The Mile High Eater

The end, at least for now

2011-10-16T14:36:00.001-07:00

Hi allWell we have really enjoyed writing this blog, but for now even though we are still going out and trying new restaurants we just havent felt like reviewing them. So we are officially going on hiatus for how long it is hard to say. We are still happy to answer questions about anything, but at least for the time being there wont be any new posts on here. Thank you to all of those who have have read the blog

Chef Lon Symensma and Chef Angelo Sosa

2011-06-24T11:28:00.007-07:00

Even though we've taken a break from the blog, it doesn't mean we've stopped sampling some delicious food. On Wednesday, June 15th we attended a James Beard Foundation event at Cholon Bistro. Our meal was cooked by Chef Lon Symensma and Chef Angelo Sosa. You might recognize Chef Angelo from his two seasons on Top Chef and Top Chef: All Stars.

The evening was great, the food wonderful and as a bonus, I got kissed by the Top Chef!

Enjoy the pics.

Barb

Taking a Break

2011-05-29T19:07:00.002-07:00

Jonathan and I have decided to take a break from the blog for a bit. It's not that we're not going out and finding good food (because we are - can you say Sweet Corn Risotto from Terroir).

We will be attending the Celebrity Chef Tour at Cholon Bistro on June 15th. Two great chefs - Lon Symensma and from Top Chef Angelo Sosa will be preparing a five course meal benefiting the James Beard Foundation (http://www.celebritycheftour.com/about.html). I'm sure we'll post something after that night.

So, keep coming back and checking while we take a break, cause you just never know what will be here.

Thanks!
Barb & Jonathan

Tasting menus, food trucks, and Coffee

2011-04-25T13:17:00.001-07:00

Hi all

Nothing new this week, honestly because I have been in a procrastinating mood and haven’t written anything up for our last 2 meals but I will say both Salt and Row 14 Bistro were just hands down good. I will try to talk more about those later. Three things I wanted to let you know about this week.

One of our favorite restaurants is having a incredible special ongoing right now 6 course tasting menu for $25.00…. yes TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS . Dish is a long way off up in Edwards and if you dont go soon I would advise to call to see if the special is ongoing but you should go if you possibly can Jenna is one of the best chefs Colorado has to offer and at that price you should not hesitate, just pile in the car and go. If you do, say hi to Jenna for us.

Second thing is
Who: The Food Truck Warriors, 11 gourmet food truck, Left Hand Brewery and seriously good DJ's

When: April 30th, 2pm-9pm

Where: Corner of 9th Ave and Bannock, very close to down town

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=121893754555695

Denver has a great food truck scene and this is a fantastic chance to give a try to some of the best so if your looking for something to do this weekend stop on by and give them a try!.

Last thing for you coffee lovers out there

Just in time for warmer weather, Caribou Coffee is offering guests a newly expanded line of beverages with 40 percent fewer calories—and 100 percent of the taste.

Caribou Coffee stores in Denver are expanding their menus with new Northern Lite beverages, including mochas, lattes, tea lattes and blended beverages—all with at least 40 percent fewer calories and fat than the original drinks.

The new beverage lineup includes Caribou’s first ever lite mocha, made with real, premium milk, dark or white chocolate and non-fat whip. Caribou is so confident guests will love the taste of their new Northern Lites that they’ve implemented the “love it lite or we’ll remake it” guarantee.

And if that wasn’t news enough, Caribou’s Happy Monday promotion will return to celebrate the launch of Northern Lites. Every Monday now through May 30th, guests can enjoy a Daybreaker breakfast sandwich for only $2, as well as any medium Northern Lite beverage for just $3.

All right that’s all I have for now take care everyone. If you have any questions leave them here or send us an email at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

MMM Strawberries

2011-04-06T07:27:00.002-07:00

Mmm Strawberries

Driscoll invited us to try their “Seasons Finest” berries, which they say are much juicer and larger than their normal ones (which as we all know are yummy) so of course we jumped on it. I was a bit skeptical that there would be much of any difference that you would see or more important taste going in but wow go take a look at your local store the seasons finest ( which are only available for another week or two )they are very noticeably larger and just very very yummy.

