Compiling a list of the best Mile High restaurant dishes I sat down to in 2014 is a bit daunting, even though getting there was a delicious trip.
I went through hundreds of plates of food this year, when you include the bites dining companions shared with me. That is a lot of competition between a terrific array of talented chefs along the Front Range.
But in going back through the reviews, some plates definitely stood out.
My palate ranges all over the culinary map. Flavor is king, of course. But in general, I like honest food anchored in polished technique. Like most diners, I seek a balance of texture, color and presentation.
This isn’t a top-to-bottom ranking, though I did manage to assemble it in chronological order, so you get to see how food unfolds through the seasons.
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But all these dishes plucked a string in me. Some took me to new places, others were throwbacks to another time and place. They span seasons, styles and cuisines, but all are bound by overall excellence.
Note: Some of these items are standing fare on their menus, while others are seasonal and subject to market availability.
1. Pork Belly Kabob
on South Pearl Street in Denver delivered the first great plate of 2014, and it was an appetizer of pork belly kabobs.
Perfect, matching cubes of pork belly and pineapple were skewered and grilled, leaving a pleasing touch of char on the fruit, while the pork turned out tender, its fat lightly crisped. A reduction of minced maraschino cherries and Fresno peppers added a sweet-and-savory note.
The host announced the dish was “affectionately known in the kitchen as the Belly Kabob Thornton.” It sure got my love.
, 1518 S. Pearl St., 720-763-3387, sessionkitchen.com
2. Beef Tongue Taco
Troy Guard had some fun opening , a taquería with contemporary takes on traditional Mexican street food like the beef tongue taco.
I can’t recall whether it was a standing menu item at the time or was one of the kitchen’s daily “wild card” tacos. But it was the best lengua I ever ate, including an extraordinary brains-cheeks-and-all meal I had on a sheep roundup nearly 25 years ago in the shadow of Arizona’s Mogollon Rim.
Slivered and meltingly tender, this taco was streaked with charred tomatillo salsa (also available as a dip), onion and cilantro. With bright and dark flavors, sunrise met sunset and everything glowed.
, 2461 Larimer St., 303-295-0686, loschingonesmexican.com
3. Lamb with Lentils and Kale
Launched in late 2013 by Jon and Eleni Deering, a husband-and-wife team, in Boulder draws on the flavors of Eleni’s Greek roots. This homey entree exemplifies what the place is all about.
On one April visit there I had the braised lamb, a succulent bowl of tender, shredded meat piled atop a mix of stewed lentils and crispy kale, topped by a silky dollop of chevre that added brightness to the smoky depths. Opa!
, 2480 Canyon Blvd., Boulder, 303-938-8800, voltaboulder.com
4. Goat Stew
Since opening Jan. 29 in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood, has stayed packed, thanks to chef Dana Rodriguez’s Latin-infused takes on savory meats and creative sides.
She offers two versions of goat, and this is the one that really winds my watch. The goat stew was a steaming $6 bowl where a generous portion of goat swam in a red chile broth seasoned with carrots, celery and onions (the “trinity” of French kitchens) and studded with crunchy chickpeas.
Not enough goat? Try the roasted whole kid, shredded and sided with cilantro rice-and-beans.
, 2500 Larimer St., 303-292-0700, workandclassdenver.com
5. Lamb Loin with Coriander-Coffee Crust
This lamb loin was a springtime hit at , a spot in the Platt Park neighborhood that draws an eclectic mix of people.
The loin was crusted with coriander and coffee. The exterior had a lovely char, with a perfect medium-rare interior. The slices sat atop a sweet-and-savory blackberry “gravy” that defied you not to lick the plate. Rounding things out was a creamy polenta and sautéed yellow squash.
, 1115 E. Evans Ave., 720-459-8273, tabletotavern.com/atticus
6. Alpaca Loin Chops
Chef Eric Johnson brought a mix of French technique and American whimsy to in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood, and the result was a home run.
