Butcher's Bistro

Nose-to-tail. A popular concept that is steadily evolving in Denver. My first Denver recollection of this idea probably came via Mark DeNittis with Il Mondo Vecchio. He seemed to be Denver's most popular butcher, so I followed his meat exploits. My next memory would include Old Major. They were all about pig; even dedicating Wednesday to butchering two Durocs near the time I attended. Hint: ask for Table 11 for a good view.

Then at the final Justice League of Street Food party, I talked with Kevin Klinger of Meathead. He was telling me about his butcher shop opening at The Source. Then Western Daughters came on the scene. Locally sourced animals were becoming thing.

Now let's welcome Butcher's Bistro which took over Chef Osaka's Twelve space on Larimer. They came with the promise of nose-to-tail butchering while featuring the products both in the dining area, but also inside a meat counter. And... surprisingly enough, were featuring on Living Social fairly recently. This presented the rare opportunity of trying out an excellent restaurant with a deal.

We arrived to Butcher's Bistro on a snowy night. We were promptly seated after confirming we did not have reservations. They have seating options ranging from 2-6 or at the bar.

Our waiter was super personable, friendly and informative. We discussed the cassoulet (rich, perfect for the weather), the burger (must-have with chicharrones), beards (they allow them at the restaurant, an industry rarity), and more.

My food-loving woman and I decided to try as much as possible, which meant no cocktails or wine. I was certainly tempted by their cocktail menu, especially the one featuring a Chartreuse rinse. We decided on the charcuterie board, the cassoulet and flank steak.

The charcuterie board featured duck rillette, chicken liver pate, mortadella, ham, a beer mustard, a darker mustard, house-pickled cucumbers and bread. The bread was the only item not made in house. My favorite items were the ham and mortadella. The ham was thinly sliced and had a hint of pepper to it. It was such a fantastic shade of pink. The mortadella was thicker than I am used to seeing and possessed a coarse appearance. The pate and rillette were both quite spreadable with the rillette being slightly more dense. The mustards acted as great pairings. The beer mustard was slightly tart while the other mustard had a hint of dark smokiness on the finish. I heartily recommend ordering this board.

Next up was the cassoulet. After deciding that it sounded like a hearty, peasant dish, we decided to order it. It easily met expectations, perhaps even surpassed them. We broke through the bread crumbs and dished up beans, sauce, and different pieces of meat. It was fantastic and we easily finished this dish. This is a great purchase!

Finally, we ordered the dry aged flank steak with black truffle custard, chestnuts, and shaved black truffles. This was the most disappointing item we had. We ordered it medium and the presentation was excellent. However, it was tremendously chewy. Sometimes we enjoyed a darker end that disappeared quickly. The positives were the rare chestnuts, the truffle custard, and the flavoring they added to the steak. 3 bites in, we were debating talking to our waiter because he had been very responsive. However, he had checked in with us after the first bite when we didn't know the chewiness was a repetitive pattern.

Would we go there again? Certainly. Great service, mostly great food, and we were inspired to really talk about the food. Would we order the steak? We would inquire about the steak before ordering. Should you go? Indubitably.

Menu Pictures from January 3, 2015.

Cart-Driver - Italian Market-Driven Restaurant

I love it when a restaurant's existence surprises me. I was walking past Work & Class to my car when I noticed the Cart-Driver sign. Lights went off, name recognition went on, and I burst up the stairs to check out this restaurant where I was greeted by Andrew Birkholz, the co-owner.

He explained the inspiration: Italian truck stops, the practiced concept: standard wood-fired pizzas and market menu items that change with recent market finds and why they have Chartreuse VEP: distributor confusion. It was an excellent first meeting, but I couldn't stay because we had already eaten.

Two weeks later I returned with my girlfriend. This time we were greeted by Ross. He explained the menu and highlighted the market items.

We asked a few questions like - what's rapini? Related to broccoli and mustard greens. What's grandma's pizza? Essentially their gluten-free pizza with chickpea flour. Is the cart-driver pizza too spicy with the chili flakes? Not at all.

You order at the counter and then have several seating options - outdoor facing 25th, indoor (high top(s) for 2-6 people and low), and outdoor in the shipping container shared space area (still separated slightly). It was quiet here in complete contrast with the packed and boisterous Work & Class. It was a good dinner date choice.

We sat down and were quickly served our market menu items starting with the prosciutto mousse. We flattened the mousse with our knives and bit into it. The basil hit our nose first, then we tasted the saltiness from the prosciutto and we finished going through the greens and bread.