Driscoll gave us several new recipes (you can find a lot of them at driscolls.com) I have listed a few below, but after thinking about it I wanted to try them out on something I know and love, a plain simple strawberry pie, I mean what better way to test a strawberry not only does a strawberry pie just highlight the berries it gave me ample opportunity while slicing them to sample them raw ( darn lucky any made it to the pie). After all is said and done all I can say is YUMM and I would suggest you go grab some at your local King Soopers as quickly as you can 
Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad
Prep time: 20 minutes
Makes: 4-6 servings

8 ounces Driscoll’s Strawberries
8 ounces shell pasta, cooked, rinsed and cooled
8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls, drained
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
1/4 cup slivered red onion
1/4 cup prepared balsamic vinaigrette

Rinse, hull and quarter strawberries.

Combine strawberries, pasta, mozzarella, basil and onion in a large bowl. (Can be prepared to this point and refrigerated until ready to serve.)

Drizzle with vinaigrette and mix gently until ingredients are well coated.

Nutrition Per Serving: 322 calories, 12.54g total fat, 5.49g saturated fat, 14.73g protein, 37.32g carbohydrate, 29.86mg cholesterol, 2.75g fiber, 355mg sodium

Strawberry Avocado Salsa
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes 3-1/2 cups

1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll’s Strawberries
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits or chunks
1 small avocado, pitted and diced
1/2 to 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon onion salt
Rinse and hull strawberries. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
Drain pineapple, reserving juice.
Combine pineapple, 2 tablespoons pineapple juice, strawberries, avocado, jalapeño to taste, balsamic vinegar and onion salt. Let stand 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Serving suggestion: Combine remaining pineapple juice with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Use to marinate halibut steaks or chicken breasts for 20-30 minutes. Grill or broil until done. Serve with Strawberry Avocado Salsa.

Nutrition Per Serving (2 tablespoons): 18 calories, .81g total fat, .10g saturated fat, .24g protein, 2.73g carbohydrate, 0mg cholesterol, .73g fiber, 31mg sodium

Healthy Tip: Strawberries and avocado make a versatile salsa that’s great with chips, fish or chicken. Serve the same day it’s made for the best color and flavor. After working with jalapeño peppers, always wash your hands well with soap and water, being careful not to touch or rub your eyes; the pepper oils can burn!

Goat Cheese and Strawberry Bruschetta
Prep Times: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Makes: 8 servings 2 per serving

1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll’s Strawberries
1 8 ounce French baguette
8 ounces creamy and mild goat cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoon honey

Rinse and hull strawberries.

Slice baguette into 16 thin diagonal slices. Toast slices in a 350°F. oven 6 minutes, turning once or until crisp.

Stir goat cheese and honey in a small bowl until blended; spread 1 tablespoon onto each toasted bread slice.

Slice each strawberry into several thin slices partway through keeping it attached at the stem. Top each bruschetta with a fanned strawberry.

Nutrition Per Serving: 193 calories, 6,49g total fat, 4.27 saturated fat, 9g protein, 24.75g carbohydrate, 13.04mg cholesterol, 1.45g fiber, 288.75mg sodium

VARIATIONS: For a little different flavor try stirring in ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper or ground chipotle chili pepper for that sweet and hot flavor or 1 teaspoon finely chopped crystallized ginger. Also available are herb flavored goat cheese that you might want to substitute for the plain goat cheese. For added flavor a tablespoon finely chopped toasted pecans can be stirred into cheese mixture or prepared chopped Major Grey chutney.

TIP: Some stores carry a honey-flavored goat cheese which can be substituted for the plain goat cheese and honey.

