Wrapping up Denver

 I can always appreciate a large slice of pizza anytime of day, so can my great friend Brittany who has accompanied me on my adventures in search of affordable but equally delicious finds over the last three years.  Though the weather was tumultuous we found our way to Fat Sully's at the Atomic Cowboy on East Colfax.  My first experience with their pies was from their roaming food truck sometime last year and I still dream about it on occassion.  Located in the same shared space as  Denver Biscuit Company which operates in the day time, this place churns out $3 (+$0.35 toppings) New York Style with a crunchy and chewy crust.  While some places can be skimpy with their toppings, the slice came blanketed with my chosen topping of chopped mushrooms!  With a few shakes of salt, pepper, chili flakes and parmesan, a perfect preview to what I know I will find in NYC!

Fat Sully's Plate Score: 9

I finally remembered to a take a photo of the combination noodle bowl with grilled shrimp, pork, beef and vietnamese eggroll 11N from New Saigon.  Isn't it beautiful?  Read the full description here

 New Saigon Plate Score: 9

As I was recovering from a strange bout of food poisoning/flu, my outing for drinks with a few vikings Jen and Andrea resulted in a few shared plates at root down.  I'm pretty sure the waiter judged us for not ordering alcohol but those few nibbles reminded me as to why I love that place and how much I'll miss it.

The zucchini salad was refreshing from the mint yogurt dressing and the citrus, however the few specks of bitter black mustard on the butter lettuce was too overpowering for my taste buds.  Salad Plate Score: 7

The scallops dish, which has been on the menu since Root Down opened in late 2008, were well seasoned and perfectly seared, a method of cooking i definitely prefer to grilling.  The briney flavor from the seafood and the salty crispy red onion strings paired well with the caramelized flavor of the sweet plantain hash and the spiciness of the habanero tartar sauce. Scallops Plate Score: 9

The carrot gnocchi was as wonderful as I remembered over a year ago.  The pan seared pillows were sauteed in a flavorful carrot coriander sauce and tossed with spring peas, mushrooms, asparagus and salty manchego. Though it could have used a little more sauce to bring it all to together, the buttery finish of the dish definitely made up for that fact.  Gnocchi Plate Score: 9

Overall Root Down Plate Score: 9


My friend Luci and I celebrated our last meal as roomates at Izakaya den, also a favorite of mine since first moving here back in the summer of 2007.  You will find the usual sushi and sashimi options similar to that at sushi den next door in addition to small plates influenced by global cultures.  I stuck to what I knew best here and when you go you MUST order miso cod and the korean short ribs.

The miso cod was a perfect medium, flavorful, flakey and just incredibly well executed. Plate score: 10

The short ribs were marinated in soy, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar and served on a hot platter with french green beans, mushrooms and jalapenos (sans seeds) which satisfied my red meat cravings without having to shell out $30 for an overpriced steak somewhere.  Plate score: 9

Overall Izakaya Plate Score: 9.5

Cholon Take 2

My first trip to Cholon was exceptional and I was equally excited to share the excitement with my good friends Jess and Brigitte, who was in town for the weekend from Chicago. In no rush at all, we sat right by the open kitchen and watched as the owner/executive chef Lon Symensma carefully gave his approval to the beautiful plates that emerged from the kitchen.  We sipped on a bottle of red wine while I also double fisted with a house made non alcoholic beverage made from roasted beets, lime and homemade ginger soda with a beet chip garnish. Sounds weird but incredibly refreshing if you want to avoid the alcohol.

As we discussed our plans for the weekend and how to improve/expand my blog readership (one being include the actual names of "friends" I dine with, second to give the individual plate scores of the different dishes, third come up with a more catchy blog name, suggestions?), we decided on a few shared plates and one entree among the 3 of us.

