Good food and sub par service

Encore
I have driven by the Encore at least 10 dozen times since moving to Denver in 2007, but I had never attempted to try this restaurant, which is located on the same block of colfax as tattered cover, twist and shout and the chipotle.  I recently learned that one of my colleague's brother and sister own the restaurant that has garnered good reviews from the denver post, 5280 as well as westword which raved about Encore's fig and pig flatbread pizza.   The menu offers a large variety of dishes from sandwiches and salads to larger meat entrees and pastas.  I settled for the home made tagliatelle with lamb ragu and my friend ordered the mussels and fries.  The thick strips of pasta was cooked al dente and were tossed with the flavorful nice chunks of braised lamb.  The lemon rosemary infused ricotta added a nice creaminess to the dish but was well balanced by the peppery flavor of the wilted arugula.  My friend's mussels steamed with tomato, vodka cream and pancetta seemed to enjoy her dish, particularly the shoe string fries but casually mentioned that she would probably not order it again given the large variety of choices on their menu.

On a side note:  We waited for over 10 minutes for our plates to be cleared after dinner.  I spoke to my friend at school and she was not suprised when i mentioned that the service needed some attention.

Plate score: 8






Banzai Sushi
Located off of leetsdale road in South Denver, Banzai sushi's menu boasts a hundred options of sushi rolls.  I am often skeptical about sushi places that are not as well known with the risk of low turnover rates for their raw fish and as a result the increased chance of food poisoning.  But, my friend had a groupon, so i couldn't say no.  As i stepped into the restaurant, we were greeted by a old japanese lady who cheerfully directed us to the a two top near the sushi bar.  There were several occupied tables on this cold thursday night but by the time we left around 7:30, the restaurant was almost full.  The extensive number of crazy roll options (fish on outside, rice on outside, tempura rolls) was overwhelming so we settled for some classics:  salmon nigiri, california roll, yellowtail and scallion, shrimp tempura roll, avocado roll and salmon skin roll.  The california roll incorporated the japanese mayo and added a nice sweetness to the imitation crab.  The salmon skin was not crispy enough despite the nice assortment of veggies in the maki roll itself. Overall the sushi was fine and I left there with a happy and healthy stomach, but for similar prices and superior quality i will stick to sushi den.

Plate score: 7


TAG
A 9:30 reservation at TAG restaurant in Larimer square is a perfect start to a Friday night in LoDo.  I ordered the Barramundi, an Australian whitefish similar to stripped bass.   The filet was pan seared skin side down served with a tablespoon of mango chutney.  The chutney did not add nor detract from the overall dish but I was fascinated with the roasted sunchokes scattered on the plate.  I was not familiar with sunchokes, also known as jerusalem artichokes but they taste like a hybrid between an artichoke and a potato.  Its starchy consistency was a nice textural contrast to the fish and I've since considered making it for a side dish this christmas.  The lobster sambal (asian chili) butter sauce was smooth and creamy with a spiciness that lingered in the back of my throat and the pancetta added a nice salty flavor  to the sauce but the actual presence of the diced meat was unnecessary.

Other things to note:
The service was sub par.  Our waiter dressed in an ugly and form fitting chrismas sweater let our water glasses run empty for at least 5 minutes before attempting to refill them.  He also forgot one of our dishes and put in the wrong order for another but then proceeded to blame the kitchen saying "those bastards".  Sure, i've been a waitress and I 've blamed the kitchen for my mistakes, however i would not use that language in front of customers.  It could just be me.  I was happy with my food but I think that our waiter should have offered us a complimentary dessert for two of his mistakes.

Plate score:  8


Snooze
Trying to decide when to go to Snooze is a decision in itself.  On the weekends you can expect to wait between 45 to 90 minutes, luckily they have free coffee and a heated patio while you wait.  We decided to head to the ball park location right before 1pm and were pleasantly suprised to only have to wait 30 minutes for our round table booth.  The table decided on the huevos racheros, ham benedict III, the vegetable pot pie and I ordered the tuscano benedict,  We also ordered a single chocolate chip and blueberry pancake to share.  My tuscano benedict was a ragout of white beans, squash, tomato and kale with shredded parmesan served with two poached eggs and the cream cheese hollandaise on the side (by request).  I substituted the french bread with their homemade english muffin and was extremely pleased with the creative vegetarian approach to the benedict.  My only complaint was the benedict stack was served lukewarm where as the plate was curling iron hot ....something doesn't seem right in this scenario.  Serve things at the right temperature!

Plate score: 9


Happy Holidays everyone! my next post will be from the ATL.....aka the dirty south (Atlanta)

Cholon

I truly apprecitate restaurants that embrace fusion cusine (think Zengo and TAG), so I was particulary excited to finally dine at Cholon, which opened in LoDo in early october to rave reviews.  5280 magazine even named it one of its top ten best new restaurants of 2010!  Headed by a  NYC trained chef,  the interior of the restaurants was sleek with an exposed ceiling and kitchen and hand crafted wood tables and bamboo accents.  As we scanned the menu, our waiter handed us a weekday prix fixe option which turned out to be an amazing deal.  It was a steal, $55 for two people considering that an entree is already in the low twenties.  We decided on the kaya toast, pork belly dumplings, butternut squash soup, braised lamb shank, chinese sausage fried rice and one and a half desserts (i'll explain soon enough).  Everything was served family style (thank the Asian cultures!) and was delicious, even the "bread basket" was unique

This is a puffed rice cracker with sesame seeds, served with a spicy tomato jam.  The tamarind (a sweet soy glaze) lamb shank served with roasted peanuts, asian pear and butternut squash puree was flavorful and fell off the bone, but i kind of wished there was more of a sauce for the meat.  The star of the show was the Kaya toast with coconut jam and egg cloud.

It is actually hard to describe the flavor, but the toast (what i assume is brioche) was glazed with some type of lightly sweetened condensed milk, neither of us could taste the coconut.  The "egg cloud" was an emulsion of sorts with a slight saltiness that complemented the sweet flavors on the toast.  My description might seem unappetizing to many of you but if you go to Cholon, you MUST order this!

The dessert was a chocolate molten cake with salted peanut ice cream and homemade marshmallows.  We (well my roommate mostly) complained that the ice cream was too much like eating peanut butter and to quote her, "little man's ice cream would kick this ice cream's ass."  She is a serious ice cream connoisseur.  I on the other hand sweet talked my way to a delicious replacement scoop of vietnamese coffee ice cream.  Sweet ending to fantastic deal!

