Table Talk for February 26

Hot Spot: Satchel’s Market
Sundays at Satchel’s, a bustling eatery on the north edge of Park Hill, may well be our new favorite place for brunch. What began as a tiny coffee and cheese shop a couple years ago has blossomed into a family-friendly restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. We love the well-worn vibe—exposed brick, rickety tables and chairs, and oversize mismatched mugs—and the inspired dishes that come out of owner Andrew Casalini‘s kitchen. Order the French toast (made with pumpkin or banana-oat bread) for something sweet, or the pulled-pork studded Perez for a hearty take on huevos rancheros. Satchel’s lunch menu is equally tempting with market-made soup and sandwiches such as the open-face “Voluptuous” with triple-cream cheese, prosciutto and sautéed pears. Bonus: Once or twice a month Satchel’s hosts a family-style dinner—the next one is this Friday, February 29 at 7 p.m. Check the website for the full five-course menu, but highlights include sweet-potato fries with spicy Meyer lemon sauce and red-wine braised short ribs with roasted root veggies and Colorado quinoa. Double bonus: There’s talk of Casalini opening a second location—this one focusing on cheese, chocolate, wine, and to-go food—in Stapleton. Open Thursday–Sunday, 5021 E. 28th Ave., 303-355-2137, www.satchelsmarket.com

Best Bites: Encore’s Telluride Jalapeño Poppers
We’re already fans of Black Pearl, a New American restaurant on Pearl Street, so when owner Steve Whited and chef Sean Huggard announced they were opening Encore in the Lowenstein Theater complex next to the new Tattered Cover, we expected good food that didn’t take itself too seriously. A visit to the spot, which opened mid-December, proved our theory. Dinner consisted of smoky cedar-plank salmon and savory Moroccan-style beef short ribs with couscous, but our favorite moment came in the form of the fiery jalapeño poppers. The bacon-wrapped goodies arrived on skewers and with a warning to be careful. In our bunch, there was only one scalding bite, with the rest offering a pleasant mix of sizzling heat, melty cheese, and salty bacon. Bonus: Note Encore’s green approach with table tops made of bleachers from the University of Northern Colorado, biodegradable take-out containers, and local ingredients whenever possible. 2550 E. Colfax Ave., 303-355-1112, www.encoreoncolfax.com

Event: Dinner and a Show on March 2
Join The Gabby Gourmet for dinner and a show the first Sunday of each month. For this Sunday’s event, gather with Gabby at Osteria Marco (1453 Larimer St.), chef Frank Bonanno‘s Italian-style tavern in Larimer Square, at 5:30 p.m. for a three-course, family-style dinner of antipasti, salad, pizza, and panini. Afterward, walk a couple blocks to Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret (1601 Arapahoe St.) for a dessert buffet and a concert with singer Lannie Garrett and pianist Justin Adams. 303-293-0075, www.lannies.com