5280 Week: Zengo

The first restaurant on two-week culinary odyssey (aka 5280 Week) was Zengo.  This upscale downtown location is immediately impressive upon sight alone.  It has a dark and elegant décor of reds, blacks, and sensuous curves.  To put it simply, it feels very fancy, and very cool.  Coincidentally, this was our Valentine’s Day dinner, and the atmosphere could not have been more appropriate for such an occasion. 

The name aptly comes from the Japanese word meaning “give and take”, which is what the cuisine attempts to do.  It fuses elements of Japanese and Latin American cooking to create something that is not exactly either.  It is new, distinct, and very enjoyable.  Part of the success of this approach comes from the subtle manner in which it is done.  Our entrees, for example, would not be an obvious example of either ethnic style, but instead borrow small elements from each.

The appetizers were slightly less subtle, but still very good.  Holly ordered Kobe Chorizo Quesadilla, which was actually more like a meat empanada than a traditional quesadilla.  It came with Oaxaca cheese and salsa verde.  I had the “Angry Zengo Roll”, a spicy yellowfin tuna roll flavored with both wasabi and sesame chipotle.  While they were both good, neither one really blew me away.  They were enjoyable, but failed to distinguish themselves as I had anticipated.  The attempt at fusion was a little too blatant and heavy handed.  The reality is that a “chipotle spicy tuna roll” does not taste all that much different or better than a traditional spicy tuna roll.   It was a high quality roll, but no better than a similar role from a quality Japanese restaurant.

At this point I was happy, but not impressed.  That changed the moment our entrees arrived.  The lady ordered the Ancho Dry Rubbed Top Sirloin with an onion marmalade and selection of grilled vegetables.  I do not have the words to say how delicious it was.  The steak was rare and tender enough to be cut with a butter knife.  I found myself taking incredibly small bites and savoring them slowly, drying to draw out the experience.  The cherry tomatoes, green beans, and baby potatoes were expertly roasted and equally fantastic.  Not a scrap of food was left on the plate.

Not to be outdone, my plate shined just as bright.  I had the barbequed salmon served with wasabi mashed potatoes, grilled brocollini, and a chipotle egg sauce.  For this plate the sizes of my bites were just as small and the time between them just as long.  I dreaded the idea of finishing it.  The fish, the potatoes, even the brocollini, were each so flavorful.  The chef took several powerful tastes, which might normally overpower each other, and presented them in such a way that each was bold, enjoyable, and complimentary.  It was truly wonderful.

If the main course were the only consideration, then Zengo would be my top Restaurant Week pick.  But as with the appetizers, I was less than thrilled when it came to the desserts.  They were not bad, but simply unimpressive.  In comparison to the amazing fish and steak I had just finished, the desserts seemed to fall flat.  Part of it could be that the selections were really not my favorite dessert types.  One was orange custard with a ginger shortbread crust.  The crust was tasty and the homemade pistachio ice cream that topped it was very good, but the custard itself did nothing for me.  I would have preferred a full serving of the ice cream instead of just receiving it as a small topping for the main dessert.  The other was a chocolate passion mousse cake.  Again, it was tasty but unremarkable.

We had these 3 course meals for only $26.40 a person, and it was certainly worth it.  I would highly recommend Zengo to anyone who is serious about good food and adventurous eating.  They are doing some very interesting things with traditional items.  True food lovers will be pleased.  It should be noted, however, that it is somewhat pricey.  Most entrees are between $20 and $30, and are not very large serving sizes.  I would further recommend focusing more on the entrees than the appetizers or desserts.  The main dishes are where this restaurant truly excels.

If you are in the mood for a nice night out, then head to Zengo.  Order a drink from their extensive bar (including many specialty cocktails), soak up the soothing atmosphere, and sink into a dinner you will not soon forget.

1610 Little Raven St.
Denver , CO 80202
720-904-0965 

Denver Restaurant Week is here!

It is currently 5280 Week, which is both the elevation of the city of Denver, and the price for a three course dinner for two at many of the finest eateries in town.  As such, the lady and I are taking full advantage of the opportunity to taste exquisite dishes that we would never normally be able to afford.  Good times.

There will be several reviews coming soon.  This is the final weekend of the two-week event and tonight will be our final adventure.  There have already been so many great meals.  I will have full reviews up by the beginning of next week.

Buon appetito!

Park Burger

This entry is a slight caveat to the otherwise stated goal of this blog. The eatery in question was not on The List, but Holly and I have been here recently and I am incredibly fond of it. I was extremely close to taking my parents here on their recent visit, but another fine hamburger location fit more conveniently into our plans. Still this is an exciting new place and I want to share it.

Park Burger is everything that I want from a small local restaurant. It is placed on an otherwise inconspicuous corner hidden in a mostly residential area on S. Pearl St. Its basic design is that of a simple 1960’s dinner. It almost looks like a classic malt shop. There is a long counter to sit at, as well as a good number of tables. The place settings consist of pleasingly plain glasses, plates, and silverware, with white dishtowels used as the napkins.

Unlike some other retro style places I have been to, this one is not tacky. It does not bombard you with horrible mixtures of orange chairs and yellow counter tops like what you might expect to find at a truck stop in Wyoming somewhere. Everything is clean, bright, and attractive. It is a perfect mixture of modern, classy, and old fashioned. In a word, it’s just really hip. When I walked in and sat down at the counter, I instantly had a good feeling.

