Duo's first wine dinner inspiring

Photo by: Melanie Pahl               Halibut Carpaccio

One of the best and most consistently great restaurants in the Highlands had another successful evening. Bring in an up and coming wine maker, take his sustainably produced wines and pair them with some of Chef John Broening’s creative American cuisine and you’re in for something special.

Kenny Likitprakong has a crazy last name, he’s of Thai decent, but knows how to make some interesting wines. He decided to start making his own in 2002 and divided them into three labels to represent his craft; Banyan, Hobo and Folk Machine. Our dinner tonight is a pairing with Duo’s seasonally inspired custom menu.

As we sat down, we were offered a glass of the Banyan Riesling to start off the evening. This lighter white was done in the European style with less sugar and was more dry and acidic than most rieslings from the U.S. It was a refreshing way to cool off from the heat outside and settle into our meal. Our next glass was poured, an organically grown Banyan Vigonier, as our first course arrived. Halibut Carpaccio, perfect. Thin slices of halibut surrounded by a vibrant, orange-colored grapefruit vinaigrette and topped with a relish of crunchy red peppers, cucumbers, red onions and spicy jalapenos. The sweetness of the viognier was complimented nicely by the citrus in the vinaigrette and since this course was so light, it left room for the second.

Photo by: Melanie Pahl              Lamb Two Ways

You could smell the lamb as it made its way out from the kitchen to the various tables. It was the reduction sauce coating the braised lamb shoulder that must have cooked for days. Our Lamb Prepared Two Ways consisted of the much anticipated shoulder and a rarer, roasted lamb loin topped with a green olive sauce. We were not disappointed. You could eat the shoulder with only a fork, as it was so tender and had just enough sauce to keep it moist. The loin was a bit rare for my personal preference, but was an excellent cut, rolled up with a nice crust. The green olives were diced with tomatoes and the salty brine from them complemented the richness of the meat. On the side where three wonderfully crispy polenta fritters, a great staple to round out the plate. The wine paired with this course arrived shortly thereafter, a Folk Machine Pinot Noir. This particular wine was not as good as the rest, a little too young and a bit stiff, but still a nice compliment.

Dessert at Duo tends to compete heavily with the main courses for which are the most memorable. Resident pastry chef and James Beard finalist, Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, has talent and it came through again tonight. The final course was labeled as a chocolate cherry tart, but needs explaining. This dish was beyond what the common label suggests. Way beyond. On one side of the plate is a warm, decadent chocolate tart sprinkled with powdered sugar. On the other side, house made vanilla bean ice cream slowly melting into a thick cherry sauce and accompanied by three poached tart cherries. Wow. Yes, there was wine with this course too, a jammy Hobo Rockpile Zinfandel that made the meal complete.

After tonight’s success, Duo will continue to hold more wine dinners. They also offer beer dinners during the summer and their famous farm dinners, a celebration of what is in season at local farms.

Duo Restaurant: 2413 W. 32nd (at Zuni), Denver, CO. 303-477-4141.
Dinner: daily at 5pm. Brunch: Saturday and Sunday 10am-2pm. 

Other Reviews: Billy's Inn, Sengataki, Gelman's, Z Cuisine, ice cream/gelato shops, Protos, Root Down, House, LoHi Steakbar, Highland Pacific Oyster Bar, Venue, Colt & Gray, VITA 

All wines served are available at event sponsor, Mondo Vino.