Vasil's Euro Grille
Vasil Allabashi owns this independent Albanian restaurant in the town of Englewood as a part of the Denver metropolitan area. This establishment's Mediterranean cuisine bakes their own bread and offers both lunch and dinner menus. Customers can order gourmet sandwiches for lunch like the buffalo burger between kalamata olive bread and the chicken breast marinated using lime and cilantro. Several dinner entrees have international appeal, such as the Lamb Modena with apricot and garlic crust or a pan-seared sea bass paired with red curry and leeks. The Madeira Halibut contains a side of lentils and asparagus breaded inside phyllo dough for a twist on the traditional Albanian staple food called byrek.
Vasil's Euro Grille
7340 S Clinton St, Englewood, CO 80112
303-799-3600
http://www.restaurantrow.com/m_moreinfo.cfm?Code=853213
Soleil Mediterranean Grille & Wine Bar
Downtown Denver offers Albanian dishes at the Soleil Mediterranean Grille and Wine Bar. The restaurant advertises a menu of tapas appetizers, kebabs and pizza baked in a wooden oven. Soleil's lamb meatballs served in a tomato sauce are a throwback to the traditional Albanian dish of qofte where lamb meatballs are either fried or grilled and often containing a mint flavor. The spanokopita is another tapas item that has an Albanian origin. This appetizer wraps spinach and feta cheese inside phyllo dough like the Albanian byrek. Other menu items at Soleil include a hummus made with cucumber, carrots and bell peppers; paella filled with shrimp, scallops and mussels; and a fig pizza topped with mozzarella and pine nuts.
Soleil Mediterranean Grille & Wine Bar
2817 E. 3rd Ave #E, Denver, CO 80206
303-316-9100
http://www.soleildenver.com
Aladdin Café & Grill
The Aladdin Café in Denver serves Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines with regional dishes found in Albanian cookbooks. Byrek me Spinaq, or spinach pie, is served among communities in Albania and other Balkan countries. Denver's Aladdin Café uses a typical spinach and cheese filling to create a salty pastry pie. Customers can try the red lentil soup stewed with onions, cumin and olive oil; try a side dish of cucumber slices in yogurt with mint; or order kabob skewers with lamb, chicken or beef. The restaurant also offers outdoor dining and micro brew beverages. Aladdin's advertises live belly dancing on weekends in their restaurant.
Aladdin Café & Grill
2594 S Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80222
303-759-9778
http://www.restaurantrow.com/m_moreinfo.cfm?Code=850610
Article Written By Matt Becht
Matt Becht is a freelance filmmaker from Cleveland, Ohio. Becht’s college curriculum included courses in English composition, creative writing, and scriptwriting. He began writing professionally in 2009, and has been published in eHow, Trails.com, Travels.com and Golflink.com. Becht holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University.
