Big Hoss BBQ

With so many restaurants in Denver specializing in fusion-this and gourmet-that, it can sometimes be difficult to find good, southern-quality barbeque in this area. On Sunday afternoon, Chad and I set off for Lakeside Amusement Park on our bikes, and we were planning to stop at DJ's in the Highlands before riding roller coasters for the afternoon. We arrived on Tennyson street, and noticed Big Hoss BBQ. Always eager to try new restaurants, Chad and I bailed on DJ's, locked up our bikes, and took a seat at the bar not really knowing what to expect.

Were we in for a surprise! We both ordered the Kansas City sandwhich-- basically a pulled meat (pork, brisket or chicken) sandwich, served with a side of your choice. We both ordered with different variables, but neither of us was disappointed. I had pulled chicken with a side of french fries. The chicken was incredible-- tender, not dried out at all, and the BBQ sauce was deliciously sweet with a kick to it. They also had a bottle of their house BBQ sauce on the table in case you needed more (as a condiment lover of course I appreciated this).

Chad's Kansas City was quite different from mine. He ordered the pulled-pork, and added the jalapeno cream cheese on top of his sandwich. Anyone who know me understands my cream cheese obsession, so of course my fork made its way over to his plate to snatch up some of that cream cheese before he was able to take a bite-- YUM! The cheesy corn that Chad ordered as his side was unlike any corn I had ever tried. It tasted like corn smothered in velveeta cheese, mixed with jalapenos and bacon. Though this is probably a heart attack waiting to happen, the heart attack would be worth it for the chance to eat this amazing side.

I will definitely be returning here the next time I crave BBQ (although probably not on my way to an amusement park as spinning in circles on "The Spider" is probably not the best idea on a full stomach).

Big Hoss BBQ

3961 Tennyson Street

Denver, CO 80212

(720) 855-3061

www.bighossbarbq.com

ZENGO

I think that I have officially discovered my favorite restaurant in Denver. As an Asian cuisine enthusiast, and someone who grew up loving the flavors of Puerto Rico and Cuba, Zengo hit my pallet on the mark. Zengo made for the perfect girl's Friday night out last week and though the restaurant is a little pricy, I feel like I will make this my new favorite happy hour destination.

Upon arriving for our 6:30 reservation, the girls and I were led to a nice table close to the window and with enough space between our table and the ones next to us that we could have a candid conversation without feeling like our neighbors were in on the topic as well. We all decided to start off with a fun cocktail, and I immediately chose the Passionfruit Lychee Mojito. The drink was a well-crafted mix of Parrot Bay passionfruit rum, passionfruit, lychee and mint. The drink tasted like candy and I could not taste any of the alcohol. I was sold.

An order of the XO-style edamame arrived at our table, and I have to admit that I would return to the restaurant simply to munch on those. The edamame were tossed in some sort of sweet, yet spicy sauce, and I could not stop reaching into the bowl for another and then another edamame.

Unable to choose just one item on the menu, I decided to order two appetizers. The first was the Vegetariano sushi roll, which consisted of asparagus-scallion tempura and avocado all rolled up in soy paper and drizzled with a sweet sambal aioli sauce on top. The sushi arrived looking gorgeous-- I could not wait to dig in! The pink soy paper was so pretty, but even that light pink color could not deter me from quickly popping those vegetarino slices into my mouth. Ahh-maze-ing. Before I knew it, the entire roll was gone and I began to eagerly anticipate the other appetizer that I ordered: the empanadas.

I love empanadas. Every time visit Puerto Rico (or closer to home check out a Cuban restaurant) I make sure to fulfill my empanada craving. The empanadas at Zengo were especially awesome because they combined the traditional empanada with my favorite Thai flavors. This empanada was a delicate combination of Thai chicken, chile poblano rajas and oaxaca cheese all within a delicate pastry. The empanada was resting on a delicious spicy peanut sauce and topped with a mango-curry salsa. I obviously did not have the patients to snap a photo of this portion of my meal before digging in-- I was lucky to capture the last two bites! I think that I could eat this every day-- it was divine.