Next was the egglant and burrata. The egglant was a charcoal gray, a dark relation to the white burrata drizzled with oil and dotted with fennel pollen. I recommend sampling both separately and then proceed from there. The fennel's licorice flavor did not come through for me, though I did not realize it was there and therefore wasn't attuned to it. When we inquired about the yellow substance, we got to sample some fennel seeds off the stalk.

Finally, the pizza came. Between order and sit down, it took nearly 5 minutes for everything to arrive. It looked delicious and came pre-sliced. The rapini's strong bitter flavor immediately hit us. The mild sausage and mozzarella did balance it out. The crust was gently doughy and elastic and lightly touched with charcoal. It was a delightful pizza. Everything was quite filling and we left with half a pizza.

Overall, it was a quite satisfying, memorable experience. I look forward to their ever-changing menu.

Sugarmill - The Chef in Front

How can I explain the great time I had at Sugarmill? It begins and ends with Noah. The face of the restaurants, he's a maddening advertising force. You're only here to browse the take away dessert counter? Well, you might be tempted to stay with their "sex on a spoon" (not my words) pineapple cannelloni-looking dessert. Noah doesn't bulldoze your protestations, he merely slipstreams past them. And if you're only here for one purpose, dessert, he might tempt you with an amuse bouche comprised of a brandied cherry tucked inside an herbed cream puff with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

When you arrive, ask for seats at the bar. You want to glimpse the kitchen action. From Noahsphere construction to short rib tortellini plating, you'll indubitably love this food orchestra section. As we agonized over choosing a dessert, we were tempted many times by their savory selections.

We ordered their apple almond tart and chocolate jasmine bar. It was certainly fun watching both being prepared while jamming to great soul tunes.My girlfriend still daydreams over their muscavado ice cream that came with her chocolate jasmine bar, while I recall the constant balance between almond and apple as texture and temperature contrasted - almond meal against apple slices, warm tart against chilled diced apples.

And when Noah heard we were celebrating Valentine's a day early, he generously gave us raspberry truffles which were saved until the next day. Delicious! We swore we would return the following day early before the Valentine's Day rush.

Visit 2

V-Day brought us to an empty restaurant with staff bustling about with preparations. I misunderstood they were only doing a fixed price menu (makes sense for such a crazy day) as we sat down. Noah overheard us debating because we had wanted to sample their savory menu. He kindly excused us for another day and another attempt, but not before sharing champagne sorbet with us. Sugarmill - leaving impressive impressions. Go there.

Visit 3

Good thing I listen to and take my own advice. Our third visit placed us directly before Denver Restaurant Week's bustling madness and more fixed price menus. I'm not against fixed price menus, but when there are many things to explore on Sugarmill's regular menu, I want that experience. However, fixed menus are great for managing budgets and restaurants can focus on select items rather than two separate menus.

This evening's focus was dinner. We've done sweets, a tease, now savory awaited.

Again, we start with an amuse bouche, bagels and lox in miniature with house cured gravlax, pickled onion, and cream cheese. Small, yet potent flavor.

We took much time browsing the menu. We discovered the short rib tortellini was through and instead they featured a special with salmon, house made fettuccine, and parmesan mushroom sauce. The foie gras torchon had also been eliminated. Restaurant Week was a'comin' and they were starting a new menu March 1. We decided to begin with the hummus.

 

This $4 plate featured red and golden beet hummus topped with pistachios and beet cubes and accompanied by a lightly oil drizzled baguette. The hummus was substantive, yet light. The beet flavor was prevalent not dominant. The golden beet hummus was perhaps a touch sweeter. With these generous helpings, be prepared to generously top your bread and use your silverware as backup. 

We knew the main dish ending our meal, but we wanted a middle item. We couldn't agree, so eventually we asked our server. She suggested the roasted mushroom toast. It starts with a thick slice of earthy dark bread, topped with roasted mushrooms with arugula, julienned radish, and parmesan. Truffle is the first scent that arises. The parmesan was lightly melted, the bread easily cut and divided. It was a delicious mushroom treat.

Our finishing bite was crispy salmon atop their house made fettuccine, parmesan mushroom sauce and lemony 'chokes. I marveled at the salmon's richness and hunted down those 'chokes (arti- or sun-, I couldn't tell). Even with two splitting, we still had leftovers.

And... and... Noah tempted us once more with lemon and chocolate mocha macarons. These were not the airy macarons I know in France, but macarons with some heft. So good!

