Work & Class
Chickpea Croquette with Roasted Pepper Marmalade
Cabrito
Griddled Goat Cheese Masa
Whiskey and Coke Beef Brisket
Jalapeno Cornbread
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Coriander Roasted Colorado Lamb
Green Chile Cheddar Biscuit
Butterscotch Pudding with Almond Brittle
Pear-Vanilla Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Recently named a regional Beard Award Semi-finalist despite the sort of noisy wall-to-wall space that voters and folks born before 1990 seem to despise, Dana Rodriguez’s Work & Class seemed a perfect fit for early Sunday dinner, the RiNo hotspot absolutely packed with only one Chef’s Counter spot open despite arriving mere fifteen minutes after service began.
Opened early 2015, the Mexico native coming to Denver by way of Southern California nearly twenty years ago, Rodriguez’s story is one of hard work yielding great rewards in a career that moved from dishes to short-order to a prominent place in the group behind Rioja, the jump to her own restaurant within a converted shipping container speaking to the sort of determinaion that now allows her creative control of a menu that changes frequently, though comfort food with a Latin twist always remains the goal.
Buzzing from the hostess stand all the way to an enclosed patio, the kitchen one of the most rapid-fire I’ve ever had the opportunity to watch as Dana herself works the line intermittently alongside two Hispanic men and one Caucasian lady, Work & Class Sundays feature Fried Chicken in addition to the braised meats, sides, breads and salads but trying best to sample a wide variety without overloading a four-course progression was selected, three quarter-pounds of protein paired to housemade bread plus one side and a duo of desserts.
Obviously preparing some elements in advance, the convection oven used to heat breads and the chicken while a grill and stove were used for made-to-order or braised fare, a small amuse of panisse kissed by pepper jam proved an amicable greeting and soon served a bowl of goat stew with vinegary broth made for sipping suffice it to say that the housemade masa is an inspired pairing, each bite entirely appealing on its lonesome but all the moreso when folded into a toothsome taco as the lean meat found a new level of richness atop the lightly melted cheese.
Deferring to the server for round two, both the roasted chicken and pork considered but the Whiskey and Coke Brisket suggested instead, those fancying fattier cuts of beef would be well advised to consider this preparation even though the flavor of the meat gets a little lost in the marinade, each bite featuring melt-in-the-mouth texture while the accompanying cornbread is slightly dry yet toothsome and not particularly hot.
Served a creamy side of risotto that unfortunately fell a bit flat in terms of earthy tones and spooning it slowly as the final savory round was prepared, I knew from the start that Chef Rodriguez’s signature lamb was a destination dish before even entering the restaurant and although expectations were high they were nonetheless exceeded each bite of pink flesh nicely accented by the coriander without ever compromising the animal’s characteristic funk.
Underwhelmed by the biscuit, a decent showing but unfortunately masking the cheddar with too much a vegetal tone, it was after a somewhat lengthy delay that the server returned to drop the check off but suggesting to him that I’d like to order dessert I was met with no resistance, a thimble of Butterscotch Pudding with whipped cream and almond brittle tasty but not showstopping with plenty of room leftover for steamy Bread Pudding speckled with pears and a scoop of Vanilla Bean ice cream slowly melting on top.
http://workandclassdenver.com/