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe (no image available)
4 large Driscoll’s strawberries
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 cup of whole milk
1 cup of ice cubes

Blend strawberries with milk on low speed till well smooth, than add ice cubes and blend on high. Add sugar and blend on high speed for about 1 minute. The texture should be slushy and smooth.

Strawberry Crème Brulee
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Crème Brulee:
1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll’s Strawberries, hulled, divided
2 cups half and half
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup light brown sugar, divided

Heat oven to 325°F. Place six 6-ounce ramekins in a roasting pan; set aside.

Coarsely chop 4 strawberries and evenly divided in bottom of each ramekin. Bring half and half to a boil in a saucepot over medium heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl 2 minutes or until golden yellow. Slowly whisk hot half & half into egg mixture. Divide among prepared ramekins. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake 35 minutes or until edges of custard are set and center jiggles when ramekin is tapped. Remove from hot water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover each one with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Heat broiler. Press through a sieve 2 teaspoon light brown sugar evenly over the top of each custard. Arrange custards on a baking sheet and place 2 inches from source of heat. Broil until sugar melts and bubbles.

Top each with a strawberry halved.

Nutrition Per Serving: 285 calories, 13.26g total fat, 7.23 saturated fat, 6.33g protein, 31.85g carbohydrate, 284.74mg cholesterol, 1.03g fiber, 51.27mg sodium

Tip: lighten up the recipe by replacing half and half with milk

They call it the Happy Sumo, were not so sure..

2011-04-03T13:14:00.002-07:00

Hi all

We tried out the sushi restaurant The Happy Sumo and….

MEH…. I am glad the Sumo is happy because we left not so much, I wont say it was all bad, but at its best it was fair + and at its worst was fair-, no where I would want to go again.

Thanks for stopping by, I know this is a short one but this meal does not deserve a long one. If you have questions or comments drop us a line here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

Door to Door Organics

2011-03-07T05:27:00.005-07:00

Hi all,

**** I am very sorry I incorectly said you would get a 50 percent discount with the code at the end it is a 40 percent discount *(still a great deal I think)

No new restaurant this week, but next week we will talk about our trip to the Happy Sumo. This week I want to mention a new service we got to try out: Door to Door Organics (http://colorado.doortodoororganics.com). What they do is deliver fresh organic fruit and veggies to your door on a weekly basis.

I must admit for us organic/not organic is not a huge factor. What is a factor, is freshness and everything we received in the box was nice and fresh. Another thing is that you get a nice variety which can encourage you to try a new fruit or veggie you would not normally buy. Of course they do let you swap out a few items just in case something that is going to be delivered is on your own personal no way list.

They come in four different sizes depending on your family size. (For the two of us the bitty was just fine).
The Bitty
Perfect starter box for the single cook, roommates, or a couple.
The Small
A good size for a couple that cooks, and might have a small child.
The Medium
Works for a hearty vegetarian couple, or a family with a couple of veggie and fruit minded children.
The Large
Should satisfy the needs of most any family, and if not you can always order more.

And whets in them changes weekly. Below is an example of what they have going on this week.

Item: Quantity:
Red Tomatoes
2
Red Bell Pepper
1
Red Kale bunch
1
Leaf Lettuce
1
Broccoli bunch
1
Kiwi Fruit
2
Red Bartlett Pears
2
Gala Apples
2
Navel Oranges
2

Now, price here is the meat and potatoes of the issue and you know whether it is worth it for you and your family. The prices range from $24.99 for the bitty up to $51.99 for the large and there are several options in between.

Really, it comes down to how important is it for you to get a nice variety of organic mixed fruit and vegetables (or just fruit or just veggies) delivered hassle free to your house? If you are just not sure if this is for you, or even if you know you like the idea the kind people at Door to Door Organics gave us a code to enter at the order screen (milehigheater) which will give you 40 percent off your first order.

Well, as always thanks for stopping by and if you give Door to Door Organics a try, let us know what you think.

TGIF-Brunch?

