Le Central, Fine Dining at a Great Price

We went to Le Central with mom and our neighbors the other night. It wasn't our first time and certainly won't be our last. The main reason we return, other than the quaint attempt at European atmosphere, is the delicious selection of mussels (moules) that they offer, accompanied by unlimited quantities of some of the best french fries in Denver. This particular night, I tried my favoried, the spicy Coquillages à L' Italienne and J tried Moules du Midi, requesting a little bit of extra spice. Mom tried some escargots and a simple bowl of Onion Soup, sharing our fries. Our neighbors tried some mussels and, I seem to recall, a steak that was described as very good.

The Italienne mussels were as good as always. They're spicy with a wonderful flavor of garlic and marinara. One problem I had was that the first plate of fries I received were nearly underdone. We requested some crispy fries and the staff was happy to comply with two large plates of deliciously crispy fries. I generally find that the sauce in the mussels is so good that I end up dipping my fries in it just to soak up and taste more. That particular night I chose to wash the mussels down with a bottle of beer.

The Moules du Midi may someday displace the Italienne as my favorite. These mussels come with whole kalamata olives, chunks of tomato, and Parmesan. The added spice was a good idea and these shellfish were definitely delicious. J was happy with the fries and the mussels, pairing them with a wine flight of selected whites that she said were very good. You can see the flight in the photo, surrounding the Moules du Midi.

As always, we were too full for dessert, but one of these days perhaps we'll return just for sweets and some champagne splits. In the old days Le Central had a grumpy Francaise who was a humorous displeasure to have as a waitress, but she seems to be gone and we had very nice service this last visit.

Le Central offers a Sunday brunch that I've heard is quite good as well.

I'm sure we'll be back as soon as the craving for Moules et Frites strikes us once more.