Jeff Osaka

Reader: Twelve offers a good dining value -- and a great amuse bouche

When Lori Midson went to twelve this week for a birthday celebration, she feasted on everything from beet carpaccio to sweetbreads. But the real star was the amuse bouche, a grilled scallop in a pool of squid ink. It was a generous offering from a generous chef, Jeff Osaka, named Best Chef Ambassado ... More >>

Round two with Cory Treadway, exec chef of the Wynkoop

Cory Treadway Wynkoop Brewing Company 1634 18th Street 303-297-2700 wynkoop.com This is part two of my interview with Cory Treadway, exec chef of the Wynkoop; part one of our conversation ran yesterday. Your five favorite local restaurants other than your own: Oak at Fourteenth in Boulder is doin ... More >>

An American Craft Spirit & Cocktail Showcase, an oyster extravagaza and more on this week's calendar

The Boulder Theater is hosting the High West Oyster Fest tomorrow, April 2, with live music by local funk band Juno What?! and fresh oysters courtesy of Jax Fish House (its LoDo outpost was this year's Best Seafood Restaurant); Odell's Brewery will be pouring its Emersum Oyster Stout. The event also ... More >>

Best Chef: A nostalgic look back at our Best of Denver chef winners

In just a few short hours from now, the Best of Denver 2013 will start hitting the street -- and the web. This year's edition is packed with more than 400 winners (we're still counting). One of the most anticipated categories in our Food & Drink section is also one of the the most coveted: Best Chef ... More >>

Celebrate pork in Vail this weekend

Restaurant Kelly Liken, 12 Vail in Vail, is kicking-off Cochon 555 tonight with a six-course, collaborative menu from five Colorado chefs: Jason Harrison of Four Seasons Resort, Jeff Osaka of twelve , Alex Seidel of Fruition, Lon Symensma of ChoLon and Cochon 555 founder Brady Lowe. See also: - Den ... More >>

Twelve will open seven nights a week beginning on February 24

When people ask me what I'd like to see more of in Denver, which is a question I pose every week to the chefs I interview, my immediate response is more restaurants that are open on Sunday and Monday nights. In fact, I was recently having that same discussion with Jeff Osaka, the owner-chef of twelv ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes: Foie gras oysters from Sushi Sasa

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalog more than 450 restaurant meals in a year -- which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn't it? But all those food dates are ... More >>

Trends without end, round four: Bread, ice and more beer

What will be the big culinary trends in 2013? As we prepare for a new year in gastronomy, we posed that question to dozens of people in the local food business, everyone from chefs and pastry magicians to restaurant brokers and PR consultants, from brewers and grape gurus to realtors and pig farmers ... More >>

Trends without end: Dining insiders offer predictions for 2013

Jeff Osaka's twelve wins the numbers game on 12/12/12

When chef Jeff Osaka opened twelve in November 2008, he wasn't thinking about a day more than four years in the future, the last triple date of this century: 12/12/12. He wasn't thinking about the future much at all. He'd named his restaurant twelve to reflect the fact that he planned to change the ... More >>

Local chefs dish on Denver's dining scene

Great food, greater cause: Win tickets for two to chef Paul Reilly's Eat Drink Give event on Sunday

Paul Reilly may no longer have his own restaurant -- after a last hurrah Sunday brunch, he shuttered Encore last month when he and the landlord couldn't agree on lease terms -- but he has the support of plenty of Denver chefs, many of whom will gather on Sunday for Eat Drink Give, an annual benefit ... More >>

An underground gathering of Denver's best chefs convenes at twelve

Two years ago, when I did a Chef and Tell interview with Jeff Osaka, the owner/chef of twelve, I asked him what he'd like to see more of in Denver from a culinary standpoint. His answer was poignant, straightforward and inclusive: I want more chefs working to build camaraderie. Sure, we want to b ... More >>

Behind the bar with Joshua Smith at TAG and Williams & Graham

courtesy of Joshua Smith​Joshua Smith, who divides his bartending time between TAG and Williams & Graham, has been slinging drinks for all of his adult life, but his first foray into the profession was a bit of a fluke. "My dad used to be a chef, so I'd been in the kitchen for a long time, an ... More >>

