Summer food fests and more

Similar to most towns and cities, summer means outdoor food festivals and farmers market.  While I enjoy farmers market, I do not go for the $5 per pound tomatoes or green beans but rather the free samples of breads and spreads. I ventured to Williamsburg Brooklyn right across the river where every Saturday the "flea market" known as Smorgasboard features 95% prepared foods (yay!)  From bbq to tacos, arepas to viet sandwiches, this place is a foodie's paradise .

Out of everything that was eaten, I wanted to highlight this hot dog.  We've seen the asian inspired tacos (Korilla BBQ or Seoul Food) and sandwiches (think Bimbimbap burger at Social Eatz) but please meet Asia Dog.  You can find an outpost in Nolita, but Asia dog also makes its rounds at various food festivals and concerts throughout the summer.  I opted for the Sydney chicken hot dog, the bun was pleasantly toasted, the dog lightly grilled and topped with a relish of refreshing mango, cilantro, onion, cucumber, lime and fish sauce and finished with a handful of crushed peanuts.  To cap it off, I rode the east ferry back to manhattan on a full belly of hot dogs, pork sandwiches and an interesting espresso stout chocolate chip cookie.

When our initial brunch location in st. marks was packed at 1:30pm, I was looking forward to eggs so naturally was not that excited for our back up lunch at Xian Foods even though it has been featured by Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmerman. And for great reason as it was affordable and delicious.  There isn't alot of seating and they even have rules about when and how you can take seats.

We went with the most yelped about dish the cumin lamb noodles (left) and then a cold noodle dish with seitan and cucumbers as well as the stewed pork sandwich (for $2.50!).  I think the most interesting part of both dishes was the texture of the noodles, much thicker and denser than your typical rice noodle.  While the dish could have used more lamb, the strong cumin chili flavor was prominent and addicting.  The underrated star was actually the pork sandwich hiding in that paper bag.   The hoisin stewed pork was wrapped in a bread that more closely resembled a crusty an arepa. Toasted on both sides this sandwich was a great way to balance the heat of the other dishes.  If you are afraid of spice or oil in anyway, this might not be the place for you.

FYI- if you get a dish that has the word "tingly" in the description- be prepared for numb feeling in your mouth.  You are not having an allergic reaction but rather this is a temporary, courtesy of the Sichuan peppercorn.

On a different note- I made a visit to New Tu Do- a Vietnamese joint near Chinatown. With so many options in that area, I relied on the keen eye of my sister's boyfriend for advice and his research of yelp pictures.  And with summer in full swing, it just doesn't make sense to have pho.  So recently I've really enjoyed nem nuong, a red pork meatball.  It comes with pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, lettuce, mint, peanuts, green onions and micro vermicilli. It's kind of like choose your own adventure where you pick your ingredients and wrap them up in rice paper like summer rolls and dunk it into the typical sweet sour fish sauce.

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What is it?

Instead of biscuits, rolls, croissants or danishes at the Popover cafe., you get a warm popover, a egg based bread/pastry with a crusty exterior and hollow airy soft interior. The flavor definitely reminds me of a crepe and with a dab of strawberry butter or syrup, this is a delightful start to brunch here at this  upper west side spot.

Another notable dish is the kobe beef hash.  Cubes of  this beautiful beef is slow cooked then finished on a flat top with onions and cubed new red potatoes.  The mixture arrives with a nice char and two eggs prepared to your liking.  The fat from the meat really creates a luxurious and gluttinous brunch dish and it is difficult to leave anything on this plate.

Reunion at Public

It was a super weekend as Kate from my time at Teach For America Denver was back in the US for the first time in 2 years!  Her parents threw her a surprise party on Thursday with her friends and family and we capped it off with dinner and a night out on Saturday.  I snagged a 9pm reservation at Public restaurant so we decided to meet at the sister bar next door ahead of dinner just to catch up.  The Daily specializes in drinks where they offer a rotating menu of 6 specialty cocktails that they change as you guessed it- on a daily basis.  You can find updates on their facebook page.  They also offer the standard bar, plus wine and beer.  Both my friends opted for the shaken watermelon chili margarita.  I only took a sip of the bright pink concoction and it was incredibly refreshing and well balanced, not too sweet but with a firm chili kick that tickled my throat.

During dinner, we opted for a bottle of Riesling to go with our four shared appetizers and one entree.  While our waiter's comments were not the most attentive, the service at times slow, I would say eighty percent of the dishes deserved its one michelin star award.  The first appetizer was the whole anchovies with spicy aioli a top a quinoa croquette.    The second was a hearty legume salad with french lentils and green beans, tossed with avocado,toasted pecans and a slightly sweet pomegrante vinaigrette.    Excellent use of textures and flavors.

The second round of dishes came out painfully slow but was quickly forgotten once we started to eat.  The skin on the tasmanian trout was crispy and the pale pink flesh was firmly seasoned and seared to a beautiful medium.  While I normally prefer seared scallops, the sweet chili grilled scallops surprised me and was balanced well with the slightly bitter greens on the plate.