Plate Score:  8.5

Snarfs

Everything about Snarf's (11th and ogden across the street from whole foods and park tavern) reminded me of pot belly's the toasty sandwich joint found on GW's campus (my college), the east coast and midwest and upon my research texas as well.  The menu is handwritten on a chalk board offering at least two dozen novice (5"), snarf (7") and pro (12") sandwich options.  There were traditional deli choices and some unique combinations such as eggplant parmesan and bbq brisket.  Similar to potbelly's concept, all sandwiches are served toasted with your choice of veggies, classic condiments, oil and "seasoning."  Just as i had anticipated, the seasoning was just an italian blend of dried herbs including basil and oregano.  I was disappointed when they said they didn't have vinegar for their sandwichs.  Doesn't oil and vinegar naturally go together?  The lady offered me italian dressing instead......The sandwich was solid but the star was the crusty french bread that held the turkey, cheese and veggies in place.  The turkey sandwich is not like Masterpiece deli 's turkey sandwich in many ways but nevertheless,  Snarf's offers sandwichs that are definitely one step up from subway and that other toasty sub place....

happy holidays!

the "classic" nativity scene for all you pork lovers......

Bimbimbap!

Unless I am getting my car serviced I am rarely in the south parker and havana area of Aurora.  I have quickly realized it is a small korea town so I researched my way to Sae Jong Kwan, famous for their authentic korean bbq experience (where you are the chef!) for lunch.  I immediately noticed only asian couples quietly enjoying their bento box style lunches which is generally a good sign :)  I ordered the bimbimbap for lunch and for $7.50, it was a great deal.  It came with at least a cup and a half of amazing sticky white rice, tons of sliced veggies marinated in sesame oil and of course the signature fried egg and red pepper paste on top.  It is normally served in a sizzling cast iron bowl which keeps the food warm and crisps up the bed of rice however i opted to go without it and saved $2.  The flavor of the sliced ribeye was sweet and savory from the classic korean marinade of what i assume must include soy sauce, sugar, ginger and green onions.  However, the meat was slightly mushy probably a result of overmarinating which breaks down the  connective tissue in the beef.  The cold side dishes that accompanied my bimbimbap consisted of 3 types of spicy red pepper marinated veggies and tofu, kimchi (the most famous korean dish of pickled and preserved spicy cabbage) and pickled cucumbers and seaweed.  I would have preferred more mild side dishes but the main item was definitely solid.

Plate score: 8

New to the dining scene

 Ototo which replaced the 3rd installment of sushi den/izakaya den's den deli opened last week with a menu focused on refined fusion tapas.


Chedd's the gourmet grill cheese joint which closed last year at the corner of 19th and Pearl in uptown just opened as Walter's pizzeria with whole pies, slices, lasagnas and baked subs!

First Bite Boulder 2010

I believe that first bite boulder is great steal however the food was mostly sub par.  Here are the highlights and unfortunately some of the many lowlights

Greenbriar inn plate score:  3
At the classic greenbriar inn, we had a justin bieber look a like with the hair with and some interesting hip moves while tossing our caesar salads.  He seemed to confuse veal sweetbreads (thymus glands) with the pituitary gland.  For those of you who are not familiar, your pituitary gland is about the size of a green pea and is found in your brain, so there really wouldn't be much to eat plus most Americans don't usually eat brain.  Then again thymus glands are probably not high up on the list either. The classic preparations and ingredients were not exciting for me as i believe my palette has adjusted to  multiple layers of flavor and textures i expect from contemporary and fusion cuisines.  Additionally the pumpkin cheesecake had lumps of unblended cream cheese and did not come close to the pumpkin cheesecake at Q's in the hotel boulerado last year.


4580 plate score: 5
The service wasterrible at 4580 with 2 waitresses covering at least 6 tables each.  The butternut squash bisque was heavy on the orange zest which masked the flavor of the squash.  The whole lamb shank, supposedly braised in red wine, tasted bland and needed salt.  Even though the owner brought us dessert wine to apologize for the poor service, the food could not make up for the poor service.


Black Cat Plate score: 5
I was most excited about the Black Cat's farm to table approach after reading so many positive things from food editors in local and national magazines.  We sat up against the open kitchen at black cat and watched intently as the chefs sauteed and plated their dishes in the tiny space behind the counter.  The savory spiced pumpkin cake with dressed greens was a solid appetizer but my parsnip soup had the texture and consistency of milk.  It was simply unappetizing.  My roommate appeared to enjoy her pumpkin bolognese gnocchi but my braised and crisped pork shoulder, which the waitress excitedly explained came from a pig that was raised by the chef was not as fatty as the waitress had described and thus was not worth the $8 supplement.

The disaster came at the dessert with the madeira chocolate terrine.  The wine flavor was super concentrated and thus extremely bitter and as a result I could only muster two small bites.  I shared my concerns with the waitress with the very intent of her offering us another dessert.  We promptly settled for the replacement pumpkin mouse which was served in a champagne glass and a stale (or strangly chewy) gingerbread cookie.  There was a layer of egg cream which added a nice contrast to the spice of the pumpkin flavor but I would have liked something crunchy perhaps a streusel topping of sorts.


Mateo Plate score: 8
Mateo suprised me as being the "best" out of the the four places.  My apple and chestnut soup was delicious with slices of honeycrisp apples and toasted hazelnuts.  The gnocchi with onions, squash and mushrooms in a sage butter broth was suprisingly light and delicious versus the normal cream sauces i encounter.  My grilled colorado lamb loin was slightly overcooked but paired well with the roasted tomato and truffled lentils.

I will not return to 4580 and greenbriar inn but will give black cat a second chance in the future.

Chicago style part 2

On halloween night, we ventured to Graham Elliot for what we hoped to be a delicious meal but left with a just a few highlights and a lighter wallet.  We secured our reservation for 5:45 so we would have time to return to get ready for the night's halloween festivities.  I was happy to see that even though Graham elliot is a fine dining establishment, they allowed their servers to dress up in costume.  We were greeted by a female version of beetlejuice who had zombie make up that was actually quite shocking.  Zorro and Flash gordon zipped through the dining area but my friends were delighted when Harry Potter dropped off a basket of popcorn drizzled with truffle oil.  As we muched on the pre meal treat, the menu featured meat and seafood dishes throughout the first and main courses but lacked few vegetarian options.  There was also several tasting menus ranging from $75-$120 dollars.  We decided on 2 appetizers to share and 3 main courses

The 2 appetizers featured below were 

 

the mac and cheese risotto with beer braised brawtwurst and apple gremolata and the bruleed figs with ricotta, microgreens, proscuitto and balsamic.  The creamy risotto was solid but I personally enjoyed the cold appetizer of figs a little more.  The sweetness from the caramelized figs paired well with the drier and saltiness of the ricotta, the crunchy proscuitto crisp and the acid from the balsamic foam.  I did not enjoy what i presumed was an arugula puree (green blob) which was far too bitter for my palette.

