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Table Talk for October 11

NEWS: ANOTHER RESTAURANT FOR MEL AND JANIE MASTER
Last Friday, restaurateurs
Mel and Janie Master (Mel’s Restaurant & Bar), signed a contract to buy the building at 1120 E. Sixth Ave. The location, which currently houses Piscos, was once home to Dudley’s, a collaboration between the Masters and Blair Taylor of Barolo Grill. Dudley’s flourished from 1977 until the early ’80s, even capturing the title as one of the best restaurants in the country. And now, it looks like history has come full circle. Upon closing on the building in late October, the Masters plan to reopen the space as a reasonably priced California/Mediterranean spot sometime before Christmas. “Nothing firm yet on chefs etcetera, but soon,” says Mel. In the meantime, Piscos is still serving Latin eats and smooth pisco sours.

TASTE: WARM UP AT SEVEN 30 SOUTH
This type of weather calls for hot soup. There’s
Zaidy’s traditional matzo ball soup, The Avenue Grill‘s rich clam chowder, and Duo‘s hearty butternut squash. But my favorite bowl of comfort comes in the form of Seven 30 South‘s creamy tomato-basil. A serving of this savory concoction, flecked with real basil, is just the way to ward off any fall chill. 730 S. University Blvd., 303-744-1888, www.730south.net.

OPENING: DENVER’S NEW COOKING SCHOOL
When you think about all that’s wrong with the conventional cooking school (stuffy environments, classes in impractical haute-cuisine, impersonal instructors), you’ll find exactly what’s right about
A Cook’s Kitchen. Located in the Cheesman Park home of chef, fromager, and sommelier Elizabeth Woessner, this brand-new school teaches the art of making pies, cocktail party favorites, homemade pasta, and easy entrées. Woessner teams up with longtime friend Claudine Pépin, TV cooking personality and daughter of French chef Jacques Pépin, to bring a serious amount of fun back into the kitchen. Bonus: Sign up for a pantry makeover, where Woessner and Pépin help you organize your fridge and cupboards. Classes ($75 per person) begin on Oct. 16. 850 Ogden St., 303-861-4626, www.acookskitchen.net.

Amanda M. Faison
Amanda M. Faison
Freelance writer Amanda M. Faison spent 20 years at 5280 Magazine, 12 of those as Food Editor.

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Uncategorized

Table Talk for October 11

Feast…Cuddle up with Bistro Vendôme‘s autumnal seven-course dinner on Monday, Oct. 17. Chef Eric Roeder will craft a dinner celebrating the season’s bounty: the pumpkin and cardamom soup with foie gras crouton, porcini-crusted venison with celeriac puree, and chocolate-chestnut g&#226teau are just a few of the highlights. $100 buys you dinner and the French wine pairings. Call now for space, the 7 p.m. dinner (cocktails begin at 6 p.m.) is limited to 60 guests. 1424 Larimer Square, 303-825-3232, www.bistrovendome.com.

Go organic…We’ve always loved the Wholly Tomato’s organic take on healthy but fast food, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the Colorado State Department of Health’s “Smart Choice Meal” stamp of approval on many of the menu selections. Knowing these dishes meet the state’s strict nutrition guidelines makes us feel even better about eating there a couple times a week. Our favorites? The Nick da’ Greek pita wrap with gyro chicken, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce and the Machu Picchu bowl’s brown rice, black beans, green peppers, tomatoes, chipotle sauce, and pepper jack—and never do we let an opportunity pass to order the pita chips and curried hummus. 955 Lincoln St., 303-860-0041, whollytomato.com.

Bubbly…there’s no time like the present to stock up on Champagne for the holiday season. Marczyk Fine Wine just announced it has 36 bottles of Champagne Bollinger La Grande Annee 1997 for sale. That’s quite a feat, considering there were only 125 bottles available of this rare and highly prized French wine. The market will pre-sell the bottles in six-packs for $110 per bottle. 770 E. 17th Ave., 303-894-9499.

Sushi Sasa, located cattycorner from My Brother’s Bar, is a quiet respite along busy 15th Street. Open the glass doors to the sleek spot and temporarily disappear into serene decor the color of rice paper and chopsticks. Sit at a table or pull up a seat at the sushi bar for strips of buttery salmon, sweet yellowtail, and the Diablo roll with seared tuna on the outside and spicy tuna on the inside. Those forgoing rice should order the Big-O-tempura, a rice-free, tempura-fried roll stuffed with goodies including salmon, baked spicy yellowtail, cream cheese, avocado, asparagus, and shiso served with sweet soy. Tip: Ask for an extra order of the sweet soy and dip away. 2401 15th St., Suite 80, 303-433-SASA.

Amanda M. Faison
Amanda M. Faison
Freelance writer Amanda M. Faison spent 20 years at 5280 Magazine, 12 of those as Food Editor.