Must Eat Denver

I tried the “Smashburger” from Steve’s Snappin Dogs the other day, fully expecting to be blown away. This thing gets rave reviews from people on different boards, as if it’s the hidden burger-gem of the city.

It was decent – I’m not going to say it was bad, but it didn’t make the cut. Aside from the cheese not being melted, the burger was like a softball in the middle of an umbrella of bread. Reminded me of this clip from Eddie Murphy:

Here is a pic of the burger:

Deluxe Burger’s “Denver Burger”

Location: E Colfax

Price: $7.5

The Skinny: The story goes that one hot summer night, Deluxe,  a successful and well respected restaurant, had a few too many drinks at the bar, and armed with lines from VH1’s “The Pick Up Artist”, started throwing his game out there.  The bait lured barfly Mod Livin, a stylish, modern furniture joint, single for 9 years and hanging out on the streets of Colfax.  Sparks fly, birds chirp, and Deluxe moves in months later.

Feb 26^th,, 2010 – the birth of this union: “Deluxe Burger” – dubbed by the owners as “Love in a Bun”.  ½ rock solid food, ½ hip, mid-century design.  The result is an excellent, sweet, spicy and messy affair… much like love itself.  (And yes, that’s Shakespeare rolling over in his grave.)

On this occasion I got the “Denver Burger” – a spice and flavor guarantee with melted cheddar, sautéed chilies, onions, pico, and smoked jalapeño aioli.  That’s right, jalepeno and chilis – pico and onion.  Redundant?  Perhaps.  Especially with the pico.  You already get onions and tomato in the burger – having pico there gave only slightly more acid, but not much more flavor.  It also made the burger a bit of a mess, with the pico soaking into the bun.  Even with a sloppy bun, it was still terrific – the subtle heat from the spicy, mouthwatering aioli mixing well with the sweet onions and house-ground beef patty.

And that’s the other thing to mention about Deluxe Burger – everything, yes everything is homemade – from the fries down to the condiments and pickles.  An impressive feat, for sure, but on this visit it was the fries and condiments that were the most out of sync.  Chef-owner Dylan Moore is too good to let that go on, and I’d expect this to get smoothed out over the next few months as they find their stride.  Overall, a very strong burger.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

My Brother’s Bar’s “Johnny Burger”

Location: Riverfront

Price:  $6.5

The Skinny: The secret to this burger is the use of pickles.

It’s an absolute dynamite cheeseburger: perfectly cooked meat, soft grilled onions, and 3 cheeses, including jalepeno cream cheese on the bun. With all of that, it’s practically begging for an acid, and that’s where the pickles take it to another level. Served alongside the burger is a tray of extra condiments, including pickles, that you jam into every bite. It’s the delicious combination of fat and acid, sweetness from the pickle, and spice from the jalapeno that makes this burger the best in the city.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Jack n Grill’s “The Kathy (Albuquerque Burger)”

Location: Federal

Price: $7

The Skinny: The Travel Channel is in love with Jack n Grill. The kind of love that only food obsession can bring – that maybe a 13 year old girl understands.  I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if they dot their “I’s” with hearts while scribbling the restaurant’s name in their diary.  Maybe it’s the portions, the greasy spoon vibe, or the visible family behind the enterprise – whatever it is, they’re swooning.  They featured the place on “Man vs Food”, as restaurant owner Jack Martinez challenged the network to eat his 7 pound burrito (winner: burrito).  They list the spot as one of the top 10 places in the country to pig out, and in the top 15 on their “101 tastiest places to chowdown in America” list.  Obsession like this piques my interest – what’s the fuss about?

Answer: Size.  Sheer, circus-like size.  And their ability to pull it off and still make the food taste oh-so greasy-good.

The burger comes out all huge and freakish – like a mini basketball with meat in between.  It’s nearly embarrassing when served, except for the fact that every dish in the diner is somehow this same size.  After you manage to get your mouth around the son-of-a-bitch, it’s really an excellent burger.  Perfectly cooked meat, the outside seared to a deep brown hue, and the inside pink and tender.  This version, The Kathy, gets a topping of green chili and cheese – good mates for any burger, including this one.  If I had one complaint, it’s that the bun-to-meat ratio was a little slanted towards too much bun, but only by a little.

And, I kid you not… I had the “small”.  There actually is a “large” version of this monster.  Kudos to he or she who can conquer it… Travel channel?

