Dine & Dish: Slotted Spoon

The Salted Spoon meets the Slotted Spoon: A meatball eatery.

A what? Yes, a meatball mecca. An entire shop dedicated to meatballs of all varieties. You pick the meatball, the vessel on which to enjoy said meatball and then choose your sauce and extras. All this comes together to make one customized and enlightened meatball experience.

And in Denver style, the Slotted Spoon serves it up in a 'fast-casual' eatery. They've discovered and honed in on a niche in the ever growing fast-casual market that is inventive and fun. I anticipate we'll be seeing these guys open up numerous locations once the word spreads about their meatball goodness.

We lunched on Salmon Meatballs on a whole wheat hoagie and the Black Bean Meatballs on salad greens. Diner tip: Don't miss the Sautéed Greens which are divinely flavored with cracked pepper bacon and roasted garlic.

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Slotted Spoon: A meatball eatery

New Dine & Dish rating

Hi fellow dining out enthusiasts!

I'd like to introduce my new restaurant review rating system. You might have seen its first appearance in the D&D: ChoLon. Well, it is pretty simple. A rating of Salted Spoons...



Each D&D restaurant will be awarded Salted Spoons, with a maximum rating of 5 spoons. Spoons are awarded based upon several factors including food fare, libations, service, atmosphere and overall dining experience. Of course, the greatest factor earning spoons is the central part of dining out - the FOOD!

Likely, the lowest score you will see is a 3 Salted Spoon rating. I typically don't bother writing if a restaurant isn't at least deserving of 3 spoons.

Cheers to enjoying all 5 spoon restaurants!

5280's Best New Restaurants and Q&A with Food Editor

"Our food scene has never been more vibrant..." reads the first line of 5280's article on Best New Restaurants. I couldn't agree more with this sentiment.

We had nearly 300 restaurants open in 2011 and while several have vanished as quickly as they appeared on the Denver dining scene, the good ones have only gotten better.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with 5280 magazine's food editor, Amanda Faison, who shared with me all that goes into narrowing down restaurants to the small list of 8 best.

Dine & Dish: ChoLon Bistro

When entering ChoLon Bistro, a downtown dining hot spot, a friendly staff greets you with the ease and class of an long-time established restaurant. In their second year, ChoLon has carved out a particularly blissful section of the Denver dining scene - modern Asian cuisine.

ChoLon Bistro's Restaurant Week menu was served family style allowing dinners to try many dishes. We, along with my family, tasted nearly all the menu offerings.

A statement piece - a sesame crisp - served dramatically upright started off the meal. For dipping was a sauce with the strong, familiar flavors of chili powder.

Dine & Dish: Salt Bistro

In doing a little pre-meal research, I was especially drawn in by Salt Bistro's commitment to sourcing fresh and local ingredients. We dined at Salt Bistro for their Sunday brunch. The atmosphere has an inviting and historic feel created by the exposed brick walls and refurbished materials from the original building.

As for the food, we tasted the Tom's Tavern Grass-fed Burger. This dish was recommended by our server to which all three of my dining companions ordered it. Atop the burger was arugula, cheddar and the addition of avocado.

The entire table raved about the house-made ketchup. I enjoy my ketchup. In fact, I often joke that I eat French fries only as long as I still have ketchup for dipping. The house-made ketchup was noteworthy due to the deep flavor that tasted to be from fire roasted tomatoes. The flavor profile distinguished the ketchup from the traditional tabletop variety.

Also recommended by our server, I ordered the Farm Fresh Egg Omelette. The omelette was served almost burrito like with its rolled presentation. The inside of the omelette revealed spinach, bacon, brie and sundried tomatoes.

These were strong flavors when mixed into one bite, although, I was displeased with the oiliness of the dish. The oiliness seemed to come from improperly drained sundried tomatoes. While I wouldn't order the dish again, I certainly think - with better execution - it had the makings of a tasty dish. The omelette was also accompanied by potatoes which were nicely prepared with sautéed onions.

Final words on Salt Bistro ... warm brunch that invites diners to leisurely enjoy their ketchup - err, meal.

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Salt Bistro

Dine & Dish: Row 14 Bistro & Wine Bar

Wanting to go somewhere new, we dined at Row 14 Bistro in celebration of my birthday.

After trying to decide between two starters, we ordered both. The Ahi and Salmon Rangoons were filled with a delicately smooth cream cheese center and served with a sweet chili soy sauce. Being that Dan loves this kind of appetizer, we often order rangoons. And Row 14's topped the favorites list. I especially liked that they were crispy and yet light compared to other rangoon versions.

The menu offers a small but nice cheese board selection. This was ordered as our second starter. The cheeses were very enjoyable, but my question was where's the board? Served on a ordinary bread plate, the cheese 'board' presentation was lackluster compared to the quality cheeses it carried. On another note, the pear marmalade served alongside the cheese was a delicious compliment to the dish.

For entrees, I enjoyed the Australian Barramundi served atop a potato risotto and red kuri squash puree and garnished with arugula and pistachios. While I wouldn't call it a risotto, the potatoes were creamy and flavorful. And the Barramundi was cooked nicely with a crisply seared crust. While colorful in its presentation, the squash puree would have benefited from additional seasoning.

