Best Bites: Edge’s Octopus

You either cook octopus for a very short time or a very long time, but never in between. Do it wrong and the cephalopod turns rubbery, chewy, and inedible. But when done just right, octopus becomes soft and elegant. At Edge Restaurant & Bar, chef Zachary Rozanski achieves that essential tenderness by braising Spanish octopus in coconut milk, red Fresno peppers, and ginger for five hours. Rozanski then fires the seafood on a pecan wood grill for a hint of sweet smokiness before plating it with charred lime vinaigrette, chile-plum gastrique, sweet grapes, crushed cashews, and micro cilantro. The dish hints at Thai flavors, but the grapes give the exquisite appetizer a Mediterranean twist. 1111 14th St., 303-389-3343