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Bud’s Café and Bar’s “Double Cheeseburger”

Location: Sedalia

The Skinny: This is Burger Purity.  No lettuce or tomato, no secret sauce, no fries.  It’s just you and the meat, cheese, & bun.  And it’s absolutely delicious.

Buds is exactly the kind of place you think it will be.  Exactly the kind of place you hope it will be.  Way out in the middle of nowhere Sedalia, past a few tumbleweeds and in between the railroad tracks, there it sits – like a place out of Mayberry.  I wouldn’t have been shocked to see a few rocking chairs out front, or at least a 6 string being picked.  No such luck on this occasion, but at least the inside was a satisfying scene: locals, beer, drab booths from decades ago, and 40+ year old waitresses.  Just the kind of spot that is guaranteed to serve good food.

The burger itself is simple and classic: Two patties of a proprietary blend of beef, melted cheese, and two perfectly steamed buns.  The buns deserve special recognition – they straddle the fine line between being sturdy enough to hold their shape, yet soft enough to melt into the burger in each bite.  It’s a greasy, burger purists dream.

AGREE OR DISAGREE

Larkburger’s “Truffle Cheeseburger”

Location: DTC

Price:  $6.75

The Skinny: To start off with, I owe Larkburger a bit of an apology.  While I was reviewing the top100 dishes in Denver, this was on the list, and at the time I didn’t think it was anything special – said it was no better than a backyard burger at a neighbor’s house.  The review turned out to be one of my most unpopular, getting thumbs down from most.  Curious, I decided to try it again – this time in the newly opened Tech Center location.  Was I wrong?

Yes.  Dead wrong – It’s a slammin’ good burger.

There is a lot to like about Larkburger, apart from their delicious food.  They use fresh ingredients, they recycle, they’re good stewards of the land.  They even constructed the restaurant out of reclaimed trees, which sounds admirable and decent, even if I don’t quite know what it means.  But naturally all of this would be meaningless unless they put out a great burger, which indeed, they do.

On this occasion, the burger was outstanding.  And it comes down to one thing: truffle aioli.  Owners Adam Baker and Thomas Salamunovich modeled the restaurant after a love of truffles, and it’s never better expressed than in this sandwich.  The incredible, earthy sauce drips throughout the burger, uplifting everything from the bun, to the cheese, to the perfectly cooked patty.  The meat, incidentally, was the biggest difference from my last experience to this one.  This time it was juicy and memorable, much better than my neighbor’s version in their mythical backyard.

Keep an eye out for LarkBurger.  Adam, the owner – a good and down to earth guy – told me they’re opening a new spot in Ft Collins soon, and Denver after that.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Outstanding Restaurateur:

Frank Bonanno, Bones, Luca d’Italia, Mizuna, and Osteria Marco, Denver

Steve Ells, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Denver

Rising Star Chef of the Year:

James Rugile, Venue Bistro, Denver

Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year:

Yasmín Lozada-Hissom, Duo, Denver

Outstanding Wine Service:

Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO

Outstanding Service:

Penrose Room at the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO

Best Chef Southwest:

Bertrand Bouquin, Summit at the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO

Mark Fischer, Six89, Carbondale, CO

Ryan Hardy, Montagna at the Little Nell, Aspen, CO

Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja, Denver

Kelly Liken, Kelly Liken, Vail, CO

Alex Seidel, Fruition, Denver

H Burger Co’s “H Burger”

Location: Downtown

Price:  $11

The Skinny: H Burger opened 11am Feb 13th, and by noon, we were there.  Who could resist the promising combination of high end burgers, chicness of Jet owner Pete Plum, and uber-creativity of mad food scientist, Ian Kleinman?

True to form, Kleinman’s stamp on the menu is immediately apparent: liquid nitrogen milk shakes , below freezing beer, and little creative nuances here and there.

We ordered the milkshakes, which, due to the liquid nitrogen, start out as ice cream, and slowly melt into a shake during your stay.  Very good indeed.  For the burger, we got the H Burger – Angus Beef, green chili, smoked cheddar, sweet bacon, and a side of secret sauce.  A few bites in, 2 things stick out:
1.  Wow…lots of flavor.
2.  Sweet pleasant heat

If there was one flaw with the burger, its that the accompanying components are so compelling they distract a little from the meat.  The spice from the green chili and bacon is wonderfully present but not overpowering, and the smoky cheddar does well standing up for itself.  I asked Kleinman about the choice to use smoked cheddar with the chili as opposed to the traditional white cheddar or jack –  his response was that he wanted to make it unique – a “Colorado” burger (and screw you, New Mexico).  The meat, in comparison, was a little ordinary.  Mine was slightly overcooked, an error easily forgiven by the newness of the joint, but not at all bad by any stretch.

