Hedge Row is a rustic American bistro centered around a wood-fired oven that opened earlier this month in Cherry Creek. From the team behind The Kitchen in Boulder and LoDo, Hedge Row — like its counterpart — is largely focused on farm-to-table. In fact, the name comes from the first farm that founders Jen Lewin, Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk sourced ingredients for their first Kitchen location in 2004.
“In Hedge Row, The Kitchen pays tribute to its sourcing roots — and to all American farmers that produce high-quality food ingredients,” said Don Degnan, President of The Kitchen Restaurant Group. “We are excited to join the Cherry Creek food scenes and add wood roasted dishes served in a high-energy space to the mix.”
This week, we tried pretty much every single item on the lunch and dinner menus. Here’s what you should order.
Drinks
In addition to its full beer and wine menu, Hedge Row features eight cocktails and two mocktails. Andrew Mosblech, Director of Operations for the Kitchen Bistros Group explained that the restaurant has been taking its “zero proof” options very seriously as the city has seen more demand for alcohol-free beverage options.
“It’s definitely a bigger trend that we like to cater to,” he said. “Although they’re so good that people love to order them with alcohol as well.”
From a classic margarita — dubbed “The Marg” — and Aperol Spritz, to more inventive options, you really can’t go wrong. Our favorites were the Persian Lemon($12) with lemon-infused vodka, pama liqueur and pineapple or the “zero proof” BFF Mocktail ($7) with grapefruit, rosemary lime syrup and lime cordial.
Bites
Hedge Row is one of those restaurants where we could be easily satisfied from ordering off the Snack & Share and Vegetable sections alone. The stand-out appetizer — which is not surprisingly the best seller — is the Crispy Fish Lettuce ‘Tacos’ ($14). These perfectly-fried pieces of fish are wrapped in a crisp piece of lettuce with pickled onion, radish and smoked chili tartare for the perfect crunch that’s decadent and fresh without being too greasy.
We love any menu with multiple vegetable options — places that make them the star of the menu. Hedge Row has six different inventive vegetable options, like the recently popularized Smashed Cucumbers ($9) or this summer staple — Heirloom Tomato & Melon Salad ($10) with while balsamic, basil and a sesame cracker. Our favorites, though, were the Wood Roasted Carrots ($10) with ricotta and dill gremolata or the Summer Beans ($12) with tarragon, hazelnuts and a warm bacon vinaigrette.
With such great vegetable options, a group could easily share a “summer harvest” tapas-style and share all of the vegetable options over some cocktails.
Entrees
If you’re interested in something a little more meat-centric, Hedge Row’s got your back. While the lunch menu has expected options like a lunch-only burger and healthier salads, we kept reaching for the Roasted Porchetta Sandwich ($15). Served with fries, this flavorful sandwich packs in shaved fennel, salsa verde and simple greens to complement the meat.
Dinner packs a punch too. Although Mosblech said the Wood Roasted Half Chicken ($28) with curried couscous, almonds and sumac yogurt is the best seller, we couldn’t get enough of the classic meat-and-potatoes combo — the Colorado Dry-Aged NY Strip ($38) with dry jack potato puree, glazed carrots and a dijon-demi glaze. For the price, the portion was heaping, and those glazed carrots are like candy, a perfect mate for the well-seasoned cut of steak.
If you’re looking for lighter options, consider the Pan Seared Salmon ($28) with a fresh summer set-up — it has smoky eggplant puree, charred corn, white soy and basil. And, as if you haven’t had enough veggies, the Wood Roasted Veggie entree ($18) puts even more on display with sweet potato, gingered tomato, cauliflower, boy choy, whole grains all tossed in a lime vinaigrette.
Dessert
You saved room, didn’t you? For dessert, you can always go two ways — fruity or decadent. Lucky for you, Hedge Row does both well. For a rich chocolate dessert that’s reminiscent of summer s’mores, order the Devil’s Food Cake ($10) — it’s topped with burnt marshmallow and served alongside a cherry ice cream to help lighten the flavor. However, for the perfect light bite to end the meal, try the Lemon Strawberry Parfait ($9) with pistachio crumble and froyo.
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Because Hedge Row is so seasonally focused, we encourage you to head in to try these dishes before summer harvest ends. But, lucky for us, it seems like we’re just getting started.
Hedge Row is located at 100 Steele Street, Denver. It is open Sunday and Monday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Unless noted, all photos are by Alexandra Palmerton.