I found the Buddha staring at me while shopping at Target. An almost unbelievable epiphany, striking me like a thunderbolt amidst the clutter of gluttonous consumerism. Now the venerable saint sits on my temporary altar/bookshelf at home, gazing in resinous exaltation at my humble attempts to achieve a smattering of enlightenment. It was under the influence of this Eastern brand of religious philosophy that I decided to embark on the concept of ahimsa; the practice of 'non-harm' or 'non-violence' which in principle involves a completely animal protein free diet or 'veganism' as we know it in the West. All thoughts and actions involving hurt or physical damage are banished with a tranquil smile. Humans, animals, creatures and creepy crawlies are left to wander unhindered by my (potentially) threatening behavior, and inner anger is quenched in an all consuming flow of love. I began to live in relative harmony with all things, and it was this sympathetic perspective that enabled me to endure and appreciate the full viewing of Milarepa, the cinematic biography of the Tibetan saint by the Buddhist Lama and Director Neten Chokling.

It was in a meditative reflection of that movie, the magical scene where a small Tibetan village is destroyed by a whirling storm invoked by Milarepa that I was invited to dine at a restaurant called Mizuna. At first I thought this would be a marvelous place to explore my journey of Eastern mysticism and eat the wholesome fruits of the earth, mizuna is actually a Japanese term for a type of lettuce, a mustard green. I was so sure that my dietary eccentricities would be graciously honored and respected that I had a vision of being proclaimed a potential Zen master. Mizuna is not a Japanese restaurant, and I slowly began to recall the facts. I remembered way back in March 2003, whilst I was busy working as a cook for Kevin Taylor at the Hotel Teatro of the tragic and pointless death of Doug Fleishmann in a car collision; the Maitre d' and co-owner of Mizuna and Luca d'Italia, also the legendary chef Frank Bonanno who had worked at Gramercy's Tavern in New York and with Joseph Keller in the French Laundry restaurant in Napa California. I am not one who relishes the taste of a chef's ego in a dining experience, but Bonanna and Mizuna have an excellent reputation; he has culinary lineage, genuine creativity and a beautiful spirit when it comes to food. I decided to put aside my veganism for one night and enter into that concentrated joy of food that only great chefs and hero's revel in.

The menu is a collection of sparkling gems, both classical and contemporary. One might see within it shades of the French masters evoked in the culinary Bible; the Larousse Gastronomique, but also the flair and elegance of intrepid modern captains and innovators. Perusing the small and intimate dining room I could see other diners poring over the sacred texts in reverence and silent thought, almost praying for an insightful vision. To my left I had a good view of the open kitchen and the dedicant cooks at work, reminding me of the poem by Desaugiers, who wrote; "A cook seems to me to be a divine being, a minister of Heaven, his kitchen a temple, his ovens the altar..." As a first course I had difficulty deciding between the Hudson Valley foie gras and the crispy confit, both from the delectable duck, but my desire favored the rich, velvety liver lightly seared and served with an amazing peach cobbler. Its probably worth mentioning that this particular type of liver was perfected by an Israeli with a Master of Arts in philosophy; Izzy Yanay, and the concentrated buttery delight is a telling sign of his dedicated husbandry. My companions chose the roasted baby beet salad, presented with distinct clarity and coming with a seductive interplay of flavors, the goats cheese was particularly enchanting.

I was even more careful with my choice of entrée and immediately headed for the Montana Legend beef, a medium-rare tenderloin that simply dissolvedin my mouth. This beef is used only by the best chefs, from free-range, grass and grain fed cattle, aged by a company which is over 4 generations old. Perfectly complimented by a tangy truffled potato salad and grilled baby artichokes; all seasoned to perfection. I cannot truly begin to explain the exquisite sensation of meat than simply melted beneath my fork, an amazing experience! I thought the 'ostrich loin' a slightly odd element to the overall menu, yet it was selected at my table and arrived 'm.r.' with the robust addition of onion rings, fingerlings, corn relish and brie. It received a rapturous applause and nods of appreciation.

The most beautiful aspect about this sort of dining is that nothing is ever overstated or 'too much; portions, seasoning, flavors and the marriage of elements are restrained in a delicate balance, the equilibrium ofingredients is a primary concern; so in other words there is always enough room for dessert! My professional patisserie experience drove me to the Valrhona chocolate cake, and lets not mince words here; Valrhona is the premium chocolate company in the entire world, most of their products contain in excess of 60-70% cocoa solids, they have their own university of excellence and simply put, anything made with this is in the realms of sublime divinity. And so it was, that I ended my meal in orgasmic ecstasy; molten chocolate melding with malted ice cream (containing the fragrant seeds of a juicy south-American vanilla pod), all contrasted with the crisp macadamia nut brittle... wow!

And so, perhaps for one night I discovered a little bit of Nirvana in a small suburban restaurant. That's why I think that Chef Bonanno deserves the title of Culinary-Buddha... and he doesn't even need to shave his head! (And by the way;his website is designed by a Zen master).

The Buddha can be found anywhere; even in your local Target store, but Chef Bonnano and Mizuna is at:

225 East 7th Avenue

Denver, Colorado 80203

Voice: 303-832-4778

Fax: 303-832-3532

http://www.mizunadenver.com/aboutus.html