Sip great wine on the cheap at four of Denver's poshest spots

'Tis the season for giving - the time of year for fa-la-la-ing, mistletoe-ing and all the other festivities Bing and Nat sing about. But let's be honest: Decking the halls and making merry can be downright exhausting. So in betwixt the tree trimming and holiday caroling, why not give yourself a litt ... More >>

Round two with Jensen Cummings, exec chef of Row 14

Lori Midson​ Jensen Cummings Row 14 Bistro & Wine Bar 891 14th Street 303-825-0100 www.row14denver.com This is part two of my interview with Jensen Cummings, exec chef of Row 14 Bistro & Wine Bar. Part one of that interview ran yesterday. What you'd like to see more of in Denver/Boulder fr ... More >>

Win two seats to ChoLon's craft beer dinner with Top Chef Stephanie Izard and Alex Seidel

Girl and the GoatSeason 4 Top Chef Stephanie Izard ​It's been a good year for Lon Symensma, the chef/owner of ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro, the leading-edge Asian restaurant that he opened downtown last October.

Round two with Sean McGaughey, exec chef of Opus

Lori Midson​ Sean McGaughey Opus 2575 West Main Street, Littleton 303-703-6787 This is part two of my interview with Sean McGaughey, exec chef of Opus. You can read part one of that interview here. Favorite restaurant in America: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a restaurant directly on a farm in ... More >>

Denver Burger Battle: The meat of the matter in photos

Lori MidsonThe crew from Crave compete in the Denver Burger Battle​Aside from the vegetarian burgers from Root Down, which, ironically, were the first to sell out, last night's porny Denver Burger Battle was a carnivorous animal-style nirvana of bloody meat candy, bacon and foie gras. The sol ... More >>

Round two with Doug Anderson, head baker at Hi*Rise

Lori Midson​ Doug Anderson Hi*Rise 2162 Larimer Street 303-296-3656 www.hirisedenver.com This is part two of my interview with Doug Anderson, owner and chief baker of Hi*Rise. Part one of my chat with Anderson ran in this space yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: I'm totally unqualifi ... More >>

Round two with Doug Anderson, head baker at Hi*Rise

Lori Midson​ Doug Anderson Hi*Rise 2162 Larimer Street 303-296-3656 www.hirisedenver.com This is part two of my interview with Doug Anderson, owner and chief baker of Hi*Rise. Part one of my chat with Anderson ran in this space yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: I'm totally unqualif ... More >>

Round two with Row 14 exec chef Arik Markus

Lori Midson​ Arik Markus Row 14 891 14th Street 303-825-0100 www.row14denver.com This is part two of my interview with Arik Markus, executive chef of Row 14. In part one of that interview, Markus dishes on crashing kitchens, the day he was fired by Eric Ripert and the echo of Daniel Boulud. ... More >>

Round two with Sushi Sasa's Wayne Conwell

Lori Midson​ Wayne Conwell Sushi Sasa 2401 Fifteenth Street 303-433-7272 www.sushisasadenver.com This is part two of my interview with Wayne Conwell, executive chef/owner of Sushi Sasa. In part one of that interview with Conwell, he dishes on working for Iron Chef Morimoto, the genius of Je ... More >>

Sushi Sasa's Wayne Conwell on working for Iron Chef Morimoto, the genius of Jeff Osaka and sushi "edibles"

Lori Midson​ Wayne Conwell Sushi Sasa 2401 Fifteenth Street 303-433-7272 www.sushisasadenver.com This is part one of my interview with Wayne Conwell, executive chef/owner of Sushi Sasa. Part two of this interview will run tomorrow on the Cafe Society blog. While his toddling friends were ... More >>

Pig porn from Cochon 555, aka the Super Bowl of Swine

Lori MidsonCochon 555 chefs Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson, Kelly Liken, Alex Seidel, Frank Bonanno and Jennifer Jasinski ​ Lard, have mercy on my soul. To say that I pigged out this weekend is the understatement of the year, and if I was porky before, you should see me now. In fact, I'm fairly ... More >>