The main courses

were solid in certain elements within each dish but provided no cohesion in flavor and contrasts in texture.  The waygu beef was grilled and seasone to a perfect mid rare but i was bored with the accompainments of chopped carrots, turnips and potatoes in truffle jus.  The suckling pig dish was a fusion version of the classic korean bimbimpap which a variety of meats and veggies of rice.  Graham Elliots preparation of the suckling pig was dry but the scallion noodles, kimchi and pickled radishes, and enoki mushrooms enhanced the overall flavor profile.  I can't remember the scallops....

Plate score: 6

The next morning, we wheeled our suitcases to urban belly, an asian fusion dumpling, noodle and rice joint located in a strip mall next to a laundromat.  This James Beard Award winner did not disappoint and it only cost us each $13 to stuff our faces after a night of halloween fun.  We ordered the chicken and mushroom, and duck and pho spices dumpling, the shortrib and scallion fried rice and the urban belly ramen.  I was expecting steamed dumplings but the chicken dumplings were panfried and the duck ones were deep fried.  Both were quite delicious but my palette gave the top honors to the rice and noodle dishes.  The shortribs were braised in korean style marinade of presumably soy, ginger, garlic, sugar and scallions and grilled to juicy perfection.  There were 3 ribs, cut against the bone lay over a heaping pile of fried rice stir fried with scallions and egg and no soy sauce (which is how it is supposed to be!).  The ramen was served with mushrooms and slices of pork belly submerged in a sweet and savory soy broth.  It reminded me of the amazing ramen experience at Ippudo in NYC.  All three of us agreed that the rice and noodles were the stars as we boarded the L to O'hare with a full belly!

Plate score:  9

chicago style part 1

This has been one of the most expensive but equally delicious food weekends i've had in a while.  The culinary geniuses of Chicago did not disappoint me but i will complain about the some of the NY like prices.

I will provide you all with the highlights otherwise this might as well be a book and who has time for that when we I have the achievement gap to worry about.

First stop, you can't go to chicago without trying their chicago style deep dish pizza which is about 2 inches in height and cooked in a cast iron pan.  We ordered the veggie (onions, green peppers, and mushrooms) at Giordano's for lunch.  As you can obviously see, it looks more like a round lasagna than a pizza  and we could not imagine how this behemoth of a pie could serve 1 person.  My initial reactions was the obsence amount of cheese, i distinctly remember feeling as though i was chewing a giant wad of bubblegum.  The taste was well like a pizza though i felt it needed more sauce, but overall a solid carbohydrate experience

Publican Plate score: 7
Apparently, Chicago is a late night kinda of a town as we secured reservations for Girl and the Goat for an 11pm seating (last seating at midnight!) but more on that meal later.   To prevent ourselves from eating our own arms, we decided to go for appetizers at a beer and meat gastropub Publican.  We had attempted to go there Thursday night but was told that the wait would have been 1 hour, apparently, thursday nights in chicago are most people's friday night.  The room had a tall ceiling with walls decorated with 10ft paintings of obese pigs.  There were additionally long wooden tables as well as booths that resembled pig pens (with a gate), fitting for the carnivorous offerings on the menu.  We stood around a bar table and ordered the ham plate anad pork rinds, which was sliced to order in the open kitchen as we sipped on an international beer list of over 100 beers.  What is pictured below is you guessed it, pork rinds flavored with chili powder and lemon juice.  It reminded me of pop chips, you know the ones that say not baked, or fried but POPPED!  Anyways it really didn't do anything for me except kept me thinking about the fact that i was eating fried pig skin.

Girl and the Goat Plate score: 9.5
11:30pm, filed with british brew, red wine, some sliced ham and pork rinds later, we were seated at the the Girl and the Goat.  Girl and Goat is owned by Season 4 Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard...... who used her winnings to open this ultra successful small plates eatery.  As a note, we were bombarded with our meal and were done eating with in 20 minutes of ordering, it was as though, they were sending us a message to finish and leave. We decided to share the chickpeas fritters with heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella

I was concerned the fritters would be dense but on the contrary it was fairly light (as light as anything fried can be) which paired well with the tomato puree, micro greens and fresh mozzarella creme

Next we had kabocha squash ravioli, mushroom raisin ragout brussels leaves mushroom creme fraiche
This was unanimously one of the top dishes of the night, which a complex depth of flavor and textures in the cream sauce, al dente pasta, sweetness from the raisin ragout and the acid from the brussel leaves.  I think we all secretly wished we had a larger of serving of it.  i am always intrigued when restaurants serve beef tongue so i was quick to propose this to my dining companions unfortunately, it was over braised (if that is actually possible0, the texture was rendered mushy though i could taste the crispy exterior from its time spent being panfried.  Goat, another ingredient that is also fairly uncommon on most restaurant menus was beautifully prepared on the smoked goat pizza  There was no unintended gamey flavor from the goat which was shredded and tossed with a tangy bbq sauce.  The meat was topped with apple onion, leek blend for sweetness, ricotta for some creaminess and shredded kale on a cracker thin crust.  I haven't had very much goat so i was happy to add it to my number 1 spot out of 2 goat experiences.

mHenrys plate score:  7
mHenrys was solid for a brunch spot with freshly squeezed orange juice and a pastry case selling bite sized brownies, cheesecakes, key lime pies and assorted breads and muffins.  My omelette with proscuitto with a few other veggies tasted strangely smokey but not in a good way.  However I did enjoy the housemade brioche cinnamon raisin toast studded with plump golden raisins and more than a few bites of my friend's "Latina" omlette which had all the predictable yet delicious latin flavors of cumin, cheese, and cilantro, onions black beans and a small side of fried plantains.


Stay tuned for chicago part 2 coming soon!

Battle of Benedicts

In the right corner we have DJ's Berkeley Cafe and in the left corner is reigning champ Snooze .....so i think it was basically a knockout.  DJ's Berkeley cafe has been a local sunnyside neighborhood favorite for a couple of years and had a full page feature in 5280 magazine's brunch selections.  We only waited 15 minutes for our table on a beautiful sunday morning which would have been at least 60 minutes at snooze.  I ordered the california benedict which was sliced avocado, tomato and poached egg on a housemade english muffin.  The first time it came around the eggs were less than warm so I sent it back.  The benedict came with dime sized roasted potatoes.  Overall the flavor was plain, no additional spices and i left uninspired, i actually have to say that the roasted veggie sandwich i had another time on their housemade french bread was much better than this popular benedict.

