The Six Best Bites We Had in March

It was a tasty March between bites at some new additions, a pair of memorable desserts and one very ugly but very tasty sandwich.

Riding the success of Riot BBQ, Manny Barella and Patrick Klaiber turned their attention to chicken last month with the opening of Chicken Riot, a fast-casual spot that’s now serving in the former Truffle Cheese Shop location off East Sixth Avenue.

I popped in on my way to a friend’s house, and though Barella and Klaiber weren’t there at the time, the staff were friendly and excited to help explain the menu options. I wanted to try the chicken on its own before digging into the sandwiches and salads, so I opted for the Big Boy Pibil, which includes a half pibil marinated slow-smoked chicken with two sides for $19. The chicken is smoked at Riot BBQ and finished in an oven on-site. The result: tender, moist meat with a pleasantly smoky touch and skin that retains some crunch, with a smack of flavor and color from the pibil marinade. I’m stoked to bring this meal to City Park Jazz this summer.

The sides are excellent as well. Riot BBQ’s popular esquites cornbread is served here in muffin form to much success, but the real starring side is the beef tallow black beans. I will certainly be returning to explore more of Chicken Riot’s offerings.

I’m still replaying the meal I had at Petit Chelou, the new chef’s counter inside Hop Alley from chef Douglas Rankin, who closed his award-winning Pasadena eatery Bar Chelou last year and relocated to Denver. His ultimate goal is to open a brick-and-mortar here, but this first teaser of his talent is well worth the splurge ($125 per person plus a la carte wine, cocktails and N/A drink options, and an $88 wine pairing).

I’m a sucker for a fun chef’s counter that’s not too buttoned up, and that’s exactly what Rankin delivers. He’s clearly having fun getting creative with local produce, as well, working closely with Mark DeRespinis at Esoterra Culinary Garden. When I visited, one of the standout courses came from an unexpected delivery of kohlrabi.

Rankin took the underrated cruciferous vegetable and transformed it into “noodles” paired with a “broth” of sorts made from juiced kohlrabi scraps plus butter, nutmeg, koji, garlic, and green and black peppercorns. Yes, I did pick up my bowl to sip every last drop after devouring the noodles.

Cabbage used to be overshadowed by the incessant popularity of Brussels sprouts, but, thankfully, it’s finally having its starring moment. Sap Sua’s take on charred cabbage with anchovy breadcrumbs and egg yolk has become a menu staple at the East Colfax eatery, but now there’s a new cabbage contender on the street. Nearby, FiNO recently opened in the former Rockbar space, inside the revamped All Inn Motel, and among its tapas-inspired small plates is a charred cabbage that will please any caper lover. The briny ingredient is piled on generously as the whole dish swims in a brown butter and lemon bath. The simple flavors combine for a hit that pairs nicely with the pickled tomato water-spiked house martini.

When I released our list of the best sandwiches in the metro area last November, many readers reached out to me about the exclusion of SubCulture, the Capitol Hill staple that’s been open for nearly twenty years. It’s a spot I’m very familiar with — there was a time in my life when I frequented it, especially when I had a boyfriend who washed dishes there on the side and would bring home sandwiches for us to share multiple times a week. And I never really loved any of those sandwiches.

I appreciate SubCulture’s reasonable pricing, customization and plentiful options, but I’d never really had a sandwich there that got me hooked. But when multiple readers said I specifically needed to try the slow-roasted Colorado beef with green chile and cream cheese, I was intrigued. So one day, while furiously typing on a deadline, I ordered one online. It was promptly delivered to the office by bike, and I unwrapped the messy creation, which, I can confirm, is weirdly addictive. I’ve had four since then, learning along the way that I like adding cherry peppers to the party.

A half is plenty to fill me up for just $11.50, and this has quickly become one of my favorite lunches. So, thank you for the suggestion, readers — keep them coming!

In December, a new restaurant coming to Boulder made Bon Appétit’s most anticipated openings list for good reason: The chefs behind it are the power couple who previously worked as co-directors of culinary operations for Frasca. Last month, I got my first taste of chefs Eduardo Valle Lobo and Kelly Jeun’s solo venture, Casa Juani, which moved into the former My Neighbor Felix, transforming the space into an upscale Spanish escape.

But instead of being overly buttoned-up, Casa Juani feels more like a dinner party at your rich friend’s house, where dishes are paired with stories of adventures in Spain and secret ingredients add an extra boost of flavor and intrigue.

You should definitely start with something from the raw bar, and the beef cheeks and duck are tied for my favorite savory courses of the meal. But you absolutely must save room for dessert.

In February, I highlighted three must-try slices of cheesecake, but now, I must add Casa Juani’s version of Basque cheesecake to that list, which has two “secret” elements that Valle Lobo was happy to disclose: a crust (which is not a traditional part of a Basque cheesecake) made from Galleta María, a biscuit or cookie that’s popular in Spain, and “a touch of blue cheese,” he says with a cheeky smile. It could almost go undetected, but it adds a funky edge that becomes even more prominent when paired with an espresso.

After a very long wait, Uchi’s sister concept, Uchiko, finally debuted in Cherry Creek in February, and it’s been a fast hit. When I visited in March, guests were packed into the host area trying to secure a table for the spot’s standout happy hour — reservations are a very good idea here.

There were no misses among the savory courses I tried, including the roasted oysters, grilled swordfish and a punchy ceviche hand roll, but this is another spot where dessert plays a starring role.

I’ve long been a fan of Uchi’s fried milk dessert, which here takes the form of milk and cereal, which combines the battered and fried balls with creamy filling with chocolate mousse, toasted milk ice cream and a pile of Cap’n Crunch, which reminded me that I should be eating more kids’ cereal as an adult.