The Early Word On Jeremy Kittelson's Ambria

Ambria, an American restaurant with Mediterranean influences, is approaching it's first full month of being open on the high visibility strip of 16th Street Mall. Chef and owner Jeremy Kittelson, formerly of acclaimed Restaurant Avondale (now Cima) in Avon, is new to the Denver dinning scene but hardly a rookie when it comes to palate-pleasing.

The Okay News: AUnhappy Yelp wino: I was a little bummed to find out that the happy hour menu only had 3 whites and 3 reds. I would like a few more choices. Overall the meal was good and it is a nice addition to the downtown restaurant scene.

The Good News: One of those happy gluten-free types on Yelp: I have a gluten intolerance, so they gladly accomodated with gluten free bread, which was delish! Possibly some of the best I've had!

The Good, Refreshing News: A Yelper wrote Ambria isn't only what the doctor ordered for the tiresome culinary wasteland that is the 16th Street Mall, it's also a model for restaurants everywhere. The geniuses (and I sincerely mean that) behind this place managed to do what few restaurants in the area seem capable of doing: providing great atmosphere, service, and food all at the same time. And they do this at astoundingly reasonable prices, to boot....My sentiment isn't so much anti-corporate babble, as it is frustration with the homogeneous, lowest-common-taste-bud "food" environment that permeates the 16th Street Mall. Ambria offers a refreshing reprieve from this, and, in the spirit of the season, I am thankful for that.

The Good News, Echoed: A A Foursquare user: A welcome newcomer to the dearth of decent places along the 16st corridor. Stop chomping for a minute and check out the great tunes as well (Royksopp, Deadmau5, et al).

The Warm, Fuzzy News: Culinary Colorado blogger: Ambria is a place that feels comfortable, as if it has been there for a long time. Maybe it’s all the wood. Maybe it’s the warm tones of brick red walls, maybe it’s the ceiling fixtures that look like translucent fabric flowers, maybe it’s the diaphonous ceiling-to-floor curtains here and there in the dining room and maybe it’s the welcoming vibe.

The Great News:An Open Table user: Service was very good, attentive and always clearing plates as needed. Overall, a great dining experience in a downtown Denver market that needs more mid-range priced restaurants!

The Optimistic News: A wishful bruncher on Open Table: They had only been open 10 days, and the waitstaff and manager are going the extra mile to make everything right. We were hoping for brunch, but they weren't ready to initiate their brunch service yet. We will go back and try their brunch because the offerings on their website sound great.

The Average News: An Open Table review: I would recommend this for happy hour downtown but the food was just so so. However our service was great. Nothing just really stood out food wise.

· Another Giant on 16th Street [-EDen-]