Dining

Q: You may be tired of calamari, but it's one of my favorite foods. Who makes the best in Denver?

A:Although I've eaten more than my fair share of squid in this town, it's always been a pleasure at three Kevin Taylor joints: Zenith (815 17th Street, 303-293-2322), jou jou (1106 14th Street, 303-228-0770) and Palettes at the Denver Art Museum (100 West 14th Avenue Parkway, 303-629-0889). Taylor's calamari comes out a crispy golden; the accompanying basil aioli would make even rubber bands ‹ which most restaurants seem to serve in place of squid ‹ taste good. I also like the masa-coated calamari at the Hilltop Cafe (1518 Washington Avenue, Golden, 303-279-8151), which comes as a salad with buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, all covered in ginger soy sauce. Very tasty, too, is the light, sesame-seed-coated version at the Denver ChopHouse & Brewery (1735 19th Street, 303-296-0800), with its delightful ginger-spiced apricot dipper.