Ah then there was snooze......the bella benny is a beautiful housemade english muffin topped with proscuitto, brie poached egg, arugula, and cream cheese hollandaise and balsamic syrup.  The shredded hashbrowns were formed perfectly into a 3 inch ringmold, with a nice crispiness which complemented the benedict and the 8 inch blueberry pancake.....The saltiness of the proscuitto and brie worked extremely well with the english muffin and the spicy greens.

I love SNOOZE. case closed.

My next post will be from chicago! stay tuned

First bite boulder

First bite boulder is November 12-20. 3 courses for $26 at some of the best restaurants in boulder.  Check it out and I can certainly consult on suggestions!

Oinks

So once again my groupon experience was sub par.  This time it was oinks on East colfax about a mile past Colorado.  We went on a wednesday night and were the only customers around 6:30.  Located in a strip mall, the lady at the counter was friendly and suggested we order the smoked pork since it came out of the smoker this morning.  It certainly made me wonder how old the other meats were.....Anyways i settled on the pork platter with coleslaw and my friend had the pork sandwich with ranch dressing and fried onions.  Drinks are served in mason jars and service was quick.  Upon our food's arrival,  my friend's first complaint was the cold bun, my first complaint was how dry the meat was.  I couldn't say much since the lady was 10 feet from us shredding the "freshly" smoked chicken behind the counter.  They have a whole collection of do it yourself sauces at each table including texas or kansas style sauces.  They all sort of tasted the same to me.  My friend said her sandwich when piled together with the lots of ranch, bbq sauce and fried onions was actually quite enjoyable.  Our sides were less than memorable, mine was a fancy coleslaw with a little sriracha and sesame seeds and my friend had a sweet potato salad with eggs.  The sweet potatoes were slightly undercooked and covered in mayo.  We finished our meal with a heath bar brownie bite which was wonderfully soft and chewy.  Overall Groupon, you disappoint me again....


Plate score:  3

Granola and sandwich

Pressed carrot and apple juice pairs perfectly with a half order of their unique texture tuna sandwich from Parsley.  The tuna is mixed with ginger, miso, black sesame seeds, red pepper aioli and sesame oil spread on their housemade ciabatta with organic cucumber, onion and tomato.  Yummy :)

Plate score: 9.5 The only down side is the juice is almost $5 for 16 oz

Wooden spoon bakery opened this summer on the corner of 32nd and Zuni next to Pasquini's and across the street from Duo.  This past weekend, i finally decided to stop in after reading about their granola on 5280's food blog.  Behind the antique display case were freshly baked croissants, muffins, tarts and quiches and a display fridge with beautifully decorated bite sized cheesecakes, brownies, citrus bars, carrot cakes and cupcakes.  I purchased a mushroom cheddar egg sandwich on a toasted brioche bun and their pricey granola ($6.99 for a small bag!).  The egg sandwich was nothing special mostly because i don't enjoy egg beaters and I'm in love with masterpiece deli's roasted mushroom and egg sandwich on an english muffin, a place that uses real eggs!  In general, most granola i usually eat have the prominent cinnamon and honey notes but Wooden Spoon Bakery does theirs differently.  They mix in freshly grated lemon zest and raisins both before and after the granola comes out of the oven, resulting in a fresh citrus flavor.  Don't know if i can consistently shell out $7 for 2 cups of granola but it could be a nice treat once in while.  Nevertheless, I look forward to trying their baked goods some time soon!

Burgers and Salt? yes please

I constantly read about the amazing restaurants in boulder so i was super excited to dine at Salt this weekend.  Voted as one of the top 10 best new restaurants in 2009 by 5280, i had high expectations for this place.  Located on the popular Pearl st mall, it does not take reservations so we decided to go at 6 to avoid a wait.  Too bad, the place was packed already and the projected wait time was quoted as 30-45 minutes.  Instead of one of those buzzers that constrained you to a 200 foot radius of the restaurant, they took down my number and would call us when our table was ready.  We decided to walk down the mall, but to our surprise 15 minutes in, we got the call!  We hurried back and were seated right by the bar where they dropped up water and a dish of pink himalyan sea salt and cypress sea salt which apparently forms as pyramid shapes.  There were at least 3 different menus placed our table including a make your own drink chart.  This sounds like a disaster because you pick the alcohol, the mixers and garnishes....isn't that the bartender's job?

We decided to share the roasted beet carpacio salad, housemade gnocchi and the late summer vegetable tasting.  The strawberry vinaigrette dressing on the salad really gave it an extra kick, cold and refreshing over the thin circles of roasted beets, local greens, walnuts and haystack goat cheese and was a nice complement to the gnocchi with roasted mushrooms, local corn and tomatos, cream and truffle oil.  The gnocchi was slightly larger than most that I've seen but soft with notes of sweet onion and garlic.  It was the star of the mealdelicious!  The vegetable tasting came with 6 things:  ratatouille, curry pinto bean cake, sweet corn cake, crisy wild rice risotto cake, green been salad and panfried eggplant rollatini with housemade mozzarella.  The ratatouille was classic and the corn cake was the best, resembling in flavor to the gnocchi we had a few minutes ago.  The green bean salad was refreshing, a nice complement in texture and temperature to the other warm items but the creme fraiche tasted like creme fraiche, could have used some spices or herbs.  The curry pinto bean cake was a little dry like it really needed some type of sauce.  The wild rice risotto cake was texturely pleasing but boring in flavor.  Nevertheless we still ate everything on the place.

For dessert, we quickly honed in on the ice cream sandwich (something i've craved since missing our opportunity from Ian Kleinman during the food truck event last week).  Whiskey butterscotch ice cream was sandwiched between 2 thin bittersweet oatmeal chocolate cookies, drizzled with creme anglaise and fresh berries to garnish.  WOW.