The Kaya toast was exciting and different like the last time and the pork belly potstickers were incredibly flavorful with the exterior of the dumpling pan seared to a nice crispiness.  (Plate score for both: 9)

The chili crab rolls, which were my favorite, were a refreshing summer appetizer with fresh lump crabmeat mixed with sweet corn, lettuce and diced red bell peppers and wrapped in a rice paper roll, served with a spicy sriracha mayo.  Chili Crab Rolls Plate Score: 9

The lemongrass dressing on the beet salad was incredibly light and the greens were well dressed.  The golden and red beets were well roasted but in my opinion the light sprinkle of blue cheese (which you can't even really see) was confusing for this asian influenced salad.  Salad Plate Score: 8

 The sea bass entree was the most expensive and also the most disappointing.  The pan seared fish was overcooked and the accompanying vegetables were spicy but mostly bland.  Sea bass Plate Score: 6

The chinese sausage fried which I had last time but did not review is served with a soft boiled egg on top that you mix into the steaming pile of rice.  The rice dotted with small pieces of salty chinese sausage  was balanced out by sweet pieces of fresh pineapple.  Like most asian rice dishes out there, this was delicious and quite addicting.  Fried Rice Plate Score: 8

Towards the end of the meal, Lon who is good friends with Angelo Sosa (NYC chef who was a finalist on Season 7's of Top Chef) came by to ask about our meal, I was star struck :)

Cholon Plate Score: 8.5


The pictures are courtesy of Jess' Android.

Review: Parallel 17 and L'Asie

Parallel 17 was voted top 10 best new restaurants by 5280 in 2008, however the meal was at points almost inedible.  The vietnamese french fusion cuisine flopped for me in many areas.  On mondays, they offer happy hour all night which brought in a full house around 7 on a traditionally slow dining night.  The tuna and tofu tacos, both tried to imitate TAG's version of sushi tacos however, P17's version were excessively salty and inedible. The fried taco shell sitting on a guacamole mousse reminded me of what you would find prepackaged from the grocery store.  The duck spring roll was bland and the grilled beef on the bahn mi slider was more like deli style roast beef.  The only dish interesting was the pork belly sliders on the traditional asian white buns, with a blueberry coulis and heavy flavors of hoisin.  We shared the sizzling saigon crepe (pictured above) which was a coconut scented crepe filled with sauteed mushrooms, beansprouts and shrimp.  It was pretty bland, but piqued our interest in terms of the concept.  I've decided that when any portion of the meal is deamed inedible, in this case the tacos, the restaurant cannot score anything higher than a 5.

P17 Plate score: 4


I went to L'Asie because one of my friends absolutely loves this place and insisted I try it before I left denver.  L'Asie offers thai, vietnamese, japanese and chinese dishes and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, deals such as half price appetizers and two for one drinks will please both drinkers and eaters.    The combination platter of appetizers including the chicken satay, thai spring rolls (which are really vietnamese) and gyoza (japanese) were all solid and I was pleasantly surprised with the calamari.  After tender slices of squid are deep fried, they are sauteed in a garlic, onion, spring onion sauce that made the flavors pop and made this appetizer a success and different from the usual calamari dishes you find elsewhere.  While the color of my combination (chicken, shrimp and tofu) pad thai was a little too neon  and desperately needed some hot sauce to add dimension to the dish, the flavor was on point and the portion was more than generous.


L'Asie Plate Score: 7.5

Last Supper: ATL style

From lunch to brunch and dinner and breakfast, the week in Atlanta was filled with delicious food across the board.  No pictures, but a dining guide for all of you who plan to make atlanta your next weekend getaway


Right off the plane, we headed to Rosebud in Atlanta.  I didn't realize how famous this place was until after the fact when I happened to catch an episode of Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay- Fried Green Tomato BLT!  The bbq duck and grits were excellent with a smokey and sweet flavor from the meat and the peach gastrique.  I literally said "holy s**t" when my mom's mushroom scramble arrived at the table that it caught the attention of nearby diners.  I swear it was at least half a dozen eggs on top of toasted brioche bread.  A photo would have confirmed my initial reaction.  Rosebud plate score: 8

Dining at Umezono has always been a pleasure for my family and me in the 10 years since we first moved to Atlanta.  Umezono focuses on classic japanese fare,  none of the complicated dragon or rainbow rolls.  The sashimi (with 3 slices each of salmon and tuna) and beef teriyaki lunch combination (with salad, soup and rice) is just $7.50 and you can choose between 21 dishes so that is a lot of combinations. Umezono plate score: 9

