John Elway is simply amazing. No, I'm not talking about The Drive, the Super Bowls or anything football related.

I took my family to dine at Elway's, the new steakhouse in Cherry Creek. I had warned my NFL-loving son that the Hall of Famer might not be there and might not want to be bothered.

We walked in the front door and my first-born spied the quarterback sitting at his table in the chic bar. We asked the front desk if he was willing to sign any autographs. "Sure," they said, and my boy walked over, handed Elway a drink coaster and got the signature. He was thrilled.

John Elway is the MVP of autographers. I watched him sign dozens of autographs while never making eye contact and continuously talking to friends and sipping red wine. That's impressive.

However, if the only attraction at Elway's was the former Broncos star, this restaurant wouldn't be worth recommending. Elway's is not a sports bar, and the busy co-owner isn't always there.

John Elway smartly partnered with two respected industry vets: Tim Schmidt of Hacienda Colorado fame, and Tom Moxcey, a prime mover behind the Rock Bottom restaurants. The result is a warm, inviting, comfortable destination done up in earth tones where the football overtones are underplayed. In a town overloaded with meat-centric establishments, Elway's menu expands beyond the sirloin and creamed spinach cliches to encompass a wider range of favorites.

The star starter is the inventive lamb fondue ($12). Wonderfully mild New Zealand baby rib "lollipops" are plunged into warm con queso. Equally memorable is the shrimp cocktail ($12) of three giant prawns and zingy cocktail sauce suspended above ice water with dry ice providing steamy special effects.

We liked the lime-marinated seafood ceviche ($9) served in a cracked fresh coconut, as well as crispy calamari ($9) laced with pepperoncini. While the large fried coconut and vanilla shrimp ($12) were inviting, the vinegar-heavy dip wasn't.

Among the nice surprises were a well-made vegetable soup ($4) of tomato broth with toothsome corn, beans and carrots, and a craveable corn and smoked chicken chowder ($6).

These treats simply set the stage for Elway's magnificent wet-aged, hand-cut prime steaks and other meats. Our taste buds applauded the wonderful carnivorous nuances in every bite of the fat-marbled porterhouse ($35) and ribeye.

The potentially boring filet ($26 8-ounce; $31 12-ounce) was divinely melt-in-the-mouth, but the king of flavor was the 13-ounce bone-in filet ($34). That richly nuanced meat was enhanced by a great high-temperature char and rub crust. Our only quibble is that we ordered it medium rare, not medium.

The slab of prime rib ($20 10-ounce; $26 15-ounce; $31 22-ounce) was appropriately juicy with sides of au jus and sinus-clearing fresh horseradish.

The piece de resistance at our second repast was the perfectly grilled rack of lamb ($32), eight incredibly buttery little chops that needed no sauce. You could cut them with a butter knife.

We were also wowed by the fish selections, including a luscious braised filet of sea bass ($26) and the sauteed pink wild salmon ($32) with a side of lemon dill beurre blanc ($3).

The menu's priciest item, lazy lobster ($53), offered the meat of a large crustacean baked in the shell with breadcrumbs and butter. My wife nibbled on the baked antennae, labelling them "crispy with a hint of saffron." The lobster was reasonably tasty but overall it was a tad overcooked and — for the price — I'd prefer a creamier preparation like lobster thermidor.

As at most steakhouses, everything is a la carte. Fortunately, there is an atypically large roster of well-made side dishes ($3 to $6) such as creamed corn, creamed spinach, caramelized (actually sauteed) sweet onions, and chunky mashers. Unfortunately, the Hollandaise sauce ($2) had the consistency of mayo.

The all-American theme is carried through to dessert. Kids love do-it-yourself s'mores ($6), with fudge sauce and house-made marshmallows, but use caution with the table-top burner to avoid burning young and old mouths with molten marshmallow.

Our favorite desserts were the warm brownie with ice cream ($8), the upscale chocolate-glazed "Ding Dong" ($5) cake, and the baked-to-order chocolate chip cookies with milk ($4).

Elway's offers neat mini-desserts for only $2 apiece. We liked the cute little crème brulee- and tiramisu-topped cones, but the chocolate-dipped cheesecake- and brownie-centered "lollipops" weren't especially yummy.

We were warmed by service that was friendly, reasonably attentive and well-trained. We applauded the fact that so many wines were available in half-glass pours. It's obvious that the waiters were trying to make every diner happy.

It was also clear that the overwhelming popularity of Elway's has made it difficult to achieve stellar service. I noticed little things like entrees that didn't arrive at the table simultaneously, and sauces not served with entrees.

While the dining area is arrayed in soft materials, the noise level can became intolerably loud. Live music and noise from the bar area adds to a din that made conversation difficult.

I've drawn attention to some minor problems, but I have no trouble recommending Elway's and the dishes we love. The growing pains at this work in progress will ease. As I recall, it took a certain Broncos quarterback quite a few seasons to become one of the greats of the game.

Elway's

• Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily lunch; 5 to 10 p.m. Monday–Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday

• How much: $8-$24 lunch; $5-$14 starters; $10-$53 entrees

• How loud: Moderate to very noisy

• Reservations: Yes

• Information: 303-399-5353; www.elways.com

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