All in all I had an amazing culinary experience at Zengo. The one thing that I probably would not order again is the Orinoco cocktail. The drink consisted of Svedka vodka, strawberry, guava and lime. The drink arrived a beautiful pink color in a martini glass, however after one sip I ceased being a fan of this beverage. I love guava and strawberry, but the flavors of these fruits were masked by the taste of alcohol. I had expected the fruit flavors to come through strongly after experiencing the mojito, however I felt like I was just drinking pink-colored Svedka.

I cannot wait to return to Zengo. Their small plates and cocktails are available for $5.00 during happy hour (Mon-Sat 5-7), so I think that I will be returning during these hours for a more affordable experience.

Zengo Denver

1610 Little Raven Street

Riverfront Park

Denver, CO 80202

(720) 904-0965

http://www.richardsandoval.com/zengodenver/

Justice League of Street Food Kickoff Party.

How can anyone go wrong enjoying a Saturday evening out in the sun, listening and dancing to DJ Bobby C and spending four hours eating some of the most creative food in Denver? Last night marked the kickoff party for the Justice League of Street Food's summer gatherings. Upon arriving at the Taxi Building in Denver, I made my way to the large lot filled with shiny food trucks, picnic tables filled with people eating, smiling, laughing, and adults and children alike dancing and having a great time.

Though it is very possible for one to be overwhelmed in a situation like this-- the smell of amazing food wafting from every direction-- I had done my research on the numerous food trucks present and I decided that I wanted to first visit a truck that I had not yet experienced. I headed over to the Deluxe Truck and waited in the long, 30 minute line while craning my neck to view the food options presented on the silver-framed menu posted to the side of the truck. Lucky for me, I also had an eating companion, so together we decided to sample the Truffle Mac-N-Cheese Balls (three cheese, thyme and truffle oil), and the Veggie Coconut Curry (yellow curry, garlic, ginger, cilantro and basmati rice). To say that they were both delicious is an understatement. As a sucker for anything with truffle oil, and cheese, the mac-n-cheese balls were amazing. We compared these balls to the fried mac-and-cheese at the Cherry Cricket, and there was one major difference that made the Deluxe Truck mac-n-cheese ball that much better--the authentic, homemade macaroni and cheese that lied within. I would eat this pasta plain or fried!

The curry was also delicious, and definitely hit the spot as I had been craving Indian food for days. The combination of the curry with the basmati rice, chickpeas, cauliflower, and (my favorite) butternut squash, was absolutely amazing. I could not stop shoveling the veggie curry into my mouth, and as the paper tray became emptier and emptier, it was harder for me to give up bites to my partner in dining. To wash down these tasty treats, I decided to try the Deluxe Truck's mint lemonade, which was the perfect blend of sweet and tart. So perfect, in fact, that the lemonade was gone almost before our food was ready, leaving me with a spicy mouth on fire and looking around trying to find the shortest food truck line so that I could purchase a bottle of water.

The line that appeared to be moving the quickest was Biker Jim's Hot Dogs. Biker Jim's is not one of the highly discussed shiny new trucks, but instead is more like a cart/grill on wheels. My first response to jumping in this line was 'Hot dogs? At a place where there is all this unique and gourmet food, why just get a hot dog?'

My complaints were quickly dispelled as it was explained to me that Biker Jim does not grill up just any hot dog. With menu options like Southwest Buffalo, Alaskan Reindeer and Wild Boar gourmet dogs, this was no ordinary ballpark-style hot dog stand. Chad and I decided to try out the Elk Jalapeno and Cheddar hot dog. Forget that the hot dog was grilled to perfection. Forget the amazing bun on which the hot dog sat. Forget the onions grilled to perfection and placed on top of the elk delicacy. The thing that really sealed the deal for me was the addition of cream cheese, the only condiment that could give ketchup a run for it's money in my mind. All I have to say about Biker Jim's is that cream cheese on a hot dog is pure genius. If you have never tried it, head on over to Biker Jim's (they have a brick-and-mortar on 16th and Arapahoe) now! Or, if you are not lucky enough to live in Denver, fire up the grill and slather that dog in cream cheese.

