Audio By Carbonatix
As a countdown to the Best of Denver 2010, coming April 1, Cafe Society is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in Denver. Send your own nominations to cafe@westword.com.
Number 64: Sesame pockets from Lee’s Garden
Lee’s Garden (formerly Chopsticks China Bistro), whose owner and chef is the brother of the owner/chef of the new Chopsticks China Bistro in Greenwood Village, walks the line between rote Chinese-American standards (fried rice, lo mein, chicken with hot garlic sauce) and the stuff of funk, those righteous Shanghai “house specials” that either make you squirm in disgust or make you pant like a dog in anticipation of the great unknown — fish head in house special sauce, for example. Straddling the line between the two opposites are the thin-crusted sesame bread pocket sandwiches, whose hollowed out insides are made for slicking with chile paste, dabbing with Chinese vinegar and spooning cubes of chicken with vegetables, pork laced with the fire of chiles, lamb greened with cilantro, or fried beef with garlic until the seams are bursting and you’ve got chin dribble. After you’ve inhaled one plate, order another, or go where others fear to float and order the fish heads.
Hungry for more? The dishes in our countdown thus far are linked below:
No. 100 Chicken-fried steak from Lola
No. 99 Alaskan reindeer sausage from Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs
No. 98 Mac-and-cheese fries from Jonesy’s EatBar
No. 97 Soft egg ravioli from Prima
No. 96 Pho – any pho — from Pho 95
No. 95 Assiette de charcuterie maison from Z Cuisine À Côté
No. 94: Cheeseburger from Larkburger
No. 93: BBQ Masher from Cabin Creek Smokehouse
No. 92: Apple pancake from the Original Pancake House
No. 91: Burrata from Osteria Marco
No. 90: Eggs Benedict from Devil’s Food Bakery
No. 89: Chile Relleno from La Fiesta
No. 88: Deviled eggs from Steuben’s
No. 87: Corn-in-a-cup from Jack-n- Grill
No. 86: Enchiladas from Taco House
No. 85: Pupusas from Pupusas Sabor Hispano
No. 84: Baklava from Ali Baba Grill
No. 83: Masa-fried oyster shooters from Deluxe
No. 82: Tacos al pastor from Los Carboncitos
No. 81: Salsa bar from Tacos Y Salsas
No. 80: Dim Sum from Star Kitchen
No. 79: Green chile cheeseburger from Cherry Cricket
No. 78: Fries from Encore
No. 77: Shanghai-style dumplings from Chopsticks China Bistro
No. 76: Chile relleno burrito from El Taco de Mexico
No. 75: Fish fry from GB Fish and Chips
No. 74: Posole from Tarasco’s
No. 73: Sausage, ham and egg biscuit from Table 6
No. 72: Bacon flight from the Berkshire
No. 71: Tasty Treats from Gaetano’s
No. 70: French dip from Udi’s
No. 69: Panang curry from US Thai Cafe
No. 68: Pineapple upside-down pancake from Snooze
No. 67: Saag paneer from India’s
No. 66: Grilled corn soup from Lola
No. 65: Udon noodle bowl from Bones
