Vesta Dipping Grill

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1822 Blake St. Denver, CO 80202

303-296-1970

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24 User reviews Write A Review

Critics'
Pick
Best Dinner on a Monday Night
Award Winner 2011

Cuisine(s): New American

Hours: Sun-Thu 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm

Price: $$$
Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, cash, ATM/Debit

Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly

Serving: Dinner
Alcohol: Full bar

Reservations: Accepted, Recommended, Online Reservations Available

Parking: Street

Description

Since it opened more than a decade ago, Vesta's concept has been simple: Take something and dip it in something else. But chef Matt Selby has refined this simple act into an art form, a DIY fusion experience made up of fire-grilled meats and dipping sauces. With every meat -- ranging from duck breast in brown sugar to ginger-chile tuna, chicken with harissa and venison soaked in coconut milk -- you get three sauces off a list of more than thirty, all killer. The space itself is sexy as hell -- all candles and grand, swooping booths -- and a guaranteed winner for any first date.

Menu Classic Mondays

Every Mon.

A three-course meal for two for only $52.80, featuring recipes from the new Vesta cookbook.

2011 | Best Dinner on a Monday Night

The Denver Restaurant Week deal lives on at Vesta Dipping Grill, one of the sexiest, best-dressed feedlots in the city. While many restaurants shutter on Mondays, Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth, flaunts her prowess by offering a three-course meal -- which changes every month, and often features past Vesta favorites -- at the DRW price of $52.80 for two. And Vesta isn't serving any rubber chickens: A recent Monday menu featured duck leg confit with tomato jam; skewered scallops... More »
2010 | Best Samosas at a Non-Indian Restaurant

What you should eat at Vesta Dipping Grill: the cheese plate, simply one of the best in the city. Also anything the kitchen does with duck, or beef, or pig, or venison or lamb -- especially lamb. Definitely Matty's Wacky Apple, dipped in caramel and swathed in crunch. And the samosas, which fly under the radar but are vastly better than any samosa that's ever passed your lips at a curry house. An Indian food habit as common as mustard on a hot dog, samosas are standard at just about... More »
2007 | Best Way Out West Restaurant

Ten years ago, Vesta broke new ground when it introduced the notion of a hip, sharp and trendy dipping grill to Denver. Amazingly, ten years later, the place remains the absolute definition of a hip, sharp, trendy and groundbreaking restaurant. In the interim, others have tried to copy the dipping-grill concept; what sets Vesta apart is chef Matt Selby's way out West cuisine -- an extreme, customer-driven fusion that owes its frisson to adventurous eaters willing to surrender themselves to... More »
2006 | BEST WILD WEST RESTAURANT

There was a time when the West was a new frontier where anything was possible and everything was for sale. It was a time of risk-taking and big gambles, of catastrophe and payoff. And though venture capitalists have taken the place of cowboys, and captains of industry now live where cattle barons once kept their herds, that Wild West spirit is still alive at Vesta Dipping Grill, where chef Matt Selby keeps showing that any damn fool idea can work, and that sometimes, any damn fool idea will.... More »
2006 | BEST LEGS

Vesta Dipping Grill -- the brainchild of chef Matt Selby and Josh Wolkon -- has been here almost nine years, and it still feels as fresh as it did the day it debuted in LoDo. Night after night, it fills seats and turns tables as though it were a brand-new hot spot -- but Vesta's never turned down the heat, and the restaurant is as vital and innovative as it ever was. With legs like that, Vesta should have a good, long run as the coolest kid in town. More »
2005 | Best Dinner Destination for a Third Date

Yeah, we all know what the third date means, you naughty little monkey. By now you've discovered that you like each other enough to spend a meal together without one of you trying to bury a cocktail fork in the other's back, but you've run out of small talk, cute stories and one-liners, so if you don't get your intended into the sack soon, the two of you are going to have nothing left to talk about. Vesta Dipping Grill is the perfect spot for all the social maneuvering involved in those... More »
2004 | Best Dinner Destination for Impressing a Date

Short of roofies, booze, candles and dim lights are still the best way to kindle the fires of passion. At Vesta Dipping Grill, fire and passion are the primary elements on display. And booze, of course. With its virtually endless combinations of appetizers, entrees and thirty-odd dipping sauces, Vesta's menu is structured for sharing. And the gorgeous space -- all wrought iron, wood and brick, with deep, horseshoe-shaped booths and well-spaced tables illuminated by guttering candlelight --... More »
2003 | Best Dinner After 10 p.m.

