Black Pearl Denver, Denver

If the owner's sommelier status doesn't assure you that Black Pearl Restaurant is serious about its wine, then its multiple Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator will remove any lingering doubt. But for some, the wine list—impressive though it may be—is secondary to chef Justin Hall's menu of new American cuisine. Denver Westword mooned over its "eye-rollingly sultry duck pâté" and bestowed Black Pearl with a Best Charcuterie Plate in Denver award in 2014. Eater praised the smoked blue-cheese soufflé as a sumptuous dish worthy of both vegetarians and meat-eaters. The weekend brunch menu keeps up the high bar set by the rest of the week with bottomless mimosas, espresso-custard French toast, and a duck-confit hash skillet.

Executive chef Justin Hall talked to us about developing a menu that both expresses his culinary style and preserves what regulars have come to love about Black Pearl.

On conscientious sourcing: “We use nothing but locally sourced produce. Our mushrooms come from a company called Hunt & Gather—they’re all hand-foraged, straight from the source. We work with Mcdonald Family Farm, a well-known meat provider, to bring in our whole animals.”

On his current favorite dish: "Right now I'm excited about the burrata caprese salad [with house-made burrata, heirloom tomato, basil pesto, olives, arugula, and grilled ciabatta]. It’s combining a traditional Italian-style burrata with elements of the caprese salad, giving it a new twist.”

On charcuterie: “One of the highlights of our restaurant is our charcuterie program... Everything is done in-house. We were recently recognized for Best of Denver for our charcuterie.”