Their spring menu began March 1 and I will return. From my three visits, I have some overall impressions to share. 1. With generous portions and high quality food, Sugarmill could and perhaps should raise their prices $1-2. I never say this, but I am today. 2. It's rare to see a chef leave his kitchen, but Noah frequently does to encourage people to try his savory or sweet foods, find the restroom, and deliver a menu item. His open personality is found within his staff also. 3. He's made me into someone who wants to be a regular. That is extraordinary, but I'm a willing participant. With avidly writing reviews on Yelp, I always strive to find new places and rarely return to old ones. A few places make the cut, but I'm always drawn to the next bright thing. It seems that Sugarmill will continue burning bright on my horizon.

Sugarmill
2461 Larimer St
Ste 101
Denver, CO 80205

Sassafras American Eatery - Denver, CO

Elvis Beignets. I cannot get you out of my mind. You're crack. You're pornographic. You're filthy good. You're a round volcano waiting for me to bite into you and splatter your sticky gooey peanut butter mousse lava all over my extremities. Did I mention their bacon molasses jam also?

I was here for several reasons. My friend couldn't stop talking about Succotash. Succotash this, Succotash that. I wanted to eat here so bad but couldn't find any restaurant called Succotash. I was angry, pissed, thinking she was teasing my food mad sensibilities. Yeah, she clearly got that name wrong. Second, the Sassafras American Eatery chef had such a great interview in the Westword. Third, I needed a brunch destination and their menu rocked my face.

Alongside the beignets, we also ordered the buffalo hash with chicken fried eggs and fried green tomatoes benedict. I seriously cannot wrap my mind around the chicken friend poached (soft boiled??) eggs. How? It doesn't matter because I made a gif of me slicing into it.

My girlfriend describes her fried green tomatoes benedict in this manner "My first bite was perfect. Soft tomato, crispy outside, warm egg and hollandaise. Subsequent bites were inconsistent.... sometimes the tomato was hard and parts of the dish not as hot as I desired. The cornbread was superb and filled with chunks of corn and jalapeños."

Not only does Sassafras serve great tasting food, it's also fun to play with. We received advice that the Voodoo Jam tastes really great with cornbread. I concur. Their cornbread reminded me of cornbread I used to make with jalapenos, cheese, and whole corn bricks (kernels). Great memories there.

Afterwards, I wanted more, but I wasn't wearing my elastic waistband jeans. Each dessert featured chocolate which I avoid. I was craving french toast, but tried to be sensible, but then I saw the french toast on someone else's table. Just gorgeous looking with the bacon and blackberries. I want more Sassafras!

Sassafrass American Eatery
2637 W 26th Ave
Denver, CO 80211

Devil's Kitchen - Barcelona, Spain

 

You know what's an unusual sight? Entering a pub where everyone's staring intensely at the futbol game on television. I know I'm in a major futbol country, but the Spanish are much louder. I look closer. Lighter complexions, yellow jerseys, aha! Dortmund versus Arsenal, a German runs this establishment, therefore German futbol. Mystery solved.

Not knowing whether to wade through the crowd and block a view, I waited near the back. Finally, someone came to take my order. Devil's Kitchen has a select menu featuring burgers and German sausages, fries, wings, and beer. For beer, you have cheap or good. I chose good and asked for something dark. I was forewarned it was the most expensive, but I accepted. It was light, like most German beers I've tried, but had some light spicy notes.

For food, I ordered the well regarded Devil Burger and Fries. The waiter asked me where I was from. I respond with "Colorado". Then he asks confirming "so, you don't want mayo, right?" Correct. They will serve you mayo for an extra €.30 and perhaps mild scorn if you're sporting anything but a Spanish accent.

I received the beer and discovered the server's sister lives in Boulder, Colorado. He's visited numerous times for skiing and loves our scenery. Go Colorado!

I received my burger, but screwed something up in the progress. They give you white waxy paper for eating and the chef reached with his metal spatula on which the hamburger lay. I inadvertently touched the spatula trying to help. My future advice- just move the wax paper so it's easier. The only available seat was tucked in the far back corner, a longer reach for him.

The burger was great. The meat was flavorful, the bun hearty, some juices ran. The fries were a welcome sight also, nearly covered completely in paprika. You should see all the sauces I had. When in a German restaurant, go with the Curry Sauce. Delicious, especially when applied on my burger too.

After the game, people cleared out relatively rapidly. I took my ticket up to the register and paid. They have a different system when the game is on. Assuming you want to watch every minute, they'll hand you your ticket and you'll pay afterwards. Good futbol loving system.

