Looking for a fun low-key weekend outing within the city limits that will allow you to enjoy some good food and the beautiful Denver weather? I recommend a visit to City Park paired with a visit to Trattoria Stella on Colfax.
First head to City Park in the morning for your pick of activities: walk or bike, or head over to the in-park Zoo, or the Science Museum. I personally love to take a picnic blanket, a book, and my dog, and just spend an hour or two relaxing in a nice spot by the big lake, looking at trees, and people watching.
After enjoying your pick of activities in City Park, take a short walk from 17th Street over to Colfax Street, passing some lovely old houses as you go. On the corner of Colfax & Steele is Trattoria Stella, an Italian fare focused restaurant that offers a lovely and reasonable weekend brunch in a pleasant setting. I love sitting out on the large covered patio which fronts both Steele & Colfax (I suggest sticking to the quieter Steel Street side) and continuing my people watching while enjoying a delicious benedict or other item from their brunch menu. The patio is dog friendly as well as long as your fur buddy is well behaved.
The picture shown is the “Biscuit Benedict (flaky biscuit topped with poached eggs, bacon, spinach & roasted red peppers, with red pepper hollandaise)”.
I find the jam that accompanies the provided bread to be nearly irresistible. I traditionally enjoy Bloody Marys with brunch but I haven’t loved the couple I’ve tried there. If you’d like a brunch cocktail, I would suggest a Mimosa instead.
My initial visit to Trattoria earlier this summer was challenging; the waiters got confused and we were ignored for quite some time after being seated. The situation was redeemed by good customer service with apologies from the servers as well as management and un-prompted offers of free drinks and snacks to compensate us for the wait. We’ve since had great experiences there.
Whether it’s a casual date or a personal outing, the combination of City Park plus brunch at Trattoria Stella makes for a really nice Saturday or Sunday morning.
Trattoria Stella: 3201 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206