Mezcal misses the deadline for Denver Restaurant Week, but unleashes a $5.28 menu

Tim Connors, co-owner of Mezcal, the rollicking cantina on East Colfax Avenue whose kitchen is overseen by Roberto Diaz, wants people to know that he's absolutely, unequivocally not trying to pull a fast one on Denver Restaurant Week, the two-week eating orgy in which nearly 300 Front Range fooderies are offering multi-course dinners for two for $52.80 from now through March 11.

"I really, really thought that we had signed up for Denver Restaurant Week, but somewhere along the line, we screwed up and found out too late that we hadn't," says Connors, apologetically. "I promise you that it was a very honest mistake."

But, says Connors, even when you make a boo-boo, you can still play ball.

And to that end, Mezcal is offering its own menu to coincide with DRW, turning out seven dishes, all appetizers, each of which is five dollars and 28 cents in sofa change. "Denver Restaurant Week is the fraternity and sorority of restaurants, and it's not very congenial not to participate in some way, so this is our way of celebrating," explains Connors.

"This is clearly an event that everyone should participate in and support," he adds, "and it also gives us a great opportunity to put some of our best appetizers at the forefront."

The $5.28 menu, printed on Casa Bonita-pink paper, includes the following:

- Queso fundido with chorizo or soyrizo
- Rajas con queso with green chiles, tomatoes and onions
- Chile relleno stuffed with queso Mexicano and topped with chipotle salsa
- Quesadilla with queso and rajas chiles
- Red pork chile tamale, or vegetarian tamale, with chipotle salsa
- Chicken, steak or cheese sopes with refritos negros, lettuce, pic and Mexican crema.
- Tortilla soup, with or without chicken

Next year, promises Connors, some of those dishes will appear on Mezcal's official DRW, $52.80 menu -- but for now, they're offered all day, every day, until close on March 11.

Have a story -- delicious or disastrous -- about Denver Restaurant Week that you want to share? Let us know about it in the comments section of our daily Denver Restaurant Week post. We're dishing out EatDenver dining decks for the best/worst stories.