As crowds pour out of Denver’s Buell Theatre, you can be sure that a handful of these well-cultured play-goers will head to the nearby Corner Office at 14th and Curtis Streets.

This Denver restaurant and martini bar prides itself on drinks and dishes that appeal to the modern sophisticate with just a splash of carefree, childlike flavor. It’s a great place to enjoy a sophisticated drink such as The Secretary, featuring Three Olives raspberry and citrus vodkas, cranberry juice, sour mix and a grape Kool-Aid rim.

The Corner Office offers a global food menu and sophisticated, whimsical drinks.

And some of the drinks are served with whimsical garnishes. The Mile High Club martini comes with a pack of airplane peanuts. Other garnishes include Red Vines straws, Dum Dum suckers and candy cigarettes.

Pre-theater goers can indulge in eclectic global comfort food to warm up for their evening’s entertainment. But you don’t have to be into theater. The place attracts locals from all over the Denver metro area, as well as straggling tourists from the 16th Street Mall.

The Corner Office is inside The Curtis, a quirky, downtown Denver boutique hotel. The pet-friendly property appeals to everyone from the savvy business traveler to the pleasure-seeker looking to have fun in the Mile High City.

The hotel has a different theme on every floor. The elevator is literally a time machine of pop culture. Jump into the future on the eighth floor where sci-fi reigns, or get in touch with your inner female on The Chick Flick Floor. Big Hair makes a comeback on the ninth floor, while guests bust a move on The Dance Floor.

The Corner Office emulates this same kind of bouncy mood. The hip eatery features modern décor, with mosaic tile backsplashes, lime green accent walls, quirky lamps and clean-lined seating. Guests of all ages enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, from the elegantly dressed ready-for-a-night-out-on-the-town patrons to those more casually dressed, desiring only a relaxing evening of cocktails and conversation.

The smell of butter and maple syrup wafts across the room as over-sized waffles are carried by the wait staff. Across the room, cocktails in a rainbow of colors rest in front of chirpy guests at the fully-seated bar. The restaurant is large, but offers intimate seating arrangements. Entrees average $10-$25.

Unique menu items range from blueberry cheesecake waffles to Thai crab dishes.

The wait staff seems to reflect the catchy, laid back atmosphere of the restaurant. Miranda, a knowledgeable server, recommends her favorite dishes, the chicken and waffles and the lobster mac, made with lobster cream and mascarpone and asiago cheeses. While the urban-chic chicken and waffles is a favorite of many bold diners, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. An alternative may be the crab pad Thai with rice noodles, bean sprouts, egg, roasted peanuts and carrots.

Nicole Ulrich, director of Food and Beverage, recommends The Corner Office Benedict, which includes jumbo lump crab, poached egg, avocado, roasted tomato, “brnaise” and office browns for breakfast. The restaurant also offers a breakfast for dinner menu.

Some out-of-the-ordinary items include a giant $5 bowl of fruit loops or cotton candy for dessert. Another popular item is the blueberry cheesecake waffles with graham cracker maple syrup.

The Corner Office boasts that “it’s not a good idea to take the office home. However, in this case it’s highly recommended.”

The Corner Office caters to the laid back crowd in need of comfort food to the sophisticates in search of culture and excitement.

If You Go

The Corner Office
1401 Curtis St.
Denver, Colo. 80202
303-825-6500; thecornerofficedenver.com

Derek Hedden is a journalism major at Metropolitan State College of Denver.