Kachina Southwestern Grill

An awesome side effect of being a foodie is the constant flow of dinner invites. If I knew it was this easy being asked out, I would have been a foodie way back in high school. After walking by numerous times on her way home, my friend recommended Kachina Southwestern Grill for a weekday dinner date. On the way there, I mentioned how excited I was to visit the new Milk District neighborhood because I had never heard of it or been in the area before. My friend was completely confused for a minute then finally exclaimed while laughing "Dairy Block! That's the name of the building. It's not a neighborhood called Milk District." Duh! But just throwing this out there, the Dairy Block should totally start a new neighborhood called Milk District. Take that RiNo.

I didn't plan on blogging about Kachina since, for some odd reason, every Denver foodie instagrammer seemed to be there the week leading up to our dinner date. But upon entry, I immediately changed my mind. Well, upon entry into the right door - the actual entrance is on the building's northeast corner, the middle entrance is for the hotel lobby. But if you look lost and confused a nice waiter will guide you to the hostess. The space is vibrant, colorful and spacious. I looked at my friend and declared "I have to blog about this place. Are you prepared?" She laughed knowing that I was basically warning her that she was not allowed to try any of her food until I documented it.

We started with drinks since working a corporate job demands you to be a weekday alcoholic - it's a fact, I swear. Based on the waitress's recommendation, my friend ordered the LoBo and I picked the gin based Walking Stick. The flavors of each cocktail were fresh and cohesive. The habanero in the LoBo was subtle and my usually pepper-averted friend had no complaints about the spice. The Walking Stick's flavors melded into a almost gentle Christmas seasoning profile. I especially loved the visual of the mint branch peaking out from the side of the glass. Examining the menu I wanted it all - the Crispy Quail Eggs, the Scallop Ceviche, the Clay Baked Trout, the Prima Corn Grits, and all of the tacos. I appreciate Kachina's unapologetic use of alternative protein sources such as bison, duck, and dove. After hearing the taco shell description from the waitress, my friend and I looked at each other with a silent approval and proceeded to each order one. She selected the Santa Fe and I picked the Mojave 💜. O.M.G. The fluffy, warm taco shell was unlike any taco I've had before and perfectly cradle the deliciousness on top like a Hispanic version of Bao Buns. The bite size pieces of duck confit in the Mojave were savory especially paired with the fresh manchego.

Also tempted by the appetizers, we ordered the Colorado Bison Empanadas. The bison mix would be amazing as a taco option but the empanadas weren't our favorite. The pastry was a little dry and had a oddly placed sweet flavor. But for real - Can I get a bowl of that pickled stuff? I could eat those veggies all day. 

For our entrée selections, my friend ordered the Cascabel Chile Braised Pork Shank. It's a good thing I stole a small bite when it arrived because this tender chunk of meat didn't last long. If you find yourself at Kachina and someone's paying the bill, order this! If you just rocked it at your job and need to treat yourself, order this! If you have a budget specifically for fancy feasting (like myself), order this! Point made? The delicious meat out shined the small amount of accompanying grits. Reminiscing about childhood dove hunts in West Texas with my dad, I picked the Texas Quail. The foul was slightly dry and eating it was a little messy and unattractive. Being a pepper enthusiast, I really enjoyed the rajas con crema paired with the dove and felt the portion was noticeably bigger than the grits. Overall, Kachina is now one of my Denver hot spots. The staff weren't just nice, they were personable and funny. One guy walked us to the hotel bathrooms because he loves the decor so much and wanted to witness us seeing it for the first time. I will definitely go back and load up on some more of their tacos!