Ash’Kara is located in the Highlands at 33rd Ave. and Tejon St., Denver, CO. Ash’Kara is slang in Hebrew for “right on”. The restaurant claims it’s food is “unorthodox” but really you will recognize most of the plates– they are based upon the Middle Eastern influence of the world. The restaurant is part of the group that owns several other Denver restaurants including Morin, Senor Bear and Maine Shack.
The restaurant has a patio area along the street which is a great summertime dining spot. We enjoyed the warm evening outside.
We had many small plates: carrots, Saganaki cheese, squash, and octopus. The star of the show is the pillow sized pita bread loaf. In fact, we ordered a second loaf of pita bread. For dessert, we had the cookie tray and Fernet Branca liqueur. The service and friendliness of the staff were excellent.
Saganaki is a Greek fried cheese dish served hot in the frying pan. It’s a staple in the country of Greece. Combine the Saganaki with the warm pita bread, it’s makes a beautiful snack. The summer squash presentation was a very pretty dish and tasty. The roasted carrots with spice on the side were also good. The octopus looked great but even with its own spicy sauce, it was disappointing. The loaf of pita bread and vegetable dishes are the definite stars of the menu.
For dessert, the cookie tray is a great way to share. The three cookies were baklava, brownie, and a rose water infused almond cookie. The server actually sprays rosewater on the almond cookie. That is a unique presentation in Denver. The dessert drink was Fernet Branca, explained as a nation-wide drink in Israel, a bitters liquor actually from Italy. After the third sip, it was OK. If you drank this every day, one would understand the hostility among the many groups in the Middle East.
My readings are: It’s OK, Good, Very Good and Excellent.
My verdict for Ash’Kara is Very Good.
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