Telegraph Neighborhood Bistro & Bar
Coffee
Salted Peanut Butter and Cocoa Nib Donuts
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffle – Candied Butternut Squash, Smoked Bourbon Maple, Pumpkin Seed, Housemade Vanilla Marshmallow, Fried Sage
Mixed Greens – Pickled Strawberry, Hazelnut, Cornbread, Green Goddess
Flatbread – Apple Butter, Chicken Confit, Egg, Pickled Onion, Apple, Chervil, Cheddar
French Toast – Cornbread, Mixed Berry Mint Jam, Candied Pecans, Vanilla Ice Cream, Candied Bacon
Open for just over four months, the corner spot at East Alameda Avenue and South Pennsylvania Street recently taken over by Chris Sargent of Brazen Restaurant in Berkeley, Telegraph Neighborhood Bistro & Bar had been generating a lot of buzz amongst locals and selected for brunch with two Vegetarian friends the meal could not have been better executed, the upscale American cuisine every bit as delicious as it was creative and well priced.
Featuring a talented kitchen with staff having honed their skills at local legends like Linger and Rioja, Telegraph offers several menus that vary from brunch to lunch to dinner and arriving just after 11am to find the two-room space largely empty it was with questions answered and accommodations made that five items were coursed out casually, coffee refills continuous while share plates were refreshed frequently.
Happy to see old friends, the waiter never once interrupting conversation despite the fact that ordering took time with the meal eventually stretching nearly two-hours, round one featured a daily special of two lightly fried donuts that avoided the trappings of overwhelming sweetness through a combination of peanut butter and cocoa nibs, the follow-up plate of waffles an absolute steal at just $6 with the candied butternut squash and seeds offering a pleasant back-and-forth with the semi-savory waffle and other toppings that trended expectedly sweet.
Next putting all the crisp and juicy chicken on one side of an elongated pizza topped in pickled onions, chopped fruit, and chervil with a smear of apple butter juxtaposing sharp cheddar beneath a crowning egg, suffice it to say that the omnivorous are benefited greatly in the case of a dish where the balance of sweet and savory is assuredly part of the equation and although my friends not quite as impressed by the flatbread as I was the both beamed about the accommodations made as the kitchen worked feverishly to keep up with a now-packed room.
Going to notable lengths to offer even the housemade marshmallow on only half of the waffle, the vegetarian-friendly mixed greens arrived after a short wait and with conversation still flowing the subtle Asian notes imparted were a fascinating use of Green Goddess with pickled berries and crumbled cornbread, the golden loaves finding even more utility when featured as the custard infused base to Telegraph’s French Toast, the modified plating seeing three slices topped individually with mixed berry jam, sugar crusted pralines and vanilla ice cream with candied bacon on the side.
Truly a memorable brunch, our middle-aged male server clever and quick to make jokes while food runners were equally amusing even as we poked fun at a small misquote when delivering the donuts, Telegraph stands out as a true “Neighborhood” spot with high aspirations and serious kitchen credentials, a rarity in the day of dogmatic menus where Chefs dictate “no modifications or substitutions” as though ego, rather than customer satisfaction, is the name of the game.
http://telegraphdenver.com/
