Restaurant Blog - Chowbaby.com

by Erin Blakemore

SONODA’S SUSHI AND SEAFOOD
1620 Market St, Denver, CO 80202
(303) 595-9500

Cradled in Denver’s hot LoDo district, Sonoda’s might seem as far from Japan as you can get.  But the minute you go downstairs into the narrow restaurant, you’ll feel immersed in a low-key, authentic Japanese eating experience.  Owner Kenny Sonoda has collaborated with a staff of expert sushi chefs to create a menu that highlights the best of sushi with no shortage of choice hot dishes, such as the superb nabeyaki udon and yakitori chicken.  The sushi is selected daily from a selection imported from both coasts, with sushi chefs selecting only the freshest cuts.  However handpicked the fish, prices remain reasonable for a sushi restaurant.  The notable list of nigiri offers a traditional take on kaki (oyster), tako (octopus), or tamer fishes such as fatty tuna and salmon. 

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by Erin M. Blakemore

CARMINE’S ON PENN
92 South Pennsylvania Street, Denver, CO 80209
(303) 777-6443

Co-chefs Brian Senft and Brian Durbin have more in common than their first names. They’ve both trained and traveled extensively in Italy and along with owner Chris Linker are responsible for the dishes that turn Carmine’s tables into groaning boards of Italian treasures. There are no menus, just strategically placed chalkboards that spell out the specialties of the house. The rolls bathed in garlic butter arrive and immediately disappear. Baskets are replaced and replaced again. Each dish is meant for sharing with plenty to go around. The signature Caesar and other salad combinations are served from a large bowl that’s left tableside. The delicate Chicken Piccata has a fresh, lemony taste, while the Veal Parmigana is lightly breaded and served in a robust red sauce with just the perfect amount of mozzarella melting over the sides. Wait staff fill the plates and return to offer a generous second serving. Tiramisu and homemade, delicately sweet cannolis are dessert menu standouts with refreshing fruit pizzas added in summer. There’s always a line at the door of this festive, noisy, neighborhood trattoria. Hearty Italian recipes keep the crowds coming back.

By:Marge D. Hansen

CUCINA COLORE - Italian Includes Vegetarian
3041 East Third Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 393-6917

The sleek lines of the bar and cleanly sculpted shapes of the booths and furnishings make this Italian eatery a feast for the eyes. Stretching toward the back of the dining area, appetizing evidence of the imaginative menu decorates every table. While not vegetarian by majority, there are a number of sumptuous appetizers and entrees that fit into this special category. Buttery bruschetta with fontina and roasted asparagus is topped with garden-fresh tomato and basil. The fontina is also found on the Portabello Pizza flavored with roasted garlic and truffle oil. Penne Telefono combines lightly fried eggplant, fresh mozzarella and garlic with rich, red plum tomatoes. Artfully simple, linguini is tossed with basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. White bean and roasted red pepper ravioli is painted with brown butter, sage and balsamic syrup. Garlic, chili peppers, kalamata olives, tomatoes and ricotta come together in an outstanding Penna Al Arrabiatta. The lasagna is pasta-less, combining eggplant, roasted tomatoes, spinach and smoked mozzarella. An extensive wine list rounds out the meals served from this delightful “colorful kitchen.”

GEMINI RESTAURANT - Healthy Cuisine Includes Vegetarian and Vegan
4300 Wadsworth Boulevard
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
(303) 421-4990
The signs of the zodiac sparkle with delicious entrees almost too numerous to count. The Sagittarius Casserole combines walnuts, an abundance of broccoli, melted cheeses and fresh mushrooms in a sour cream sauce. Libra Lasagne stacks three kinds of cheese on sesame pasta laced with spinach and garden vegetables in tomato sauce. Space Age Eggplant presents the lightly breaded veg topped with water chestnuts, mushrooms, artichokes, garden vegetables baked in a tomato sauce and topped with melted cheese. Quiche of the day is baked in a whole wheat, stone ground pastry shell and served with soup or salad and a medley of fresh fruit accented by frozen or low fat yogurt. Fruit smoothies like the Mango Tango-mango, pineapple and bananas with a hint of cherry-are made with frozen yogurt, never ice. No Gemini meal is complete without something from the Fabulous Fancies dessert menu. Berry cobblers, cakes and daily specials like rich Apple Dumplings made of whole grain pastry filled with tart Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, walnuts and smothered in vanilla sauce are baked on the premises. There’s even an espresso bar with wine and beer, too.

by Erin Blakemore

CAFÉ BRAZIL
4408 Lowell Boulevard, Denver, CO 80211
(303) 480-1877
Marla and Tony Zarlenga honor the cuisine of northern Brazil-typical coastal dishes with an African influence. They have a passion for South American cooking. Simple, wholesome ingredients are prepared according to old family recipes, but each is infused with a new energy. La Calena, large, luscious prawns and sea scallops in a sweet hot sauce of diced tomatoes, mango and passion fruit, is finished in a cascade of Brazilian chilies and served with fragrant herbed rice and fresh vegetables. Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil. Smoked meats, sausages and black beans are blended into a rich stew and served with a traditional plate of rice, fried bananas, farofa, greens and aji of compana. The stew and accompaniments are mixed, followed by a bite of sweet, fresh orange slice to soften the spicy flavors with a touch of citrus. Distinctive wines from Argentina, Chile, Spain and Portugal are offered, and desserts such as Torte de Limao Verde (green lime torte) and Columbian-styled flan are prepared in house. The two rooms painted in vivid pinks and greens are every bit as lively as the tempo of the music that accents the food. This is novo Latino cuisine at its very best. Credit cards are not accepted.