Beast + Bottle Praised by the Denver Post; ChoLon's Fried Chicken Spotlighted

Beast + Bottle, the Uptown restaurant that chef Paul Reilly opened with his sister Aileen in the former Olivea space, received three stars in a restaurant review from the Denver Post. Paul and Aileen Reilly, who formerly owned and operated Encore, impressed with everything from food to décor and friendly service.

The menu does not excessively boast heavy meats as the name of the restaurant may suggest. Seafood, poultry, and vegetable dishes also take their turn on center stage, restaurant critic William Porter remarks. The combos are creating, including lamb sweetbreads with root vegetable hash, an English pea souffle, and monkfish with braised leeks and fava beans. Porter enjoyed the terrine of guinea hen and the salad of lola rossa and called the well-edited wine list smart and the staff engaged and engaging.

Meanwhile, 5280 Magazine food editor Amanda Faison raves about ChoLon's Korean fried chicken. Faison called the sandwich an "explosion of flavor and texture brought on by rich thigh meat, Korean chile powder, and vodka." The chicken is soaked in buttermilk, dry-dredged in flour, cornstarch, and baking powder, wet-dredged in a mixture that contains vodka, then fried. Hot out of the oil, the fried bird thighs are tossed in a spice mix of Korean chile powder, salt, and sugar. The sandwich does justice to the flavorful chicken meat.

· Dining Review: Beast + Bottle in Denver's Uptown Neighborhood [DP]
· Best Bites: ChoLon's Korean Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich [5280]