Good first visit and I’ll definitely be back.  Not sure if it’s elbowing “My Brothers Bar” out of top burger spot in Denver, but it’s in the top 10.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Recap:

100 Dishes

(7 not offered)

116 days

$1177.04 (before tax and tip)

10 lb weight gain

Highest rated: Rioja’s “Beignets” – 9.5

Lowest Rated: Sea Urchin from Seafood Landing – 1

Z Cuisine’s “Assiette de Charcuterie Maison”

Location: Highlands

Rating: 7 (out of 10)

Price:  $20

The Skinny: So… here we are, folks:  #100.  No doubt I will have a few lists coming up in the posts ahead -best this, best that, overpriced here, awful there.  When I make a “best overall restaurant” list, Z Cuisine will surely be on it.  Their charcuterie was an excellent note to end on.

The list of elements on the plate bears mentioning, so here it is:

-          House made Long’s farm pork shoulder rillettes

-          Pâté de Campagne ‘Country Pâté’ ,

-          local & French artisan cheese

-          accompaniments of red onion confiture

-          caramelized shallots

-          seasonal chutney

-          candied pecans

-          imported saucisson sec

-          pickled cornichons

-          marinated olives

-          house crackers

You might think with a list of components this long, you’d forgive the chef if one or two weren’t quite up to the rest.  Not the case at Z – every bit of it was good.  From the chutney to the Pate.  And they balanced well with each other – one complimenting or adding another layer to the next.  To borrow a description I read recently, it was more like a chord than a series of individual strings.  Very, very good.

Finally, I’d like to give justice to this new gem in Denver – the place was truly excellent.  Warm, comfortable feel, almost as if you’re eating in a French relative’s kitchen.  And the rest of the food after the charcuterie was incredible.  The duck skin in my Cassoulet might have been the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in this entire journey.  No joke.  The memory of the amazing flavor has stayed with me for weeks.  Probably one of the top 3-4 restaurants in Denver right now.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

The Broker’s “Southwest Wellington”

Location: Downtown

Rating: 5 (out of 10)

Price:  $41

The Skinny: High prices can often be a signal of many things – quality, good service, creativity, ambiance.  In the case of The Broker, a restaurant which is absent all of that – it is simply a slap in the face.  It’s an infuriating display of raping and pillaging the good people of Denver who are foolish enough to dine here.  Consider me one of them, forking over $41 before tax and tip to eat their remarkably average and uninspired “Southwest Wellington”.  And that was on the low end – an order of Rack of Lamb will run you a cool $57.

Really Broker?  Could you possibly be this tone deaf to the economic happenings outside of your little vault in an abandoned bank?

The appearance of upscale is attempted, at least.  Diners eat in an old bank vault, the huge steel door propped open for display.  In keeping with the theme are the tables, which are like private rooms with 3 sides.  Apparently this is where bank patrons sat with the contents of their lock boxes – counting their money, poring over documents, plotting takeovers, etc.  Upon sitting down, I was handed a menu with the words “personally yours” on the cover.  Gag.  After ordering the Wellington, a big basket of shrimp cocktail was delivered to the table – a Broker tradition no matter what you order.  It’s not my thing, but I had a few anyway.  The waitress told me they would throw them out even if I didn’t touch them, so I felt compelled, you know… to honor the killed shrimp.  Below average.  The same can be said of the other 2 courses that come with the dish (soup and dessert):  Below average.  It’s not a great value if you get 4 courses and 3 of them suck.

Finally the Wellington arrives.  I break into the puff pastry and find that the meat is chopped, not whole.  Disappointing.  The rest of the dish is fine.  Flavors were fine.  Green chili had a nice kick and the meat was decent, such as it was.  Nothing special, but nothing bad either.  Sides were average.  Not at all worth $41.  Not when you’ve got TAG, Twelve, and Panzano all within 5 minutes away, serving home runs for $26.  Skip.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Seafood Landing’s “Uni (Fresh Sea Urchin)”

Location: Highlands

Rating: 1 (out of 10)

Price:  $9.50/lb

The Skinny: Yes, the Urchin was just about the worst thing I’ve tasted on the whole list.  Quite possibly the worst thing I’ve tasted in years, to be honest.  But I’m going to guess that this entry was on the list due to Bruce, the owner of Seafood landing.  Not a character in town quite like him..

