Every week we study dozens of menus looking for the rise of trends. Lately, we’ve noticed Brussels sprouts—long the bane of children and many adults—showing up on plates roasted, caramelized, deconstructed, and fried. And it seems the James Beard Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to celebrating America’s culinary culture, predicted the uptick.

Recent examples of knock-out dishes include Duo Restaurant’s Brussels sprouts, bacon, and apple ragoût (served alongside the arctic char); Opus Restaurant’s sea scallops with crispy pancetta and cranberry-dusted sprouts; Shazz Cafe and Bar’s savory Brussels sprouts leaf salad with roast sweet potato, confit mushrooms, a poached heritage egg, and bacon-balsamic vinaigrette; and Table 6’s addictive fried Brussels sprouts with Parmesan, lemon, and truffle oil.

As further proof, recently at 50 Top (an underground, chef-driven supper club in Denver), three of 15 recent dishes contained the cruciferous veggie. (My favorite was Troy Guard’s inventive duck-fat-roasted sprouts and fingerling potatoes spooned with heady banana curry.)

Tip: The vegetable’s season is coming to an end, so don’t delay in making chef David Chang’s spicy Brussels sprouts with mint, a no-fail recipe that ran in the November 2009 issue of Food & Wine magazine.

Duo Restaurant, 2413 W. 32nd Ave., 303-477-4141

Opus Restaurant, 2575 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-703-6787

Shazz Cafe and Bar, 4262 Lowell Blvd., 303-477-1407

Table 6, 609 Corona St., 303-831-8800

DINR (Denver Independent Network of Restaurants) is offering 18 reasons to take your sweetie—or your sassy single self—out for a cocktail. Between now and February 14, participating eateries are competing for the best love-inspired sip. And you get to vote for your favorite.

Swill Avenue Grill’s smooth Casanova (a blend of Milagro Silver tequila, Rosa Regale, fresh lime, house-made grenadine, Navan, egg white, and a dehydrated-strawberry garnish), or sip Root Down’s playful Hot Sticky Love (made with agave nectar, lemon juice, orange bitters, Hanger One Fraser River Raspberry vodka, Hangar One Chipotle vodka, cranberry juice, and a sage leaf).

One of my picks (along with Westword’s Lori Midson and Patty Calhoun, I’m also judging the contest) is the Bitter Blush from Jonesy’s EatBar. This pretty—and potent—mix of Leopold Bros. gin, hibiscus syrup, Cointreau, lemon juice, and Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters is shaken, strained over ice, and garnished with a lemon and dried hibiscus flower.

Jonesy’s owner Leigh Jones explains: “We didn’t want anything too sweet or girlish, so Leopold’s gin as our base was a natural choice.” As for the name, they opted for something edgy–something more anti-Valentine’s Day. As further inspiration, Jones e-mailed me the following haiku: (more…)

After just two months in business, Simple Sugar Bakery has gained a loyal following for its cupcakes, cookies, and custom birthday cakes. The Wash Park spot operates inside Basil Doc’s, and it’s the dream come true of three passionate home-bakers who wanted to make baked goods free of preservatives and additives.

This month, the shop’s cake lollies—little balls of cake on six-inch lollipop sticks held together with frosting, liqueur, or white or dark chocolate—are getting all the attention. Order a bouquet of one dozen (you choose the cake and frosting), or combine five lollies with a bouquet of flowers from nearby Flower Power for $50. Either way, your sweetie will be pleased.

Tip: To meet the Valentine’s Day deadline, orders must be placed by Friday, February 12.

Simple Sugar Bakery: 2107 E. Virginia Ave., 303-332-8600

Flower Power: 2101 E. Virginia Ave., 303-777-6266

It’s been a couple days, but I can’t stop thinking about Colt & Gray’s potted Peeky Toe crab appetizer. Much like a rillette, this creamy seafood spread arrives in a little glass jar with a hinged lid.

Lift out a little, lump it on the accompanying crostini, and take a bite. The textured blend tastes perfectly, richly of the sea. Then take a bite of the lemon-dressed side salad, and the crab simply sings. You could be on the coast, eating this dockside.

An order of executive chef Nelson Perkins’ Long Farm pork chop (served with a rustic salad of bacon, spaetzle, arugula, and apple) brings you, very nicely, back to Colorado.

1553 Platte St., 303-477-1447

It wouldn’t be unusual for a Boulder chef to bike to local farms to pick up seasonal produce or to seek only natural, humanely raised beef. But when that chef comes from the Boulder Cork, diners do a double take.

