TAG Restaurant

I am a big believer that Coloradans should support locally owned restaurants.  As such, I’d like to talk about a locally owned restaurant that opened its doors about a year ago in Laramie Square:  TAG Restaurant.  TAG is the creation of Tory Guard, who is both Executive Chef and owner, and is also the co-creator Zengo.  This may explain why some of the menu items at TAG have a fusion feel, which Guard refers to as “continental social food.”

The first items on the menu that caught my attention was the “secret ingredient” of Flash Seared Hiramasa, which I will get into later.  It’s primarily made of Australian hiramasa splashed with a citrusy yuzu, white soy sauce, topped with a light myoga salad, and sliced jalapeños.  As the dish approached my table, I heard an unexpected sizzling sound.  This is where the secret ingredient comes into play.   The sizzle is produced by the juices mixing with Pop-Rocks® candy.  This combination of high-quality ingredients served with the childhood candy of urban legend might seem counter-intuitive at first, but it totally works.  The sweetness of the candy actually balances out with the kick from the jalapeño, and enhances the flavor of the hiramasa and yuzu.  This is a great appetizer to have with friends, especially during happy hour.

Which reminds me, their mixologist and Bar Manger, Mike Henderson, also happens to be the Vice President of the Colorado Chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild.  Henderson recommends pairing the Flash Seared Hiramasa with their 2007 Trouchard Roussane.  Speaking of drinks, they have a huge glass wine encasement, which sits right in the middle of the restaurant.  It’s so tall they literally need a ladder to access the wines. The other feature I appreciated about TAG was the semi-open kitchen, where you can actually watch the food being prepped.

To continue with the fusion theme, I tried their Szechuan Colorado Rack of Lamb made with Dragon Chili Sauce served with Israeli couscous, and heirloom vegetables.  When you read it on paper it sounds too simple:  lamb with Chinese sauce.  Big deal, right?  When the plate arrives, you are not presented with just a dish, but rather something that looks like an abstract painting.  This complex mixture of sauces – made of soy mango mustard, sweet chili sauce, Lingham’s Hot Sauce, just to name a few – is what really makes the dish.  I was hit with different flavors with every single bite, and each bite better than the next.  I ate it as slow as I could to savor every bite.  TAG’s Szechuan Colorado Rack of Lamb is possibly the most delicious work of art I ever ate.  Henderson recommends paring this great dish with their 2007 El Castro Mencia.

TAG is one of those restaurants that is just right: it isn’t huge, but it’s doesn’t feel crammed either.  The décor and food are upscale, but the prices seem reasonable, and the staff is warm and friendly.

Great food, great drinks, and Pop-Rocks®?  Need I say more?

TAG Restaurant
1441 Larimer Street
Denver, CO 80202-1704
(303) 996-9985
www.tag-restaurant.com

Executive Chef:  Troy Guard

This entry was posted on Friday, April 16th, 2010 at 8:03 pm. It is filed under Recent, Reviews and tagged with Bartenders' Guild, Dragon Chili Sauce, El Castro Mencia, Hiramasa, ingham's, Laramie Square, Mike Henderson, TAG, Trouchard Roussane, Troy Guard. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.