Dine & Dish: Charcoal

Having opened their doors only a month ago, I was eager to try Charcoal, the newest restaurant on the Denver dining scene.

We went for Charcoal's brunch and perused their Swedish inspired menu. I ordered the Chefs Tasting menu – yes, they offer one for brunch. While tasting menus have become increasingly popular at dinnertime, this isn't so common for brunch time fare. I was delighted at their cleverness and jumped at the chance to try several dishes - five in fact.

Vanilla yogurt with granola, nuts and fresh berries parfait – The parfait had an inviting presentation and was a light and healthy start to the tasting menu.

Pancakes and French Toast – This course was served as 2 separate dishes. My favorite dish of the morning was the pancakes which were light, thin and fluffy. They were served with a blueberry compote and cream topper that made the overall dish sweet without being overwhelmingly sugary. The French toast, on the other hand, was not as exciting as the pancakes. It was served with a strawberry sauce that offered a flavorful component but the toast itself was nothing special. It was also served with a hazelnut crème that was disconnected from the flavor profile of rest of the dish.

Potato pancake with ligonberries and bacon – Second only to the pancakes, this dish was another favorite. The potato pancakes were dense, crisp and struck the feel of comfort food. Also, the combination of the savoriness from the potato and bacon with the sweetness of the berries hit a nice balance between savory and sweet.

Shrimp Benedict with horseradish hollandaise – Not being a big fan of anything benedict, this course surprised me with its lightness. When broken, the perfectly poached egg melted beautifully onto the shrimp and English muffin. The horseradish in the hollandaise was the highlight of the flavors as it worked to lighten the sauce while not overwhelming the bite.

Luker chili truffle with hazelnut mousse – The truffle was dense and chocolaty with a hint of chili flavor without the actual heat. The dish offered the second appearance of hazelnut mousse during brunch and this time, it accompanied the chocolate flavors nicely.

Having sampled much of Charcoal’s brunch menu, I look forward to trying their evening fare as well.

Final words on Charcoal… tasty, inviting brunch in a warm and contemporary atmosphere.

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Charcoal

Dine and Dish: Bones

Located in Denver, Bones is a small neighborhood restaurant featuring an Asian fusion noodle menu. The food features are the creation of head chef Frank Bonanno whose nickname, I’ve heard, is ‘Bones’, hence the name of the restaurant. We arrived for our 7:30 reservation and were seated at a corner table nearby the wine rack. This cozy seating provided a welcomed sense of intimacy for our dinner.

Our meal started with an order of the Steamed Buns as recommended by our server. As anticipated, these pleasantly chewy Buns were dripping with pork belly decadence. For our entrees, we ordered the Ahi Tuna Burger with shishito peppers and the Ramen with poached lobster. The burger was wonderfully unique in that the Ahi Tuna seemed to be chopped up and grilled in a way that was reminiscent of your typical beef burger. The shishito pepper side dish was promptly placed atop the tuna burger and enjoyed as one. Next, the broth of the Ramen was described as a Lobster miso broth and was surprisingly light considering I tasted more of a butter than miso flavor. As you can imagine, the broth’s flavor paired beautifully with the poached lobster. Bottom line on Bones: yum!

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Bones Restaurant