Spuntino

What used to be the red trolley (a cafe and gelato shop) a block from work has recently been replaced by Spuntino.  And what used to be An's Lemongrass grill next door in that red brick building will soon be a Park Burger (projected to open late february!).  In addition to a rotating lineup of gelato flavors like pistachio and chocolate salted caramel they also offer flatbreads, paninis, and salads and housemade tarts (think lemon basil curd) napoleans and tiramisu in their display cases.  The price are on the high side ($8-$10) for their little eats so we decided to share one of their flatbreads topped with stracchino, proscuitto and arugula.  Upon placing our order, we watched the cook or food artist whatever you call those people pull out a small ball of dough and proceeded to roll it out until it was a quarter of an inch thick before throwing it down on the flat top.  He then brought out a 5lb slab of proscuitto and shaved off several slices for the flatbread.  I supposed this is what "made to order" looks like!  I wonder if they cure their own meats?

The melted stracchino cheese was followed by the proscuitto and generous handfuls of peppery arugula.  As we ate it, the warm flatbread was less like a  pita or a chewy pizza dough but more like a flakey pastry dough.  I felt as though the arugula could been dressed with some acid like red wine vinegar or lemon juice to cut through the richness of the cheese and proscuitto.  It was a decent sized portion for "little eats" however for $10, i doubt i'll be running back for a seconds.  I wasn't in the mood for dessert either which is a shocker but i will return for the gelato and definitely those gourmet popsicles (think celery lime or blueberry basil) in the warmer months.  Despite being open for less than a month, westword has already raved about the popsicles as one of their favorite foods for 2011.

Plate score: 7

ModMarket

If you drive down Colorado Blvd on the way to pinkberry or the barnes and nobles, it is very hard to miss the 3 story tall green glass structure (especially at night) which houses the newly open ModMarket, the original which is located in up in boulder. Granted it just opened less than 10 days ago so it definitely needs some refining.  ModMarket's concept includes all natural and lcoal ingredients, fresh produce and made to order pizza and sandwiches at very affordable prices.  The interior is clean and modern with condiments and good olive oil to dip the pizza crust into.  As the associate explained their concept to us, we sampled their split pea curry soup which was hearty and delicious.  As a health conscious place, they post the nutritional info on the menu and it is also printed on your receipt.  The fig pizza with several cheeses, arugula on a whole grain crust served as the training tool for the newly hired associates which as a result suffered some expected flaws.  I designed my own salad with honey herb vinaigrette while my friend ordered the Mongolian salad with the typical asian flavors (plus soy nuts) and an orange mint vinaigrette.    The salads were solid but the pizza had too much flour on the bottom which left a powdery taste in our mouths and was missing the arugula.  I will return in a few months as soon as ModMarket smoothes out its operational food related kinks.

Plate score:  6 with potential