Like any new restaurant, Charlie Palmer's District Meats has had its share of ups and downs. However, last week’s intimate chef”s table dinner was a high point.

Prepared by chef-owner Charlie Palmer himself (pictured), the five-course menu showcased several dishes that will soon appear on the LoDo restaurant’s menu. Among those was an exquisite Dungeness crab salad with kaffir lime essence, pressed avocado, and crispy prosciutto, and courses of seared scallop, caramelized duck breast, and aged beef sirloin.

The sirloin (pictured), served with a decadent Cabernet reduction, Swiss chard, grilled marrowbone, and short rib risotto, will appear as a long-standing featured special. In addition, Palmer plans to replace the pig trotter on the current menu with a variation of the grilled marrowbone—it will be served with pickled shallots, golden raisins, and grilled ciabatta.

Stay tuned: Watch for the butter-poached Dungeness salad to hit the menu when crab season reopens later this year.

1625 Wazee St., 303-623-1630