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As a countdown to the Best of Denver 2010, coming April 1, Cafe Society is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in Denver. Send your own nominations to cafe@westword.com.
Number 83: Masa-fried oyster shooters from Deluxe
In 2003, when Dylan Moore opened Deluxe on a stretch of South Broadway that was better known for its bar brawls than its restaurants, Moore knew he was taking a risk. But the crowds trickled in, couples canoodled under the sultry lights and his first menu, a straight-ahead California board, was a hit. Since then, Moore has occasionally added new dishes to the line-up, but the one constant has been the masa-fried oyster shooters, which are so brain-numbingly transcendent that I’m certain I wouldn’t be the only one to kick his ass from here to the California coastline if he ever dared to shuck them from the menu.
Moore arranges the shelled meat on five Asian soup spoons couched with a tomato, lime and cilantro-studded salsa fresca, and then he crowns the bronzed jackets with a smoky jalapeño aioli. The result? Love at first bite…after bite…after bite.
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Hungry for more? The dishes in our countdown thus far are linked below:
No. 100 Chicken-fried steak from Lola No. 99 Alaskan reindeer sausage from Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs No. 98 Mac-and-cheese fries from Jonesy’s EatBar No. 97 Soft egg ravioli from Prima No. 96 Pho – any pho — from Pho 95 No. 95 Assiette de charcuterie maison from Z Cuisine À Côté No. 94: Cheeseburger from Larkburger No. 93: BBQ Masher from Cabin Creek Smokehouse No. 92: Apple pancake from the Original Pancake House No. 91: Burrata from Osteria Marco No. 90: Eggs Benedict from Devil’s Food Bakery No. 89: Chile Relleno from La Fiesta No. 88: Deviled eggs from Steuben’s No. 87: Corn-in-a-cup from Jack-n- Grill No. 86: Enchiladas from Taco House No. 85: Pupusas from Pupusas Sabor Hispano No. 84: Baklava from Ali Baba Grill