Jeff Osaka on monthly menu creation and twelve's February lineup

Mark MangerJeff Osaka rolls out his February menu tonight.​Several Denver restaurants make seasonal changes to their menus, but none with the clockwork regularity of twelve, which rolls out a new board on the first of every month. And Jeff Osaka, chef-owner of the place, isn't simply recycling ... More >>

New Year's resolutions from Max MacKissock, Matt Selby, Mark DeNittis, Michael Long and twenty-one more Denver/Boulder chefs

Lori MidsonBrad Rowell, chef at Colt & Gray, resolves to eat twenty percent less pork fat per day and replace that with twenty percent more Schlitz​ Haven't made your New Year's resolutions yet? That makes two of us. But instead of focusing on ourselves, we prodded more than two dozen Denver/ ... More >>

More predictions, rants and raves from local chefs on the culinary trends of 2011

Sustainably-farmed fish will be a big trend in 2011, say local chefs​Yesterday, several local chefs -- Michael Long (Aria and Opus); Eric Skokan (Black Cat); Brandon Biederman (Steuben's); Brad Rowell (Colt & Gray); and Troy Guard (TAG and TAG Raw Bar) -- dished on the culinary trends that wou ... More >>

twelve's December menu debuts today

Mark MangerChef Jeff Osaka debuts his December menu​When I reviewed twelve a few weeks ago, sampling most of chef-owner Jeff Osaka's November menu, I noted that I was "already hungry for December, excited to see what Osaka will come up with next." Today marks the first day of that new menu, a ... More >>

Jeff Osaka's talents in the kitchen add up to a sublime experience at twelve

Eating my words about Wolfgang Puck alums

Wolfgang Puck's alums prove me wrong​A few weeks ago, when I reviewed Euclid Hall, I wrote that I'd noticed a certain shortcoming common to chefs who'd trained under Wolfgang Puck. "They're excellent cooks with mastery of technique," I mused, "but they're not innovative chefs." Plenty of read ... More >>

Jeff Osaka's twelve lures patrons to the Ballpark neighborhood

Mark Manger​On a block just beyond the revitalized stretches of downtown, twelve, at 2233 Larimer Street, is tucked amidst dilapidated storefronts.

Jeff Osaka reopens twelve today with a new fall menu

Jeff Osaka changes twelve's menu monthly.​Chef/owner Jeff Osaka will reopen twelve today, after an eleven-day break. The restaurant at 2233 Larimer Street is getting close to marking its second anniversary; although the neighborhood was a little lonely when Osaka opened his place, other spots ... More >>

Twelve takes a break

Lori Midson​ If you have a hankering for the food cooked up by chef/owner Jeff Osaka at the almost-two-year-old twelve, head there tonight -- because tomorrow, the restaurant at 2233 Larimer Street will close for an eleven-day "break to rejuvenate." Until twelve reopens, appropriately enough ... More >>

Announcing one winner and one last chance to win tickets to Sunday's seafood supper with Jeff Osaka, Alex Seidel, Scott Parker, Justin Brunson and Ben Parsons

Lori Midson​If you've been following this here blog, then you already know that chefs Jeff Osaka (twelve), Alex Seidel (Fruition and Fruition Farms), Scott and Deanna Parker (Table 6) and Justin Brunson (Masterpiece Deli) are hosting a seafood supper this Sunday at the Infinite Monkey Theorem ... More >>

And the winner of two seats to Sunday's seafood supper is...