Devil's Kitchen
Carrer de la Lleialtat, 4
El Raval
08001 Barcelona

Las Sorrentinas - Barcelona, Spain

Ever cut into ravioli and it wilts beneath your fork's pressure? This ravioli doesn't. Las Sorrentinas' ravioli is packed; no, stuffed with ingredients. Cutting into their ravioli is like revealing the center of a dense cake.

I passed this place last night after midnight yesterday. Most of this area was closed or closing, but I made note of their location. I visited this restaurant the next day around mid-afternoon and it was moderately busy. Seating is mostly shared around 3 tables and some counter seating. A WC visit gives you a fine view of their kitchen.

Their menu is posted outside, but the prices are incorrect. The ravioli is actually €1 more. Fortunately, their menus inside are all updated. Barcelona locals might be more familiar with them under their original name, Con Pasta y a lo Loco.

I ordered the beetroot ravioli with poached pears in sugar, goat cheese, and ricotta topped with green pesto and ricotta. Their menu advertises picking a pasta, a sauce and a topping. Since the prices build on each other, you probably don't have to get all 3.

Wow! Was that ravioli delicious! First, it was smothered in green pesto lending a small grainy earthiness to balance my ravioli's slight inherent sweetness. And then ricotta balanced everything else with its refreshing intact creaminess.

I strongly recommend this spot. It is slow, but they advertise this. If you're traveling by yourself and don't get alone with your thoughts, bring a book, practice your Spanish with someone at your table, or order a salad or soup to keep you busy.

Las Sorentinas
Pl. Sant Pere, 5
08003 Barcelona
Spain
+34 930 102 114

Ten's Tapas Restaurant - Barcelona, Spain

I count myself fortunate I stumbled onto Ten's Tapas Restaurant earlier tonight. Chef Jordi Cruz has an outstanding pedigree with his 4 Michelin stars. Now let's forget I know this less this shades my review.

Ten's menu caught my eye. It hung off the awning leaning into the pedestrian path's center. It highlighted the 15 tapas menu items in 3 languages including English. I quickly scanned looking for something interesting and eye fell upon several items, but would my friends want to try this restaurant? They did.

After checking with management, we sat ourselves outside. As our server was receiving our drink orders, he sung Chef Jordi's praises. For myself, I ordered the foie gras dish with sichuan pepper ice cream (intriguing) and the slow cooked egg dish. I also shared some bread, fried potatoes, and black rice (all not photographed).

Onto the dishes. First, we have the foie gras with figs, sweet and sour stir fried bread with sichuan pepper ice cream. Overall, this dish was quite sweet. The crunchy topping (perhaps the stir fried bread?) alleviated some of the sweetness. I was hoping the sichuan pepper ice cream might lend slight heat in balance, but even that was blatantly sweet with little peppery bite. What sat between each foie gras piece was lost in the shuffle.

The second presented dish was the slow cooked egg with Iberian ham and sobrassada paprika sausage, permantier potatoes, mature gouda and rocket salad  It sounded really good and again, presented well. With those components, this is a lustworthy dish. However, I was told that to properly eat it, one must swirl it around thoroughly and apply it atop the tomato toast. My gorgeous dish became a seething eggy mass. It tasted nice, but the egg overwhelmed everything else. The iberian ham, sobrassada paprika sausage, mature gouda - all lost.

Where does this leave Ten's? Merely satisfactory. I appreciate Chef Jordi Cruz's presentation skills and willingness to pair disparate items. However, I am underwhelmed when a dish doesn't elevate any one flavor or masks too many pieces. 

Also, the service was confusing at times. Our waiter was quite thorough, but sometimes too quick with his suggestions. Customer(s) and waiter must work harder to overcome both  a challenging menu and language difficulties (he spoke acceptable English, though quick and Catalan tinted).


Ten's
Carrer Rec, 79
08003 Barcelona

Justice League of Street Food - April 27, 2013

Justice League of Street Food returns in 2013! They teased their rallies would end, but they were back for more. They cited Denver's W-line for the celebration cause, but I'd accept spring weather and more food tracks as causes.

With 580+ saying they're going on the JLSF Facebook, you need a strategy. Coordinate with friends, arrive early, scout out the trucks.

First up was spirit sampling from Santa Fe Spirits, Downslope Distillery, and Stranahan's. They were giving generous sample pours for cash donations toward local charities. Santa Fe Spirits featured an apple brandy, a gin comprised of 6 botanicals from the Santa Fe region, and vodka. The gin and vodka were notably smooth. The Santa Fe rep was really friendly, informative, and did a great job promoting her product.

