Work & Class

I pulled up 15 minutes later than intended, but fortunately my husband was more punctual, miraculously nabbing five seats for our party at the communal table. At no-reservations Work & Class, where chef-owner Dana Rodriguez puts out a mix-and-match menu that often draws lines before the doors even open, scoring seats without a long wait on a Friday evening feels like making it past surly bouncers at the hottest club in the city. After we ordered cocktails—tequila in the house hibiscus-grapefruit lemonade for my husband; a Vieux Carré, smooth, dark, and silky, for me—we debated how we’d put together our supper. Coriander-roasted lamb, crunchy fried whole trout, meatballs, roasted chicken for our young son, the tempura broccoli salad we always order, the creamy chickpea croquettes…. In the noisy room, we raised our voices against the happy din, not minding the cacophony one bit. Metal pie pans full of savory, soulful food came and went, and when we ordered another round of drinks with dessert, the workweek simply slipped away. 2500 Larimer St., 303-292-0700