There is no foot traffic near this restaurant, yet on a tuesday lunch, this place was almost filled with the business lunch crowd.  The corn soup was sweet and smooth but the pan seared georgia trout was the winner.  With 2 large filets over local summer succotash, the dish was amazing and for a bargain price of just $14.  The tasting portions of desserts allowed us to indulge in the key lime tart and the "snickers" bar for just $4 each.  Local Three plate score: 9

Aside from the atrocious service, Cakes and Ale restaurant is a farm to table eatery in downtown Decatur that served up delicious food.  Shared plates of eggplant flatbread, seared scallops, rabbit ragu gnocchi and sauteed shrimp were all very good.  I never write an email to the owners but i felt compelled because i think they would want to know about this lapse in service.  The owner graciously offered up a gift card and I can't wait to find it in my mailbox! Cakes and Ale Plate Score: 8

Despite the lack of parking in the area, the food at the Social House  comforting and the service was on point. I had the benedict with the sauteed mushrooms, leeks, country ham and gouda.  The english muffins could have benefited from a longer time in the toaster, nevertheless, the breakfast was solid and put a smile on both my grandmother and mom's face after our stroll through the Marietta Square farmer's market.  Social House Plate Score: 7.5


Owned and operated by a Top chef contestant, Hector Santiago, Super pan latino sandwich shop which is open on Tues-Fri from 11:30-2:30, this fast casual place is inspired by traditional latin flavors.   The sandwiches were interesting but did not really  The pork belly buns were soft and flavorful however the smoked tofu version was too smokey, tasting almost burnt.  It is definitely hard for tofu to compete against pork belly, it's like trying to say that the minnesota timberwolves will have a better record than the miami heat. The chicken torta sandwich was slightly spicy but was well balanced by the soft avocado spread and the vinegar based vegetable slaw.   SPL sandwich shop plate score: 7.5

Go Now: Vert Kitchen

Nestled down the street from dive bars such as the Kentucky Inn and the Candlelight in Wash Park, Vert Kitchen (Vert being green in french) has been churning out amazing sandwiches and salads since it opened in early 2009.  My initial review was on the Tortilla Espanola Sandwich which you can read about here, but this "Go Now" order is really about the turkey sandwich.  There are not many sandwiches that make me crave it 3 hours after eating it.  However, the turkey sandwich from Vert Kitchen conjured up similar feelings that I had the first time I tried the smoked turkey sandwich from Masterpiece Deli. This sandwich is made to order, which means they shave the turkey right there in front of you and lay it on a fresh baguette, with ample amounts of soft goat cheese, lemon olive oil dressed mixed greens, tomato and a roasted sweet fig spread.   Simply amazing!

Vert Kitchen Plate Score: 10

Review: Lucile's Creole Cafe

For those who love brunch you have probably been to or at least heard of Lucile's, a creole inspired spot on the corner of Alameda and Logan.  Having never been but always heard great reviews from friends, I wanted to make sure that I hit this spot before leaving denver.

We nibbled on a large buttermilk biscuit while we waited for our food with a variety of housemade jams, strawberry (amazing), blueberry, apple butter (too much cinnamon, it was like eating a christmas air freshener) and orange marmalade (not my thing).   You could see bits of melted butter throughout which brought a salty but addictive quality to the gigantic biscuit.

The Eggs New Orleans is a dish with fried slices of egglplant topped with creole sauce, soft poached eggs, hollandaise (on the side) and breakfast potatoes.  The creole sauce was more like a mild chunky tomato sauce but nevertheless was delicious over the soft discs of fried eggplant.  If you know me, I would never choose potatoes as a side (except french fries) but these potatoes which i'm pretty sure were cooked in bacon fat infused wonderful flavorful into these bland starchy vegetables.

Beignets, which are fried pillows of dough were just that, fried, delicious and dusted with plenty of powered sugar.

Overall the food was delicious.  My only pet peeve is when restaurants/servers offer you something like "would you like to add cheese to those potatoes" and then you end up with a surprise charge of an extra $1.40 when the bill arrives.  Not a good practice.

