Matsuhisa Raises Denver's Sushi Game; in Cocktails, Fausto Tops Black Eye

The new Denver outpost of NYC-based sushi expert Nobu Matsuhisa was praised by the Post this week. Reviewer Bill Porter gave the Cherry Creek restaurant three stars for its "super-fresh fish," swanky atmosphere, and stellar staff. Porter was most impressed by the menu's seasonal raw options. His favorite dish was the black cod (nickname: butterfish), served with miso and pickled ginger root. A close second was the soft-shell crab, served with black bean and spicy garlic sauces. "You don’t go there to calculate the price-per-ounce cost of your meal," Porter said. But he assured diners the high price tag is worth it, putting Matsuhisa on the map next to local favorites Sushi Den and Sushi Sasa.

Bar Fausto's cocktail program in RiNo impressed Scott Mowbray in his recent review for 5280. Mowbray recommends arriving in time for a seat at the bar and ordering from the seasonal menu inventive drinks such as the tequila with red beet, lemongrass, and lemon juice. "Four out of five cocktails I sampled at Bar Fausto, from the last two seasons’ lists, were equally focused. That’s a winning record," Mowbray said. As for the food, coming from a makeshift kitchen, it's elevated (oysters with pear mignonette) but inconsistent: "I expect a bit more from a menu whose roots lie in the Populist."

He compared Fausto to Black Eye Coffee in Capitol Hill. Black Eye's program is ambitious, "aiming for a bar-coffeehouse-restaurant fusion," Mowbray says. But it misses the mark on overly complicated cocktails and dinner offerings. Mowbray recommends going for brunch. The burrito, with fried cheese curds, mild sausage, gravy, and a baked omelet, he says is "...probably the best breakfast burrito I’ve had and, thank God, not a leviathan." He also recommends the French toast, avocado toast, and biscuits.