The Best Things We Ate and Drank In May

In March, chef/restaurateur Lon Symensma debuted a new Italian concept: Gusto, which is located on the ground level of the twelve-story Lakehouse condo building next to Sloan's Lake and is connected to the third outpost of his Asian concept, ChoLon.

The menu is heavy on pizza and pasta, both of which proved to be satisfying, especially the bucatini cacio e pepe made with smoked Pecorino and an ample amount of cracked black pepper. Our favorite part of the meal, though, came at the start, with the melted leek focaccia. The small, round loaf is a good size to split between two or three guests, and is served with a bright-green herbed garlic butter.

It's easy to go very carb-heavy when dining at Gusto, so we recommend pairing the bread with the Caesar salad. The classic components get a boost here with the addition of focaccia croutons, large pieces of white anchovy and candied lemon slices under a generous mound of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Two other spots Caesar salad lovers should try: the newly opened Corsica in RiNo, which adds shaved asparagus to its version of the dish, and Hey Kiddo on Tennyson Street, which tops the salad with candied anchovies and pistachios. Pro tip: Order it with popcorn chicken and combine the two — that move is a Hey Kiddo staff favorite.
The building that housed Twin Dragon on South Broadway in Englewood for decades is once again a Chinese eatery, but this one specializes in Sichuan cuisine. Our first visit to Wok Spicy was packed with hits from start to finish.

The menu is wide-ranging, so if you're looking for a good place to start, order the mapo tofu. The version here uses silky-soft tofu and minced pork in a bright-red sauce; it's studded with fermented black beans and packs plenty of that signature, mouth-numbing heat from Sichuan peppercorns.
In 2021, a viral TikTok video showing off the beauty of Domo's garden and its country-style Japanese fare brought crowds to the quaint restaurant and overwhelmed its small staff. Already past the age he planned to retire, owner Gaku Homma eventually made the call to close the restaurant.

But late last year, he decided to bring Domo back, with a pared-down menu and limited hours. Since then, Homma has slowly added more dishes and expanded hours — Domo is currently open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. While it offers much of the menu for takeout, the garden is as gorgeous as ever, so we recommend visiting — just remember to be patient and respectful of the still-small staff that's keeping the place running.

This isn't the spot for a rowdy group outing or a quick bite. Come here when you have time to relax and enjoy the serenity of one of the city's most beautiful restaurant settings.

You can't go wrong with any of the offerings, but we recently enjoyed a newer addition to the lineup, tonyu (soy milk) dipping udon, which comes with the thick noodles on the side. The creamy broth has mild heat and is filled with broccoli, zucchini and red peppers, as well as a choice of chicken, pork or additional veggies. Each main dish comes with two sides for $16.75.
We love trying pickle shots all over town, so when we see a vat of green liquid behind a bar, ordering one is a given. On May 20, someone broke into one of our favorite bars, the Brutal Poodle, emptying the safe and demolishing the cash register. Customers quickly rallied to support, launching a GoFundMe that covered the losses. Many of them also stopped by to check on the staff.

When we did, the tub of pickle shots was a tempting sight, and these proved to be some of the best in town, thanks to the use of both pickles and pepperoncini plus an abundant amount of garlic.
Annette chef/owner Caroline Glover opened Traveling Mercies on the third level of Stanley Marketplace in December; last week, it was named one of the best bars in America by Esquire. Tucked away on the third floor of the massive building, it's an intimate spot to indulge in oysters and other bites like shrimp cocktail and rice pudding, as well as its signature martini.

"Finnish gin and dry sherry form the backbone of this bone-dry martini," the menu notes. It also has notes of anise, lemon and tarragon for a ’tini that's far more complex than most. Look for fun specials from the bar staff as well, such as the recent version of a Porn Star Martini made with passion fruit and vanilla and served with a shooter of Prosecco that you can sip or add to the libation.