Lucile's Plate Score: 8.5

Fast food doesn't have to mean Mcdonalds

My all time favorite sandwich (a sandwich of which i've probably eaten at least 2 dozen times) in Denver has to be the smoked turkey sandwich from Masterpiece deli.  The shaved turkey is pressed between two slices of toasted (and buttered) wheat bread with pears, arugula, cranberry honey and soft brie.  Amazingly, i've not met a single person who did not love it.

I recently tried a banh mi from Ba le bakery on south federal.  I ordered the special combination which came with ham, meatloaf (which was more like bologna) and pork pate spread.  The meat lay on a fresh french baguette which was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.  The pickled carrots and daikon, along with the cucumber, handful of cilantro and deseeded jalepeno were crunchy and flavorful which came together beautifully to create this spicy handheld and very cheap ($3) vietnamese sandwich!

Ba Le Bakery Plate Score: 8



The breakfast burrito from Santiago's (yes it is a colorado chain) is so good but probably not the healthiest breakfast option on most coloradan's list.  I biked to the one on Federal to earn this delicious meal. Steaming hot and stuffed with scrambled eggs, potatoes, medium pork green chile and cheese (meat optional), this burrito at just $2 needs more than just a few napkins.

After contemporary american cusine and all things asian (except indian), I am drawn to both authentic and contemporary interpretations of mexican street tacos.  I rarely go up to boulder, but after a Pure Barre workout, my friend and I went in search of the Comida food truck.  I know Denver and Boulder are getting overrun by fancy food trucks, however i was drawn to this one because the executive chef of Frasca (colorado's only James Beard nominated restaurant) mentioned it has his favorite in a recent edition of Travel and Leisure Magazine.    We both had the fish tacos ($3) with red cabbage and jicama slaw and the braised sirloin ($3) over a sweet potato mash (strange but nevertheless good).  Both were excellent but the fish which i think was mahi mahi was flakey, flavorful and my favorite.

Comida Plate Score: 9



I stopped by La Villa Real truck on Alameda and Raritan to compare their lengua tacos to the versions put forth by both el taco de mexico and pinche taco truck.  The entire menu is still in spanish only but i made it through and ordered a set of four.  I kind of wish i could have had one of each of the other types, but i guess i'll have to return. The slices of beef tongue were tender and sauteed on the flat top and sprinkled with diced onions, cilantro and a few wedges of lime.  I definitely appreciate how La Villa Real and El Taco de Mexico let the meat shine in their tacos, but Pinche's version is just an explosion of delicious flavors.

La Villa Real Plate Score: 7.5

At the base of the clock tower on the 16th street mall, you'll find a Brava Pizza, a brick oven on wheels serving up the lunch and happy hour crowd of the apparently Southwest Airlines sponsored space.  All pizzas are under $8 and on mondays the 10" Margherita pizza is just $5! Everything about it was absolutely delicious with the large leaves of fresh basil,the crushed san marzano tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella and charred crust.  Can't beat it!

Brava Pizza Plate Score: 10

Some of you might be wondering how this is a 10, go try it and let me know what you think!  The turkey sandwich from masterpiece might be close to 10 as well.

Denver Wrap Up Part III

Well since my plans have changed and I am not leaving for at least another month.  I will be eating my way through the Denver in which case you can expect at least one or two more wrap ups.

Last week at Civic center eats (Tues/Thurs 11-2pm), i sampled Mythos Greek Pork Souvlaki sandwich on a warm pita with tazatziki sauce, tomatoes red onions and FRENCH FRIES! The pita was soft and chewy but the pork was slightly dry and the sandwich could have benefited from alittle more crunch (think romaine lettuce!).  I also sampled the Pabellon Arepa from Quiero Arepas which has shredded beef, black beans, plantains and cheese.  The arepa was slightly too thin and crispy and the shredded beef was oily but i do love plantains.

The spicy tuna burger at Deluxe burger is diced and marinated with asian spices and loads of hoisin sauce and cooked to a nice medium rare.  Topped with a cucumber salad and cilantro leaves, this is a delicious and different burger if you need a break from all those land locked meats.

Snooze, one of my two all time favorite brunch spots (the other being watercourse) in denver has never disappointed me.  I even captured a pic of my bella bella benny, blueberry pancake to share and my roommate's breakfast tacos with hashbrowns inside the tortillas!

