It’s officially list time.
You can’t channel surf from E! to CNN to ESPN without seeing some kind of list: Ten biggest news stories of the year! Top 5 panty-less celebrities! The year’s most outrageous basketball brawls!
So, in the spirit of the season, I’m tossing out my own list.
Herewith, in no particular order, are my top five meals of 2006.
Cassoulet maison at Z Cuisine. I love French country cooking, and nothing exemplifies the style better than cassoulet. A savory stew of duck confit, sausages, white beans and spices, this traditional dish takes a slightly different form wherever it’s served. Z Cuisine’s version is rich, herby and soulful, and just as satisfying on a warm evening as a cool one. I first had Z’s cassoulet last spring and have returned like a faithful pilgrim several times since. It, and the restaurant it’s served in, consistently deliver.
Z Cuisine, 2239 W. 30th Ave., 303-477-1111
Green Curry at US Thai Cafe. I could fill a lifetime chasing the perfect Thai green curry. It’s a dish that never bores me – when it’s great, I’m ecstatic; when it’s not, I’m furious. US Thai’s makes me ecstatic. Sharp, smoky, sweet, sour, spicy and soothing … I could eat it every day. Some weeks, I do. After all, it’s under $10.
US Thai, 5228 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater, 303-233-3345
Angry Trout at Summit in Colorado Springs. I’ve always maintained that eating out is equal parts entertainment and nourishment, and the most entertaining dish of my year was the so-called “angry trout” served at the Broadmoor’s newest restaurant, Summit. Presented with elegant barbarism (the whole fish is split open then turned into itself and the tail forced through the mouth) this shock-and-awe dish hearkens back to the Napoleonic era when royal chefs placed as much stock in the way things looked as the way things tasted. Bonus: The trout was perfectly cooked.
Summit, 19 Lake Circle, Colorado Springs, 719-577-5896
Omakase tasting menu at Masa in New York City. With only two or three seatings a night, and a base price of $400 per head, Masa is one of New York’s, and the country’s, most expensive restaurants. The tiny, minimally appointed room with just a couple of tables and a bar accommodates only two or three parties a night, which means that for at least a good hour, you have master sushi chef Masayoshi Takayama all to yourself. You have no say in what you eat, you just accept freshly cut sashimi of all descriptions (tuna to urchin to giant clam) as it’s handed to you. The danger: All other sushi meals since pale in comparison.
Masa, 10 Columbus Circle in the Time Warner building, 4th floor, 212-823-9800
Cioppino at home. OK, maybe it was blind luck, but one of my favorite meals was one that came out of my own kitchen. Using beautiful fish and shellfish procured from H Mart in Aurora, imported white beans from Marczyk’s uptown, and saffron secured from Spinelli’s Grocery in Park Hill, this ridiculously easy, savory and spicy fish-and-tomato stew (served to a table of friends with garlicky grilled bread and a lovely 1997 Brunello di Montalcino) still haunts my tastebuds.
H Mart, 2751 Parker Road, Aurora, 303-745-4592. Marczyk Fine Foods, 770 E. 17th Ave., 303-894-9499. Spinelli’s Market, 4621 E. 23rd Ave., 303-329-8143.
So, what was your favorite meal of the year?
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-954-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