The most disappointing dish was actually the grilled kangaroo which faltered in both the presentation and execution.  It was grilled rare, sliced too think and somehow formed into a ball and set atop of a falafel cake.  Sounds delicious right? The only other time i've had kangaroo was back in Denver at TAG where it was much much better.

Our waiter surprised us with a complimentary tasting of late Riesling to go with the solid sticky toffee pudding dessert.  As an admitted wine novice, this late riesling was super sweet and tasted like liquid raisins.

Overall, I would recommend this place to family, friends and even strangers

It is with great pleasure that I post the non food related human picture on this blog.  My friend Brigitte insisted I use her name in this post so why not go even further and show you a picture of her, she's on the left!

Around the world in 3 meals

Upon my return to the US, I had to catch up on my tv shows and came across a new series on Bravo TV called "Around the World in 80 plates" a cooking competition that as you guessed it- takes place around the world.  One of the contestants is a chef at Fatty Crab, a southeastern (mostly malaysian inspired) destination with several outposts here in Manhattan.  Too be honest, I can't quite remember everything and neglected to capture any photos but I can say that their signature "Chili Crab" and their pork and beef sliders were both terribly disappointing.  The crab dish was perhaps two tablespoons of pulled crab meat swimming in a thick and creamy bowl of chili sauce.  No veggies, no rice, no garnish, it was a bit of a fishing expedition to say the least.  Not worth the exorbant price of $28.  The sliders were spiced with what I believe was an excessive amount of all spice and/or star anise that was incredibly off putting to the point I could not finish it.   The week after we dined at Fatty Crab, the chef on "Around the world" was promptly eliminated from the show....The only redeeming part of the meal was the delicious chicken wing appetizer.  Deep fried and tossed in a sweet soy, chili sauce. the wings  reminded me of the top notch ones at pok pok wing down in the lower east side.

In a craving for pasta and to catch up with a good friend after being away for almost 7 weeks, I researched my way to Osteria Morini, a Michael White restaurant in Soho.  Though they placed us right by the kitchen exit, we caught glimpses of the chefs hard at work preparing what ended up to be a fantastic meal. The insalata mista was mixed greens and spring veggies tossed with sliced salumni and shaved parmigianno which added a wonderful saltiness to the fresh salad. The two pastas were exquisite and perfectly al dente.  One was a simple truffled cream sauce, proscuitto, peas and wilted raddichio while the second was a spinach pasta with a hearty lamb ragu.

In the final segment of this post, I dined at Pio Pio for their entire Peruvian Chicken.  The space was filled with a variety of diners surrounded with a mixture of wood paneling/accents and stone structures all added to a wonderful atmosphere for the evening.  Sure you can get a perfectly acceptable rotisserie chicken at Costco for $5 but this was worth every penny.  Juicy and well spiced and I really didn't feel the need to use the green Aji sauce.

I will say that the spicy corvina ceviche appetizer was excellent, served with gigantic fresh corn and what I can only interpret some sort of nuts/seeds (in the very back, any guesses?).  The slice of boiled sweet potato was a nice touch to counter the acidity and spiciness of the dish.

In my final post in Hong Kong, I wanted to share a few classic dishes and establishments that highlight the excellence of Cantonese cuisine.

The classic dim sum dish that most people know is shrimp dumplings or in cantonese "har gow".   Go ahead and try saying it at your next dim sum meal.  The ones at Fook Lam Moon are among the best with larger than average prawns wrapped by a delicate wrapper.  These are US$2 a piece which is definitely on the pricier side in Hong Kong but definitely worth it if you are looking for the best.

For my vegetarian friends out there, Fan Tang Restaurant offers the most incredible vegetarian dumpling with mushrooms, carrots, Chinese parsley, chives, water chestnuts, chinese black fungus finely diced and enclosed by an almost translucent dumpling wrapper.  A definite contender amongst the pork and shrimp varieties out there.

In the past few days, I have become acutely aware that Cantonese vegetable dishes are never salads or just sauteed with garlic but rather a complex mix of flavors and textures that have the potential to outshine the main dishes.  I actually learned a lot about different Asian vegetables and their western counter parts whilst researching for this post. Here are a few of those dishes.

1. Fan Tang restaurant's- gai lan (Chinese broccoli) prepared two ways in a hot pot.  The leaves from gai lan are chopped to a chiffonade then flash fried.  The slightly bitter stalks are stir fried with a fragrant mixture of ginger garlic, dried shrimp and dried scallops.  Once the stalks are barely tender, the vegetables are finished in the hot pot (pictured) and tossed with the fried leaves.

2.  Fook Lam Moon restaurant's- Boiled yin choy (like spinach but much tastier!) in a simple broth with salty duck egg, 1000 year old egg, and scrambled egg whites.  Simple yet flavorful.