On the west side of town lacking a much needed froyo place, my favorite and hole in the wall US Thai Cafe in Edgewater neighborhood.   Delicious plate of pad thai.  They need to decide on what "mild" is because last time it definitely packed some heat, but this time "mild" meant no heat.

A friend suggested Yazoo bbq at the crazy corner intersection of 21st, Broadway and Champa in my quest to find good bbq here in Denver.  Another hole in the wall, this place was packed on a workday lunch, as i decided on the 2 ribs and 1/8 pound of both pork shoulder and brisket.  The ribs and pork shoulder were both standouts in terms of smoke flavor and tenderness but the brisket was just average with too many burnt ends.  I like that there were squeeze bottles of "sweet" "hot" or "super hot" bbq sauce so i could customize the amount of sauce on my meat.

In the 4 years i've been around, i don't remember walking the saturday cherry creek farmers market mostly because i don't care about organic overpriced produce and large crowds.  But somehow there is less grocery stuff and loads of prepared foods and free samples!  We sampled our way through dips, spreads, cakes and breads.  A few memorable ones came from waffle cakes and all of quick breads samples from outrageous baking (pumpkin, lemon poppyseed, chocolate zucchini).  Normally we expect burritos, tacos, sandwiches,  easy foods at a farmers' market but i wasn't expecting paella provided by the stand from le central.  For a mere $8 you got a "small" box of piping hot saffron scented rice cooked with chicken, pork, shrimp, bay scallops, mussels, chorizo and a myriad of classic paella veggies.  Excellent and cheap!

I've talked alot about Dim Sum particularly at star kitchen, an amazing family style brunch of steamed dumplings and super delicious buns stuffed with both savory and sweet fillings.  Classic "har gow" shrimp dumplings (upper right) and "siu mai" pork and shrimp dumplings (bottom right) plus not so classic ones such as tripe stew (bottom left) and tofu skin wrapped with pork and variety of black fungi (mushrooms!).

Then there is one bun the size of your fist that will put a smile on a anyone on their first dim sum experience.  The "pineapple bun" (crust is pineapple like?) is a baked sweet bread filled with an egg custard.  Perfect at the end of the meal or as an afternoon snack but always a winner!

Denver Wrap up Part II

Civic Center Eats down by the capitol features a dozen or more food trucks that feed hungry government workers (and me!) every tuesday and thursday from 11-2 through the end of September.  Check out the line up here

The beef tongue tacos from Pinche Tacos are different from El Taco de mexico, both delicious, but Pinche's version are not shredded but diced and triple cooked until tender, finished on the grill then topped with the usual cilantro and onion but also a roasted tomatillo salsa, honey mayo and a wedge of lime.

The korean steak skewer from the stick it to me food truck was sensational, tender and full of typical soy, ginger and garlic flavors

Third trip to Squeaky bean was just as innovative as the previous two times and I am sad to see it close June 12th after brunch 

 The wagyu beef tartare wrapped with avocado, chiles and teriyaki gel was exquisite and beatifully presented.

 The second appetizer which is a play on pork chili verde was a braised and seared pork belly with a pork shoulder corn bread sitting in a rich roasted green chili soup.  The soup itself was a little bitter which actually worked nicely with the sweetness from the cornbread.  Once again plating was beautiful.

 The halibut cheeks entree which was generously split for us sat atop of a brandade (basically mashed potatoes infused with mild salted halibut), pea puree, crushed marcona almonds and a variety of backyard greens.  Delicious.

The dessert called "chocolate and sugar" was a bit of a head scratcher and no where near as pretty as the other dishes.  The elements including meringue, chocolate ganache ribbon, chewy caramel triangles, chocolate moose, beet chocolate cookie, cocoa powder and spun sugar seemed did not provide a cohesive dish.

Watercourse foods on 17th was almost a weekly staple my first year here in Denver, yet i've never captured a picture of the scrumptuous food.  For lunch, I ordered my usual Toulouse (broccoli, mushrooms, artichokes and swiss) scramble with sweet potato homefries, biscuit with raspberry jelly and split a buckwheat supreme pancake with a friend of mine.  It has been a while since my last trip but everything was delicious, the buckwheat supreme pancake (which is now smaller in diameter than in previous years) comes with a choice of mango banana granola or cherry almond granola (We opted for banana mango).

