It’s not who you want to spend Friday night with, it’s who you want to spend all day Saturday with. -Friends With Benefits (2011)
In the dating game of restaurants, there are the total duds and there are the short term flings. And then, there are those long romances. The ones you let see you without makeup, the ones where the Tuesday nights seem even better than the Fridays and hours pass in minutes.
We’ve only been out twice, but I can tell that P17 is in it for the long haul.
P17’s appetizer list is plentiful, perfect for sharing among friends. The fresh-from-the-oven, steaming gougères are the ultimate comfort snack. Gougères are basically flaky, cheesy puffs. Cheese puffs. See what I mean about the long term relationship potential here?
The bar slings refreshing cocktails and even “mocktails” with handcrafted ingredients. The wine list has been expertly curated by Sommelier Ryan O’Conner (previously of Linger) to incorporate the classics as well as some unique bottles, selected precisely for their “wine-nerd factor.” Most of P17’s selection is available by the glass or even half glass, which makes it easy to jump around or try something new.
On a weeknight, P17 delivers with fresh and buttery gnocchi that tastes like my home away from home. Chef Mary, the chef behind P17 and our favorite Olive & Finch, picked up this technique from her many trips back to Europe with her French husband.
There’s just something so loving in the food and drink here; you can tell this is a place that really resonates with Chef Mary, her family, and her history. She didn’t just make a concept – she made a restaurant for herself and our neighborhood.
Hopefully Chef Mary and P17 can sustain this momentum for months and years to come – if it can, it will become a true Uptown (and Goutaste) staple.
You can’t always choose what restaurants you fall for, but sometimes you get really lucky and they involve cheese puffs and great wine.
P17 is now open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch
1600 E. 17th Ave Denver, CO 80218 | 303.399.0988
Do you have relationships with restaurants? Where do you find yourself settling in on a Tuesday? Let me know in the comments!