Lori Midson

No. 90: Schezuan beef in numbing chile oil from Chef Liu's

Chinese menus are notoriously overwhelming, what with page after page after page of dishes, descriptions and glamorized photos depicting what your dish will allegedly look like once it arrives at your table. More often that not, the snap on the menu bears little resemblance to what actually appears on your plate, and the superlatives -- yummy! delicious! exotic! spicy! -- that menu writers toss in as descriptors are notoriously off-base, too. Unless, that is, you're eating at Chef Liu's Authentic Chinese Cuisine, in which case, pay attention, because the Schezuan cuisine that emerges from this kitchen doesn't need adjectives, photos or superfluous staff praise to ballyhoo its attributes: The food proves its virtuosity all by itself.

See also:
- The 100 Favorite Dishes of 2013 archive
- Denver's ten best Chinese restaurants
- Super Star Asian's Dean Huang on the city's best Chinese restaurant

Lori Midson

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalogue more than 450 restaurant meals in a year -- which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn't it? But all those food dates are worth the gluttony, because it allows us to tell you where you should eat, a little favor that we started in late 2009, when we embarked on a culinary journey that took us through our favorite dishes in the Mile High City -- 100, to be exact. Now we're back with round three, counting down (in no particular order) 100 more of our favorite dishes in Denver (and Boulder). If there's something in particular that you think we need to try, reveal it in the comments section below, or shoot me an e-mail at lori.midson@westword.com.

No. 91: Lobster macaroni and cheese from Mizuna

Macaroni and cheese, once a comfort-food staple of every Sunday supper (not to mention the elementary school cafeteria), isn't what it used to be. And thanks to chef Frank Bonanno, who makes no apologies for food steeped in indulgence, the slightly chewy, sauce-soaked elbow macaroni and cheese at Mizuna is definitely not your grandmother's version -- unless, that is, your nana favors poached sweet lobster meat in place of Oscar Meyer ham and silky mascarpone over Velveeta.

See also:
- The 100 Favorite Dishes of 2013 archive
- Chef and Tell with Frank Bonanno of Luca, Mizuna, Osteria Marco and Bones
- Part two: Chef and Tell with Frank Bonanno

Lori Midson

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalogue more than 450 restaurant meals in a year -- which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn't it? But all those food dates are worth the gluttony, because it allows us to tell you where you should eat, a little favor that we started in late 2009, when we embarked on a culinary journey that took us through our favorite dishes in the Mile High City -- 100, to be exact. Now we're back with round three, counting down (in no particular order) 100 more of our favorite dishes in Denver (and Boulder). If there's something in particular that you think we need to try, reveal it in the comments section below, or shoot me an e-mail at lori.midson@westword.com.

No. 92: Fried rice from Benihana

Benihana is arguably the Barnum & Bailey Circus of Japanese food, an unabashedly corny and often embarrassing centerfold of eye-rolling wisecracks, theatrics and occasional mishaps from the knife-wielding teppenyaki chefs who elevate (some would say disintegrate) food into an entertainment form.

See also:
- The 100 Favorite Dishes of 2013 archive
- Denver's five best Japanese restaurants
- Best Japanese Restaurant - 2013 Land of Sushi

Jonesy's EatBar

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalogue more than 450 restaurant meals in a year -- which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn't it? But all those food dates are worth the gluttony, because it allows us to tell you where you should eat, a little favor that we started in late 2009, when we embarked on a culinary journey that took us through our favorite dishes in the Mile High City -- 100, to be exact. Now we're back with round three, counting down (in no particular order) 100 more of our favorite dishes in Denver (and Boulder). If there's something in particular that you think we need to try, reveal it in the comments section below, or shoot me an e-mail at lori.midson@westword.com.

No. 93: French fries from Jonesy's EatBar

French-fry fans are unwavering in their preferences: Some like them matchstick-skinny, others covet the pencil-thin version, while still others prefer pudgy. And then there's the issue of whether the french fry is intended to stand on its own, licked with nothing more than salt, or dipped in duck fat and blanketed with everything but the kitchen sink.

See also:
- The 100 Favorite Dishes of 2013 archive
- Jonesy's EatBar -- a new look for the new year
- Trends without end, round six: liquid assets, flesh and fine-dining elitism

Lori Midson

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalogue more than 450 restaurant meals in a year -- which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn't it? But all those food dates are worth the gluttony, because it allows us to tell you where you should eat, a little favor that we started in late 2009, when we embarked on a culinary journey that took us through our favorite dishes in the Mile High City -- 100, to be exact. Now we're back with round three, counting down (in no particular order) 100 more of our favorite dishes in Denver (and Boulder). If there's something in particular that you think we need to try, reveal it in the comments section below, or shoot me an e-mail at lori.midson@westword.com.

No. 94: Jajangmyeon from Dragon Palace Chinese Restaurant

Denver has an orgy of Chinese restaurants and a healthy binge of Korean restaurants, too, but for a swell of both cuisines, you'll need to go to Yong Gung Dragon Palace Chinese Restaurant, a noodle-embracing, elegant dining room that, despite its name, pays tribute to the best of both worlds.

