Bistro One... first dinner

This is another place we have been wanting to try. Bistro one was one of 5280s best new restaurants this year. We finally said we need to go. We met for an early dinner.

I ordered the meatball fettuccine. It is Kobe meatballs and had mad noodles, with a great slightly spicy tomato sauce. The meatballs were light and fluffy, and not a strong "beefy" taste. the noodles are to die for. My wife order the Stake Frites, it was very good as well.

all and all i need to eat more because what i had was really good.

bistro one

Pete's Central One Restaurant... lunch

well i have driven by Pete's Central One Restaurant hundreds of times but never have stopped. One day for lunch i decided to stop in. well my first tip off should have been there was no one in there but me. i know it was late lunch but still. so after a bit of looking at the menu i decided on the Greek Style Combination lunch plate.

A combination of Mousaka and Pastitsio served with vegetables. now Mousakais a casserole layered w/eggplant, potatoes, seasoned ground beef, and cheese. Topped w/a parmesan custard and a light tomato sauce. And Pastitsio is a layered blend of seasoned ground beef and large macaroni noodles topped w/a creamy parmesan custard and a light tomato sauce. This sounds good so i could try a couple of different things and came with soup or salad, i got the soup it was a creamy chicken and rice.

Well the soup tasted like caned NOT fresh and the veg on the side tasted frozen. The Mousaka and Pastitsio both came in a "light tomato" sauce witch is code for flavorless. The Mousaka was an odd mush on some ground beef that had no flavor. The Pastitsio noodles were over cooked and pasty.

well there was a reson that no one was eating there... its just not good. so if you are driving by Pete's Central One Restaurant keep driving

Central one Greek

The Counter... burger of the month

We found out about The counter form 5280 magazine. It sounded so go so we went for lunch. It is a burger joint, but not just a regular joint. You can build your own burger form beef, turkey, veggy, or chicken, in the sizes of 1/3, 2/3, or 1 lb. There are 10 different cheeses to chose form, and you can pic 4 toppings of 18 and 10 premium toppings. Finley a sauce and a bun. so you can get any burger you like! There are a few signature burgers as well, including the burger of the month.

I had this month's burger witch is JAPANESE STYLE AHI BURGER
ahi tuna mixed with pickled ginger, topped with furikake nori, daikon radish, carrot ribbons and scallions. served on a hamburger bun with wasabi aioli. I ordered mine with a over easy egg on it. The tuna was great and fresh, the flavor of the burger was Very Japanese. It was really good, like eating a spring roll or rice bowl at a good Japanese place. The burgers my wife and mom ordered were very good as well.

Every thing was every fresh and cooked to order, with so many choices there are lots of reasons to eat at The Counter but the best is that it is SO Very good.

The Counter

Fontana Sushi...

well Rachel and I went to Fontana Sushi before her Christmas party. We had been there many times before, this time there was only a few people there. Rachel thought i was just early on Saturday night. But Fontana has taken a down turn.

I will eat bad sushi but this was really bad. The rice was bad, and rice is the base of sushi. you can put bad toppings on good rice and is ok but it doesn't matter what you put on top it will still be bad.

Fontana was good but lately has taken a bad down turn. so i would pass on if you can

my favorite breakfast

Its simple but so good. Rice, egg (soft boiled or fired) the yolk should be runny, and any left over protein laying around. this morning it was teriyaki chicken meat balls. well you just layer rice, meat and and egg. break the yolk and mix it up and eat, its so good.

ThanksGiving day supper

This is one of my Favorite holidays. for 2 reasons first I cook the meal in my moms nice kitchen. Second i get to see me brother and sister. whom i don't see that often.

The turkey was a heritage, organic, locally framed bird. We stoked it in a brine of salt, sugar, whole pepper corns, all spice berries, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme chicken broth and ice water. you start buy dissolving the salt and sugar in the chicken broth. once it simmers you add the spices, and pore it over the ice in a cooler. once it is cool you add the turkey and soak over night.

As sides you had sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, dressing, green bean casserole, cranberries sauce, turkey gravy, squash rolls.

the sweet potatoes were baked cooled, pealed and cut up. then the chunks were covered in a layer of brown sugar, butter and bourbon, and baked off. 20 min before you serve them cover with marsh mellows.

the mashed potatoes were just straight up nothing fancy so was the dressing and the green bean casserole.

the cranberries sauce was fresh cranberries, bourbon, orange juice, pomegranate juice, sugar and vanilla. you simmer the cranberries, sugar, and the juices together then add the bourbon and vanilla. once the cranberries have broken down you cool and serve.