Dan ordered the NY Strip Steak with Frites. The steak was cooked to his liking and was served with gorgonzola, tomatoes and a Worcestershire reduction. I sampled a few bites and enjoyed the reduction sauce as the highlight of the flavor profile.

In regards to ambiance, the restaurant offers a contemporary chic feel that's pleasant. I was, however, not a fan of the location. Directly across from the convention center, the location offers a less than appealing view. That being said, the location is also nearby the theater and perfect for dining before a show.

Final words on Row 14 Bistro ... flavorful dining good for a night at the theater.

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Row 14 Bistro & Wine Bar

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

Charleston Eats

Dan and I enjoyed a long weekend in Charleston for our anniversary. We like to go somewhere new to celebrate so when we read several articles on Charleston's appeal as a cultural destination, we were in.

As I've shared before, I travel according to food experience opportunities. Exploring regional and cultural foods is one of my main pleasures when traveling. And with a trip to the South, I was looking forward to some fresh seafood and ‘low country’ cuisine.

As we explored the markets and streets of Charleston, we ate many a meals … here are the highlights of our culinary experience:

Entrée: Amen Street wins for best entree. Best two entrees in fact. The crab cakes had a light crunch and were entirely comprised of crab meat - no filler in this dish. The shrimp and grits were also all that they should be - creamy, hearty and with just enough heat to make you return for yet another bite.

Side dish: Hominy Grill takes it for their sweet mashed potatoes. This dish was silky in texture, sweet and divinely rich. With a side dish like this, who needs dessert?

Low country eats: After waiting in the friendly line that famously wraps around the restaurant’s corner, we found the best low country eats at Jestine’s Kitchen. Jestine’s fried chicken basket with okra and coleslaw and a glass of sweet tea to wash it all down. And they had the best cornbread we ate all weekend!

A little food for thought as I reflect on the culinary adventures of Charleston, I find it amusing that listed among the vegetable offerings on several Charleston menus was Mac and Cheese. Ha. Gotta love the South for their comfort food. It was certainly fun to enjoy for a long weekend. Now back to an ever so slightly less indulgent dinner plate.

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Amen Street Fish and Raw Bar
Hominy Grill
Jestine's Kitchen

Dine & Dish: Aria

The dining options of Cherry Creek have expanded once more with the arrival of Aria, the recently opened sister restaurant to Opus.

We made an evening of it and ordered the Chef’s tasting menu with wine pairing. The tasting menu featured 5 courses and began with a seared sea scallop and carrot risotto. The scallop was perfectly cooked and the light risotto was encircled by vibrantly colored sauces. This dish was a promising start to our meal.

The second course came in the form of a ricotta salad with basil and spring strawberries. The smoothness of the ricotta with the basil and berries made for a light and summery dish. The salad course was one of my favorites of the evening.

The next course was a medium rare tuna served with a shallot cake and pineapple kim chi. I quite enjoyed the texture of the shallot cake but it had a bit too much heat for my liking so I passed on a second bite.

My other favorite dish emerged as the fourth course - the Dr. Pepper bison short rib with vanilla parsnip. My first bite was of the vanilla bean parsnip alone and the flavor profile was initially lost on me. That is, until I took another bite – probably as the chef intended – with the vanilla parsnip and short rib combined on the fork. This bite resulted in a mouthful of blissful flavor.

With already filled bellies, our meal concluded with a chocolate spring roll served with ice cream and accompanied by a glass of port. I especially enjoyed the crunch of the roll with the warm chocolate inside.

Having enjoyed the tasting menu with the wine pairing, Aria’s sommelier deserves notable mention as he made our dining experience. What I so appreciated about his wine conversation was that he maintained a balance of educational and approachable all at the same time.

Overall, the highlight of Aria is the food – as it should be – but being one who also thoroughly loves the atmosphere of a restaurant – I’ll also say that the size and layout of the main dining room doesn’t lend itself to the quaint, neighborhood feel I so enjoy. Even so, my final word on Aria is ... the menu hits several high notes on the flavor scale.

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Aria

Dine & Dish: Devil’s Food - Suppertime

Already a fan of their brunch offerings, I was eager to try Devil’s Food a la nighttime. Here’s how it went … Devil’s Food at suppertime.

When my wine came served in a mason jar and the bread was smartly placed within a bundt pan, I happily perused the menu for an appetizer. The Green Bean Upside Down Cake caught my attention. It sounds interesting, huh? I’ve learned from my mom that when something is on the menu that intrigues you so, you should order it. Hence, out of pure curiosity, I placed my order.

I would have great pleasure in telling this intriguing appetizer was divine. Sadly, that was not the case. It had some very nice flavors – seriously, how can you go wrong with a drizzle of gorgonzola crème fraiche? But with its multitude of random ingredients – a few lonely green beans, caramel, pistachios, cornbread - it didn’t come together as a collective dish.

Luckily, I ordered one of nightly specials for my entrée and my heart was won all over again by this neighborhood-favorite restaurant. The pasta special, with a light white wine sauce, struck the perfect balance between fresh and indulgent. Mixed throughout the angel hair pasta were vibrantly colored vegetables and two crispy, fried eggplant medallions topped the plate. It tasted like springtime. I eventually had to stop myself from twirling another bite onto my fork.

Final word on Devil's Food - Suppertime: A lovely dinner. And for those who love morning fare no matter the time of day - they also offer “Breakfast at Night”.

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Devil's Food