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PENNY: Westin chef puts music on menu

By Penny Parker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 17, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Tracy Griffith, author of Sushi American Style

Tracy Griffith, author of Sushi American Style

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Ever wonder what music tastes like? The idea of blending music with food is the brainchild of Ian Kleinman, chef at O's Steak & Seafood in the Westin Westminster, who proved his point of view last week during an invite-only party.

The crafty Kleinman chose music videos playing at each food station and paired with appropriate eats. For example: Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me with grilled crimini mushrooms with celery root dynamite and sprinkled with sugar crystals that were torched creme-brulee style.

Tori Amos' Cornflake Girl station featured crushed cornflakes and cashews shrimp tempura with avocado aioli and siracha caviar.

Dave Matthews' Proudest Monkey clearly called for fish wrapped in a banana leaf with soft banana and ponzu atop green onion noodles. And finally, Foreigner's Cold as Ice accompanied a frozen pate de fruit and carrot cake Dippin' Dots with cream cheese ice cream. The music and munching was brilliant.

"I've always thought there was a natural progression between food and music," said Kleinman, who's known for his molecular gastronomy using liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze food. "When the Dave Matthews Band came into town at the Hilltop (where Kleinman was executive chef), I paired food with his music. I've been throwing around the concept the last couple of years of doing a sit-down dinner where I would make the food in front of people to music."

Kleinman isn't quite ready to put the concept on the regular O's menu, but the music and food pairing is available for special occasions and banquets. Info: 303-410-5066 or ian.kleinman@westin.com.

PLEASING PIZZA: Mark Dym has brought his East Coast Italian pizza prowess to Denver where he opened Marco's Coal-Fired Pizzeria, 2129 Larimer St., this week. I took Mr. On The Town, a bona fide picky pizza person, for a taste test. And even though some of the Napoletana and New York pies lacked red sauce, he gave the pizzas we tried two thumbs up.

The name "Coal-Fired" is somewhat of a misnomer, however, because the pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven. The amazing chicken wings and some other menu items are cooked in the coal- fired oven. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

HELP! It will take a village to cover the Democratic National Convention here Aug. 25-28, and that's where you, dear readers, come in. Your On the Town columnist can't be at all places at all times, so I'm enlisting you into my army of listeners, spotters and those-in-the-know for items to fill this space. Starting today, if you see, hear or know anything DNC-related, call me at 303-619-5209, send me a text or e-mail parkerp@ Rocky Mountain News.com.

THE SEEN: Acting Aspenites Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith in the tasting tent Saturday during the Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen. Griffith's half-sister, Tracy Griffith, is a singer, songwriter and author of Sushi American Style, which features sushi recipes sans raw fish.

Jay Cutler having cocktails with friends on the patio at Lodo's Bar and Grill downtown on Thursday.

EAVESDROPPING on a guy with a tattoo on his right bicep and shoulder as he showed off to a friend on the 16th Street Mall shuttle: "How much did that cost you?"

"350 bones."

"How much pain did you go through?"

"About $500 worth."

Penny Parker's column appears Tuesday through Saturday. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail parkerp@RockyMountainNews.com.