Bragging rights for best Caesar salad in Denver go to the new kid in town. The Oceanaire Seafood Room (1400 Arapahoe St.) was presented with the award Sept. 9 from the American Institute of Wine and Food, which has been honoring local preparations since 1999.
Oceanaire chef Matt Mine went with a fairly straightforward recipe, using anchovies, as well as a touch of Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, plenty of garlic and Parmiggiano-Reggiano, with cracked black pepper to finish.
Opus Restaurant in Littleton won the award for best Caesar salad presentation – chef Michael Long’s unique wrapping of the ingredients inside a romaine leaf made it one easy-to-eat item – and chef Jean Stone brought The Palm accolades for the best appetizer for her delectable crab cakes.
The competition, in which Panzano, Elway’s and McCormick’s Fish House & Bar also took part, was held at the Hotel Monaco; Panzano won the 2004 best Caesar award. The event was a fundraiser for AIWF’s scholarship program, and that evening two students – Machila Dennis and Jason Kearns – from Johnson & Wales University’s culinary arts school were each presented with $2,000 awards. | Kyle Wagner