His alpaca loin chops were an eyebrow-raising addition to the menu. Cooked to the requested medium rare, the juicy chops, sourced from in Elbert, were terrific. They were ringed with sautéed favas, diced potatoes, wild mushrooms and a dense shiraz sauce. Bravo to the waitress who recommended pairing this entrée with an Andezon Côtes du Rhône, a lovely syrah.
And you know something? Alpaca doesn’t taste a thing like chicken. More like a cross between pork and beef. Delicious.
, 2100 Curtis St., 720-420-9898, thecurtisclub.com
7. Szechuan Braised Beef Noodle
has been a Front Range mainstay since opening in Boulder in 2010. The brainchild of restaurateur Edwin Zoe and his chef-muse mother, Anna Zoe, the compact room with a tightly edited menu turns out terrific noodle and rice bowls, plus dim sum.
This dish featured Szechuan braised beef and noodles. It arrived as a hearty broth packed with al dente udon noodles and chunks of tender beef that actually tasted like it came from a steer. Bok choy, whole red hot peppers and leafy greens rounded things out.
This is authentic Chinese food, far removed from the Anglicized fare at so many takeout shops.
, 2010 10th St., 303-545-6262, zoemama.com
8. Soft Hen Egg with Spring Pea Brodo
When opened in April, neighboring Park Hill residents quickly flocked to the cozy room. This starter, which showed the Parisian influence of the French-North African menu, was one of the reasons for the enthusiasm.
A soft hen egg arrived split over a spring pea brodo. The bright-green broth was bolstered by charred snap peas and sautéed onions, then garnished with dime-sized potato chips. Color and crunch and the essence of the summer solstice, which it just happened to be that evening.
, 5021 East 28th Ave., 720-398-8085, bistrobarbes.com
9. Squash Salad
This was a tough call. Not because I doubted the worthiness of this salad at , Robert Thompson’s gastropub in the Uptown neighborhood, but because the restaurant’s lamb burger gave it such stiff competition.
The dish was one of chef John Broening’s pet creations. Super-thin slices of yellow squash and zucchini that were turned out on a deli meat slicer sat in a tangled pile. They were dotted with chopped almonds, mint, crispy anchovy nuggets and shaved Parmesan. Sauced with a lemony pumpkin seed vinaigrette flecked with red chile flakes, it was a plateful of complementary flavors, beautifully married.
, 1035 East 17th Ave., 303-847-0850, argylldenver.com
10. Arctic Char with Summer Bean Salad
When chef Paul Nagan opened at the Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center Hotel at 918 17th St., he promised New West flavors in the former Colorado National Bank Building.
This was one of the best fish meals I had in 2014. The Arctic char had moist flesh and skin that snapped like a cracker. The set-up — sautéed green and yellow pole beans with cherry tomatoes and fingerling potatoes — was as compelling visually as it was in flavor.
, 918 17th St., 720-726-4800, rangedowntown.com
11. Duck Breast with Dirty Rice and Confit Leg
Big things were expected when Alex Seidel, chef-owner of Fruition, opened in the refurbished Denver Union Station. And the restaurant is delivering.
This entreé from the November menu was a star. The duck breast alone was a poultry lover’s dream, although probably not so much for the bird. Moist and tender, it was paired with dirty wild rice, a rich confit leg and a sausage made from the thigh. A gumbo jus finished the foray into Cajun country.
It bore all the deep, dark flavors of autumn, and paired perfectly with a pinot noir.
, 1701 Wynkoop St., 720-460-3733, mercantiledenver.com
12. Zucchini Pancake
Not all great December surprises arrive on Christmas Day. A trip to Korean barbecue restaurant in Westminster earlier this month brought one of the best side dishes I ate in some time.
This was owner Joseph Kim’s zucchini pancake. With a crisp exterior and silky center, it was a joy to tear apart with the metal chopsticks and dip into a ramekin of soy sauce studded with chives and sesame seeds. It was also an eye-pleaser, a vivid gold mingled with caramelized spots that resembled an autumn leaf.
This savory pancake is worthy of return trips. (There is also a Dae Gee at 827 Colorado Blvd.)
, 7570 Sheridan Blvd., Westminster, 720-540-0700, daegee.com
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