Chef Matt Selby and his crew of fire worshipers at Vesta Dipping Grill know how to turn up the heat on a Saturday night. Whether you're out with the gang bar-hopping through LoDo or looking for a late-night rendezvous with that significant someone, the kitchen's sophisticated, globe-trotting menu is sure to impress. The decor is stunning -- super-cool twisting lamps that hang over deep, horseshoe-shaped booths, and enough wrought iron to come perilously close to ludicrously chic -- but what... More »
2003 | Best Cheese Course

Artisan cheeses from around the world come together beautifully on the cheese plate at Vesta Dipping Grill. Far from the plain, cutting-block cheese presentations of yesterday, this new-age version of the old standby is pumped up by the inclusion of fresh strawberries, raspberries, figs, candied walnuts, and salad greens laced with aged balsamic vinegar. And knowing full well that a properly arranged cheese course can do double-duty either as a jumpstart for the tastebuds or a gentle cap to... More »
2003 | Best Grill Crew

Chef Matt Selby's grillardins at Vesta Dipping Grill win the Fire-Eater Award. Not only do they deserve it just for hanging tough in a restaurant where damn near every menu item has to come (at least in part) off their station, but they also put out some of the best, most butter-tender and flawlessly temped tenderloin we've had anywhere. More »
2002 | Best Cheese Plate

How much do we love this cheese plate Let us count the wheys: At Vesta Dipping Grill, a hip, stylish restaurant in LoDo, Matt Selby, the kitchen's big cheese, is so serious about promoting the virtues of this dairy product that his well-selected, beautifully presented cheese plate is offered as both an appetizer and a dessert. The selection changes weekly, as Selby chooses the best of the best from internationally procured curds and pairs them with such cheese-friendly tidbits as dried... More »
2001 | Best Salad

Although Vesta Dipping Grill digs deep to create some of the most flavorful meat and fish dishes in town, we like to dive into the three salads on the menu at this groovy hangout. Like every other course here, the salads show how paying close attention to details can result in big taste dividends. And so a Thai-beef version features seared slips of tenderloin soaked with a ginger-cilantro vinaigrette over red oak-leaf greens, and a Bibb lettuce salad with Gorgonzola and candied walnuts comes... More »
2001 | Best Cell Phone Service

The hippest hangouts go against the flow. While restaurants across the country are banning those irritating cell phones, Vesta Dipping Grill welcomes them. And if you're sitting at the bar, the bartender will even provide a handy adapter so that you can recharge the sucker. Vesta has your number. More »
2000 | Best roast duck

Cooking duck isn't all it's quacked up to be: Keeping the flesh moist and the skin non-greasy takes some know-how, and complementing the duck's sweet, faintly gamey flavor without overpowering it or turning the bird into a meaty dessert is trickier still. But at Vesta Dipping Grill, chef Matt Selby makes it all look easy. His brown-sugar-smoked roast duck is something to behold -- although you won't gaze at it too long, because you'll be ripping into the tender duck meat. Although the brown... More »

The Forkly iPhone app update should please Instagram users

By Nick Lucchesi | Mon, February 20, 2012

Denver-based Forkly, the iPhone app that encourages users to share photos of what they're eating while out and rate the dish, debuted a new look Friday with its 2.0 update, one that will be familiar t... More »
Ten most romantic restaurants in Denver

By Lori Midson | Mon, February 13, 2012

Romance, really, should be a year-long ritual, and not just an obligatory pressure cooker on Valentine's Day -- which is why we've compiled a cheat sheet of the ten most romantic restaurants in Denve... More »
Plates for the Peak at Vesta Dipping Grill

By Amber Taufen | Mon, October 17, 2011

Small plates are a big deal at tonight's Plates for the Peak at Vesta Dipping Grill, 1822 Blake Street. The event, a benefit for Urban Peak, a non-profit that helps homeless youth, will feature not ju... More »
Vesta Dipping Grill unveils the second barrel of the whiskey it made with Leopold's -- and celebrates with a barrel-aged cocktail