You walk into Seafood Landing and something just seems a little bit… different.  You look up at their chalk board at “Specials of the Day” and see a Peace sign graphic.  Apparently they specialize in peace?  Once you meet Bruce, you get it.  Ponytail of gray hair, calloused hands, and a voice and demeanor that’s as gentle and pleasant as a light ocean breeze.  He was a former civil engineer who tired of the racket and decided to buy this seafood market from the elderly owner.  He confided in his slow, warm way, “it was either the best thing I ever did or the dumbest thing I ever did.”  In any case, the guy is clearly passionate about fish, and will go above and beyond for his customers.

After asking Bruce about the Uni (which he was thoroughly confused about), he suggested we special-order it.  I went with the flow.  In it came the next morning, all black and spiny, threatening as all hell – the physical opposite to Bruce.  He broke open a cookbook and instructed me on how best to prepare it.  You break the thing open and scoop out the roe on the insides – then toss it in hot pasta.  The heat of the pasta is supposed to be enough to cook the roe adequately.  I did as I was told – throwing the roe in with my penne, and dug in.  It was wretched.  Simply awful.  Like Ocean snot.  After one big bite, I had to throw the whole bowl away.

Even with this disappointment, I’ll probably go back – got to support guys like Bruce.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Olivea’s “Head Cheese”

Location: 17^th st

Rating: 6 (out of 10)

Price:  ?

The Skinny: Head Cheese, as most probably know or can guess, is not cheese at all.  It is, however, a “Head”.  The head of a Pig, to be exact.  At one point in the dinner, the waiter – knowing my interest in the dish – showed me a picture on his phone of the pig head they were going to cook that evening.  And there it was, all frozen and solid in the freezer, like a mafia goon or a Dahmer victim.  Apparently, they cook the head on down slowly, and remove the skull from the meat, but keep the liquid.  It is this liquid that has all of the fun collagen from the skull that will solidify with the meat once cooled.  The dish arrives to you a solid block, ready for slicing and eating with bread.

Now doesn’t that sound delicious?

In actuality, it is pretty decent.  It tastes like a good salami, which of course it is not.  It’s got a good pepper, meaty flavor that goes well with a cracker or on its own.  Nothing that I’m dying to have again or recommend to friends, mind you, but decent.

PS: I do not get the worship of Olivea.  The owners created a terrific restaurant in Duo, so I had high hopes for Olivea.  Let-down.  Nothing was all that terrific.  Not the famed “Head Cheese”, not the “Duck Meatballs”, not the “Carmel Tart”.  It was all just ok.  Nowhere near TAG, Fruition, or even Duo.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

The Fort’s “Roast Bison Marrow Bones”

Location: Morrison

Rating: 6.5 (out of 10)

Price:  $18

The Skinny: Ahhhh… The Fort.  What would a Must-Eat list be without this place?  The adobe walls, the roaring outdoor fire, and the bizarre one-of-a-kind meat options for the courageous.  When I tried my first Rocky Mountain Oysters, this is where I came.  No one does out-of-mainstream like these guys.  Scanning the menu, you might find choices such as duck quesadilla and bison tongue on your way to ordering the enormous must-eat Marrow Bones.

One caution: it is a hell of a lot of show for what basically amounts to a cracker spread.  And an $18 dollar show at that.  The plate arrives at the table with 4 huge bones the size of my forearms, all stacked criss-cross and rising above the plate like a small… oh hell… a small Fort.  The bone-fort is surrounded by crostinis waiting to be topped with the gelatinous spread and devoured by you, bone-eating carnivore.

I’m sure the taste isn’t for everyone, but for those who enjoy such things, it is lovely.  Light and packed full of meat flavor and grease.  For me, being a part of the group that enjoys the taste of pure fat, I found myself scraping the dried bone remains to get just one last remnant of flavor.  “Good” – but just missing “Very Good” by the incredible amount of regret involved afterward.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Rating: Not Available

The Skinny: I’ve been after Cafe Bisque for some time now about their Lobster Cobb Salad.  They’ve told me that they simply ran out of lobster.  Apparently, they also never re-ordered lobster, since it hasn’t made a reappearance in the 3 months that I’ve been hounding them.  But they’ve kept it up on their online menu, teasing and exciting , like a 6-0 Broncos squad on their way to the playoffs.