Downslope was a little lax in contrast. After discovering the ruination of Stranahan's whiskey, it's become important to learn as much as possible about spirits advertising themselves as locally made. I'm more likely to support Santa Fe Spirits efforts because of their knowledgeable answers.

My suggestions: know your product, listen to the question and answer the question with a direct answer rather than a rote response. Also, because I want to sample and enjoy your unique products, maybe have a small trash can nearby (for the generous pours) and some water to clean the palate. This was particularly needed when I sampled Downslope's Pepper Vodka and tried their rum and whiskey next. The peppery spicy vodka completely destroyed my ability to discern their other spirits.

Next up was our regular favorite, Biker Jim's. They weren't clearly advertising today's JLSF special, but it was the rattlesnake and pheasant dog with diced jalapenos.

I was expecting a dog with character and a spicy kick. In reality, it was mild and the onions and cream cheese dominated. It was ok, but cheers for splitting it in half. I would have preferred the elk jalapeno cheddar which delivers the venison and spice.

Biker Jim's was adjacent to Quiero Arepas. I was complaining to my friend that I didn't see the sense in paying $8 for Venezuelan street food. The woman pictured above overheard me and proceeded to show off her fully packed carne mechada arepa. Color me more intrigued, but I can get similar empanadas and arepas for less cost at the Empanada Express Grill. Sorry QA, but your ROI seems low.

Next up, my friends custom ordered a bowl from the Crock Pot truck. Their motto is slow cooked gourmet cuisine. You get to customize your bowl with 3 different subcategories and can add extra. Their bowl contains Thai jasmine fried rice, savory pulled pork, chimichurri, and fire roasted corn salad. They ecstatic about the pork, so I had to have a taste! Savory and rich, a heart plugger.

The Squirm Burpee Circus has arrived! Their practice space is nearby and they randomly showed up with some of their show's nifty gadgets and spectacular spectacles. They put on an amazing show and I discovered they will be performing at Elitch's this summer. Check them out!

This is the Petite Royale from Capt'n Crabby. They were offering one other crabby item, The Petite Crab Cake, and corn on the cob dipped in Old Bay butter. Chips are included in the price and you can't swap out items if you're hankering for bell peppers instead of spring mix with your crab cakes. Note: We'd like to opt out of the chips. They taste good, but we'd rather opt in than not being able to opt out.

These might have been JSLF's best buy. These are pierogies from Baba & Pop's Kitchen. They offered two options: potato & cheese topped with caramelized onions, bacon & sour cream; and pulled pork topped with green chile & sour cream. They were priced 3 for $4 or 6 for $6. The pulled pork definitely won me over while the potato & cheese were solid. I was more of a fan of the caramelized onions and bacon than the pierogies' filling.

This picture illustrates my biggest complain against the Justice League of Street Food. So many people love bringing their dogs, but the animals were suffering in the heat. There was very little shade and no available water. Dogs were constantly seeking the beer woman's ice wagon.

Otherwise, the only shade was near the trucks. I wouldn't mind bathing in the Denver Biscuit Truck's savory fumes.

We ordered The DBC Club featuring buttermilk fried chicken, bacon, cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, chipotle ranch. This was the true winner. Thick, crunchy bacon, spicy sauce, flaky biscuit, tasty breaded and fried chicken. I want more!!

Just as there are winners, there are losers. Meet the Bliss Roll from Yatai Food Cart. It has avocado, mango, wakame (edible seaweed), rice and included wasabi mixed in. Cream cheese was an optional add-on. It sounds good, but it was created in such a way that all the flavors blended together. It did absolutely nothing for me.

One truck that caught our attention was The Denver Pie Truck. The kids working the truck were on top of their game even before the party started. We scouted the location and discovered the Lemon Ice Box pie was the best choice. When we were nearly finished, we stopped and ordered the Lemon Ice Box pie. Guess what? The 5" pie written on the dry eraseboard was not available, only the little ones were. The pie had good lemony flavor with some crust at the bottom. Overall, not remarkable or interesting. Except for the Inventing Room, JLSF dessert trucks strike out.

The final truck was Fat Sully's. I miss them from when I lived 3 blocks away off Colfax. Large NY style slices, piping hot. I wished they had a specialty pizza for the event like they've done in the past.

Overall, the Justice League of Street Food is a party for everyone. I think it's a great excuse to enjoy different Denver neighborhoods, hang out with friends, enjoy special foods, and appreciate unusual entertainment.