Round two with Andy Martinez, exec chef of Citron New World Bistro

Lori Midson

This is part two of my interview with Andy Martinez, exec chef of Citron New World Bistro. Part one of that interview ran in this space yesterday.

Favorite restaurant in America: I don't travel as much I'd like to, but in Chicago, there's a place called Angie's Pizzeria that I love. They have a lattice-topped spinach-and-ricotta deep-dish pizza that's incredible.

Best food city in America: Chicago. There are so many different cuisines, and you can get everything from a hot dog on the street to outrageous, cutting-edge food at Alinea. There's something there for everyone.

What you'd like to see more of in Denver/Boulder from a culinary standpoint: The Hispanic community has dozens and dozens of small taquerias that line the streets, and I think that chefs could do the same thing with inexpensive American-style food stands or corner cafés -- the American equivalent of a taqueria. I've always wanted to have a sandwich place called the "Dip Hut," too, where all of the sandwiches are either dipped -- or served with dipping sauces. Denver needs a boost from fun little independent eateries with delicious food -- and we need to take over the street corners from the corporate beasts.

Favorite Denver/Boulder restaurant(s) other than your own: Mexico City Lounge. I love the fried tacos with a cold beer. It doesn't get any better than that.

Current Denver culinary genius: Chuck James, the chef from 1515 Restaurant, is remarkable, and really cutting-edge with his molecular gastronomy.

If you could cook for one famous chef, dead or alive, who would it be? Because of my Hispanic heritage, and his talent for gourmet Mexican food, it would be Rick Bayless. I know we'd enjoy the time spent cooking together.

Favorite celebrity chef: Alton Brown. He breaks everything down -- it's all about the science of food, which is interesting, and I love his quirky personality.

Celebrity chef who should shut up: The chick on the Cooking Channel's Bitchin' Kitchen. She actually does some cool stuff on the show, but her voice -- the New York accent -- if I had to spend ten minutes with her, I'd have to stuff a sock in her mouth. Keep cooking, but shut up.