Big steaks, tiny room

Colorado steakhouses tend to lack intimacy: either because they're huge and noisy, or in the case of Elway's, because John just isn't really opening up. For choice cuts minus the huge space and clatter: Pearl Street Steak Room

At just 34 seats, Pearl Street is indeed room-y, modestly serving "the best meat you'll find in Colorado" by eschewing the lesser breeds of typical chophouses for naturally raised Australian Holstein and Wagyu, though no Kobe beef, as David Stern seems to be hogging all of that. Like the improbable love shared by a wave-shredding Kate Bosworth and that guy who likes the football, the apps transcend the boundaries of surf and turf, with root-vegetable nested crabcakes, oysters served raw or Rockefeller, steak tartare with white truffle oil/ shallots/ cornichons/ toast/ quail egg, and chicken-fried sweetbreads served with Kurobuta pork belly/ apple butter/ Dijon aioli. Once it's steakin' time, there's a 16oz bone-in rib eye, a 14oz NY strip, and a Wagyu rib eye filet, plus mouthwatering sides like truffled fries, creamy Gouda mac and cheese, herb risotto, cauliflower gratin, roasted Brussels sprouts, creamed greens, and roasted roots, but not rusted roots, because...actually, Boulderites would love to have Rusted Root at their dinners, so put that one in the suggestion box

To wash it all down, there're 'tails like an Old Pearl with Gentleman Jack/ Peychaud's bitters/ housemade spiced cherry and orange, and (excluding a Belgian from Westmalle/ Rochefort) a beer menu that's predominantly beers from Boulder, filled with people who, just like Elway after you ask him about his feelings, are constantly suggesting you take a hike.