By Laura Shunk | Thu, August 25, 2011

"The staff wanted to make a whiskey," explains Eric Dutton, bar manager at Vesta Dipping Grill. "It's what we drink." Dutton discussed that very sentiment with Todd Leopold of Leopold Brothers, and a... More »
Vesta Dipping Grill cookbook now on sale at a store near you

By Lori Midson | Tue, November 16, 2010

I have, in my grubby little hands, a copy of the just-published Vesta Dipping Grill cookbook, 151 pages of recipes (including chef Matt Selby's fifty dipping sauces), hot food porn, biographies of Sel... More »
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djdannymarin | Denver, CO | 29 Reviews

| Thu, August 27, 2009

If you like sauce with you entree's this is your place to be. Nice spot for a conversation with a special someone.
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JaclynA | Los Angeles, CA | 73 Reviews

| Mon, October 27, 2008

This is definitely one of my favorite places to eat. I am a huge dipping sauce fanatic, and they have everything from sweet to salty to spicy- a little dance party in your mouth!
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Brady1949 | Denver, CO | 2 Reviews

| Wed, September 29, 2010

dipp dipp dippy
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Main Menu

Appetizers

$12.00

Vesta Roll
sesame seared tuna roll, served rare with wasabi cream sauce*

$10.00

Superior Farms Lamb Ribs
pistachio-mint rub, rose blossom yogurt

$12.00

Golden Ponzu Shrimp
soy butter, jalapeno ponzu sambal

$8.00

Samosas
roasted vegetable and potato samosas, red curry, roasted corn

$7.00

Salsa Sampler
corn tortilla chips served with five salsas: smoked habanero salsa, spicy ancho, mango poblano salsa, salsa verde, salsa roja

$7.00

Sauce Sampler
corn tortilla chips served with five salsas: smoked habanero salsa***, spicy ancho*, mango poblano salsa, salsa verde**, salsa roja*

$7.00

Sauce Sampler
pita with choice of five sauces

$12.00

Cashew Tuna Poké
sriracha mayonnaise, black sesame rice crackers

$8.00

Berkshire Pork Tacos
asadero, pineapple salsa, mole poblano

Small Plates and Salad

$2.00

Achiote Shrimp
avocado, toasted pepita, queso fresco

$2.00

Chinese Bbq Pork Belly
yuzu mayonnaise, orange, shiso

$3.00

Bacon Baked Potato Tots
scallion crema

$2.00

Gyros Style Pork Sausage
pickled cucumber, roasted tomato tzatziki

$10.00

Mussels
chorizo, lobster broth, grilled bread

$6.00

Verde Farms Organic Greens Salad
baked apples, pomegranate, sherry vinaigrette

$8.00

Pecan Pie Salad
arugula, praline pecans, great hill blue cheese, maple bourbon vinaigrette

$10.00

Mixed Tomato Salad
bualo mozzerella, potato chips, charred tomato vinaigrette

Entrees

$18.00

Thai Bbq Grilled Half Chicken
papaya salad and coconut rice suggested sauces: peanut sauce, coconut milk masala, indonesian chili sauce

$30.00

Three Pepper Grilled Flat Iron Steak
manila clams, pommes frites, linguica sausage, chimichurri butter and charred tomatoes suggested sauces: tamarind chipotle, carolina bbq, smoked habanero salsa

$24.00

Smoked And Grilled Maple Leaf Duck Breast
duck egg potato salad, charred onion succotash suggested sauces: pistachio mint, ghost chili bbq, red pepper rica rouille

7oz $31.00
10oz $35.00

Grilled Beef Tenderloin
buttermilk chive mashed potatoes, roasted tomatoes, hazel dell mushroom ragout suggested sauces: black pepper aioli, roasted corn, b2 steak sauce

$17.00

Jalapeno Grilled Tofu
sweet chili carrot puree, white soy kimchi suggested sauces: korean garlic bbq, tamarind chipotle, green chili gastrique

$28.00

Garlic Grilled Scallops
fingerling potatoes, fennel-arugula salad, bacon aioli suggested sauces: cilantro pesto, dried berry chutney, hudson barrel hot sauce

$26.00

Sofrito Braised Short Rib
manchego polenta, garlic rainbow chard, smoked paprika jus suggested sauces: green chili gastrique*, bacon aioli, steuben’s chimichurri