While in line for Biker Jim's we looked to the left and noticed a line that although food was being served as fast as possible, continued to span the length of the parking lot with no sign of getting shorter. My co-feaster is a huge Mexican fan, and this truck, Pinche Taco, was doling out plates filled with colorful tacos to seemingly every one present at the event. So, we made the smart dining decision, eating our delicious elk dog while jumping in the hour-long line for Pinche Tacos. By the time we finished our dog, danced to the beats of DJ Bobby C and the sun had set, we arrived at the ordering window for Pinche. This truck definitely had their demographic in mind, offering everything from vegetarian tacos, to "Lengua" tacos, which if you have an elementary education in Spanish you would know means tongue. Yes, tongue. While eager to try why this truck was so popular, I decided that I would try something a little more classic than jumping on the tongue wagon. We decided to order chicken, steak and pork tacos, each with different combinations of sauces and toppings. Those who know me know that I am not a

huge pork fan, however in the sprit of trying new things, I took a bite of the Carnitas taco-- pork with a creamy avocado sauce, and it was delicious. The braised chicken with spinach and a creamy chipotle sauce was spectacular, though my favorite of the three was definitely the Asada (steak) taco. The combination of the citrus marinated skirt stake, avocado (my weakness) and some sort of special lime/cheese sauce on top tempted me to jump back in the one-hour long line for a second time. When discussing the day's eating, my co-diner insisted that the taco truck was his favorite of the day. As delicious as these tacos were, though, I was eager to head over to Stick-it-to-me, a truck that I had tasted before, and I was convinced that I had saved the best for last.

Although the sun had set, and many of the other food trucks at the League had closed up shop (Sully's Slice Truck, The Biscuit Bus, Steuban's...), Stick It To Me was still going strong. Chad and I jumped in the rumored hour and a half long line and urged our stomachs to digest, hoping that we would have enough room in our tummies to savor these delicious foods presented on a stick. Lucky for us, some of our line companions alerted us to the fact that Stick It To Me had side table set up serving dessert-- basically a two dollar fix to snack on while waiting in the long line. I hopped over to the dessert table while Chad reserved our spot in line and I watched in awe as the chef there held a blow torch to two, large, square, agave-homemade marshmallows on a stick.

After melting these sweet treats, his assistant covered the 'mallows in graham cracker crumbles, dark chocolate shavings, and a drizzle of caramel. It took a lot of will power to wait until I was back in line to savor a bite of this sweet delight. Needless to say, these marshmallows were mostly gone before I had the chance to snap a quick pic of the stick. De-lic-ious. When we finally reached the front of this line. I was so full from four hours of eating, but I knew that I had to order the one food from this truck that I still think about weeks after eating-- the fried mashed potato balls with a garlic aioli sauce. These little balls of magic have become my new favorite food. Six golfball sized snacks crispy on the outside with the most delicious mashed potatoes warm and ready on the inside are served with the perfect garlic aioli dipping sauce. Chad and I headed back to my car with two orders of the mashed potato balls and an order of the Italian chicken sticks, eager to sit down after standing in line for the past four hours. I think that the fact that we sat there devouring the food in absolute silence is a testament to how amazing the food off this truck is.

After four hours of eating, standing, people watching and just having a plain old good time, I cannot wait for the next Justice League event. This is definitely a great way for the community to come together to enjoy some great music, company and of course, amazing food.

For more information on the Justice League of Street Food, check out their Facebook site at www.facebook.com/justiceleaguestreetfood.