Plate score: 8
Pros: excellent appetizers (though prices for apps $9-15) and dessert even though we never tried the different salts.
Cons: Does not take reservations

This summer, Atzec sol on 32nd right by North High school in the highlands shut down and converted was converted into Highland Tap and Burger.  It opened last month and is definitely a sports bar with at least a dozen 40 inch HD TVs mounted to the sparse walls playing college football and post season baseball.  Highland tap carries many local beers but the burgers are also damn good.  There are salads, sandwiches, make your own burgers (choice of meat and bread with at least a dozen topping options) and 6 designer burgers.  For $9 i ordered the "chimi" burger which was cooked a perfect medium with white cheddar, shredded lettuce and a chimichurri sauce on a soft roll that soaked up all the meaty juices (reminds me of a brioche).  Burgers are with served pickled cucumbers and skin on fries that tasted fresh out of the fryer.  I inhaled the entire thing and i'm not ashamed.....

Plate score: 9
Pros:  delicious burgers and at least 25-30 beers most of them local, outdoor patio with a fire pit for the cooler nights
Cons:  Our waitress initially forgot my order and they don't have happy hour specials for those of you who like $1 PBRs.  The mac cheese that my friend had was sub par, too watery and needed salt.

breakfast east and west

EAST
dim sum at star kitchen this weekend was mostly disappointing, the covering of har gow (shrimp dumpling) was falling a part and the pineapple buns were stiff.  The only highlight was the glutinous rice in a lotus leaf which had nice chunks of pork, mushroom and salty egg.  I hope this is just a phase.....


WEST
$2 breakfast burritos from Santiago's, a homegrown chain famous for their green chile.  I visited the one on 25th and Federal which includes a makeshift drive through.  The tortilla was filled with egg, cheese, chorizo and half and half (mild and hot) green chile.  So satisfying! Westword and 5280 were both right on target for best breakfast burrito!

Plate score:9.5

Food trucks

With food trucks popping up like fro-yo places in the last year, i attended my first food truck party which had an 80's theme.  The justice league of street food hosted their 3rd event of the season in an empty lot behind coors field.  In attendance were many food trucks including fat sully's, the little orange rocket (the people behind deluxe), pinche tacos, steamin demon (folks behind watercourse) and denver cupcake truck, denver biscuit bus, biker jims hot dog and the great divide brewery.  I went with my roommate and her friend around 7:30 last friday night.  Upon arrival the place was already pretty crowded as we immediately jumped into line for fat sullys pizza.  The lines were long and we quickly decided that the best way to get the most food in the shortest amount of time was to split up.  I waited in line for pinche tacos and was soon greeted with a thin slice of cheese pizza, crispy and hot from my roommate and her friend.  It was amazing! a great slice even if you are sober.  Pinche tacos were $3 each, i ordered the beef tongue which was triple cooked, served crispy, with avocado, onion, cilantro roasted tomatilla salsa and guajillo honey mayo, yummy! The creamy chipotle chicken taco however was easily forgettable.  


While my roommate waited in line for the little orange rocket, I waited in the steamin demon line which was considerably shorter.  Coincidentally my old roommate was standing right behind me double fisting two beers from the great divide.  I had a sip and it was pretty hoppy, not exactly my thing.  I was excited for the thai rice noodle dish but was disappointed when they were sold out.  I settled for the loko moko which was white rice, pinto bean cake, fried egg, avocado and some sort of gravy.  It was good and homestyle, not exactly what i was expecting but still good.  when we finally got up to the little orange rocket, my roommate order fried truffled mac and cheese balls and the lamb sandwich.  We were given one of those restaurant buzzers and were informed that the wait would be 25 minutes.  We quickly found  we parked ourselves at a nearby patio table as we people watched including some individuals with ridiculous 80s outfits.  When the buzzer went off, my roommate lept from her seat to retrieve her food.  I took a bite of those cheese balls and could definitely understand why people really enjoy them: FRIED, CHEESE and TRUFFLES a sure win!  My roommate complained that her lamb sandwich which was a ground patty had too much dill yogurt sauce on it.  I thought it was good and her friend devoured the naan bread it was served on. I was pretty full by this point as we sat right by the inventing room stall, Ian Kleinman's catering company who uses liquid nitrogen to make ice cream. We watched group after group order the ice cream sandwich which was two 4 inch espresso fudge cookies with strawberry ice cream and housemade marshmallow....maybe next time

Trattoria stella (website currently down) is located just a few doors down from common grounds and the  three dogs tavern on 32nd avenue in the highlands.  With a two tiered patio, we were seated near the entrance and quickly noticed that housemade pasta dominated half the menu.  It was a game time decision but i settled on the 32nd street pasta, apparently a house specialty where as my friend settled on a classic spaghetti arrabiata (spicy tomato sauce).  My dish was pretty disappointing as the 32nd street pasta with tiger shrimp,, sun dried cherries, and goat cheese in a spicy lemon garlic olive oil sauce was pretty much a disaster.  The first problem was there was no sauce.....it was dry and both of us agreed it was flavorless, which made the dish taste only like goat cheese.  My friend's spaghetti arrabiata on the other hand was delicious, a classic dish that was well executed.  My dish was a 2 but hers was a an 8. The jury is still out.


So groupons are great when the restaurants are great.  I had read a lot about cafe bisque in lakewood highlighted as an amazing brunch spot in 5280 last year but when we drove up on saturday, we found it located in a small strip mall with just a few cars.  We were suprised to find only 4 occupied tables. The server asked if we wanted to sit inside or out, since it was a beautiful day, we quickly replied outside.  Apparently "outside" in lakewood means sitting in the entryway of a medical building/mall with skylight.  We found this to be hilarious in addition to the christmas lights that wrapped the railing by our umbrella and patio furniture.  The menu was a mix of brunch specialties, sandwiches and salads.  I settled on a duck confit salad with goat cheese, cranberries, and tomatoes.  The duck was good but nothing special.  My friend settled on the strawberry vanilla pancakes.  The strawberries were served defrosting on the pancakes.  Slow business does not mean it is ok to use frozen berries.  Use a different fruit next time.  We pushed aside the mess to eat the pancake but was not impressed.  I will not be returning.

Plate score: 3

South Broadway has been a new go to spot for me.  I recently gave mixed reviews to Beatrice and Woodsley and this time Deluxe just a few doors down faired much better.  The interior is a small space with a dozen tables, dim lighting, an exposed and large circular mirrors to give an illusion of a larger room.  To start, my friend and I shared a cesar salad and the monsoon dumplings.  The cesar salad was fresh with a parmesan tuile, however the monsoon dumplings were disappointing.  The filling was stiff more comparable to a chewy meatball and the "deluxe sauce" was a spicy lime (thus excessively sour) broth.  The star of the meal was my friend's paella, a heaping pile of rice with chicken, chorizo, mussels and shrimp.  It was absolutely delicious, served piping hot with delicate white wine and saffron flavors.  My smoked pork chop, though slightly overcooked had great flavor, the housemade chipotle bbq sauce, cabbage slaw and deluxe fries were solid accompainments.   Overall, the main courses were great with the star definitely being the seafood paella but the service needs work.  Our water glasses were empty for quite some time and our waiter manually transferred a piece of flatbread to my bread plate.  Pretty sure that is not ok.  We watched the next table indulge in a homemade ice cream sandwich of flourless chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream, but didn't have the room to order our own, maybe next time.