I’ll keep checking and report back once they get some lobsters in

Rating: Not Available

I know of Tables through word of mouth.  Apparently,  2 former chefs at Strings who went out on their own.  Small spaces, good food.  That’s the reputation.

I must have just missed their sweet corn risotto in the changeover to a recent new menu.  I’ll update if it comes back around.

Rating: Not Available

I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure of dining at Table 6 yet – and I was really looking forward to their must eat dish.  Unfortunately it’s  now unavailable, the casualty of having a seasonal, ever changing menu.  For those who remember Adega downtown, these were some of the fellows behind it.  And not too long ago Esquire Magazine called it one of the top 21 best new restaurants in the country.  I’ll update when it comes back around.

Rating: Not Available

Sushi Den is a citywide treasure.  Run by a couple of brothers, they consistently turn out the freshest and most delicious sushi in our land-locked town.  Part of the reason for their success is just the sheer difficulty in pulling the damn thing off.  One brother lives in Japan and gets up at 4am to pick through and select the best fish in the market.  Then he vacuum seals it in dry ice and ships it here, where it arrives on our plates 24 hours later.  An impressive feat considering it happens every single day.

Regrettably, the Wild Copper River Salmon is one of those dishes that’s available for only about a month during the year (mid-May to mid-June).  As such, I could not give it a taste and report back.  I have had Copper River Salmon before and am familiar with the wonderful flavors.  I’ll be excited to give it a whirl the next time it rolls around – for such a specialty fish, there is no where else to go but here.

Kevin Taylor’s “Foie Gras”

Location: Downtown

Rating: 8 (out of 10)

Price:  $16

The Skinny: I’ll tell you what – this dish was pretty goddamn delicious.  Not that anyone noticed.  I’ve been to Kevin Taylor a few times, and each time it was so dead I swear a tumbleweed passed through during dinner.  On this trip, there was literally one other table in the whole dining room.  What’s the deal?  Perhaps if they added some cliff diving – served their food factory –style… then they would really draw the crowds.

According to my nice-guy waiter, they change the menu fairly frequently, but always have a new fois gras creation.  It’s their thing.  One bite in, I can attest that their focus shows.  It was just very well thought out – very well designed.  The foie itself is rich and full of flavor.  It sits on a small, toasted brioche, which tasted a lot like French toast, and is surrounded by a port reduction and some almonds.  Since the foie gras is soft, the brioche and almonds give a great crunch and weight to the dish, and the port and sliced grapes provide a sweetness and acid to cut through the fat.  Everything balanced, everything executed well.  The only thing missing was the pleasant buzz of conversation throughout the room.  Maybe a selection of cheesecakes behind glass would do it?

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Barolo Grill’s “Anatra al Barolo (braised duckling)”

Location: Cherry Creek

Rating: 5.5 (out of 10)

Price:  $24

The Skinny: “Some people either love this dish or hate it” cautioned the waiter as I ordered their signature dish, the Braised Duckling.  Although I can’t say I hated it, I completely get the polarization.  The baby duck is braised in a red wine and kalamata olive liquid, giving the outside of the bird a deep purple hue and making it taste awfully bitter.  At half the price, it wouldn’t crack my must-eat list, let alone at $24.  Sure, I’ll give credit that the duck was fairly tender, but I just couldn’t get past the persistent jab of the outside flavor.

This is, however, not to downgrade the experience at the restaurant.  The service was outstanding.  Truly.  Some of the nicest staff I’ve met of all of the restaurants on this list.  And the food I had besides the duck was very, very good indeed.  I don’t know why in the hell they draw attention to this dish with the word “signature” – they’re better than this.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Rating: Not Available

I’ve been to Twelve in the past 4 or 5 months and had an amazing meal.  The beef short ribs on the menu that night were nothing less than outstanding – so I was really looking forward to sampling their “must-eat” sweetbreads.  Alas, when researching their menu over the past 3 months, it has not made a reappearance.

If there is one issue with Twelve, it’s this.  The menu changes monthly, so more than likely whatever dish you had that blew your mind will be gone once you return.  I was disappointed to read recently that Jeff Osaka, the owner of Twelve, hasn’t quite had the success he hoped for with the restaurant.  And that’s a damn shame -by all accounts, the food has been excellent -  and I can say that the space is comfortable and warm, and the service is attentive.  Here’s hoping he and his ever-changing menu will stick around.  For every Troy Guard, challenging our palate with harmonious complexities, we need a Jeff Osaka, turning out simple and deep flavors.  It’s a great addition to the Denver food scene.

