BRAT PACKED: Union’s signature jalapeño bratwurst burger with homemade pickle relish.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | August 2013

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PHOTOGRAPH BY J ERE M Y CANTALA M E S S A

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and their significant others to Napa for “fun, education and culture.” That mindset trickles down to a palpable undercurrent of joy and satisfaction at Union Bistro. Happy Hour seems even happier for patrons, and the bar and wooden patio out front fills up 2-6 p.m. Saturdays bring $5 martinis all day, with 22 different kinds of martinis (serving an average of 250 martinis, but I was left too tipsy to do the math). Besides discounted drinks, the main Happy Hour attraction is the discounted “Little Plates.” The Thai Flatbread (which resembles a grilled chicken pizza with sweet and spicy peanut sauce and a salad on top) and the Beef Flatbread are staples, and the Blackened Fish Tacos, Poke Tuna Nachos and Italian Egg Rolls are also delicious and big enough to share. Salads change seasonally, but the Steak salad—tenderloin and romaine lettuce tossed with blue cheese, roasted potatoes, crispy onions and brandied cherries—isn’t going anywhere. Dennis created the Jalapeño Bratwurst Burger, a pork-and-beef-roast patty, because he loved bratwurst but hated the casing; the kitchen guys roast the jalapeños, make their own pickle relish and use a local brewery’s stout in their dry mustard. The signature entree is The Chop, a double-bone pork chop (brined for 24 hours in salt, sugar, basil and even lavender flowers) served with apple chutney and cider whole grain mustard; you can get a half-order for lunch. The well-stocked bar serves only domestic wines, which are half-price on Wednesdays. Heideman plants her own herbs and vegetables in gardens by the restaurant, and she accommodates vegans and anyone with a food allergy; there’s even a separate grill to prepare gluten-free foods. Their efforts add up to a cozy, upbeat experience and the thought that nice guys can finish first. Somewhere, Gordon Ramsay is crying. 3 Wilcox St. 303688-8159; unionamericanbistro.com