The five best bites we had in July

After our ultimate guide to the best burgers in Denver came out over the July 4 weekend, it was nice to spend the month eating things other than … more burgers. Which is important, as I’m now officially three months into this gig and still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what the Denver food scene has to offer.

Between all the new eateries popping up and all of the old-guard institutions refusing to cede their relevancy, it’s a lot of ground to cover — not that I’m complaining! But picking the “best bites” among them is no small feat. 

As luck would have it, this month’s selections fall into a traditional menu order: an appetizer, two mains and two desserts (yes, I need to eat more vegetables). Here we go…

Appetizer: Hand-pulled burrata at Morso

Morso is the new Italian red-sauce concept up in Boulder from  “Top Chef” Season 5 winner Hosea Rosenberg, which opened back in April. There’s much to like on this menu, including the latest entry for Colorado’s biggest mozzarella stick, a perfection-in-simplicity marinara sauce and a sick pizza game. 

But the dish with the biggest lasting impression was the pulled burrata appetizer; on the night I was there, it featured roasted and fresh tomatoes. The orange and yellow fresh tomatoes brought a blast of acidity to the sweetness of the red roasted tomatoes, all resting in a nicely balanced vinaigrette that improved as the dish sat, letting the tomatoes macerate their juices into it. 

Oh, and did I say burrata? The creamy fat of the cheese, with the tomato, was smeared on the carred-crisp focaccia. I could have left happy with just that and a nice orange wine. 

And if you see chef Rosenberg, be sure to sing the praises of the Pueblo green chile over Hatch. Then settle in for the ride.  

Main: Beef Wellington at Mizuna

There’s a certain poetic justice about Mizuna’s beef Wellington. Both are about as old school as you get in Denver. But both equally stand up to the times, as well, a point chef and owner Frank Bonanno emphasized during a recent dinner celebrating the restaurant’s 25th anniversary. 

“Food is timeless, and I think our food is just as relevant as ever,” he said during the opening toast.

Like Mizuna, the classic beef Wellington has also stood the test of time. I mean, the dish dates back to 1839. But while it’s seen more than enough “modern takes” over the years, the version at Mizuna remains a classic. Buttery puff pastry encases a perfectly cut beef tenderloin wrapped in a layer of thin crepes securing a duxelles paste (mushrooms, shallots and herbs). Served up in a luxurious jus, white and green asparagus and chanterelle mushrooms, it likely looks much the same as it did 187 years ago. And that’s just fine with me. 

Try it yourself at Mizuna’s weekly “Welly Wednesdays” where a three-course prix fixe meal featuring the classic dish will run you $75.

Main: Stir fry at Lan’s Noodles & Dumplings

Okay, I didn’t get a photo — Bad Bruno — but I was hungry and late, joining my wife and daughter 15 minutes after they got there, so I tucked right in. I later regretted not snapping a shot, because I knew within a few bites that it would be making this month’s Best Bites list. 

Hand-pulled noodles are having a moment in Denver, along with dumplings, and Lan’s serves up both. The noodles here can be thin, like in the noodle soups and the Dan Dan noodles, or thicker, like the stir fry dishes. Both are excellent, but it was the thicker stir fry iteration that hit home for me. 

Thick noodles can be tricky, running the risk of getting gummy if overcooked, or doughy if undercooked. Here, it’s just right: perfectly tender, but with just the right amount of springy chew that lets you know you’re eating a noodle. 

While the noodles are the constant, you have the options to have yours with veggies, chicken, beef (or beef brisket), shrimp, or a combo. You can even get just plain noodles! We had the chicken, and the only sound at the table was the clicking of chopsticks as my family and I jousted in the bowl over who got the last few bites. 

Dessert: Sheep by Wolf’s Tailor

Sheep is the Wolf’s Tailor pop-up on the top floor of the Clayton Hotel & Member’s Club in Cherry Creek, working through a three-month residency until Oct. 4. The standout novelty of this restaurant is that nearly everything is cooked with open flame, either over a wood-burning grill or in a wood-burning oven. 

So, clearly, the standout dish of the tasting menu was a frozen dessert. Dubbed “ash” (as in the last stage of the fire), it’s a frozen popsicle covered by a cloud of super dense cotton candy meant to evoke a sheep’s wool coat. Visually, it’s striking and intriguing. But that’s not what makes this work. 

It’s the frozen ice cream popsicle inside that really, um … pops. The exact composition of the popsicle changes regularly. Ours was a cherry-glazed vanilla encased in chocolate served super-cold. The star was the cherry, which is the dominant flavor. We nearly forgot the chocolate was there. 

Dessert: Shaved Ice at Pig & Tiger

There’s not a bad dish to be had at Pig & Tiger, one of our 50 best restaurants and our pick for best new restaurant last year. The chili wontons. The fried chicken. The wine. But the shaved ice dessert was the perfect slammer at the end of a beautifully crafted sentence. 

Just calling it shaved ice is terribly unfair. It’s like bread pudding: Neither sounds particularly exceptional in words alone if you’ve never had them before. But one bite of either will change your perception pretty quick. 

The shaved ice here is, yes, ice, but it’s also soaked in condensed milk and layered with strawberries and Thai basil, then served on top of an almond panna cotta, with crumbles of almond cookie dusted on top for a little crunch. 

Thankfully, it comes in a large bowl that begs sharing, which makes for a sweet moment between friends to conclude a delicious and memorable meal.