The Cork, in business since 1969, may look like an old-fashioned steak house, but its philosophy has always been cutting edge. Executive chef Jim Smailer, the man behind the burners for nearly 30 years, was a pioneer in the local movement, gathering products from nearby farms and farmers’ markets long before it was vogue.

His never-ending commitment to quality has attracted generations of diners, who pack the cozy dining room for timeless favorites such as the slow-roasted prime rib served with silky mashed potatoes, or the sake-marinated salmon accented with ginger-soy butter and seasonal stir-fried vegetables. End with a decadent Aztec chocolate pot de crème or Smailer’s fresh-fruit crisp, and you, too, will be back for more.

Tip: These dishes and many more are featured on the Boulder Cork’s Early Dinner Special menu: From 5 to 6 p.m., three full courses run only $23.95 (plus tax and tip).

3295 30th St., Boulder, 303-443-9505

I received the news yesterday: After seven years selling artisanal chocolates and sweets near Riverfront, WEN Chocolates is closing up shop at 4 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. I’m devastated that chef William Poole’s white-chocolate-dipped gingerbread tiles and handcrafted truffles and sweets will no longer have a storefront. But I take heart in knowing that WEN is only ceasing retail operations.

“The business and the kitchen are not closing,” says Poole. “So [we] will still be able to do amazing things in other ways.”

I look forward to seeing (and tasting) what Poole comes up with next. In the meantime, stop by the shop for some last truffles. Stock up on my favorite, the Pandora, a chewy combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, juniper berries, marzipan, and chocolate, that, as Poole puts it, tastes like a cinnamony Hansel and Gretel forest.

Bonus: Poole and around a dozen other professional and amateur chocolatiers will compete in the Say It With Chocolate bash on Monday, February 8, at the Tattered Cover Book Store in LoDo. This annual event, which is open to the public, includes unlimited samplings, live music, and a silent auction that benefits the Third Way Center. Tickets ($20 suggested donation) can be purchased online or at the door. The event runs from 4 to 7 p.m.

Wen Chocolates, 1541 Platte St., 303-477-5765

Tattered Cover Book Store (LoD0), 1628 16th St., 303-436-1070

When I think Elway’s, I typically think power lunch or steak dinner, but rarely do I think breakfast. Which is a shame, because the downtown location (in the Ritz-Carlton) is the ideal spot for a morning meeting.

You’ll likely have the dining room to yourself (perfect for top-secret conversations), and chef Robert Bogart’s menu is extensive, appealing to everyone from oatmeal lovers—whole-milk, steel-cut oats, vanilla-apple rolled oats, and rolled oats brûlée—to the egg-and-toast crowd.

There are omelets (check out the 5280, with aged cheddar, bacon, spinach, and mushrooms), a truffled eggs Benedict, and huevos rancheros.

But, it’s the asparagus and mushroom frittata that gets top billing. The dish channels spring with bright asparagus, and it’s a graceful take on the average hunk-a-egg. Served with a side of well-seasoned rosemary breakfast potatoes and addictive fire-roasted tomatoes, it’s a breakfast of champions.

1881 Curtis St., 303-312-3107

With all the lingo about vintages and tannins and terroir, wine can be intimidating. But learning at home with friends—say, through an in-home wine-tasting party hosted by the Traveling Vineyard—can help strip away the pretenses.

The scenario: A wine consultant comes to your house, offers basic instruction on evaluation (color, smell, swirl, and sip), and provides samples of five different wines. Then, guests have an opportunity to purchase the bottles they like. Think of it as a Tupperware party for the wine-loving set.

Bonus: The only cost to the host are the light snacks to pair with the wine. And the only cost to guests are the bottles they order.

Anyone who knows me knows I despise the word “moist.” Its only justifiable use—the only time I don’t choke on the icky syllables—is to describe cake. And a wedge of Kaos Pizzeria’s four-layer chocolate cake is the best reason I can think to utter the word.

The huge dessert, which is made by Vollmer’s Bakery in Park Hill, is so dark with chocolate that it’s nearly black, but the taste is deceptively light. Most chocolate cakes are so dense they require a creamy scoop of ice cream to temper the sweetness, but this version is best au naturel. The baked good is spongy and moist—and positively delicious.

Tip: At $8, the hefty slice is pricey, but not when you figure in the fact that it can serve three.

1439 S. Pearl St., 303-733-5267

If date night means a quick dinner and a movie, my go-to spot is Zolo Southwestern Grill, near Boulder’s 29th Street Mall.

Though I usually opt for the smoked, double-cut pork chop—a juicy three-inch cut served with house-cured bacon, black-eyed peas, and roasted, pasilla-tomato collard greens—I recently discovered a new staple: the guajillo-marinated mahi.

