Finer Dining: The Best Bites I Had in August

It's been an amazing four months since the beginning of May, when I stepped in as interim food editor while Molly Martin was on medical leave. I'm happy to report that I've survived the stress eating — or is it the stress of reporting and editing about eating? — with just a few added pounds since I started the gig.

Denver's food scene is insanely dynamic, with so much to cover every week. Our crew of editors, staff writers and freelancers dove in and ate (and drank) their way through breaking news and never-ending openings and closings.  Thanks to everyone's energy and expertise, I occasionally found time to focus on some of my particular passions, like putting food into cultural context, especially the cuisine of Asian communities.

I've loved this opportunity to tell stories that reflect Colorado's sometimes surprisingly sophisticated foodie community —. especially in these times, when "diversity" is under attack, yet diners' palates are evolving and becoming more globally curious, it's been an honor to write about all sorts of food in all sorts of places, from fancy restaurants to mom-and-pop operations, from steaks to breakfast burritos, from Thai to Burmese and, of course, my jam: anything Japanese.

Here are some of the best bites I've had in August:

I previewed the upcoming Spirit of Japan event, set for September 12-14 in Sakura Square, which will be filled with food and drink vendors, including some local restaurants (last year, all the vendors were from out of town). The preview promised yakitori, those grilled chicken skewers that are a foundational dish for "salarymen" and women to munch on and wash down with alcohol after a long day at work. There will also be tsukune, grilled skewers of chicken meatballs. Tickets are available online.
I was intrigued by another preview, for a new online home cooking video series, Chef'n It, which will feature local chefs bshowing viewers how to make some of their signature dishes at home. Co-owner and executive chef Chris Royster of Boulder's Flagstaff House, who is featured in the premiere that'll drop on September 10 on YouTube, made Crispy Glazed Venison with English Pea Puree for the event; then he transformed the croquette into a venison osso buco dish for the pilot episode.
Another preview of a dish worth dreaming about was served at MAKFam, the contemporary Chinese eatery in the Baker neighborhood. Owner/chef Kenneth Wan made Hong Kong French toast, a deep-fried dessert with egg yolk sandwiched between crunchy, sweet slices of French toast. It's not on the menu yet, but the eatery has served it before, and it could soon return.
One of my favorite local restaurants of all time is Domo, the country-style Japanese eatery that jams more personality and artsy style into one warehouse district space than you'll find in a dozen hipster havens. Owner Gaku Homma is always restlessly tweaking his menu, and this summer, he introduced a selection of cold soba noodles —nincluding a delicious dish served with his marinated pork, as well as a dipping sauce instead of a typical ramen soup.

Just a few days ago, I enjoyed a terrific meal at Pig and Tiger, the Taiwanese restaurant that just opened at 2200 California Street. It was topped off with a creative combination of Eastern and Western desserts, featuring shaved ice with pineapple at its core and a foundation of almond panna cotta underneath.
The best overall restaurant meal I had in August, though, was at Alteño, which far exceeds any simple description of "Mexican" cuisine. The Borrego Estofado lamb shank had me sucking out the marrow to make sure I got every last bit of flavor. Each course was incredible, and the service and setting were superior in every way.

I'm ending this roundup of a month of eating with my #foodporn shot of home cooking, of Hiyashi Chuka Soba made by my wife, Erin Yoshimura. The name translates to "cold Chinese noodles," but it's a popular summertime dish in Japan and a precious few Japanese restaurants around here. Ramen noodles are chilled and served with a light, cold, umami-packed soup (but not much of it) and topped with ingredients thatd, in this case include omelets, red pickled ginger, marinated bean sprouts, sliced snow peas, shiso leaves, pulled rotisserie chicken (thanks, Costco), radish pods and Olathe sweet corn.

I've loved being able to share my food with all of you — eat well, and stay healthy!