Review: Linger

Root down's owner/executive chef just opened Linger (no menu online yet) in the former Mortuary space right behind Little Man Ice Cream in the Lohi neighborhood.  According to our server, the concept is worldly street food using local ingredients.  We nibbled on popcorn dusted with garam masala as we perused the menu, which is divided into asian, mediterranean, middle eastern and african shared plates.

We decided on 3 veggie, 1 meat and 1 seafood dish.

We started with a cup of the cucumber gazpacho with sliced radishes, grapes and a cool tomato sorbet.  The cold soup was innovative and refreshing on the warm summer night and a great start to our meal.  I forgot to take a photo of the fava bean and pea hummus which was served with accompaniments of preserved lemon, feta, hardboiled egg, paprika and whole wheat naan.  Westword raved about this dish in its initial review however for me, it was forgettable and there wasn't even enough naan.

The masaala dosa which is curry spiced potatoes and chick peas wrapped in an indian style crepe was delightful

The kobe beef short rib tacos were lacking salt and flavor.  You can't tell by this picture but the tortillas (which were too thick and more like pita) were drenched in oil from the short ribs and the neither the kimchi nor the guacamole could improve this flat dish.  If i'm looking for asian fusion tacos, i'll head to NYC for Korilla Bbq's version.

The seared scallops were well cooked but did not blow me away and the dressing on the arugula was sweet and salty which caught me off guard, and not in a good way.  However the corn fritters were light and airy. e.  Just like the short ribs, the scallops were sitting atop of a collection of oily mushrooms.  We skipped dessert and opted for ice cream at Little Man next door

Given that Linger just opened last week, i'll probably give this place a second chance in the future


Plate Score:  6

Denver Wrap up Part I

On a list with so many things to do before I leave colorado, at least half the list consists of food related activities.  Here is the wrap up in the past week on adventures on my dinner plate

- Beef tongue tacos from El taco de mexico were delicious as usual, though the corn tortilla's started to fall apart as I stuffed my face.

-$2 street tacos (on Tuesdays) from El Camino in the highlands were great particularly the carnitas and the al pastor tacos with chunks of sweet pineapple and diced onions.  Do not sit at the end of the bar near the door, it is awkwardly shaped and the arm pit/black hole of the restaurant where we could barely get a server's attention without the help of other patrons.

-The bison burger from Rackhouse pub was juicy but a bit too gamey in flavor and needed some salt.  A LA times food critic who stopped through denver last year praised the beer baked mac and cheese which can be ordered as a side with any sandwich, even the triple grilled cheese sandwich.  If you get tired of the brewery tours around town, rackhouse pub also moonlights as a distillery for Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey and offers free tours during the week.

-The green chicken chile from Mod market had a nice mild heat with hearty chunks of white meat chicken and roasted green chiles in a soothing broth.

-The tempura fried half avocado from Leaf restaurant in boulder.  Stuffed with mango salsa with an orange blossom sauce and a black rice cake, this place satisfies the vegetarian, vegan and raw palates of hippies across boulder.  It was interesting but will never replace my first love, watercourse

Sad times
According to Westword, one of my favorite restaurants Squeaky Bean is closing its doors June 12th due to leasing issues and will reemerge as a different restaurant concept in about a month.  Go now but if you need to be convinced check out my reviews here or if you need a second opinon, i guess yelp would do. They have a new spring menu which is not updated on the website.

Need something to do tonight?
The Justice League of Food trucks is having their season kick off party from 5-10pm tonight.  Check out their facebook page for details!

NYC 2011 Part 2

With my dad in town this time around, we made sure to hit up some of NYC's big hitters including Eric Ripert's Le Bernadin.  Unfortunately there are no photos because this place is not for tourists and I'm pretty sure they would have asked me to stop or leave if i had continually snapped pics throughout our seven course tasting menu.  The Le Bernadin tasting menu focuses on seafood and french techniques which were all beautifully presented with exquisite flavor.  Both the food and service were excellent and my favorite included the charred octopus appetizer which was tender and smokey and the liquid pear bubble in the dessert course which they suggested you let explode in your mouth with a little of the chocolate parfait.