This buttery fish comes topped with smoky cuitlacoche-tomato sauce, grilled mushrooms, and a blistered corn tamale that contrasts grilled kernels with soft masa.

Tip: Check out  Zolo’s Web site (linked above) for free tequila tastings and paired tequila dinners, part of their 151-day celebration of tequila.

2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-449-0444

I covet my January issue of Saveur for its annual roundup of the year’s 100 best foods and food-related tools and tips.

This year, my favorite bit of advice comes from an L.A. reader who shares his method for dried lemon zest. He microplanes a lemon and allows the zest to dry on wax paper for 24 hours before folding and pressing the paper. The result is an intense, lemony powder that can be sprinkled over beet salads or slices of Key lime pie, mixed into mayo for insta-aïoli, or used to rim margarita glasses.

The possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to add a pinch to roasted Brussels sprouts or lemon cookie batter.

Hint: When zesting the lemon, be careful to avoid the pith—its bitterness will only intensify as it dries.

Here’s a secret: Though hamantaschen (fruit-filled pastries) are traditionally enjoyed during the Jewish holiday of Purim, I eat them year round. And always in the afternoon.

These triangular, crumbly treats (think along the lines of a small, cookie-like danish) brighten up the midday doldrums—especially when paired with a cup of coffee. Often found with apricot (my favorite), prune, or honey-poppyseed filling, there are also good renditions with chocolate or berry preserves.

My go-to spot for hamantaschen is the Tattered Cover Book Store in LoDo, where the sweets cost just $1 each.

1628 16th St., 303-436-1070

Restaurant consultants Baum and Whiteman predict 2010 will be the year tongue, oxtail, tripe, and other offal go mainstream. The reason? Serving these off-cuts can lower food costs, cut down on wastefulness, and help ever-curious diners become more adventurous.

To wit: Last Sunday evening, Opus Restaurant’s chef Michael Long hosted a specially crafted offal dinner for more than 50 members of the Denver Adventurous Eaters Club. The meal began with a Vietnamese pho, made with briny sea urchin, chewy tempura-tripe, and spicy chile-pepper noodles in an elegant, gingery broth. Next up was a more classic (and rich) French preparation of tender, pan-fried sweetbreads and mustard-roasted lamb kidney served with a Syrah-oxtail jus.

Tip: Members of the Denver Adventurous Eaters Club will partake in a lutefisk meal at the Trollheim Lodge on Saturday, and Opus Restaurant will host more adventurous meals in the coming months. Check the restaurant’s Web site (linked above) for details.

Opus Restaurant, 2575 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-703-6787

In a brilliant business move (i.e. cheaper rent), the Basil Doc’s at Crestmoor now shares space with three-week-old Rise & Shine Biscuit Kitchen and Cafe. In the mornings (7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the weekends) the location sells coffee and homemade biscuits, and in the afternoons Basil Doc’s resumes selling its tasty pizza.

The space is mostly designed for grab and go, but a cozy window seat and comfy chairs are conducive to sipping java and putting back a buttery biscuit.

Stay or go, but don’t miss the Asheville, a flaky, buttermilk-biscuit sandwich stuffed with sliced turkey, Havarti cheese, and a not-too-sweet honey mustard. Or order owner Seth Rubin’s favorite, the Chapel Hill, which sandwiches fried chicken between halves of a hot biscuit. (A liberal smear of the honey mustard makes this all the more addictive.)

Bonus: The biscuit of the day has yet to disappoint. Smother in strawberry jam or honey at will.

330 Holly St., 303-322-5832

If you fancy yourself to be a grill master, then Perfect Pairings, a Boulder company that packages sauces and rubs, is a must. The goal is to help you build complex flavors in grilled meats, fish, and vegetables.

My go-to combination is the blackberry-aki, an all-natural blackberry-teriyaki sauce paired with a gingery, Asian-style dry rub that enhances the subtle fruit accents in the sauce. (This combo is especially good on grilled rib-eye and venison.) Apply the dry rub onto the raw meat a half hour to two hours before cooking, then baste with the teriyaki sauce once the meat is turned on the grill. For best results, when the meat has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the heat and add a pat of butter to each serving as it rests.

Also available is the Wasabi-Q barbecue sauce, which is packaged with a more intense dry rub made of chile, wasabi, and orange peel. I found this combination too overpowering for delicate fish but wonderful on pork spareribs and salmon.

