Crescendo owners Leslie and Dustin Tanski (Ben Bradley Photography)

If you can’t dress a salad in this town, you have no excuse.

With the recent opening of Crescendo, downtown Fort Collins now has four spice, oil and vinegar emporiums. In the Opera Galleria at 123 N. College Ave., Crescendo opened across the street from Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, 114 N. College Ave., and a couple of doors down from Savory Spice, also in the galleria. And Old Town Spice Shop is just a couple of blocks away, at 220 Linden Street just north of Old Town Square.

Crescendo sells specialty pepper and other spices. (Ben Bradley Photography)

If you’re wondering if it’s worth the one-hour drive from Denver, consider the Third Friday Foodie Walk (May 17 is the next one). The self-guided tour hits the spice and oil shops, as well as The Cupboard, Kilwin’s Chocolates and Ice Cream, Happy Lucky’s Teahouse, Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop. Follow the FoCo Foodie Walk on Facebook for details.

I’m also looking forward to checking out Scrumpy’s, the new cider-and-sandwich bar, 215 N. College Ave. The summer’s looking tasty in FoCO.

George Eder, the guy behind the Tech Center’s Pizza Republica, is opening a new pizza joint downtown. (Pizza Republica)

A new ‘za place opens Friday in downtown Denver, and for people who love pizza, patios and wine, this is excellent news. Pizza Republica, at 890 14th Ave. – right beside the Colorado Convention Center – will have a 4,000-square-foot, 100-seat patio. That’s a big chunk of outdoor, downtown real estate. Inside, the 5000-square-foot joint has 160 seats.

The Denver Republica will be similar to the original, in Greenwood Village. Wood-fired, Neapolitan pies; a menu with Italian classics, including baseball-sized meatballs; and an extensive Italian wine list. Owner and chef George Eder, an Italian wine groupie who grew up in Detroit, sprinkles his menu with items from his Italian grandmother’s recipe file. The stuffed shells? You can thank grandma.

The place opens at 11 every day but Sunday, and keeps slinging pies and wine into the evening – 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 p.m. Sunday.

It’s Saturday Night Fever on Sundays at The Corner Office in Denver. (The Corner Office)

I’ll probably try “the bread winner,” a porchetta hash with a pair of over-easy eggs. But I’m not sure I’ll slip into one of the polyester jumpsuits the staff at Denver’s The Corner Office has laid-out for customers.

Starting Sunday, The Corner Office will host a “disco brunch” on Sundays, complete with disco balls, boxes full of disco-era get-ups (Elton John glasses, afro wigs, etc.), disco album sleeves on the walls, and disco music – loud. Servers? Full disco. Some are even on rollerskates.

Fun. The DIY bloody mary bar, with more than 40 items to gussy-up your drink, sounds cool. I like the list of brunch cocktails, too, including one called You Sexy Thing.

Melissa d’Arabian and kids. (From ‘Ten Dollar Dinners”)

Melissa d’Arabian, the host of “Ten Dollar Dinners” on the Food Network, and the Cooking Channel’s “Drop 5 Lbs with Good Housekeeping” comes to Colorado May 16 for a fundraiser at Kitchen Table Cooking School in Greenwood Village. The school, which recently moved into a spacious new location, will host the vivacious TV cook for a three-course dinner to raise funds for MOPS International, a support network for mothers of preschoolers that got its start in Colorado.

D’Arabian won “Next Food Network Star” in 2009, which led to her “Ten Dollar Dinners” show and cookbook. She and her husband, Philippe d’Arabian, have four little girls. When she’s not filming, she is at home developing recipes for her next book and volunteering as a Daisy Scout leader and room mother. She’s active on Facebook and Twitter, too. We spoke by phone from her home in San Diego.

You must get a lot of requests for appearances. Why did you say yes to this one?
MOPS was a big part of my preschool days when I lived in Texas. I remember it being a lifesaver for me as a stay at home mom with four little kids. When I did “Next Food Network Star” it was my MOPS leader who helped by picking up my kids. Plus, I love an organization that celebrates connections between mothers.

Seems like you already had your hands full when you auditioned for the show. What were you thinking?!
The kids were 3, 2, 1 and 1. I was thinking I needed a break — I’m kidding — but actually, doing a reality show was a break from what was waiting for me at home. It was a long time for my husband — seven weeks.

Sounds like you both have a good sense of humor.
When I got back, Philippe joked “I went ahead and signed myself up for ‘The Bachelor.’” We’re sort of stuck with one another because no one else is signing up for this. But seriously, it was truly a thought-out decision.

