Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
Coda Coffee
Green Chile Goat Cheese Cornbread with Fennel Honey Butter
Bourbon Sticky Bun with Pecans and Crème Anglaise
Monte Cristo Remix with Black Forest Ham, Turkey, Smoked Cherry Moustarda, Gruyere, Sunny Side Egg, Fries, Spiced Syrup, and Chipotle Ketchup
Chicken and Waffles with Lavash Crusted Chicken Thigh, Mashed Potato Waffles, Apple Butter, Bacon Brussels Sprout Slaw, Chili Honey
Crème Brulee French Toast with Challah Bun, Moscato Poached Strawberries, Mascarpone, Basil
Bourbon Smoked Caramels and Butterscotch Pudding with Banana Cream, Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce, Candied Walnuts, Housemade Nilla Wafer
Housed in a multi-level historic brothel with ownership by the brains behind Root Down and Linger, Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox was targeted for brunch on arrival to Denver and amidst a setting quite unlike any other it was no surprise that the restaurant itself is as much about the experience as it is the food, the severely slow coffee refills a small smudge on an otherwise shining meal.
At times a concert venue, otherwise showing everything from kitsch Kung-Fu films to The Superbowl on an enormous screen hanging high above the ground floor, it was at a narrow countertop that I was seated shortly after arrival and finding comfort in the highbacked leather barstools it was not long before a young lady greeted me, menu presented along with a cocktail list provided by Viewmaster.
Following a trend typical to restaurants of its ilk, clever cocktails, mimosas and bloody Marys served alongside improvised takes on classic diner fare, any midday meal at the Electric Soapbox should undoubtedly begin with Coffee from nearby Coda and although refills may be hard to come by as the place gets busy, have no doubt the rich roast is worth the wait, a gentle fruity basenote pairing particularly well with sweeter fare.
Recently updating the seasonal menu, some dinner carryover to lunch but mostly novel with a small-plates sharing focus, brunch was divided into three courses consisting of seven options, the first a trio of lightly spiced cornbread with a creamy goat cheese core alongside a panini-pressed Monte Cristo plus a showstopping Cinnamon Sticky Bun with Bourbon Caramel still bubbling in cast iron as Crème Anglaise was added to mellow the sweetness and cool the pastry enough to eat.
Chatting with the General Manager about the space, the team involved and the Denver dining scene as a whole, it was hot-on-the-heels of round one that part two of the meal would arrive and already impressed by the crispness of hand-cut frites served with the deep-fried sandwich the crunchy coating overlying a pair of juicy chicken thighs was equally appealing, the potato based waffle a forgivingly light when topped with inspired accoutrements while the cast-iron French Toast ate much like a souffle’d bread pudding, the mascarpone and boozy berries absolutely indulgent.
Actually unaware that dessert was available at lunch when originally formulating the order I’d half-debated forgoing a look at the menu for fear of overdoing it so early in the trip, but unable to resist temptation it was perhaps fortuitous that only one of the three offerings seemed to be calling and accompanied by a single smoky caramel, other flavors available at Root Down and Linger, the “Butterscotch Pudding” was served in a jar as an elegant upgrade on the Banana-based Southern Classic, the Candied Walnuts and housemade Nilla Wafer adding texture to the sweet, creamy layers.