See also:
- Our 100 Favorite Dishes of 2013 archive
- Denver's Best Chinese Restaurant 2013: East Asia Garden
- Denver's ten best Chinese restaurants

Lori Midson

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalogue more than 450 restaurant meals in a year -- which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn't it? But all those food dates are worth the gluttony, because it allows us to tell you where you should eat, a little favor that we started in late 2009, when we embarked on a culinary journey that took us through our favorite dishes in the Mile High City -- 100, to be exact. Now we're back with round three, counting down (in no particular order) 100 more of our favorite dishes in Denver (and Boulder). If there's something in particular that you think we need to try, reveal it in the comments section below, or shoot me an e-mail at lori.midson@westword.com.

No. 95: Breakfast burrito from Jalapeños

Denverites take their breakfast burritos as seriously as they do their bicycle laps around Washington Park, and given the hundreds of burrito trucks, burrito carts and burrito shacks sprinkled throughout the city, it's not easy to choose just one as that marvelous eye-opener. Then again, maybe it is.

See also:
- Our 100 Favorite Dishes of 2013 archive
- Why Denver is home to the best Mexican dish in the United States
- Photos: Zanitas opens with Mexican grub and margaritas in south Denver

Lori Midson

No. 96: Fried pickles from TAG Burger Bar

There's something about fried pickles -- sometimes called "frickles" -- that turns a sour mouth into a Cheshire-cat grin. TAG Burger Bar, which also pounds out bodacious burgers and liquored milkshakes that make you long for a sun-drenched day lounging on the patio, has perfected the fried pickle, a staple in the South, in a way that makes you want to pounce.

See also:
- Our 100 Favorite Dishes of 2013 archive
- Denver's ten best nachos
- Exclusive first look: Madison Street becomes TAG Burger Bar beginning tomorrow

Lori Midson

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalogue more than 450 restaurant meals in a year -- which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn't it? But all those food dates are worth the gluttony, because it allows us to tell you where you should eat, a little favor that we started in late 2009, when we embarked on a culinary journey that took us through our favorite dishes in the Mile High City -- 100, to be exact. Now we're back with round three, counting down (in no particular order) 100 more of our favorite dishes in Denver (and Boulder). If there's something in particular that you think we need to try, reveal it in the comments section below, or shoot me an e-mail at lori.midson@westword.com.

No. 97: Nachos from the Pioneer

There are rules when it comes to nachos: The chips (corn, of course) need to be sturdy; otherwise, they'll become soggy under the weight of the real reason you got nachos in the first place -- all that stuff that comes heaped on top. Second, nachos shouldn't be fancy or tampered with. Save your pork belly, your foraged wild mushrooms, your ahi tuna and whatever other foodstuffs you find tempting for something else -- never nachos. Nachos are intended as a party food, a beer chaser, a late-night weed habit. Third, the chips should be baked so that the outer edges emerge golden. Fourth, and most important, do not, for the love of Tostitos, pile a bunch of corn chips on top of one another like the dead zombies in The Walking Dead. Overcrowding is rude.

See also:
- Our 100 Favorite Dishes of 2013 archive
- Denver's ten best nachos
- 100 Favorite Dishes: Tortilla soup from the Pioneer

Lori Midson

Suffice it to say that I eat out more than the general population, unless, of course, the general population can catalog more than 450 restaurant meals in a year -- which is about the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that I stomached in 2012. Pathetic, isn't it? But all those food dates are worth the gluttony, because it allows us to tell you where you should eat, a little favor that we started in late 2009, when we embarked on a culinary journey that took us through our favorite dishes in the Mile High City -- 100, to be exact. Now we're back with round three, counting down (in no particular order) 100 more of our favorite dishes in Denver (and Boulder). If there's something particular that you think we need to try, reveal it in the comments section below, or shoot me an e-mail at lori.midson@westword.com.

No. 98: chocolate caramel sea salt tart from Spuntino

There are people -- lots of people -- who will swear to you, from the depths of their sinful souls, that chocolate is the nearest thing to heaven for humans. And, who knows? They may very well be right. I'm not a dessert fiend, and, when it comes to chocolate, I'm annoyingly dismissive. But there's one dessert, where chocolate is front and center, that I absolutely love, and it often makes a guest appearance in my culinary dreams. It's the devil that squats on my shoulder, reminding me, with a wicked smirk, that chocolate is worth the fanfare.

Lori Midson

No. 99: Porchetta from Parisi

If you go to certain regions of central Italy, you'll discover that porchetta -- spit-roasted pig with a crisped, fatty skin -- is pimped on just about every street corner. Sold from trucks and carts, it's hardly a novelty in that part of the world, despite the laborious task of stuffing the beast with its own innards, aromatic spices and herbs and sliding it into a wood-fired oven for hours of slow cooking.

See also:
- 100 Favorite Dishes: Foie gras oysters from Sushi Sasa
- First look: Parisi reopens after massive renovations
- Parisi closes for renovations, Jax reopens after renovations, and other culinary events