The rolls are made with fresh squash that my wife made form scratch. all i know is that she cooked the squash and ran it thought the blender, and they are good.

she made a pumpkin pie form scratch as well and my sister made a punpkin cheese cake.

all and all it was a great thanks giving

Domo lunch

For the best traditional Japanese food there is none better then Domo. Domo is traditional all around form the thatched roof and large stone tables. To the great food, there is no soy sauce on the tables because the chef seasons it as it should be.

Lunch is the best value. you can get a great meal for $10. Dinner is more pricey but it is so worth it. Both are served with sides of pickled veggies. that are great. I took my mom there for her birthday lunch this last time.

I had the Toji Donburi witch is Choice of meat or seafoods with vegetables smothered in cooked eggs . I got the Salmon and it was so good. The Donburi is Served in a bowl with three country side dishes and the miso soup of the day. Your choice of brown rice or white rice with barley.

Try to get down there if you but if you go call a head for setting. I was a Tuesday afternoon and it was packed. so i would call if you go at any time.

check them out Domo

It will be worth it

Toast... big breakfast

We went to Toast and we have been there before. It is always good. I had the the Big Breakfast this time. It comes with 3 eggs, 2 sausage links, 2 pieces of bacon, home stile potatoes and your choice of pancakes or french toast. It is a lot of food and very good. The sausage are fresh and good and bacon is apple smoked. The potatoes are served with peppers and onions.

the bottom line is that Toast is great and one of the best breakfast paces around

Saigon Bowl... #83

We went to the Saigon Bowl with my Grandma for the first time a few weeks ago. I liked it but Rachel didn't so much but she didn't have a noodle bowl.

This last time I went for lunch, I had the #83. It was egg noodles, duck and dumpling's, served with bean sprouts and herbs. It was quite good and the service was good as well. There are other things on the menu but I haven't tried them. I stick with a big bowl of soup, there menu is big. Every time you go you could go something new and it would take you a wile to try them all.

so for a quick lunch or dinner that's cheep and good, Saigon Bowl is a good choice if your in the aria. \

Saigon Bowl

Good and Bad

Well I cooked a couple of things that I thought I would share.

First thing I made was pumpkin pancakes. It was easier then I thought. I used the Sandra Lee recipe from food network. I don't really care for her show but this recipe was really good. I did add some more spices in it and some vanilla.

Pumpkin Pancakes recipe

Second thing I tried to make a salt cured Lox ( smoked or salt cured salmon.) I found some recipes on line and it looked easy. Basically all you do is cover your salmon with sea salt and pepper. sandwich Dill in between the 2 pieces of salmon and press in the fridge of 3 to 4 days. Well sounds good and easy. but mine was not good. I think that I should have had the salmon skinned and I used too much dill. It juts didnt work out so good. well next time I'm smoking it.

Beatrice & Woodsley... Brunch

Its my third time at Beatrice & Woodsley, this time for brunch. Coming in I had high hopes to eat a full meal there. I'm constantly amazed at the inside decor of B&W, it is just so amazing. The Photos on their website you do get a feel for the place.

The Brunch plates are regular size portions, you get plenty. I started with the hole less doughnuts and the turtle soup. The "Hole less" doughnuts where really just doughnut holes. There were 6 in a serving 2 filed with banana cream, 2 filed with peanut butter, and 2 covered in supper dark chocolate. They all were so good, denser then a regular doughnut and filed with just enough moose for flavor. Then we got the soup it was not what I expected but very good.

The soup is a rich cream broth, with mushrooms and turtle, served with and egg yolk. The Turtle was shredded, it wasn't fishy or tough. It had a slightly salty taste but the texture was sorta like a dark meat turkey leg. The strongest flavor in the soup was the wild mushrooms and the red onion. The veggies were just cook and still had some tooth to them. The egg yolk was raw and you stirred it in to the soup to finish it. The yolk added a richness to the dish that was the think that tied it all together.

Finley for the main course I got the Buffalo Sausage Gravy and Biscuits. I love a good biscuits and gravy but they are hard to find. I do say I do make a good gravy my self. But this particular biscuits and gravy was really good. It was served with 2 poached eggs and chives. As good as the gravy was (it is really good) the biscuits are what was the best thing on the plate . They are made with corn meal, flaky and light and made in house. I would eat just a bunch of there biscuits plane. No butter, jam or any thing to get in the way of the biscuit, yes they are that good.

The Brunch at Beatrice & Wooodsly is great. If you feel that the smal plates at B&W are to high priced (they are worth it) Go for brunch if you feel like you need to get more for your money. If you like an interesting menu and a great atmosphere and food on a weekend go to B&W for Brunch.

check my links for there website

Beatrice & Woodsley... SPICY BRAISED LAMB BREAST

I met some friends for dirnks and a small plate. I had the Tellagraph cocktale, it was good. Made with rye and ginger ale.