What was that process like?
I believe in having a one-sentence personal life mission that encompasses what I want to accomplish on earth while I’m here.
I asked myself: “What is my life about? What would I do if I won? What would that show look like?” Having that analysis was part of why I won. It kept me focused not so much on “how can I impress the judges,” but more on “how I can serve the world?” And less on “Oh did I look fat in that outfit” or “did I say something stupid?”

What is your personal life mission?
My mission is partnering with women along their path. What works for me, is “women” can mean a number of different things. First, that means the four young women that I’m raising, and the recognition that it is their path, recognizing that they are individuals. Then, my sister, my friends, and the wider community.

How do you apply that in every day life?
Referring back to that mission gets me out of many a jam. Just a few weeks ago another mom asked me to help out with a fair at school and I said “honestly, I love that you’re doing it but I can’t help with that.” If you don’t have a no, your yes means nothing. When we say no to something, we’re actually saying yes to the other things that are on our plate. If I say yes when I don’t want to, it’s forcing another thing that I want to do off the plate. I also think a fast “no” is better than a slow “maybe.”

Kitchen Table Cooking School has a shiny new space. (From Kitchen Table)

Event details
D’Arabian will demonstrate and serve recipes from “Ten Dollar Dinners”
Menu:
Bacon Deviled Eggs with Tuna Tartare and Crostini Duo of White Bean Tapenade Crostini and Creamy Cheese & Basil Crostini
Quick Sour Cream Biscuits
Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Apples
Pot Roast Carbonnade with Creamy Polenta and Roasted Tomato, Eggplant and Onion Tian
Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream and Cardamom Caramel Sauce
Time: 6-8:30 p.m. May 16
Place: Kitchen Table Cooking School, 6380 S. Fiddler’s Green Circle, Greenwood Village, CO
Tickets: $500 (proceeds to MOPS), reserve at www.mops.org/mopschops or call 303-696-2711

Melissa d’Arabian’s Pot Roast Carbonnade
Beef, bacon, onions and beer make the stew rich and decadent. This is my take on a classic Belgian carbonnade. I use beef chuck meat for its fantastic flavor that also happens to hit just the right price point. When slowly simmered, it becomes silky and beyond comforting. The prunes kind of melt into the sauce, giving it a slightly sweet depth and wonderful texture. Inexpensive egg noodles are an ideal side. From “Ten Dollar Dinners,” serves 4. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time: 3 hours.

Ingredients
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon (about 8 strips), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into
1 1/2-inch cubes
5 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
12-ounce bottle beer (any kind is fine)
1 cup beef broth
6 pitted prunes
1 tablespoon dried thyme plus a squeeze of lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the bacon in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and slowly render the fat over medium-low heat, cooking until it just starts to crisp around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a large plate and set aside. Add the onions, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; reduce the heat to low and slowly cook until the onions are deep brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the onions to the plate with the bacon, leaving behind as much fat as possible. Add the oil to the pot, raise the heat to high, season the beef with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and sear in two batches until the meat is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch.

Return all of the bacon and beef to the pot and add the carrots and onions. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetables and stir it in, cooking while stirring constantly for 1 minute. Pour the beer into the pot and use a wooden spoon to stir it into the other ingredients, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot and into the liquid. Pour in the broth and add the prunes and thyme. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. Place the pot in the oven to braise until the meat is pull-apart tender, about 2 hours. Serve hot.

Hit the Festival For Water next month for food trucks and music, and help support water issues. (Festival For Water)

We had those great spring snows and rains, and the water situation along the Front Range, for now, is less dire than it was a few months ago. Time to bring back the half-hour shower? The all-day lawn watering? You know the answer. It’s always dicey. Water conservation is, or at least should be, a way of life for Coloradans.

Support water wisdom on June 9 by heading to Civic Center Park between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. for the Festival For Water, a food-truck dense, beery, and free party hosted by Water For People, a Denver nonprofit that promotes water conservation. The Colorado band Motet headlines, with performances by Bonerama and Broken Tongues. Food trucks include Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs, Steuben’s, Manna from Heaven, Pink Tank, and more.

Maneet Chauhan

Maneet Chauhan, “Iron Chef” competitor and “Chopped” judge, comes to Denver Monday, May 13, to cook with Troy Guard at TAG and sign books at Savory Spice.

She will also judge the Cutting Edge ProStart Tour Competition at ThunderRidge High in Douglas County, where three culinary students will compete for a chance to travel to Washington, D.C.

The chef/author is in the middle of a 21-city bus tour to promote her new book, “Flavors of My World.” And if that sounds grueling, consider that she is traveling with her co-author, Daily Food & Wine founder and Jetset Magazine travel editor, Doug Singer, in a tour bus fit for a rock star. She was in Seattle when we spoke.

