Just called Noda’s Japanese Cuisine to see about some post New Year raw fish and heard a voice message telling me they were closing “for relocation” as of December 18th.

Wha….?

No more info was given, and a “thanks for your patronage” closing made me very, very worried.

Noda’s is one of those restaurants I talk up quite a bit and visit far less often than I’d like. I hope that my inaction is not a contributor to their current woes. Or that this is all just worrying in vain and they have a huge shiny new space on the ready to welcome old and new eaters alike.

I made this over the holidays to rave reviews, especially in the shadow of sugary/fatty things we’d been cramming in our gullets for days. It’s a far lighter and zestier version than the old-school mayo-based abomination that I grew up with. That one even had cheese cubes in it.

Broccoli Bangup

serves 4-6 broccoli lovers, or 12-20 party goers

1 huge bowl of broccoli florets (more than you think you’ll eat)
1/3c bacon bits (fresh or your favorite mass-produced brand)
2 small containers lemon yogurt, OR plain yogurt plus 2-4T of sweetener, fake or real
1 lemon, juice and zest
1/4c red wine vinegar
1/4c raisins
1c walnuts
2T brown sugar
salt, kosher or sea

Buy so much broccoli that the people in line at the grocery store think you have “a problem”. Chop into florets. Or just cheat and buy the 3lb bag from Costco, but cut those up into bite-sized pieces, too. Put in the hugest bowl you have and make sure there’s at least a little room to mix later.

Toast walnuts: put walnut halves/pieces in a frying pan and toast on medium – about 5-15 minutes. Add 2T of brown sugar when about half done and let that form little crystally things on the nuts. Stir constantly to not burn. Put in bowl in freezer to cool for a few minutes. Chop.

Combine raisins, vinegar, juice of lemon, zest, and lemon yogurt. Pour over broccoli and mix to coat thoroughly. If really dry, add more vinegar. Taste so that it’s not too puckery. If it is, add some sugar.

Once completely mixed/coated, let rest 1-24 hours. When ready to serve, stir in the chopped toasted walnuts and the bacon bits. Bonus: Totally outdo yourself and top with those crunchy onion bits like used for green bean casserole.

Spending a little time in Grand Junction has revealed a few good eats, and several really, really mediocre ones. I think I had been a little spoiled thinking that even mid-sized Western towns were little treasure troves of good food waiting to be found. Silver City. Tucson. Heck, even Las Cruces.

Granted, Grand Junction does have some notables, beginning and almost abruptly ending with 626 on Rood. Rood is a peculiarly named street near a downtown brimming with art and sculpture, some of it donated, some of it for sale. You’ll find a bronze dude in a bathtub, a weird lady in the “frisk me, please” position, amongst some other finds.

Chowhound forumites are not overly enthused; when asked where to eat the response was, “three places: 626 on Rood, 626 on Rood, and 626 on Rood”.

True, they are damn good for either lunch or dinner. But there are more that deserve attention, and I hope, more to be discovered yet. Described with a backdrop of Duke City eats, I present:

Dream Cafe – like Slate Street or Chocolate Cafe, an oasis of power-lunching locals dead set on tucking into not just a fancy pants mimosa but also a pile of S’mores French Toast for an extra potent sugar rush to last the rest of the afternoon. Savories also please like crepes with chicken and roasted peppers or a French Dip on one of the best baguettes I’ve ever crunched down on.

Nepal Restaurant - a menu heavy on the Indian with just a few Himalayan specialties. The “momo” dumpling dinner is pretty darn tasty, but the lentil soup blander than a wet sock.

Enstrom – for all your toffee needs. If you don’t like toffee, you will.

Naggy McGee’s – Irish Pub on par with Two Fools, with a tiny bit of additional upscale flair. Not sure that it works completely with cool boxtys stuffed with smoked salmon, but overall the food is VERY good and the service rockin’. Don’t miss the Irish Coffee. Don’t miss the Irish Coffee.

I hear there’s good sushi. Working on that….