The Tocabe Experience

I found my way to the Tocabe restaurant in Denver yesterday, as planned.  If you didn't read yesterday's blog, I was on a mission, serving as my brother's surrogate after he had seen this eatery featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  He sent me $20 to suss out the restaurant after an appointment with my glaucoma specialist in a southern suburb of Denver.  [Pressure was 17 in both eyes so current prescriptions are working and I don't have to go back until June].

The driving directions I had printed off on Google were easy to follow and led me, without hitch, directly to the restaurant at 3536 W. 44th Ave. 

The restaurant is in an interesting neighborhood.  During my drive from I-25, I passed through the Harkness Heights Neighborhood, established in 1903.  When I looked up their website, I found:

The neighborhood of Harkness Heights, located in northwest Denver between Federal and Lowell Boulevards and West 41st and 44th Avenues, is undoubtedly Denver's finest place to live. Founded in 1903, Harkness Heights is chock full of funky, fun-loving neighbors who love to get together, eat, drink, play music and chat about the world's goings on. Whether gathering at the annual summer picnic, on the front porch over hot cocoa during the Luminaria Walk, or around the kitchen table, these folks really know what it means to love thy neighbor.

 Just down the block and around the corner from the restaurant, I snapped this photo, typical of the area:

As often as I visited Colorado before moving here, I rarely spent any time in Denver.  This whole experience left me pining for Chicago with which there is a strong resemblance.

This is the front door of the restaurant:

One of the owners, with whom I chatted briefly, said the three hands represent the three Osage tribe bands: the Pahatsi or Great Osage, Utsehta or Little Osage, and Santsukhdhi or Arkansas band.  I wasn't taking notes during our discussion and got the names of the three bands from the Access Genealogy website. 

The three-hand logo also is used in the restaurant's interior decoration:

The palms of the hands are filled with acrylic and illuminated from behind.  The young man with whom I spoke, in partnership with a friend, both from Oklahoma, said the restaurant, which had a rather Oriental ambience, had been totally redecorated for their restaurant.

The candles in this wall are illuminated at night.  I think I would look forward to visiting again on a summer evening when all the lights are ablaze and the small patio, which you can see in the first photo, is packed with diners.

On to the food.  Here is a shot of the menu...



...and Guy's (Fieri) Menu (Sorry about the flash.  Should have taken without.  I had just eaten and was half comatose):

I had explained to the owner, who was preparing and serving when I came in, that I was visiting on behalf of my brother who lived in Tacoma and had seen the restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  Turned out his girlfriend had gone to school in the area so he was familiar with both Tacoma and Seattle.  On his recommendation, I had the ground bison Indian Taco with all the toppings and an interesting prickly pear soft drink.  The hominy salsa was one of the toppings:

With no breakfast and no lunch, I was able to consume about three-fourths of this at around 3 p.m. and the melange of flavors was very good.  The fry bread had a touch of sweetness that I don't remember the only other fry bread I've tasted having.  I would have been interested in tasting the seasoned ground bison by itself.  An option was shredded bison that looked sort of like barbeque.  Next time I'd probably try the ribs or stew with some sides so the flavors were more distinct.

As usual, I did not get out of Denver without getting lost.  I have always had a good sense of direction, but of all of the places I've driven, I have been lost in Denver the most.  I think some of its major streets don't run true north and south although I really need to study a map.  I tried to retrace my route back to I-25 and somehow got on I-70 west, which also bordered this neighborhood.  I knew I didn't want to go to Grand Junction, Vail, or Aspen [Well, maybe I wouldn't have minded if someone else had been paying, but it also was not my intended itinerary], so I just lucked out and turned onto, I think it was 121 North, and it went through Arvada and eventually merged with I-36 just south of Boulder.  Who knew?  As long as the sun was out and I could see the mountains I knew I was headed in the right direction, so wasn't too worried. 

What have you overeaten recently and did you regain your direction afterward?  Teddee