I ordered the Spicy Braised Lamb Breast served with Pearl cous-cous, smoked paprika oil. It was served with greens, a yorget sause and mini Naan. it was fantastic, the lamb was tender and the cous-cous was well cooked and smoked paprika oil just added a nice heat.

it was my first dish there but surtanaly not my last.

Beatrice and Woodsley

New Dragon Cafe...

This was the first time we ordered form New Dragon Cafe. So my wife and I were going to play it safe and get some of the standards. Sesame Beef, General Tao's Chicken, a Vietnamese Rice Noodle Bowl, steamed dumplings and some fried rice.

The Sesame Beef and I use "beef" loosely. The "meat" was an odd texture like jelly, and it came in wired cube cuts. Served alone with no veg or any thing. The steamed dumplings were just frozen, the wrapper was way to thick and the flavorless filling. The Noodle Bowl was not what I expected. I wanted noodles and soup but i just got noodles and toppings. It was OK but just not what i wanted. The General Tao's was OK it was what I expected came with broccoli. The dishes didn't come with rice so we ordered some fried rice. the "fried" rice had no veg in it a little bit of egg and was just cooked in a chicken broth, Very odd.

I will pass on them next time.

New Dragon Cafe
1000 West Evans Avenue
Denver, co 80223-4021
(303) 922-5100

Watercourse Foods... Mediterranean Blue Plate Special

If you don't know Watercourse Foods is 100% vegetarian menu. Don't let that scare you, its still great. They do Veg right, even for a guy like me that loves pork and any fish. Bisects and gravy are one one my favorite things and even tho at Watercourse it is pork free it is still on of the best i have had.

The new Place that Watercourse has moved to is nice way bigger then the old place on 13th. The menu has gotten bigger. My fav's are still there like the Amsterdam Hash, and Banana Bread French Toast. I must admit that I have only had breakfast there. The rest of the menu... well I'm not THAT adventurous on the vegetarian fort. but some day I will.

We did get the "Famous" Sweet Potato Cinnamon rolls, they were good but need to be served piping hot. so that was disappointing and they were light on the sweet potato

On this Sunday we went I had the Mediterranean Blue Plate Special witch is Sweet potato home fries cooked with capers and olives, tossed with sheep's milk feta, and served with two eggs any style or scrambled tofu and choice of toast. So just FYI I'm all about Sweet Potato, most any time I see it on a menu i get it. I would say that the food was good, but the service was a little slow. I would avoid the Sunday morning rush and the service would be better. I ordered my eggs over medium and got the scrambled but I wasn't going to say anything because I was starving.

So good food and try to get there when is not busy

Watercourse Food

Rachel's Birthday Dinner Part 2... Black Pearl

We haven't been to The Black Pearl in months witch is too long. But this last time reminded why I LOVE The Black Pearl.

We got there, were seated and ordered drinks. First they bring out bread nothing special but it is the small touches, like on the butter there is a smoked salt. The salt just adds so much it is just a nice touch. We ordered starters, Rachel got the Truffle frites (they are shoe string potatoes, with Parmesan cheese and truffle oil) they are so good we get them every time. and I got the Clam "Chowda" and its served "Unassailabled" that means you get the clams and the soup in two different bowls. the calms are cooked in a white wine and butter herb sauce. The soup base is potato and cream, with bacon and chives. When you put them together it is so good!

The for the main coarse I had the roasted salmon with mussels, clams, chorizo and croutons. The salmon was the best cooked salmon I have ever eaten. It was so light and flavorful, it had the skin on but it was like eating a moose and the chorizo added a bit of spice and oil. It was just well balanced and great, I cant say more.

so if you haven't please go check out the black pearl.

link on "my favorite places"
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Rachel's Birthday Dinner Part 1... Beatrice & Woodsley

Well I stumbled on to Beatrice & Woodsley walking down the street form my shop. I almost missed it, there is not a sign but the golden tinted windows drew my in. After reading the menu on the outside I poked my head inside.

I was blown a way form that moment on. It is like you steeped in to a different world form the busy, loud street out side. The inside is amazing, and the food and drink is good.

They are a Lounge with good food and great drinks. the tag line of the restaurant is "small plats, big wine". we went for appetizers and cocktails scene we had an other stop on this evening. I had a mint julep, it was great! one of the best mint julep's i have had. It was made with my favorite whiskeys, stranahan's. Witch is distilled right here in Colorado. At B&W they only have top shelf liqueur. They serve only the best.

We just had the cheese plate to eat seeing how we had an other stop. It had 3 different cheeses and crackers and bread that they make in house. It was just a taste but it made me want to eat a full meal there.