Not many authors go on book tours anymore. What possessed you to travel the country by bus?
My co-writer said “you know, chefs are the new rock stars,” so we said we should do a bus tour! We started April 18 and are travelling 8,500 miles. It’s fun, it’s crazy — we have three events in almost every city.

You have accomplished quite a bit since you came to the U.S. from India — graduating with honors from the Culinary Institute of America, running Vermilion in New York and Chicago, appearing on TV. How did this journey begin?
I have been at this since the day I was born. I was born with a ladle in my hand. This journey started with an obsession for food. What better way to spend life than just doing things that I love?

Was pursuing a culinary career a surprise to your family?
My parents were very supportive when I decided when I wanted to get in the kitchen. They said “just make sure you are the best.” Lots of parents in India want their children to be doctors or engineers, so it was different for them. I was lucky that I had their support.

Restaurant kitchens are still notoriously male operations. How did you deal with being a woman in that environment?
What I have experienced is you need to create a niche for yourself, a place for yourself. It’s your work and your talent that matter, as opposed to being female or male. I had a daughter two years ago and that is one thing the guys have never experienced.

How did you find your focus?
I was always very interested in global fusion. Food is like life — it’s all about evolution. For example, let’s take the Hungarian goulash and put an Indian spin on it.

What’s it like being on TV?
Something that I am finding right now as I am touring the country, is at the Pro Start events, the kids so focused. It makes me happy that in a small way I am helping these kids figure out what their future is. In part, it is because of television. They see cooking is a viable career.

Do they think they are going to get out of culinary school and become famous?
The first thing I tell them is you’re not going to graduate and be the next Bobby Flay. That’s not going to happen. He worked really hard to get where he is. Don’t get into it because you want to be on television, get into it because you love food. You have to keep on moving and learning and challenging yourself.

Maneet at Savory Spice Shop, 1537 Platte St., Denver
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday, May 13. Free. Maneet and co-author Doug Singer will sign books and film segments for a reality show at the downtown spice shop. More info: matthew@savoryspiceshop.com, 303-477-3322.

Maneet at TAG, 1441 Larimer St., Denver
5-10 p.m. Monday, May 13, $95. The menu includes wine pairings, a Geisha Kamasutra cocktail (recipe below) and appetizer created by Maneet, dinner entrée by Troy Guard and dessert by TAG’s pastry chef Noah French, and a copy of “Flavors of My World.” For reservations, email events@tag-restaurant.com or call 303-996-9985.

Geisha Kamasutra from “Flavors of My World” by Maneet Chauhan (Photo by Quentin Bacon)

Geisha Kamasutra
From its origins as the “drink of the Gods” to its current status as one of the most popular drinks in Japan, the history of sake is steeped in both tradition and innovation. Although sake can be traced to China as far back as 4000 BC, it was in the 1300s that the Japanese began mass production and ultimately made popular this simple but delicious brewed rice concoction. Traditionally, sake is meant to be enjoyed with friends and family. Ancient practice dictates that one must never pour one’s own sake; instead, another person pours for you—and you do the same for them. It is this sense of sharing that inspired this recipe. From “Flavors of My World,” makes 1 drink.

Ingredients
2 ounces (60 ml) sake
1/2 ounce (15 ml) vanilla rum
1 ounce (30 ml) mango juice
Pinch of spicy Indian curry powder
Splash of grenadine
Mango slice dusted with curry powder, for garnish

Directions
Combine the sake, rum, mango juice and curry powder over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake to blend. Strain into a martini glass. Add a splash of grenadine. Garnish with the mango slice.

Novo Coffee, one of the Front Range’s premier coffee roasters, opened a new cafe in downtown Denver. (Douglas Brown)

It’s been a good week for downtown officebots. First, news broke that Masterpiece Deli will open a new spot in the Wells Fargo Building this summer. And now, Novo Coffee’s downtown cafe, just half a block from the 16th Street Mall, is open.

The prospect of good coffee near my office so thrilled me that Thursday morning, on the way to work, I bailed on the shuttle bus before my normal stop and, hatless and hoodless, walked fast through the cold downpour to 1600 Glenarm Place.

Right away, I appreciated the vibe, which was familiarly spare and industrial – a standard feel for many independent, urban coffee shops – but comfortable too. I liked the sky-blue metal chairs around a long, thin communal table; I liked the small, potted succulents scattered around the place; I liked the clean menu on the board behind the baristas, and the jars of simple syrup and agave syrup with the carafes of half-and-half and milk in that area of the shop where you doctor your coffee.