​Behold the final winning entry in our Sunday summer supper contest. Just in case you missed all this, here's the short version: We asked readers to suggest a name for the coalition of chefs -- Alex Seidel (Fruition and Fruition Farms), Jeff Osaka (twelve), Justin Brunson (Masterpiece Deli an ... More >>

Round two: Win free tickets to Sunday's summer seafood supper with chefs Jeff Osaka, Alex Seidel, Scott Parker and Justin Brunson and wine geek Ben Parsons

Lori Midson Jeff Osaka and Alex Seidel​This Sunday, August 22, chefs Jeff Osaka (twelve), Alex Seidel (Fruition and Fruition Farms), Scott and Deanna Parker (Table 6) and Justin Brunson (Masterpiece Deli and Lechon) will host a summer seafood feast at Infinite Monkey Theorem, the urban winery ... More >>

Win free tickets to Sunday's summer seafood supper with chefs Jeff Osaka, Alex Seidel, Scott Parker and Justin Brunson and wine geek Ben Parsons

Lori MidsonJeff Osaka, chef/owner of twelve​This Sunday, August 22, chefs Jeff Osaka (twelve), Alex Seidel (Fruition and Fruition Farms), Scott and Deanna Parker (Table 6) and Justin Brunson (Masterpiece Deli and Lechon) will host a summer seafood feast at Infinite Monkey Theorem, the urban ... More >>

Observations from the 2010 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen: José Andrés, Jacques Pépin, getting porked, scrambled egg mousse, Alex Seidel and a smoking gun

Lori Midson Jacques Pépin, Jean-Claude Szurdak and José Andrés​Thus ends four days of liver damage, debauchery, hangovers, embarrassments and a swollen stomach. The 2010 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen officially came to a close yesterday, and while the weekend isn't without its fuzzy moments, ... More >>

Hush "spring chicken" dinner with Sweet Basil chefs was windy, but the dishes flew right

Lori Midson The chefs from Sweet Basil in Vail​Seven kitchen guards from Vail's Sweet Basil, including sous chefs Chris "Cactus Jack" Douglas and Chris "Cupcake" Youmans, braved the gales, unseasonably cold temps and rain on Saturday night, when they left the snow-thumped ski resort to cook a ... More >>

In the kitchen with Jeff Osaka, chef of twelve

Lori Midson​Jeff Osaka, chef/owner of twelve, and the center of this week's compelling Chef and Tell interview, changes his menu monthly, hence the restaurant's name. The January board trumpets foie gras and pork belly, Colorado lamb and a vegetarian paella and several sugar-laced finales, inc ... More >>

Cafe Society: Week in review

Lori Midson​What you may have missed this week on Cafe Society while you were weighing in on twelve's Jeff Osaka, the restaurant's exec chef and owner who's at the center of this week's Chef and Tell interview -- and some controversy surrounding his comment regarding his most critical customer ... More >>

Part two: Chef and Tell with Jeff Osaka of twelve

Lori Midson​This is part two of my interview with Jeff Osaka, exec chef of twelve. You can read part one of my interview with Osaka here. Rules of conduct in your kitchen: I don't have any rules per se. The only thing I ask from my kitchen staff is to pay attention and be respectful. There's ... More >>

Pot and pans at 8 Rivers

Mark MangerExec chef Scott Durrah knows all about pot luck.​ The first time I cooked pot food was my freshman year in high school. Two friends and I pooled our money, bought a quarter bag of Texas dirt weed and some instant brownie mix, and headed to an adult-free house with an open kitchen. ... More >>

Cafe Society: Week in review

John Plessinger in a booth at the Nob Hill Inn, the bar his father put in his name back in 1969, when he was 21.​What you may have missed this week on Cafe Society while you were hanging on every last word of our hi-larious stories about the time we spent getting up close and personal with the reg ... More >>

Twelve turns one today

​Happy birthday to Twelve, which brought fine dining to a less-than-fine location at 2233 Larimer Street last fall, but has survived that first tough year. And tonight, chef/owner Jeff Osaka will celebrate his restaurant's first birthday by gifting diners with a complimentary glass of sparkl ... More >>

Hotel restaurants are at your service

This just in: twelverestaurant lowers prices, not expectations

Just got this e-mail from Jeff Osaka, the chef/owner of twelverestaurant, the elegant, if pricy, place that opened exactly a month ago. "Due to the current economy, and feedback from our loyal customers, twelverestaurant has responded quickly and adjusted its price structure to reflect this demand. ... More >>

Looking for a good restaurant? You're in the ballpark...

A mystery whets our appetite for Twelve