Plate score:  8.5

And we're back

After what I consider a whirlwind of a summer, I am back and officially on the prowl for new and interesting eats in order to maintain my sanity in the midst of AP biology madness.  There is a new feature where my blog can automatically send out updates of new posts.  So I apologize if this is of no interest to you and I will not be offended if you unsubscribe.

To highlight and celebrate the first 2 weeks of school:

Star kitchen for Dim Sum- the closest (well not that close) you'll get to the real stuff in hong kong

Beatrice and Woodsley on South Broadway had great ambiance for those of you who consider atmosphere essential to a memorable dining experience. The interior design reminded me of being in a forest at dawn (not that i've been in that situation many times). The menu is even more eclectic, from dishes such escargot to pimento cheese cheesecake(appetizer) and pork belly. The most memorable dish was the single giant scallop perfectly pan seared served atop housemade cornbread and a pepper slaw. Other things that were just ok include the crawfish beignets (too stiff and had a weird star anise flavor) and the duck 3 ways (too many peppercorns, the breast was overcooked and chewy, and the confit was too salty and less than lukewarm). B&W was a top 10 best new restaurant a few years back....makes me wonder

Plate score: 6.5

Katch next to one of my favorite coffee places in capitol hill serves up casual take out seafood specialties. The prices are on the high end with sandwiches ranging from $8-$15 (the lobster roll) and dinner plates starting at $11. I settled for the catfish po boy and boy I was pleasantly suprised at what I got. The catfish was blackened and cooked to perfection, the seasoning making a statement on the 5oz of fish. Served on a toasted hoagie roll with the angry tartar sauce(little kick) and crunchy coleslaw, it tasted fresh, not fishy at all and certainly paired well with the homemade old bay chips.

Plate score: 9

Taste of Colorado

Great atmosphere, fun as always but not my choice for culinary adventures

Sushi Den- consistently top notch that I went twice in one week. People say sushi sasa has them beat, I disagree and I believe many food editors would concur.

Plate score-10

Marco's coal fire pizza- When Marco's first opened, I thought it was top notch, but on a more recent visit, our specialty pie of provolone, ricotta, mozzarella, tomato and basil pizza was not up to par. There were merely 3 shriveled basils on the entire pie and the ricotta was not evenly distributed. My favorite part of Marco's pizza is the crust, however, the crust on our pie tasted burnt yet the ends of slices were super thin and very flimsy, unable to properly support the large chunks of ricotta. The flavor wasn't terrible, but we definitely both left saying we've had better.....

Plate score 6

Phoenix Wrap up

It's been 6 weeks since i started and ended my time at institute.

Here are my top phoenix picks

1. All Sam Fox restaurants

2. Postino- amazing bruschetta and pitchers of beer!!!

3. Sprinkles cupcakes

4. Tommy Bahamas (yes the clothing brand, but apparently a great hawaiian eatery too!)

5. Don and Charlies Restaurant - 16oz chargrilled ribeye!

Thank you phoenix for some great eats, but I will not miss your blistering heat!

New Mexico and the start of Phoenix Institute

For the next 6 weeks, i will be reporting from Phoenix Arizona where it's 10pm and it is currently 96 degrees ....happy to say however that I have discovered the collection of restaurants by Sam Fox in the past 36 hours: Bloom, Blanco and True Food Kitchen. All were delicious

Plate score: 8.5

Albuquerque NM- Standard diner, featured on Food network's Diner Drive ins and Dives
Delicious grilled swordfish tacos

Plate score: 8

NYC Part 3

Featured on Food network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay

We had to visit

the Wafels and Dinges food truck.....

We trekked through central park to get to the East side up by 86th street and shared the liege waffle which is unlike eggo's frozen waffle. Instead it is soft and chewy and quite sweet. Delicious afternoon desert

NYC Part 2

Saturday

Lunch at Otto Enoteca Pizzeria Mario Batali's casual pizzeria. Had the thin crust margherita. Crispy, sweet and savory tomato sauce, fresh basil, but could have used more buffalo mozzarella

Plate score: 7

Dinner at Buddhakan

Featured in the first Sex and the City movie, the place was large and very dimly lit, so we didn't get many pictures. We feasted on edamame Dumpling, spicy yellowtail sashimi, mongolian ginger crusted lamb chops - delicious! Mushroom chow fun (wide rice noodles and dark soy), Lobster fried rice. Everything is designed for sharing and the desserts were delicious too. Steff had almond tapioca ice cream sandwich while i had something aptly named crying chocolate.

Plate score: 10

Sunday

Brunch Popover cafe

look it up, it's hard to explain, but a popover is like a yorkshire pudding, crispy on the outside, soft and airy on the inside

kobe beef hash...enough said

Plate score: 9

Dinner

Pay by the pound korean food from korea town....$9 of deliciousness to complement the movie dear john

Plate score: 9

NYC Part 1

My culinary adventures have taken me to NYC to visit my sister for memorial day weekend. I am going to keep it nice and short, highlighting the restaurants and any memorable bits and pieces.

riday

Lunch at Morimoto's near chelsea market, we saw MORIMOTO in the kitchen!!!!!

deliciously overpriced sushi however, the interior design was phenomenal and the bathrooms...well let's just say that there is more than just a flush button

Plate score: 8

Dinner at Megu

Dessert was a 25 layer green tea crepe cake, with a light layer of green tea mouse between each of the 25 layers and green tea sauce. Ingenius!

Plate score: 8

Lola and Black Pearl

Two above average meals in 2 days to celebrate the end of year 3 of teaching. Tuesday night I dined at Lola, the contemporary mexican restaurant in the lower highlands. A large group of us feasted on mojitos, beer and wine and an order of the freshly prepared guacamole and chips which was prepared table side while concurrently deciding on our entrees.

I decided on the 4 course tasting menu, a weekly tuesday special for $25.