I didn’t come to Novo’s cafe for vibe, though. I wanted a shot of espresso in a little porcelain cup.

Novo Coffee in downtown Denver comes with all of the gizmos used for brewing coffee. (Douglas Brown)

Novo had two choices Thursday morning: the house espresso, from Central American beans, or espresso-roasted beans from Africa. The barista described the African espresso as fruity and bright, and the Central American as chocolatey. I wanted the cherry flavor, so went with the African. The barista failed to tell me the African pour was $1 more than the house’s $2.50 espresso, so when the bill came – $3.77 – I blanched.

That’s a pricey shot of espresso. The drink did, indeed, taste fruity and bright, and it pleased me – decent shots of espresso are tough to find in downtown Denver. But next time, I’ll go with the house espresso – a few sips of joe that with tip drains more than $4 from my wallet is not in my budget. Or I’ll just get a cup of coffee, black. Either way, welcome to downtown, Novo.

Cheers!

Racines (650 Sherman St., 303-595-0418) will toast couples when they celebrate their civil union at the restaurant. Through May, Racines will give each couple a cute little 187-ml bottle of Korbel California Brut Champagne (about two glasses) to share when they celebrate their civil union with breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner at the restaurant.

“We are proud that our legislature took this major step towards equality for all,” said Lee Goodfriend, co-owner, in a press release. “For nearly 30 years, Racines has been a strong supporter of the LGBT community,” added co-owner David Racine.

Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the civil unions bill on March 21, 2013 and it took effect May 1.

In his 2010 review, former Denver Post dining critic Tucker Shaw gave the place three stars: “The food is nearly always good, sometimes very good. Same goes for the service. Experience and design afford Racines a remarkably smooth efficiency, and while nothing about it is revelatory, nothing is overthought, either. This is easy dining at its easiest, and rare is the customer who walks away disappointed.”

Racines, which serves three meals daily, opened in 1983 in Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood, and re-opened in 2004 at 650 Sherman St. in a new building with its own parking garage.

Masterpiece Deli, Justin Brunson’s from-scratch sandwich shop, is opening a second location in Denver (David Donovan)

Rejoice, downtown officebots (like me). Masterpiece Deli, the excellent LoHi sandwich shop, is opening a new location at the Wells Fargo Center, at 1710 Sherman St. The place is expected to open its doors in late summer.

Justin Brunson, the chef behind the buzzy Old Major restaurant, opened the first Masterpiece Deli just across the Platte River from Riverfront Park in 2008. Brisket, pastrami, white truffle egg salad – sandwiches like these have made the joint popular. It’s a bit of a lunchtime hike for most officebots, though; the new location is most welcome.

The Masterpiece Deli Uptown is triple the size of the original – at 2,609 square feet, it holds 50 indoor seats and, under a four-season covered patio, 40 outdoor seats. The place will also sell its deli meats and is launching a new pastry menu.

It is hitting the corporate market, too, with delivered boxed lunches.

“We have come a long way since making sandwiches at the Lancer Lounge,” said Steve Allee, co-founder of Masterpiece Deli, in a news release. “Masterpiece Deli Uptown is the next of many other deli’s we plan to open throughout Colorado within the next 5 years.”

Jennifer Jasinski, the chef/owner of Rioja restaurant in Denver, won a big James Beard award (Cyrus McCrimmon)

She didn’t think she would win, could not quite believe it when the announcer said “Jennifer Jasinski.” But then someone in her group said, “Jennifer! Go! You’ve got to go up there!” And so Jasinski walked up to the podium at the James Beard Awards in New York City Monday and accepted her award: Best Chef in the Southwest.

“I cook from my heart. I cook food I think is interesting and relevant,” said Jasinski, minutes after nabbing the big award, beating out chefs in Houston, Arizona and Austin. “It’s been a long nine years (since Rioja opened). “It’s been nine years of working my butt off.”

Jasinski and her husband, Max Mackissock, the chef/owner of The Squeaky Bean restaurant, spent the day before the ceremony roaming around New York City, nabbing bagels and smoked fish at Russ and Daughters, and having lunch at a nice Italian place. They hung out on the roof of their hotel and watched the city. Tonight, they might hit a French place, called Lafayette.

Monday was a big night for the Front Range in New York City. First, Frasca Food and Wine, the Boulder paean to the food of Friuli, Italy, won the national award for Outstanding Wine Program. Then Jasinski walked away with the best chef in the Southwest, which includes so many fabulous chefs in Texas.

Way to bring it, Colorado!