Table Talk for August 16

NEW: DJ’S ADDS BUZZ TO BERKELEY
Parisi anchors the north end of Tennyson Street but the south end has long languished without a restaurant—until
now. DJ’s Berkeley Café, a newly opened cafe-coffee shop, already bustles with hungry diners, java
junkies, and the laptop toting crowd. The urban renovated space has spacious tables, a long bar, exposed brick walls, and a
patio. The full espresso bar turns out a mean latte, but it’s the food I’m most excited about—especially the Irish
oatmeal with Crasins, crushed pistachios, chopped dates, and brown sugar. And the crab cake Benedict with braised spinach. And
the muffuletta sandwich for lunch….3838 Tennyson St.

COMING SOON: YAZOO! ANOTHER ONE
Ever driven to Yazoo Barbeque Company at Champa Street and Broadway only to discover the slow-smoked pork ribs
are already gone? And the brisket too? Take heart. In a couple of weeks, owner Don Hines opens another outpost in
Greenwood Village (9555 E. Arapahoe Road). The Deep South menu will be the same: Slow-cooked, dry-rubbed meats that spend
12 hours over hickory and pecan wood. Next time the craving hits, be proactive: Call both locations and find out if
there’s still pork shoulder to be had before jumping in the car. 2150 Broadway, 303-296-3334,
www.yazoobbq.com.

HOT ITEM: FIG VINEGAR
I’m of the mind that no cheese plate is complete without a dollop of fig jam—my favorite
brand is Dalmatia Fig Spread from Croatia ($5.99 at St. Kilian’s Cheese Shop). But,
I’ve recently taken to drizzling flavorful fig vinegar over fresh mozzarella or Haystack Mountain goat
cheese. I taste-tested two varieties: black fig vinegar by Cuisine Perel ($7.89 at Marczyk Fine Foods) and
fig-infused white balsamic vinegar by Alessi ($3.59 at Whole Foods). The verdict: Cuisine Perel wins hands
down for color, tang, consistency, and a subtle fig flavor, even if it’s a couple bucks more. Marczyk Fine Foods, 770 E.
17th St., 303-894-9499, www.marczykfinefoods.com; Whole
Food, multiple locations; St. Kilian’s Cheese Shop, 3211 Lowell Blvd., 303-477-0374.

—Amanda M. Faison