The menu consisted of a fancy cesar salad, roasted tomato soup with a goat cheese creme fraiche, grilled flank steak served with asparagus and hominy and a dessert of brownie and cardamon/cinnamon ice cream. All this for $25, quite the steal considering most entrees are between $18-$25. Even the $9 merlot was wonderful.

Plate score: 8

Black pearl located across the street from Izakaya has always boasted best brunch in America by Bon Appetit magazine. Too bad that magazine discontinued it's service last year, but i was still determined to give it my own review for dinner. The open air dining room was perfect, with temps in the low 70s and a light breeze. I went with the grilled cesar salad, the smokey char on the romaine leaves added an extra depth of flavor not usually seen on a traditional cesar. My roommate ordered the "tuna napolean" which was beautifully presented. A ring mold was used to create a circular stack of chopped avocado, fresh tuna and cucumber served with a large chili spiced tortilla chip. We both agreed that it could have used a little bit more acid, but was nevertheless quite happy with the delivered product. For our main courses, i went with the pan seared sea bass, curried israeli cous cous and steamed bok choy. The dish was amazing, i can't remember the last time I had a truly hot and delicious meal. The fish was flaky and the flavors of curry, coconut and lemongrass were delicately infused into the al dente cous cous. I was worried that the curry would be overwhelming but rather it was a nice balance to the fish. My roommate went with the risotto cake trio, 3 crisp cakes filled with mushroom, leek and asparagus risotto served atop a bed of spicy arugula.

Plate score: 9.5

We ended the night at little man ice cream: Mocha Chocolate chip. Enough said :)

Adagio Bakery

When i heard that 5280 had named the breakfast sandwich from Adagio bakery one of the best, i was pretty excited to try for it myself. Sadly, i was beyond disappointed. The small cafe in the Park hill neighborhood had a display of pastries, muffins and breakfast calzones. Their menu included all the usual lunch time sandwichs, espresso drinks and dazbog coffee. I noticed they had 10 flavors of Boba tea, something highly unusual but then i quickly noticed the 3 asian women in the back chopping and cooking away in the back kitchen. But i was here for the breakfast sandwich, veggies, egg and chedder served on a challah roll. It was not the usual sandwich size, but rather a slider size. The flavor was bland to the point i had to add salt and pepper, the roll was slightly stale and the veggies were plain diced mushrooms, spinach and onions, no where near spectacular. I don't know what 5280 was thinking....I split a cinnamon roll with Jess with hopes that it would redeem this little cafe, but unfortunately, it too was pretty terrible, the dough was stiff, and glaze hardened. What a waste of $6.00, i will stick to Masterpiece Deli for my breakfast sandwichs.

Plate score: 2

Devil's Food Bakery

On a beautiful saturday afternoon, i ventured to Devil's food bakery on South Gaylord east of Wash Park. I had never been to this area before and was greeted by more than a dozen restaurants (including Max Gill and Grill, Tavern, Washington Park Grille) and boutiques on this one block. They have a large display of mouth watering pastries, muffins and tarts near the entrance which many individuals took advantage of while they waited to be seated. It was almost 2pm before we were seated in a small dining area with about a dozen or so tables. The crowd was eclectic from Wash park yuppies to an elderly group enjoying afternoon tea and pastries.

I ordered a half order of the salmon benedict. The salmon was shallot cured and served on toasted challah bread with 1 poached egg and dill hollandaise. The side salad tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette had a surprising mix of berries. Additionally I split a pineapple and almond buttermilk pancake which was served with a bright pink strawberry butter and maple syrup. I skipped the pink butter but the pancake was crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. I was stuffed and ready for a nap....

Plate score: 9

Where am I?

Ignore the buffalo patty to the right, double fisting with 2 ginger mules and a hearty portion of carrot potato gnocchi

Pinkberry's first outpost in Denver will be located on Colorado Blvd by the Barnes and Nobles. The frozen yogurt favorite from the west coast opens May 27th, needless to say, it's going to be chaotic but great way to start the summer

Also there is a new frozen yogurt place in the cherry creek mall....rumor has it that it's just mediocre, kuulture by larimer square has it beat.

Star kitchen

Dim sum at star kitchen off federal and mississippi was AMAZING as usual, assorted steamed dumplings, buns, tripe, lotus leaf rice....delicious. I left full and happy for less than $13 including tip

Plate score: 10!

Crepes n Crepes

Across the street from the cheesecake factory on the 16th street mall, I had a savory crepe filled with ratatouille (veggie mix of eggplant, tomatoes, onions, squash). The ratatouille was chunky but nothing spectacular, but the real star was definitely the wheat crepe. The texture was slightly chewy reminiscent of a thinner naan bread that held up nicely to the liquid from the ratatouille. Overall a satisfying meal for just under $10.

Plate score: 7

Frasca Food and Wine

Spent my $100 opentable gift certificate at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder 2 weeks ago. It was good, but i probably won't return for a $68 four course prix fixe menu. It was good but nothing blew me away, some dishes were perhaps a bit too salty for my palate. Perhaps I was expecting too much from the sole James Beard Foundation Award winner of the state?

Plate score: 7

In the future

Eager to try the following soon:

Rise and shine and waffle brothers

Gastrocart

To celebrate the day before my big test, i ventured down to 18th and curtis behind the ritz carlton not for a $45 lunch but rather a $7 gyro at the gastrocart. I had read about this place in both westword and 5280 and was excited to give it my own review. The "chefs" originally cooked at Table 6 but decided to venture out on their own and started their own street food cart. I ordered the roast lamb, tzaziki, napa cabbage, tomato guajillo mint foam on naan. The lamb was shredded but was a little bit too salty and the naan was atypical....the texture more like fried pita than the normal soft chewy indian naan. I ate the entire thing quickly but i can't say it was anything spectacular.........perhaps my expectations were too high

Plate score: 6

Tables

Aside for the unusually slippery floors, the food at Tables was delicious and worthy of 5280's pick as one of the Top restaurants in Denver. The menu caters to all palates and groups as there was a mixture of couples and families all happily enjoying the season's freshest local ingredients. I ordered medium rare colorado lamb loin served over grilled ciabatta, with almond pesto, manchego, fava beans, lamb jus and WAY TOO much bacon. Normally bacon is used to enhance the flavor profile but in this case there were 3 large strips of bacon..... Aside from the bacon, it was fantastic, not too gamey and grilled to a perfect medium rare. Jess ordered the pan seared scallops with basil mint risotto, mushrooms and arugula, the scallops were perfect and was a nice complement to the risotto.

