Narrator: These are Rocky Mountain oysters,
and they don't come from the ocean.
The oysters are a staple dish in Denver,
but they're not the only iconic meal the city has to offer.
I have $50 to spend and I'm on a mission to try
some of the best dishes in Colorado's capital,
hopefully without splurging beyond my budget.
The city is known for its walkable downtown,
craft beer around every corner, and some stellar cuisine.
I'm excited to try a couple of things
in Denver in particular,
things I never imagined that I would eat.
One, a rattlesnake hot dog,
and then Rocky Mountain oysters.
Colorado is made up of flat grasslands
and the southern Rocky Mountains,
which makes living easy for large animals
like elk, moose, and deer.
That leads us to the first stop on our journey.
Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs started as a hot dog cart
outside of the Colorado Rockies' baseball stadium in 2005.
Today, they have a restaurant, two locations in Coors Field,
and five street carts.
I ordered reindeer and rattlesnake with pheasant,
and I'm really excited and nervous to try them both.
Both hot dogs cost $7.50 each,
plus an extra buck fifty for the toppings.
The rattlesnake-pheasant hot dog is topped
with roasted cactus, Malaysian curry jam,
scallions, cilantro, and onions.
- We're really lucky in the fact
that we're kind of a destination.
We became popular because we're serving
just this bizarre hot dog menu,
starting with reindeer and buffalo,
elk, wild boar, pheasant,
things that nobody had actually
ever seen before in a hot dog.
Narrator: Even the reindeer was $9 well spent.
That's so delicious.
The chili is so - I'm going to take another bite.
After dropping $18 on some of the best hot dogs I've had,
I made my way to Avanti Food & Beverage
for a local craft beer.
Check off $7 and an amazing skyline view of the city
and I was on my way to take on the meal
I was most anxious to try.
Rocky Mountain oysters are a staple
at one of Denver's oldest restaurants.
Buckhorn Exchange goes through 500 pounds
of Rocky Mountain oysters each week.
- They're cow testicles, or bull testicles,
whichever way you want to look at it.
When they're castrated, the testicle is harvested,
and then we peel it, there's a membrane on it,
and we peel it and slice it very thin and deep fry it.
The large order of Rocky Mountain oysters cost $17.
- They're just super normal and good.
Mmm, it's great.
It's great, it actually is.
It's nicer than a fried potato chip
because it has some substance, some sustenance,
like I feel like I am eating more of a meat.
We ended our day exploring the Denver Central Market.
The food hall is home to a variety of local vendors,
including a fish market, wood-fired pizza bar,
and popular ice cream shop.
After our day full of wild foods,
I settled for something I was used to.
The Italian muffuletta sandwich was topped
with fennel salami, ham, mozzarella, and basil pesto.
On a US-dollar affordability scale,
10 stars being the most affordable,
I'm giving Denver five stars.
I may have splurged on the whole order
of Rocky Mountain oysters.
Considering they are a delicacy in Denver,
they weren't exactly cheap.
And I can say, I forked over a few more dollars
for hot dogs than I normally would,
but they're not your typical sausage,
so still no regrets there.
From my experience, I think it's challenging to try
some of the most iconic dishes in Denver
without blowing through a $50 budget.
Next time, maybe I'll opt for the half order
of Rocky Mountain oysters.