3.  Chariot Club restaurant- Tong Sang Choy (Chinese romaine lettuce).  The greens are sauteed with garlic, chilis and fu yu- which is a fermented tofu paste and finished in a sizzling hot pot.  Fu yu is another acquired taste but will put you in a league with locals along side the 1000year old egg challenge.

Every time I come to Hong Kong, I insist on eating steamed whole fish and virtually all seafood restaurants will have this option as this is classic Cantonese.  It's simple preparation results in such a powerful and delicious meal, that pairs perfectly with a bowl of white rice. The texture of the fish is soft and flaky like chilean sea bass, steamed till perfection, with the flavor from the bones really shining through.  The final dish is dressed with sliced green onions, ginger, a splash of hot oil, and is swimming in a sea of sweet soy sauce.  I have yet to conquer the eyeball but the fish cheek is the best part!

See you all back in NYC :)

I'm BACK!

Hello followers and readers!

It has been almost 10 months since my last post in Denver and I am thrilled to be at it again for the first time in 2012.  I am currently on vacation in Hong Kong after four great weeks in China for work and instead of checking my work email incessantly, I thought I would take some time to share my love for food and start blogging again.  I can't promise that this will be regular, but you can expect 2-3 posts in the next week at least.

If you know me personally or even professionally, you know how much I love food (and in Hong Kong!), and if Hong Kong does indeed become your next vacation destination I would be happy to be your food consultant.

I've been thinking for a while and I've decided (with much much thought) to abandon the plate score. I invite you to imagine the plate score for yourself and share it with me especially if you go to the restaurants mentioned in my posts.

I thought I would start off with a comparison between 2 Michelin stared restaurants here in Hong Kong, one ultimately more outstanding than the other:  Caprice at the Four Seasons and Amber at the Mandarin Oriental.

Both are incredibly expensive so either come with parents, a for profit company or start a specific savings account for this experience.  The one upside is service is pretty seamless and I always enjoy the "free stuff": Amuse bouche, unlimited bread selection, pre-dessert and of course petit fours (for your eyes to feast on, 1st is Caprice, 2nd is Amber).

First let's explore Caprice. I will not go over each and every single dish otherwise this blog post would become a novel and who has time for that.  I will just go over the highs and lows.

Let's start with the low.  So I've never been to a French restaurant that doesn't serve foie gras in some way.  At Caprice, it was seared and served with a passionfruit carrot puree with cocoa crispies.  Despite the colorful presentation, I tried intently to listen to the server explain the chef's vision for this dish. but the sweet, salty, sour (from the passionfruit) flavors were bizarre and ultimately confusing together.

The second low light was the langoustine carpaccio, beautiful presentation but the temperature was too warm for my palate and peace of mind.  I had flashbacks to epic bouts of food poisoning, not a good to start, luckily the end of the night was just fine.

The first highlight was my dad's lamb 3 ways: rack, tenderloin and braised shoulder. The second was the cheese plate.  Yes, you heard me, cheese.  I can hear all of my cheese friends jumping out of their seats right now.  I never order cheese but it came with our meal so why not right?  My favorite and apparently of excellent choice was the 4 year aged Comte cheese which had these distinct salt crystals that develop during the aging process (the rectangular block in the bottom right corner).  Our waiter proudly explained Caprice has the most complete cheese course in the city and that there are only a dozen or so restaurants in the world that have aged 4 years Comte, most Comte cheeses are aged 1-2 years....I just picked it because it isn't a soft and/or pungent cheese.

Instead of dinner (like Caprice) we opted for lunch at Amber.  There is a lunch set that is relatively affordable in comparaison to their dinner.  The key word is relatively.

So I mentioned that French restaurants find a way to include foie gras on their menu and at Amber it comes in the form of their signature 1st amuse buche: foie gras lollipop. A round ball of pate coated with a liquid sugar coat.  Reminds me of a candy apple in appearance. It was tasty but incredibly rich that I had to promptly stuff a piece of bread to avoid feeling like was I eating a tablespoon of butter.

The appetizer is worth mentioning here. The seared langoustine with chickpeas, chickpea and red pepper puree and the 2 (brown) "raviolis" of mysterious but I assume scientific execution. It was like flavor balloon bursting with shellfish jus and chickpea puree.

Desserts at both restaurants were great but despite the excellent cheese course at Caprice, the unanimous winner is Amber.


This evening we decided to take a break from the fancy stuff and opted for an equally delicious and homemade meal. From top left going clockwise:

1. Fried chinese sweet cruller (basically a Chinese donut but chewy like a pita)
2. 1000 year old (or Century) egg and salted duck egg.  It is not actually 1000 years old, but it might as well be with that color and taste.  You think chicken feet and fish eyeballs are weird, that stuff is amateur.
3. Congee (rice porridge with pork or any variety of your choosing)
4. Boiled Choy Sum (Chinese vegetable)

It's good to be back :)


And if you've decided that my obsession with food is not relevant to your life anymore, I'll be sad but let me know and I can remove you from my emails.

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