Beatrice & Woodsley
38 South Broadway
Denver, CO. 80209
303-777-3505
What’s in a name? Beatrice and WOODSley. The bold print is not meant to be subtle anymore than the décor at this South Broadway restaurant. Before dining here, I vaguely imagined Beatrice and Woodsley as a couple of the fashionable twenty-somethings that call SoBo home—either because they live in the historic Baker district that flanks South Broadway, or they own one of the smart and trendy shops or restaurants or they are friends of the owners and therefore regulars. So I was surprised to see that it is a theme of wood, or woods, with an entire wall of exposed lath and plaster, shined up logs for tables, and a very Alice in Wonderland shingled bathroom wall and door, complete with bedeviling oversized doorknob (remember the Far Side cartoon where the fat kid was trying to push his way into the 'School for Geniuses' against a door labeled 'pull'?
One of us did a little research ahead of time and so felt prepared for the interior to be “stunning” have the ambience of walking into a “romantic cabin in the woods.” This brought to mind, “Little Darlings,” the 80s film starring Kristy McNichol and Matt Dillon (readers under age 35, skip this part), but maybe it was more John Cusack romantic comedy. Picture a first date, soft lighting and billowy fabric as the couple falls for each other….scratch! Only if they don’t get seated at the community table. Beatrice & Woodsley was doing a respectable business for a random Wednesday in November, but they were hardly full. Nonetheless, without a reservation we were seated at the community table/log. And While the idea is noble, nobody likes to share their log. We thought of keeping strangers at bay by scratching vigorously and maybe crying silently.
We were all for soaking up the woodsiness, but we had a movie to catch. Given the time crunch we opted for our favorite meal—a mini buffet of appetizers to share. Despite the clever names, the entrees just were not that appealing to us, with the exception of the “Kids Plate,” which turns out not to be a small helping of corn dogs with a side of mac & cheese, but is rather braised goat. In the parlance of Beatrice &Woodsley, we relished the bbq pork and succotash salad as well as chickpea fritters and were sweet on the malted milk chocolate custard. Our other dishes of purple potatoes, tomatoes confit, and something called, “Got Ewe Udder My Thumb” were not instant favorites.
Would we go back to Beatrice & Woodsley? Eat some goat with John Cusak? You betcha! One cannot judge a place by a mere five appetizers. And we are all curiosity about their weekend afternoon teas and brunch. Next time we will plan ahead and leave the scratching and crying for another endeavor.
Décor: Good-looking
Waitstaff: Good-looking
Food: partly cloudy, with clearing to sunny skies
Saucy Talk: If this meal were a date, I would let him feel me up (that dessert was delicious!), but he would not be invited over.
Tip: Watch out for those natural gradations in the wood when putting down your wine glass or you might be having a Rick Perry moment—“Oops!”