Plate Score: 9.5 (The price hurts a lot even if i wasn't the one paying for it)


Though dinner was fantastic, a 5:15pm reservation would not hold us over till morning so we fixed it with a delivery of this new york solution around 10 :)

For lunch on Saturday, my sister introduced us to Blue Ribbon Sushi on 58th near Columbus Circle.  From what I understand it is of the same caliber as Nobu just not as famous.  Everything on the menu was delicious from the sushi and sashimi to the rice and noodle dishes and dessert.  One of the highlights was the japanese style oxtail fried rice with bone marrow.  So terrible for you but it was so good that it even caught my dad's attention.  He suggested that we return the next day.  

Plate Score: 9.5

On Saturday night I did manage to snap a few pictures from David Burke's townhouse as we were seated, with the exception of the servers, in an area of virtual isolation.  The culinary approach of this restaurant is whimsical modern american.

The parfait of salmon and tuna tartares with 3 sauces and a layer of creme fraiche was beautifully prepared and incredibly fresh

Normally you think about crab cakes in a circular fashion, and when it said "pretzel crusted" on the menu i imagined crushed pretzels would serve as a binder.  Instead I was pleasantly surprised with this rectangular log of fresh crabmeat wrapped with pretzel sticks and dusted with sesame seeds. The sauteed soft shell crab appetizer behind was delicious but a tad bit oily.

This is the lobster "steak".  For $46, it was a great deal with the lobster claw that sat atop of chopped lobster meat packed into the shape of a filet mignon, hence the word "steak".

Dessert were drunken donut holes with chocolate baileys, strawberry daquiri and salted caramel sauces.  The donuts were a tad dense, but who can refuse fried dough?!

"Opera on the park bench"  Do you see it? hazelnut cream cake and espresso ice cream. Perfect

                                                    
Plate Score: 7

Beatrice and Woodsley

On my second visit back to Beatrice and Woodsley, I left disappointed with the food and the interesting service.  Despite the unique interior decoration with floor to ceiling trees, the bathroom was way too confusing and exposed (you'll understand if you go) and the yellow window tint by the front door made the cold and gloomy day look like a spring sunny day.

The food was nothing spectacular as I was confused with the range of temperatures on both the dishes
First up was the "Ninny Nanny"

A fried pasta dough shell (warm) stuffed with lemon zested goat and ricotta cheese (cool), with a buttery wild mushroom sauce (warm), spinach (warm) and sauteed grape tomatoes (hot).  Our waiter tried to make something up after I asked what temperature the dish was supposed to be.  Honestly it's ok to just say i don't know.  

The ninny nanny and the endive salad were followed by the braised oxtail main course.

Fried blue cheese gnocchi and kale (hot), braised oxtail (warm with hot spots) and fried soft boiled egg (cool).  The gnocchi were way to soft and each component did very little to complement each other.

Plate Score: 6.5

Great Food Truck Race!

There are alot of things you could be doing this weekend like the Cinco de Mayo festival at Civic Center Park but if you love food trucks, Season 2 of Food Network's Great Food Truck Race is here in denver today and tomorrow.   Here are the details for the rest of the weekend.  I am still hoping to the see the host Tyler Florence out and about!

Korean style Ribeye tacos from Korilla Bbq

Hodge Podge and Lime Truck attracted long lines in front of Marzycks

        

Cafe Con Leche's Pork, plaintains, black beans and rice

Food Trucks

Need something to do/eat this weekend?

If you have ever been to the Justice League of Food Truck parties behind coors field where you can sample items from several food trucks you'll love the 2nd generation of this group collectively known as the Food Truck Warriors.  They are having a kick off party this saturday from 2-9pm.  You can find details here!


Need something to do/eat in a month?

Eat Denver, a group of independent restaurants is throwing a block party by Union Station where restaurants like duo, black pearl, snooze and steubens to name a few will showcase the strengths of denver's restaurant scene.  Tickets are $20 but will guarantee to be a blast.  You can find details here!