The dessert....WOW. Normally not a fan of marshmallows, but the double chocolate smores with graham cracker, chocolate cake and sauce was blanketed with housemade marshmallow that was flamed with a nice char.....it was amazing, way too big for one person

Plate score:9

Oshima Ramen

Tucked in the same shopping center as the most amazing whole foods ever, Oshima ramen attempts to serve up the traditional noodles you would find in a side street in Tokyo. To celebrate my last MCAT class off of Hampden Avenue, i decided to try a bowl of shoyu ramen for myself. The house made ramen was a little thin for my liking but the broth was a balance of sweet and savory but just a little too oily. Slices of pork, seaweed, beansprouts and a soy cooked hardboiled egg floated a top the small serving of noodles. I can't say it was the best i ever had but nonetheless satisfying. I would probably stick with the den deli version in the future

Plate score: 6

US thai cafe

US thai cafe is located on the west side of sloan's lake on 25th and sheridan. There are 2 small dining rooms with a hot and open kitchen in the center. Served with a wedge of lime the pad thai with chicken and shrimp was delicious. Beware that even mild carries quite a spicy punch. Will probably stick to take out next time as i left smelling like grease.

Plate score: 8

Root down

The reasons i love this place

1. The pan seared scallops with plantain hash, lemon habanero tartar sauce and crispy leeks

2. Sauteed carrot and potato parmesan gnocchi (a special which will be added to their spring menu)

Plate score: 9

moe's bagels

the cream cheese varieties and bagels at Moe's are great BUT couldn't they invest in some real eggs instead of the fake stuff for their breakfast sandwichs??? come on!

plate score: 5

Sandwichs!

Heirloom egg sandwich with cheddar and roasted wild mushrooms on a toasted english muffin, from masterpiece deli is just perfect on a beautiful sunday afternoon

Plate score: 9

Deluxe burger

After reading about the 4 new burger places that opened up in denver i knew i had to give it a try

I decided on the deluxe burger on East colfax. Deluxe burger was packed with families and serves up a variety of traditional burgers as well as some not so traditional burgers which included a falafel patty with a spicy mint yogurt. I decided on the spicy tuna burger minced, seared and served rare with hoisin glaze, cilantro, tomatoes, cucumber slaw salad on a warm toasted bun. It was amazing! I shared an order of truffle and parmesan fries with a friend. Flavor profile was good however, the fries were just a little too thick for my liking. Can't wait to try a beef burger

Plate score: 9

Restaurant Week 2010 Recap

Some memorable dishes from Restaurant week

Firenze A Tavola -Housemade parppadelle with a wild boar stew

Plate score: 7

Strings- saffron scented butternut squash risotto and the grilled petit mignon

Chocolate passion tart banana-passion sorbet, chocolate dentelle, caramelized cocoa nibs

Plate score: 8

Venue- Duck leg confit with a cauliflower risotto, apple cabbage salad and cider gastrique

Plate score: 8

The "other" good stuff

the bread and olive oil from firenze a tavola and the golden raisin butter from venue

The disappointment

-whole roasted artichokes from Firenze A Tavola was quite fibrous and difficult to eat

Little Man Ice cream

Looking for my favorite mocha chip but settled for the equally delicious Pumpkin chip ice cream at Little man ice cream, even on a snowy february night :)

Bombay Bowl

A indian version of chipotle at Bombay Bowl......would love to try it, too bad it's so far :(

Den Deli

After reading about Den deli's pork belly ramen in westword's top 100 dishes, i thought i would give it a try at $9.75. with the regular portion of pork belly. The broth had great flavor, but a little bit oily, the texture of ramen was perfectly al dente, i wonder if they make their ramen in house? In addition to the bean sprouts, crispy garlic, bok choy, and seaweed floating in the broth, the yolk of the soft boiled egg added a great layer of flavor to the broth. I was disappointed with the small portion size of pork belly as well as the fact that it was not tender nor did it have an appropriate balance of lean and fat portions.

I have read about Oshima Ramen on Hampden avenue and would like to give it to try at some point. If you are in NYC, check out Ippudo, it would blow den deli out of the water.

Plate score: 7

TAG #2

My second experience at TAG was in an underground room accessed through a secret elevator.

I sampled the pork belly buns which was a a deconstructed twist on the classic bbq pork bun you find at dim sum places. The pork belly was a little bit tough and could have used a couple more hours of braising. This thick layer of fat and lean pork sat on top of the classic steamed chinese whites buns with a spicy hoisin and pickled cucumber garnish. Good in theory, execution wasn't as great. I will probably stick to the $2.50 dim classic in the future.

My main course was a szechuan rack of lamb with israeli cous cous, heirloom veggies and what was described as a chili dragon sauce. The chili dragon sauce was wonderful with several layers of flavor: sweet, spicy savory and some horseradish kick that initially caught me off guard and the lamb was a perfect medium rare. Unfortunately, the dish was virtually cold. So I sent it back. For a high caliber restaurant i would honestly have expected a brand new entree, instead they just reheated it, which turned my medium rare lamb into a mostly well done dish. Is that restaurant business etiquette to reheat and serve? Perhaps the economy is affecting Troy Guard too?

Plate score: 7

Restaurant Week 2010

Mark your calendars and check out the denver restaurant week website for more info

Feb 20th -March 5th . 3 course $26.40 at some of the best restaurants denver has to offer

Den Deli

The new den deli at 1501 S Pearl St (by the same people who do izakaya and sushi den) is a casual eatery with freshly prepared foods including sushi, sandwiches, noodles and bento boxes. Can't wait to try it soon, perhaps on my way to those nightly MCAT classes.....

Pho 95

Pho 95, the reigning Pho place according to both westword and 5280 did indeed deliver on this windy january day. The rare steak, vietnames meatball and brisket noodle soup bowl was piping hot and deliciously flavorful and all for just $6.45. Definitely not for the vegetarians.

Plate score: 9

Pancakes

Though this photo is old i figure, these pancakes deserve some attention. We couldnt wait to try these so this photo is mid-meal :). Featured on food network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Clinton Street Baking company in New York City serves up a perfect stack of blueberry pancakes. These heavenly pancakes are light and fluffy and studded with blueberries and topped with a lemony blueberry compote.

Advice: get there early; we were there 15 minutes before it opened and the line was at least 30 people long

Plate score: 9

Char Siu

The food in hong kong is beyond amazing. I had dim sum 4 times in 1 week. Below is a blurry photo of char siu...also known as bbq pork, the same delicious filling in those steamed bbq pork buns. This place makes it right...the perfect balance of lean meat and fat that melts in your mouth.

Yummy!!!!! :)