her first miniscule spot on East 6th Avenue. With the help of husband Chuck, she heads the kitchen, tends the gardens and oversees every detail of the wine list. Inside, enjoy the ambience of lovely wood floors, murals, stained-glass windows and fireplaces in the two houses that have been joined together. Outside, sit in one of the secluded gardens to take in the scenery as you delight in the meal. Start with crab cakes, mussels with tomato and basil, sweetbreads with mushrooms or escargot with wine. Salads are as beautiful as the flower arrangements and feature top greens, cheeses, nuts and more. Two examples are baby spinach with bacon, tomato, mushrooms and red onion; and pear with sherried walnuts, Saga blue cheese and mixed endives in sherry vinaigrette. It's hard to decide on an entrée, as the dozens of selections change weekly and all tantalize. Halibut with ceviche and avocado salad, pan-seared trout with almonds and sage butter, blackened sea bass and swordfish top the fish offerings. In summer months, indulge in the New England clambake. Quail with tomatoes, olives and fresh mozzarella salad, beef tenderloin with blue cheese, rack of lamb, and pheasant with savory cherry jam and St. Andre cheese also appear on the extensive menu. Every entrée perfectly balances delicate flavors and tastes. Marvelous desserts include crisps, crêpes, brownies, chocolate mousse and ice cream. The wine list is amazing, and prices by the glass or by the bottle are impressive. Breakfast is now served daily, and weekend brunches are the best in town. Sunday-night-special dinners feature a three-course meal for $26.50 per person. Private parties of any size can be accommodated, and there is even a day set aside for senior lunches. A visit to Highlands Garden Café is as special as an evening can be.