TOP 10 FRONT RANGE TASTES
BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Forget about it.

That’s what I’ve done after eating the vast majority of restaurant meals in my life. It’s not that the food, service, and ambience were bad, they just weren’t particularly memorable. Feeding is not savoring.

But once in awhile I’ll taste something so eyeopening that I can’t stop craving it. I’ve literally dreamt about some dishes I’ve sampled as a food columnist and dining critic. And yes, I’ve had a few gustatory nightmares along the way.

The following highly personal list is in the former category: a Top 10 honor roll of craveins, foods from Front Range restaurants and bakeries that are “wow!”—worthy and genuinely addictive.

From my point of view they are must-tastes for anyone claiming to be a foodie who’s savvy about local fare. The dishes aren’t ranked numerically—they’re all No. 1 in my book…and on my palate.

It was so agonizing narrowing my list to 10 that I added some equally honorable mentions. And all the businesses serve other wonderful treats—try the wontons in peanut sauce at LaoWang, any cake at Gateaux, lasagna at Dolce Sicilia, and rib ends at Yazoo—but start with the following five-star favorites:

Smothered red pork and green chile tamales
Tamales by La Casita, 3561 Tejon St., Denver; 303-477-2899
You’ve probably already unknowingly sampled the steamed, corn-husk-wrapped delights the Sandoval family has been making for 30 years because La Casita supplies dozens of local Mexican eateries. The amount of moist masa (cornmeal) is balanced just right for the excellent fillings, red chile shredded pork or, our favorite, green chile and cheese. I define culinary comfort as these tamales drenched in great green chile pork sauce with warm tortillas on the side.

Garlic knots with fresh warm mozzarella
Virgilio’s Pizzeria, 7986 W. Alameda Ave; Lakewood; 303-985-2777; virgiliospizzeria.com
Virgilio’s does bake a truly righteous pizza, one of the best in the region, but I’m a sucker for the shop’s hot-from-the-oven garlic knots. These pull-aparts taste glorious when dunked in marinara, but combined with an order of
gooey made-to-order mozzarella I start to tingle all over. The cheese arrives warm in a dish dressed only in salt, olive oil, and fresh basil. I wish I had some right now.

Frosted tea cookies
Gateaux Bakery, 1160 Elati St., Denver; 303-376-0070; gateauxpastries.com
How extraordinary could a cookie this simple be?Well, they’re so good the bakery ships thousands of them to fans across the nation.

The secret’s in the pure buttery-ness of the shortbread, which yields hints of caramel with butterscotch nuances. They absolutely melt on the tongue followed by the sweet richness of the gourmet icing. They’re not cheap and I don’t care.

Potstickers
Lao Wang Noodle House, 945 S. Federal Blvd., Denver; 303-975-2497
The venerable Mr.Wang crafts the finest potstickers, bar none, I’ve ever tasted and believe me, a lot of pan-fried dumplings have passed my way. The 12 large potstickers arrive sizzling, aromatic, and linked together with a crisped batter. I smile just thinking about the soft tops, the caramelized bottoms, and the scallion-studded pork filling. One can compose a fine dipping sauce from the many condiments on the table but they are a remarkable experience all by themselves. Be sure to say “hi!” to Mrs.Wang for me.

Fried chicken
Joseph’s Southern Food, 2868 Fairfax St., Denver; 303-333-5332; josephssouthernfood.com
Bliss rewards the patient diner who waits the full 20 minutes it takes to make perfect fried chicken. The thin, crackly, black-peppery coating seals in the naturally wonderful juices.With no indoor seating and just a few benches outside, Joseph’s is mainly take-out. For me, that means I take the fowl out to my minivan and start chomping on a leg immediately because the all-American perfume drives me crazy-hungry.

Lemon Shaker pie
Walnut Café, 3073 Walnut St., Boulder; 303-447-2315; walnutcafe.com
For puckered-up lemon lovers like me, Dana Derischweiler’s double-crusted pastry homage is a singular joy. The recipe is simple: Paperthin slices of whole lemons, minus the seeds, are macerated in sugar and combined with egg. The filling is reminiscent of English teatime lemon curd, only more poetic and potent. It’s not on the menu every day so call ahead. If you’re lucky, it will be available Tuesdays, the eatery’s weekly Pie Day when slices are bargain priced and include an extra dollop of whipped cream.

Beignets
Lucile’s Creole Café, 2124 14th St., Boulder (and other Front Range locations); 303-442-4743; luciles.com
You’ll always know us beignet (bayn-YAY) aficionados by the veil of powdered sugar and the smiles we wear.When combined with dark chicory coffee, hot-from-the-fryer New Orleans doughnuts are one of the most inspirational ways I know to start the day and get the good times rolling. I’ve tried not ordering beignets and I’ve always ended up regretting it.

The Bob
Yazoo BBQ Co., 2150 Broadway (mainly take-out), Denver; 303-296-7334; 9555 E. Arapahoe Rd. (seating), Greenwood Village; 303-792-9500; yazoobbq.com
What’s not to love? The Bob (as in shish ke-) is skewered chicken breast chunks wrapped with bacon and jalapeños that emerges from the smoker as a moist flavor bomb. Add some of the house hot barbecue sauce and resistance is futile.

Sfogliatelle
Dolce Sicilia Italian Bakery, 3210 Wadsworth Blvd., Wheat Ridge; 303-233-3755; dolcesiciliabakery.com
First things first: It’s pronounced sfo-lyah- TEL-e, or if you prefer The Sopranos-style, it’s shfooyadell. The shop’s resident Siclianborn baker crafts these super-flaky pastries loaded with sweetened ricotta and sometimes candied fruit with a powdered sugar dusting. Nibbling them is an emotional experience I never tire of.

Momo
Tibet Kitchen, 2359 Arapahoe Ave.; Boulder; 303-440-0882; tibetkitchen.com
Blink and you’ll miss this tiny café tucked next to a Subway at a busy Boulder intersection, and that would be a shame. Then you’d miss the amazing momos, the traditional Tibetan steamed dumplings that come in three varieties: Tsel are filled with finely chopped vegetables, Jhasa Sha are stuffed with chicken, and Lang-Sha with chopped beef, the latter two enhanced with onion, scallion, garlic, and ginger. They’re made when ordered so it takes a few minutes, but oh, the joy when you dunk one of these morsels in the house chunky chile- and cilantro-fired dipping sauce. Sometimes that’s all I order and I always depart Tibet Kitchen feeling healthier and stronger.

Honorable Mentions
The summer Friday night burgers—fresh coarse-ground Niman Ranch beef sizzled over hardwood charcoal on a brioche bun—at Marczyk Fine Foods, Denver; the classic croissants at Les Delices de Paris bakery, Denver; the traditional sausage sandwich at Carbone’s Italian Sausage Market, Denver; refreshing lemon gelato at Glacier Ice Cream, Boulder; the green chile relleno burrito at El Taco de Mexico, Denver; and the nearly perfect french fries at Larkburger, Boulder.

My list is far from complete.What are your absolute favorites? Let me know at lehndorffj@aol.com

John Lehndorff is the former dining critic of the Rocky Mountain News and food editor of the Daily Camera. Contact him at John-Lehndorff.com.