Paris on the Platte

1553 Platte St. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 303-455-2451

By Joyzelle Davis * Rocky Mountain News

* What: This laid-back cafe with atmospheric lighting specializes in coffee drinks and wine, but also offers a surprisingly extensive menu of sandwiches, pizza and salads until the wee hours of the morning.

* How cheap is it? Most sandwiches and pizza are in the $6-to-$9 range. Paris on the Platte is running some good-humored, recession-inspired discounts, including its $23 "Hobo Special" that includes a bottle of red or white wine, a bowl of soup for two and a loaf of bread tied up in a tidy knapsack. Also on tap: $4.50 glasses of wine and $2 PBR.

* Our deal: This was our first time at Paris on the Platte for dinner, not just drinks. I gravitated toward the meat-and-cheese board section of the menu, described as "a light dinner or appetizer to share." Variations included artisan cheese, fruit, salami and other deli meat cuts. I ended up going with the Left Bank Board of Swiss, Cheddar, Provolone and sliced fresh fruit for $11.95. My husband, Nick, couldn't resist the curious idea of a roast beef wrap ($7.95), which had all of the traditional roast beef sandwich fixings, only with horseradish-spiked cream cheese and rolled in a flour tortilla.

* So how's it taste? Paris on the Platte serves perfect accompaniments for someone who is savoring a glass of wine or nursing an endless cup of coffee. Judged solely on its own, though, the food is solid but not spectacular. Nick said the unusual employment of horseradish cream cheese and flour tortilla in his roast beef sandwich didn't do much to make it memorable. I certainly can't complain about the portion of my board: It was three ice-cream-sized scoops of maple cream cheese (which wasn't part of the menu description) sprinkled with a good half-cup of candied walnuts, a sliced orange, green apple, strawberries, kiwi and 20 slices of Swiss and Provolone cheese. And a 6-inch baguette with butter. I took home the leftover Swiss and Provolone and still had plenty to make two sandwiches later in the week. It wasn't particularly inspired, just a lot of food.

* How's the place? The dark-wood interior has the patina of a Parisian cafe, as the name promises. The restaurant is relaxed and unhurried, great for catching up with friends or tapping away on a laptop. There are a few small tables, with most of the restaurant set up with bar stools. The night we went, the staff played Johnny Cash's Live From Folsom Prison and Denver band Devotchka over the sound system.

* Who else eats there? We ate around 6 p.m. on a Monday night and were among the few patrons there; I suspect it's busier with the midafternoon and late-night crowd. We've been there before just for drinks around midnight on Friday when its been far livelier, filled with groups of friends who want a bar where they can actually hear each other.

* Deals we wish we'd tried: The desserts! Among the temptations: chocolate raspberry tuxedo pie, a deep-dish caramel apple and the Magnificent Seven cheesecake, $5.25 each. There's also a lengthy selection of dessert wines, ranging from $3.50 for Chilean muscatel to $8 for a glass of 1927 sherry from Spain.

* Final damage: $20.43 with tax, $24.43 with tip.

Joyzelle Davis is a business reporter.