The Voyagers

 So, as we were leaving the MCA last rainy Saturday, we were all feeling peckish and ready to warm up with a hearty lunch.

 Mike had been meaning to try out a new-ish burger joint in Lodo called H BurgerCO. We don't eat burgers often, but if ever there was a day for a hot-off-the-grill, hand-crafted hamburger, this was definitely that day!

 H Burger is not your ordinary burger-slinging operation. In fact it's clean, hip and modern. The decor is spare, white and could as easily belong to an upscale bistro. The waitstaff is superb, and I don't say that lightly. Our every need was attended to moments before it fully formed in our minds. We only had to imagine a waiter in order to have one appear over our shoulder. Our orders came swiftly and with a minimum of fanfare. 

That said, be prepared to pay $9-12 for a hamburger. Also, be prepared for that hamburger to be worth every penny.

in club oceanus, crewcuts and naïve days

 The real joy of this place comes with the freshness of the ingredients. The hand-formed H Burger, fresh-ground angus beef, Hatch chile, smoked cheddar, sweet bacon and a red pepper tomato jam, is an instant classic. But it was my locally-sourced Colorado lamb burger with feta cheese and spicy aioli that had me swooning in my seat.

As for the sides? Where do I begin. 

Q dubbed them "vegetables in disguise" (pronounced with great mystery) because the zucchini fries and artichoke hearts are deep fried with such delicate alacrity that the centers remain fresh and crisp, retaining all their natural flavor inside their light batter shells. 

Where else can you order a burger with fries, and find at the end of the meal that your child has eaten an entire platter full of zucchini and artichoke instead?

And for dessert? 

Yes, we did manage to save some room, if only just! Q ordered the chocolate peanut butter fudge milkshake, chilled with liquid nitrogen. If it had been up to me I would have gone for the Nutella-marshmallow shake! 

I think we'll try that next time.

What: H BurgerCo
Where: 1555 Blake Street
located in the Sugar Cube building on 16th Street
www.HBurger.com
Don't miss: the Colorado lamb burger and the fried artichoke hearts

That much food is bound to engender a gigantic yawn on the way back to the car. 

Naptime!

PS - I have for some time been meaning to create a local travel resource on this blog.

I've finally gone ahead and created a category. So, locals and those of you planning a trip to the area, just click on the "Denver for families" label in the right column for an ongoing series of local resources, including dining, entertainment, outdoor activities, day trips, etc. Hope you enjoy!