TAG Raw Bar

If you haven't been to TAG, you should really do that, and if you want something else from the TAG family of restaurants, you should try Troy Guard's new concept: TAG raw bar.  Located below street level in a tiny space in larimer square, it has a surprisingly small interior with a dozen orange stools at the bar and 2 five tops.  The atmosphere was casual with music from an ipod mix(i believe TLC came up at one point).  We picked two seats at the bar where we could watch the only two chefs and the bartender/waiter command the line. The restaurant focuses on small plates with raw or almost raw preparation techniques.  They change their menu frequently, maybe even daily so chances are you won't find the same stuff if you plan on going soon.  In addition to a free spicy tuna roll (kitchen mistake!) below is a sampling of what we enjoyed last night

Fire and Ice Sushi with Hirasama (yellowtail), Ahi, cucumber, avocado with wasabi tofu foam

Heirloom tomato salad with mache, sesame leaves, shaved ricotta salata and apple balsamic glaze

Perhaps the best dish of the night.  Seared colorado lamb loin with whisky peach gastrique, shaved pecorino and microgreens.  The meat was tender and rare without being gamey.

Duo of Tuna (Ahi and Amberjack) with miso, seaweed and himalayan sea salt.  The fish was so fresh but the flavors infused within weren't necessarily my favorite

"Ceviche Imagination" - changes daily, today it was scallop and ahi tuna with pico de gallo, cilantro and lime.  Incredibly refreshing.

TAG Raw Bar Plate score:  8.5


We wanted little man ice cream for dessert but they closed at 9, so as we fought our way through the hurricane like gusts, we settled on a slice of the coffee kahlua cheesecake from the cheesecake factory.  Delicious!

NYC 2011 Part 1

After a much needed nap from my terrible red eye flight from Denver, i returned to my favorite Japanese noodle house Ippudo with my sister for lunch.  This place is consistently packed with long lines out the door and today was no different.  The noodles are definitely the star, housemade and al dente sitting in a flavorful pipping hot broth of your choice (traditional soy or soy and miso blends) with roasted pork and veggies.   If you like eggs, make sure to add the soft boiled marinated egg for $2!  I was so excited to eat it that I forgot to take a photo....

Ippudo Plate score: 9.5

Japanese is probably my sister's all time favorite so a fusion japanese compromise at Bond St was a good choice on Friday night before I headed to my hotel for the weekend conference.  We shared a few rolls, beef sushi (seared wagyu over rice), sashimi and the two dishes below.

The seared john dory on the right was cooked perfectly surrounded by a light chili lime broth with roasted beets and microgreens. There was no hint of japanese influence there but nevertheless excellent.  The braised short ribs which were oddly pressed into a square ring mold sat atop of columns of daikon radish.  The asian pear puree on top of the short ribs contrasted nicely with the saltiness from the meat.

Another reason I chose this place was for the dessert below, the green tea mille crepe.  As the name suggests, this a multi layer dessert is made with at least two dozen crepes filled with a green tea cream.    I ordered a nine inch one for my sister last year for her birthday from Lady M.  Needless to say she loves it.

Bond St Plate Score:  7.5

Beauty and Essex, according to my sister is NYC's hottest place these days.  She even mentioned the fact that there was champagne in the women's bathroom  on her last visit there.  With a focus on contemporary tapas which is easily my favorite way to dine.  It is so easy to mistake this for something else as you have to walk through a pawn shop to get to the actual restaurant.  The secret entrance leads into a dimly lit restaurant with big velvet couches, ceiling to floor drapes and chandeliers that fill the interior and reminded me of something you would see in one of Chuck Bass' Party (Gossip Girl).  

All dishes were good including the beef tartare, roasted bone marrow, lobster asparagus pizette and a chestnut and ricotta ravioli but won't necessarily bring me back for seconds on my next trip.  The molten chocolate bread pudding dessert was soft and decadent and paired nicely with the mild hazelnut ice cream and was a great end to the the weekend before fighting and running my way through the busy airport at JFK.

   Beef Tartare

                       Roasted Bone Marrow with red onion marmalade, microgreens and toasted ciabatta 

                                           Lobster and asparagus on a cracker thin pizette

                            

Miso-sake glazed sugar snap peas, and chestnut ricotta ravioli with butternut squash sauce and crispy pancetta

Beauty and Essex Plate Score: 8

Fun Fact: Chris Santos is the executive chef of B&E and also a regular judge on Food Network's Chopped!