I’ll keep up with the menu, and report back once the sweetbreads come  around.

Rating: Not Available

Fruition was probably one of the top places I was looking forward to going for their must eat dish.  As it turns out, it is no longer being offered – said chef/owner Alex Seidel (in a considerate email):

“Unfortunately, because of the seasonality of our menu, I think it would be pretty hard to duplicate the dish with the same results.  Some of the produce that was on that dish are unavailable at this time.”

I’m sure there is a dish from here that will take its place, seeing as how it’s one of the best restaurants anywhere in the state.  I’ll have a recommendation up for a dish at this place before long.

Capital Grille’s “Lobster Mac and Cheese”

Location: Downtown

Rating: 7.5 (out of 10)

Price:  $14

The Skinny: I’ve run into more than a few people who have commented on this dish – heard it said that the lobster mac and cheese at Capital Grille will change my life.  The experience is supposedly comparable to a siren’s call and a beach sunset wrapped into one.  Needless to say, I was expecting big things.

First, I’m happy to report: it is really damn good.  Still, when I exited the restaurant, my life was roughly the same, for better or worse.  The lobster is clearly the star, with the delicious and creamy cheese sauce running in a close second.  A fork full of pasta, lobster, and melted, dripping sauce is a must eat indeed.

But, the dish isn’t without its flaws.  For instance, they heat the top of the dish to toast bits of breadcrumbs and melt some cheese, so they throw it under a broiler with the cooked pasta exposed to the high heat.  The results of which are pieces of macaroni on top that are completely dried out and hard to bite into once served.   And plating-wise, the pasta totally overflows the bowl, which is great to look at, but once you start pulling pasta elbows out to eat, the thing falls over like a  jenga set.  Even with these small warts, it’s a damn fine dish.  And at $14, it’s an excellent flavor-value.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Bistro Vendome’s “Pommes Frites”

Location: Downtown

Rating: 6.5 (out of 10)

Price:  $4

The Skinny: About mid-way through dinner, I look around and try to determine if I like the fact that I’m seated outside of the restaurant, in a glorified hallway or not.  On one hand, it feels kinda like I’m outside a café, with chit-chat all around, and fake trees to make the scene.  On the other hand, I’m in a goddamn hallway – with windows next to me of a dark, closed dress store.  I decide to make the most of it and order a small feast for the table, the highly acclaimed Pommes Frites as piece de resistance.

6.5  is where I’d put them.  Better than good, but not quite great.  I don’t know what this odd trend is of putting sugar on French fries, but Vendome and TAG better cut it the hell out.  On top of the crispy, herb-seasoned fries was a sugary sweet syrup.  It deflated the crunch out of the fry and stuck to my hands after every bite.  Taste-wise, it was fine at first, but got tiresome towards the end – the novelty of the sweet flavor wearing out its welcome.  In general, I did really enjoy the herbs de provence seasoning, and thought the crust on the fries were great before it was done in by the hummingbird food.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Izakya Den’s “Calamari Salad”

Location: Pearl St Denver

Rating: 7 (out of 10)

Price:  $12

The Skinny: Izakya Den is basically the twin brother of Sushi Den.  They share the same parent, the same style, the same taste in food – they even share their plates (mine here said “sushi den”).  Anyone who has been on a 2 hour wait at the original Den can see why it was probably a good idea to put a clone across the street.  Owner Toshi Kizaki is creating quite a little empire for himself on that corner of Pearl – recently opening Den Deli just a few steps away.  Between Frank Bonanno’s neighborhood at 7^th and Grant, and Kizaki’s area of Pearl, we could have ourselves a good old fashioned turf war.   A prospect more terrifying than the time the Jet’s danced their way into a fight with the Sharks.

Den’s calamari salad nearly caused a similar war at my table for the tasty, but few, pieces of pan fried calamari.  They were slightly crisp and light, seasoned well, and gently drizzled in the excellent salad sauce.  The sauce was a mixture of capers, white wine, garlic, and lemon – a can’t miss combination so long as everything is balanced, which it was.  The calamari lays on a bed of wilted, soft spinach, and some roma tomatoes, which have been roasted and given a dab of yuzu vinaigrette.  My one complaint is that I wished the sauce didn’t drown out the crunch of the calamari, but overall, it was very well done.

AGREE OR DISAGREE?