Available at Oliver’s Meat & Seafood Market, 1718 E. Sixth Ave., 303-733-4629

Many of us know Wen Chocolates as a go-to spot for decadent treats (like the wonderfully complex violette truffles). But did you know that owner William Poole also makes and sells preserves?

I treasure my jar of the seasonal clove-tinged pear, candied ginger, and gingerbread spices, which can be eaten with cheese, spread on sandwiches, or paired with grilled pork. Be sure to try some of the new flavors: cherry, fig, and chutney; blueberry, Merlot, and star anise; and a citrus-chocked preserve with grapefruit, lemon, orange, and more.

Bonus: Check out Poole’s recipe for prosciutto-wrapped pears, which ran in 5280’s January issue. (His preserves would pair beautifully with this appetizer).

1541 Platte St., 303-477-5765

Absinthe, the green spirit favored by Parisian artists and writers in the last century, is making a comeback—and the folks at À Côté Bar à Absinthe will happily introduce you to the absinthe drinking ritual.

If you’re new to the sip, which tastes of licorice and herbs, order a shot of either the Grand or Libertine—both of which come from France.

At À Côté, which follows the traditional ritual, a leaf-shaped slotted spoon will be placed atop your glass and then topped with a sugar cube, which is then lit on fire and blown out by the drinker. Next, a specially made absinthe fountain will slowly drip ice-cold water onto the sugar cube. This displaces the absinthe in the glass below, creating a cloudy opalescence known as louche. When the clouds reach the top line of the absinthe, pick up the glass, toast your partner, and enjoy.

Tidbit: Although hugely popular 100 years ago, absinthe was banned in the United States (and several other countries) for its addictive qualities and alleged ability to make people psychotic. The drink has since been proven to be no more harmful than regular spirits, and the ban was lifted in the U.S. in 2007.

2239 W. 30th Ave., 303-477-1111

When Den Deli—Toshi and Yasu Kizaki’s Japanese deli and noodle bar—opened on South Pearl Street in late November, it was an immediate hit. The brothers, who have already proven themselves with the adjacent Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, now offer a dialed-down experience that’s conducive to either dining in or taking out.

The concept is modeled after the food courts of Japanese department stores, where the high-quality offerings are more Fortnum & Mason (for those who have been to London) than Panda Express or Chick-fil-A.

Den Deli’s glass cases offer packaged sushi (the same great stuff you can get across the street), sandwiches, salads—don’t miss the roasted beet and pear—and Japanese selections. Two best bets: The kinpira gobo, a soy-sauce-laced tangle of matchstick carrots and burdock root, and the addictive sautéed eggplant with miso.

There’s also a noodle station ladling up big, brothy bowls of udon and ramen (the tempura shrimp and veggies are especially tasty) and a seafood case stocked with at-home sushi makings: top-notch fish, roe, sea urchin, wasabi, and yuzu.

1501 S. Pearl St., 303-733-2503

With dough made of 50-year-old starter from outside Naples, Italy, produce and meats sourced from domestic (if not local) farms, and charcuterie and cheeses crafted in-house, Pizzeria Basta is not your everyday pizza joint. Indeed, chef-owner Kelly Whitaker’s food is more like fine dining on a charred crust.

Basta (which means “enough” in Italian) is focused on the simplicity of ingredients. You’ll taste that commitment in the innovative wood-fired pizzas (with ingredients such as rapini, fennel pollen, chiles, and house-made sausage); crostini draped with warm slices of lardo, fresh mizuna, and a sprinkling of Maldon salt; or the delicate Burrata, served with sautéed leeks and house-cured pancetta.

Bonus: Both Whitaker and his pastry chef, Brad Rossini, trained in Italy before landing in Boulder. Now they draw from domestic farms to help re-create the flavors of the Italian countryside.

3601 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-997-8775

Every neighborhood needs a good coffeeshop—sometimes two or three. And as of late November, the Golden Triangle’s Dazbog and Metropolis Coffee have found competition in the new Rooster & Moon Coffee Pub on Bannock Street.

The tucked-away shop specializes in organic java (Allegro) and tea (Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea Co.) and serves baked goods from City Bakery and made-to-order salads and sandwiches.

Even with winter tomatoes, the hot caprese sandwich—smeared with pesto and stacked with melted, fresh mozzarella and tomato slices—tastes robust. The Addison offers heartier bites, with roast turkey, Swiss cheese, honey mustard, lettuce, tomato, and a drizzle of virgin olive oil.

Bonus: Ample electrical outlets aside, the modern and sleek space doubles as a bar. So, take your pick—caffeine or alcohol—and belly up.

955 Bannock St., 303-993-2622