Studies show that even though the economy has gone south, people are still going out to eat. I know I am.

I may not do the big Broadmoor splurge as often, but I still do lunch, and my family goes out to moderate dinners now and then.

Here are three great meals I had recently:

Sakura: This westside sushi place has remodeled and looks gorgeous. They’ve even added a few traditional sunken Japanese tables, so you can eat without your shoes on.

I had a premium sake, served in a shot glass made of ice (delicious! And I thought I didn’t like sake) followed by a variety of sushi. I’d just been the the Sushi Den in Denver, which is about the best sushi you can get this far from the coast, but Sakura is still a strong regional contender. The fish tastes extremely fresh and the sauces are well-matched.

I hadn’t been to La au’s Taco Shop in a while and tried the shrimp tacos. Damn they’re good. Diners next to me were still a little confused about the menu and the cafeteria style service (It’s just a big more complicated than Chipotle), but everybody’s been happy with the food on their plates. I appreciate that they got rid of the green blocks that served as chairs and now have real chairs in there. La au’s is serving at Bristol now Wednesday through Sundays.

Had another great lunch recently at Heart of Jerusalem downtown. The shawarma rocked.