For those hipsters looking for their other half, preferably one who sports a suitable pompadour or a perfectly haphazard up-do, the 1000 block of Old South Gaylord St. is the place to go.
Nestled in the midst of trendy boutiques, kitsch art galleries and a store dedicated solely to gnome-themed merchandise, lies Devil’s Food Bakery & Cookery. Devil’s Food is a cozy and retro locally owned bakery and restaurant at 1200 S. Gaylord St. Open from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, Devil’s Food can provide a vigorous dose of cute, retro, vintage and trendy.
The sparse walls are painted a lively and possibly abrasive shade of red while the main decorative event seems to be the bizarre array of cheese graters hung from a wire along the walls. An exposed and purely decorative ‘40s style kitchen really drives home a blatant effort to create a retro and homey feel. Casually strewn twinkle lights, flowers handcrafted from repurposed children’s books, 1950s tin ceiling tile and the occasional off-kilter vintage portrait complete the look.
Devil’s Food certainly lives up to its name. With sinfully delicious baked goods, it’s quite possible to leave having fallen deep into a pit of gluttony. However, the wholesome atmosphere and fresh-faced wait staff may ease the guilt.
Beware, your eyes may be bigger than your stomach, and it’s obviously a strategic move to make each and every customer walk by a veritable expanse of gluten free cookies, flourless chocolate cake, and flaky, melt-in-your-mouth palmiers; all baked in-house, of course.
The bakery portion of the restaurant serves Denver-based Novo Coffee, and their iced soy latte has the mom stamp of approval.
If you successfully make it past the baked goods and into the restaurant, you will be confronted by a menu rife with local cheeses, local meats and seasonable vegetables tended with love and care in the owners’ very own backyard, according to employee Mark Despalmes.
For the rare old-school hipster who still embraces carnivorism, there is a filling roast beef sandwich and for the progressive vegetarian, Devil’s Food provides a hearty Portobello on Ciabatta. The seasonal sweet pea and prosciutto salad is diabolically tasty and served in a delightfully miniscule teacup.
The dinner menu includes comforting favorites such as chicken potpie, pot roast, pan-roasted sea bass and bangers and mash for the beatnik who misses mom’s cooking but won’t admit it. A selection of wine and beer can be ordered with dinner or even lunch—after all, it’s five o’clock somewhere.
For the breakfast junkies among us, Devil’s Food also has an extensive all-day breakfast menu. The breakfast menu is all-inclusive, with options such as Trout & Eggs, breakfast burritos, fried chicken & waffles and Challah French Toast.
And it’s no surprise that the fresh farm eggs are cage free and that the bacon is nitrate free.
Prices may seem a bit indecorous at first glance, with entrees in the $10-15 range, but one can’t resist spending a few extra bucks in support of the local revolution. Anyways, we all know Denver hipsters are really yuppies in a guise of plaid and horn-rimmed glasses. That being said, be wary of making too many specific food demands; the wait staff, though friendly and efficient, will probably forget to leave the onions out.
The summer months offer a petite outdoor patio where iced tea and poetic scribbling abound. This patio opens for the summer on May 12, just in time for Mothers Day.
For those that simply can’t leave the comfy atmosphere behind, have no fear. Devil’s Food has an adorable assortment of cutesy merchandise including offbeat cards, art books and other dry goods.
So dust off your best vintage hat, don your comfiest oxfords, bring a fat wallet and prepare for gastronomical satisfaction. And don’t forget to check out the cute hipster at the table behind you with the gravity-defying mustache.
