Gimme A Little Sugar......Sugarmill Lounge and Desserts

  By Edan Goode
 
 

Hello! I’m happy to be one of the contributors to the new StapletonMoms.com website. I go by the name of “Edan Goode,” a pen name used to let me remain anonymous when reviewing restaurants, theater, movies and travel, along with a team of other pun-named writers on the www.InGoodTasteDenver.com blog. Our goal is to offer our humble, regular-person impressions so that you can consider whether something’s worth it before plunking your hard-earned money down. Consider us your pal who gets to go out a lot and can recommend where to go and where to avoid. I also write a feeding-the-family foodie blog on the Colorado Parent magazine website called E.A.T. (Everyone Around the Table) with recipes and product reviews. 

I am a Stapleton resident and parent. I’ve suffered through the years of both mortifying and very enjoyable restaurant experiences with kids. I also believe in the sanctity of date night which is sometimes the only way to have an uninterrupted adult conversation! So stay tuned for reviews of places to go and things to do that add enjoyment and a little spark to life here in the big city, with or without the kids.

For my first review with StapletonMoms.com, I wanted to tell you about a newish restaurant owned by Stapleton resident Chef Troy Guard. The restaurant is called Sugarmill and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Give breakfast or lunch a try with the kids but leave dinner for a grown-up’s treat. The following is a summary of the review. You can read the full blog at In GoodTaste Denver. 

The interior of Sugarmill is lovely yet not overly frilly. The counter that greets you as you walk in is filled with gorgeous cakes you want to make up a special occasion for, plus cookies, madeleine’s, scones, muffins, even granola and caramel corn. While you can get things to go, there's also tables and community seating in the tiny restaurant. I recommend sitting up at the marble bar to watch the chefs in action.

We’ve enjoyed breakfast and lunch there, but we loved dinner the best. Highlights included a Mushroom Toast appetizer, a died-and-gone-to-heaven dish for shroom-lovers, made from multiple types of mushrooms, herbs, shallots and parmesan cheese, spread on a thick toast. It was heady and heavenly.

The Short Rib Tortellini ($14) are a brilliant invention, mixing flavorful tender meat inside plump tortellini pasta with nuggets of gala apple and butternut squash surrounding. It was beautiful.

The Roasted Chicken ($14) is served with a seasonal veggie and a butter sauce. It was, hands down, the most flavorful chicken I've ever had.

Dessert is Sugarmill's claim-to-fame. Although I leaned toward the Chocolate Hazelnut ($9) with hazelnut dacquoise, chocolate mousse, burnt orange caramel with a hazelnut macaroon, or Bunch of Bananas ($11) with banana cheesecake, banana walnut cake, rum bananas and a banana ice cream float (all on one plate!), I went with The Noahsphere ($12).

Named after co-owner and Chef Noah French, it’s a hollow chocolate sphere filled with candied walnuts, flourless chocolate cake, house-made marshmallows, served atop vanilla mascarpone. Hot caramel is poured tableside (from one of those unique, tiny pitchers) melting a crevice into the sphere. Both in presentation and in eating, this dessert is an event. And I love eventful desserts. It makes all those calories so worthwhile!

Every element of Sugarmill is a treat, savory or sweet. Sugarmill is located at 2461 Larimer St. #101.