“How’s the food”, you ask? It fantastic. The menu is straightforward, consisting mostly of burgers and fries. I love this place because the food has the same perfect balance as the décor. They take the same kind of food you might find at a bowling alley and they make it excellent. They take choice ingredients and prepare them expertly.

For $6 you get the full size burger (1/3 lb.) with all the usual fixings. This alone is great, but you can add avocado, bacon, mushrooms, jalapenos, and more, if you like. They use all natural beef from Colorado’s own Harris Ranch, and it is never frozen. I had mine rare, and it tasted great. You can also get a turkey, buffalo, or housemade veggie burger instead. Holly tried the buffalo burger and speaks very highly of it.

Besides the main attraction, they also have a couple of salads, onion rings, and fries. You can choose from regular or sweet potato, and they are really tasty. They are thin, hand-cut, and golden.

In the drink department they have an impressive milk shake list, a selection of cocktails and wines, and a great selection of beer. My love of a good microbrew is one of the things that really draws me to this place. They have a nice variety of bottled beers ranging from well-known European choices to most hard-to-find local brews (like Del Norte, which I was fortunate enough to sample at Brew at the Zoo last September). In addition to that, they have several rotating drafts on tap everyday. When I was last there they had the Avery IPA (from Boulder), 2 Below (The New Belgium seasonal from Ft. Collins), and Alaskan Amber, which is always nice. As if you could possibly need more of a reason, all drafts are only $3 during happy hour, 3-6 p.m. on weekdays.

This is the perfect place to get a casual and affordable meal in a fun atmosphere, without having to settle for low-quality food. The classic items are all elevated to a level of greatness that will keep you coming back for more.

1890 South Pearl Street
Denver, CO 80210-3137
(720) 242-9951

Organixx

I can already sense the eye-rolling.  “Organixx?  Really?  What is this, more of his hippy garbage?”  Resist the temptation to revolt, for I assure you that even my most non-alterative of friends and relatives would love this place.  There could not have been a tastier or more encouraging beginning to this endeavor than this groovy little downtown lunch spot.

Organixx is simple, enjoyable, and pure.  It is set up to be a casual lunch place where diners order at the counter, choose a seat, and wait for the food to be brought out.  It is the same organization as places like Baja Fresh or Noodles and Company.  However, while the set up resembles that of fast food, the quality is the exact opposite. 

The guiding principals are fresh, local, and sustainable.  As much as is possible, everything on the menu is locally, naturally, and organically grown.  I typically maintain a vegetarian diet, but at a place like this I am happy eating the pulled pork sandwich because I know where it comes from and how it is raised.  It is done without hormones or antibiotics, right here in Colorado.  This is true of nearly every item they use, although they are sometimes faced with certain logistical and seasonal restrictions.  Nevertheless, they are making a great effort to provide the community with a lunch option that is healthy and responsible, both socially and environmentally.  Best of all, they accomplish this goal without compromising anything in the way of taste or value.  The food is completely affordable and extremely delicious.

My friend and I walked into Organnix last weekend for a late lunch.  The space is bright and welcoming and designed in a simple minimalist style.  Softly playing over the speakers was the first album by the Silversun Pickups.  I instantly liked the vibe. 

Partially because we love good food, partially because we had a gift certificate, and partially because I was excited to be hitting the first location on the list, we decided to go all out.  We ordered two sandwiches, two sides, a salad and a soup.  After a brief wait spent enjoying the atmosphere, our food came out and we dug in.

Cream of asparagus soup – Straightforward, creamy, and full of flavor.  It was not overly heavy, as many cream soups at lesser lunch counters tend to be.  It was just great.  I ended up tearing small bits of bread from my sandwich so that I mop of every last drop from the bowl.

Avocado tower salad – This was so fresh wonderfully put together.  It was full of a variety of mixed field greens, roasted peppers and tomatoes, croutons, a ton of avocado, and it was all topped with rock shrimp.  Besides the quality, it was also huge.  Under normal lunch conditions (meaning that I’m not one of the people eating) this could easily stand alone as a meal.

Pulled pork wrap – I love pulled pork.  One of the lasting effects of growing up in Bakersfield, CA, is that I love good BBQ.  It may seem unlikely that a place obsessed with being healthy and organic would have good BBQ, but I swear that it was delicious.  It came with a chipotle BBQ sauce that had just the right balance of flavor.  I can say with conviction that it was better than the pulled pork from many of the BBQ places I have visited.

Build your own sandwich – I took advantage of the opportunity to customize my own sandwich.  I choose to put tomato, avocado, smoked turkey breast, and brie on their focaccia bread.  The combination was outstanding.

Best of all, we got all of this food for less than $35.  That includes two drinks.  Each item we ordered was under $10 and the portions were ample.  The sandwiches came with sides.  I got mixed fruit and potato salad.   We were overwhelmingly pleased by the mixture of quality and value.  Besides their sandwiches, soups, and salads, they also do breakfast daily before 11 a.m. and I look forward to trying it. 

The first destination on the list was a huge success.  I highly recommend this to anyone.  Even if you are not interested in local or organic food, you will still like this place.  The quality of the food will please anyone that likes a good lunch.

Check out their website!

Organixx