Best Bites: Duo’s Corn and Charred Onion Fritters

Olathe corn is everywhere right now—at the farmers’ market, at the roadside stand, and on the dinner plate. Although it’s a right of summer to simply shuck, steam, and slather each ear with butter, sometimes it’s nice to dress things up a bit. At Duo Restaurant in Northwest Denver, that’s just what executive chef Tyler Skrivanek does. Order the corn and charred onion fritters, which come three to an order, and you’ll see what I mean.

The idea behind the croquette-like appetizer came from head line cook Amy Pullman, who suggested the summery combination. Skrivanek expanded on the concept by adding a basil aïoli for dipping and a raw squash salad. Olathe corn shines in the dish, but the textures are what sing for me: the golden fried crust, the pillowy filling, and the fresh crunch of raw squash ribbons.

Duo has featured some sort of fritter or croquette on the menu since the restaurant opened in 2005 under then-executive chef John Broening. Each time I visit, I order the latest rendition to taste the snack’s seasonal shift. This version is one of my favorites to date.

2413 W. 32nd Ave., 303-477-4141

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