I would go back again and again.

check out there link on the "favorite places"

Pearl Street Grill... Crab cake Sandwitch

The Pearl Street Grill (PSG) is for the most part always a good meal. I normal always get the daily special, but this time there specials were not all that good looking. so I ordered form there regular menu, witch is not bad ether. I finely settled on the Crab Cake sandwich.

when it came out it was OK, the crab was not as crisp as i would have liked. It had been sauteed not baked or fried. so it lacked something and the crab got lost in the condiments. There was a tomato relish, mayonnaise, and a Cajun slaw.

it just was very OK. so i would stick with the many other great things on the menu or special

Yoko's... Maguro don

I have been to Yoko's many times and the food is always good. The down side is that the service can be slow if they are very busy ( form 12 noon to 1:30). With the bad news out of the way, the food is great.

This time I had the Maguro Don; raw tuna, avocado, and wasabi in a dark soy sauce. All served on rice in a big bowl. All the Don's come with Miso soup and salad. They have other stuff on the menu but I always get some sort of Don. I like the Unitoji Don (eel, egg, avocado, and onion) and the Katsu Don (pork cutlet with egg and onion). I love the true food there. They have Udon and and Soba noodle bowls as well. Oh and its one if the only places that you can get Onigiri in Denver.

The best thing is that Yoko's is authentic Japanese. Yoko's could be any restaurant on any street or train station in Japan. And Yoko's is just as good, It takes me back to my travels in Japan.

You can find there link and driections on "My favorite places"

Einstein Bros Bagels... lox and bagle

Well i love Lox i eat it when ever i get a chance. I even like it as sushi. When you order it at Einsteins it comes with capers, red onion, tomato, on your choice of bagel. At lunch it comes with a side (i get the potato salad) but this was breakfast.

It is a Good Lox and bagel, you cant really mess that up. I'm sure there are better ones out there but Einsteins' is good. It just depends on who makes it. Some times they skimp on the Lox and other time there is a bit too many capers. Really I only eat 1/2 the onion and I get mine with out tomato. I But they are close to were I work and live so that will do for my lox fix.

oh and get a savory bagel not a sweet one for your Lox. stay clear of any raisin or cinnamon, lean more to a cheese of any kind or you cant go wrong with plane, because its about the Lox.

Einstein Bros

Tuk Tuk... sesame chicken & hot and sour soup

I have eaten at Tuk Tuk Thai wraps many times before. I normally get the Panang Warp, it is the "Chipotle" of Asian food. The Panang Chicken warp is curry, chicken, bell pepper, coconut milk, peanut, basil all in a big, Tortila. It is good and big as my head.

but this time i wanted something else. so i figured the Sesame Chicken was a good staple to judge how they do something else besides a wrap, and I "souped it" added soup of the day for $1.50.

I took a table, and wated. As I was sitting there I notced that the lighting was dimed. witch was odd for a "quick" food place. it was like they didnt want you hanging around. It was only 6:45pm so that was odd. i didnt sit there long when she brought out the soup.

The soup was Hot and Sour witch was a plesent suprise. I'm a fan of a good hot and sour. well it was Hot as in spicey, almost too spicey. but for the $1.50 you got a lot so that was good. It was ok, not great but average at best. It was Alost to hot and lacked the black pepper and the Black musrooms that is so good in a Hot and Sour. it wasnt long after that I got the Sesame chicken.

The Sesame chicken was good, not great but better the panda express or your shity $1 a scoop place. The pieces of chicken were veary unifom in the size and cut, wich was a nice touch.

I fishend with a green tee ice cream. Ever sence The fist time i went to Japan I feel in love with that flavor. Green tee ice cream is everywere in Japan and so good. Wene ever I get a chance I order it here in the sates, becaues it is ether good like it should be or week like green vanilla. Tuk Tuk's was on the later side, week.

I like Tuk Tuk ok, but if you stick to the warps.

Tuk Tuk Wraps

about my taste...

Hi well this first post is about my taste. so that way you know where I'm comeing form.

For starters I'm not a professional chef, cook, or in the food busyness. But i love to cook and eat, I like every thing form fine dinning at french restaurants to Vienna Sausages out of the can. Some of my favorite restaurants are Steuben's, The Black Pearl, Toast. As far as fast food goes I like Quiznos, Good Times, Kokorow. Love most any Asian food. I have to have some Asian food once a week, I crave it. I like Mexican, and Italan but I'm not a huge fan of pizza. I like it i just don't love it like every one else.

There will be recipes as well. When I cook and how it turns out. Whether I i find a recipe or I make it my self.

I'm thinking the way to do this is just tell you all the were, what, and how of what i eat and make is.

so i hope that you all will like it