$11.00
Add Tofu $3.00
Add Pork $4.00
Add Shrimp $6.00

Lemongrass Udon Noodle Bowl
mushrooms, daikon, furikake, fried egg

$30.00

Ginger Chili Seared Tuna
spicy yuzu udon noodles, chinese broccoli suggested sauces: yuzu soy, wasabi cream sauce*, green papaya vinegar

$36.00

Madras Grilled Venison
pommes frites, ginger ale oyster mushrooms, dried cherry butter reduction suggested sauces: red curry**, pineapple pedy marmalade, steuben’s chimichurri

$24.00

Smoked And Grilled Maple Leaf Duck Breast
duck egg potato salad, charred onion succotash suggested sauces: ghost chili bbq**, pistachio mint, red pepper rica rouille

$24.00

Boneless Berkshire Pork Chop
adobada, pulled pork chilaquiles, jalapeno cabbage slaw suggested sauces: salsa verde**, mango poblano salsa, roasted corn

Cheese + Cured Meat
Served With Pickled Vegetables, Cherry Mustard, And Black Pepper True Honey

3 $12.00
5 $16.00
Mixed Platter $28.00

Cheese
gouda with nettles, fruition farms ricotta, gorgonzola dolce latte, vermont creamery coupole, crave brothers petite frere

3 $12.00
5 $16.00
Mixed Platter $28.00

Cured Meat
pork shoulder prosciutto, red wine bresaola, spanish chorizo, venison-dried cherry terrine, green salt duck ham

Sides

$5.00

Pulled Pork Chilaquiles

$5.00

Duck Egg Potato Salad

$5.00

Spicy Udon Noodles

$5.00

Fried Rice

$5.00

Pan Roasted Vegetables

$5.00

Fingerling Potatoes

$5.00

Manchego Polenta

Sauces - Sweet
Choose 3 Dipping Sauces Or Enjoy The Ones That Have Been Paired For Each Entree

Thai Mango Sweet And Sour

Pineapple Pedy Marmalade

Sweet Chili Ginger

Pistachio Mint

Blake St. Bbq

Dried Berry Chutney

Asian Pear Chutney

Rose Blossom Yogurt

B2 Steak Sauce

Green Papaya Vinegar

Sauces - Savory

Steuben’s Chimichurri

Carolina Bbq

Cilantro Pesto

Bacon Aioli

Black Pepper Aioli

Miso

Roasted Corn

Yuzu Soy

Peanut Sauce

Red Pepper Rica Rouille

Korean Garlic Bbq

Spicy

Mango Poblano Salsa

Mole Poblano

Green Chili Gastrique

Jalapeno Ponzu

Spicy Ancho

Wasabi Cream Sauce

Ghost Chili Bbq

Salsa Roja

Salsa Verde

Tamarind Chipotle

Spicy Jerk

Red Curry

Smoked Habanero Salsa

Sunset Hot

Indonesian Chili Sauce

Hudson Barrel Hot Sauce

Looking for another city?

Vesta Dipping Grill

1822 Blake St. Denver, CO 80202

303-296-1970

Description

Every Mon.

2011 | Best Dinner on a Monday Night

2010 | Best Samosas at a Non-Indian Restaurant

2007 | Best Way Out West Restaurant

2006 | BEST WILD WEST RESTAURANT

2006 | BEST LEGS

2005 | Best Dinner Destination for a Third Date

2004 | Best Dinner Destination for Impressing a Date

2003 | Best Dinner After 10 p.m.

2003 | Best Cheese Course

2003 | Best Grill Crew

2002 | Best Cheese Plate

2001 | Best Salad

2001 | Best Cell Phone Service

2000 | Best roast duck

By Nick Lucchesi | Mon, February 20, 2012

By Lori Midson | Mon, February 13, 2012

By Amber Taufen | Mon, October 17, 2011

By Laura Shunk | Thu, August 25, 2011

By Lori Midson | Tue, November 16, 2010

djdannymarin | Denver, CO | 29 Reviews

JaclynA | Los Angeles, CA | 73 Reviews

Brady1949 | Denver, CO | 2 Reviews

People Who Like Vesta Dipping Grill