2011-02-21T10:39:00.007-07:00

We were invited out to TGIFriday's to try their new brunch menu on Saturday. Right now, the brunch menu is only available at the Longmont location. But, if it proves to be successful, it will then get put on the Denver area restaurants menus and from there could go nationally.

I think they have a good shot at that, as we tried five different dishes and filled our tummies with delicious food.

We tried Sharable Sticky Mini Monkey Bread, Happy Hippy Fried Egg Sandwich, Crab Cake & Eggs, Egg, Asparagus and Creamed Spinach Benedict and French Toast Italienne.

Sharable Sticky Mini Monkey Bread
This pull-apart sticky treat of cinnamon and sugar-coated sweet bread is topped with caramel and pecan pieces. Everyone at your table can enjoy this family favorite.

She says: Who doesn't like Monkey Bread? This was a hearty dessert for an early morning brunch. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but think I would like it more later in the day.

He says: It was indeed yummy, but I found it almost to be too heavy for a brunch item.

Happy Hippy Fried Egg Sandwich
The ultimate fried egg sandwich - multigrain bread with melted jalapeno jack and cheddar cheeses, applewood-smoked bacon, fresh tomatoe, and two fried eggs. Serviced with melon wedge, fresh blueberries and strawberries.

She says: I like a good egg sandwich, and this one was good. Great mixture and textures with the egg, bread, bacon and cheeses.

He says: What else can be said about a fried egg sandwich done very well. Ok, I know what else can be said...YUM.

Egg, Asparagus and Creamed Spinach Benedict
Crisp panini toast, artichokes, asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes atop a bubbly spinach-artichoke mixture. Topped with two poached eggs and smothered in Hollandaise sauce. Served with a melon wedge, fresh blueberries and strawberries.

She says: I wasn't thrilled to be trying this dish, but like a good sport, gave it a try. I'm glad I did. I was worried that the spinach and asparagus would be overpowering, but all it did was add flavors to the egg. I recommend using all the panini toast to layer your ingredients and dig in.

He Says: I like a good eggs Benedict, but seeing the spinich etc. on this one I was not at all sure I would like it. But on my first bite I was wowed and may prefer this over the traditional type. It is the dish I kept coming back to over and over, and yeah, just keep the plate over here please.

French Toast Italienne
A thick slice of fruit-studded panettone sweet bread dipped in egg batter and cooked until golden brown. Served with strawberry and banana slices and dusted with powdered sugar, with caramel-honey sauce on the side.

She says: This was very filling, and good, but for some reason it doesn't hold a lot of memories for me. I liked it, but didn't think it was anything special, although the presentation was lovely.

He says: Same here, nice fresh fruit and a good french toast but really not something you're going to run out to Fridays because you're craving it.

Crab Cake with Eggs
Two poached eggs atop a flaky crab cake on panini toast, smothered in Hollandaise sauce and accompanied by fresh spring greens and grape tomatoes dressed in a light vinaigrette.

She says: I tried this last, and by then, I was getting pretty full. I like the crab by itself, but didn't feel the egg did anything for it. I think if they made this like the egg sandwich (a crab sandwich), it would have been better for me. It also could have been that we had the Eggs Benedict, which had a lot of the same ingredients, so it felt repeated.

He says: When you get a bit of the egg, bread and crab cake all in one bite its really darn good and I enjoyed it, however it could not pull me away from the benedict .. could you pass that plate back over please. :)

Superfruit Smoothie
Absolut Berri Acai, wild berry puree, pomegranate-agave syrup and a splash of fresh-squeezed orange juice, blended with ice until it's super-smooth and icy-cold.

She says: Since Jonathan and I were both coming off killer colds, we thought a smoothie would be the way to go for something smooth on our throats, and I for one was not dissappointed. It was very berry tasting, but not over-powering.

He says: It was very good and I don't think either one of us were paying alot of attention to the Absolout part until we tasted it. I am not much of one to drink in the morning but if I could have these smoothies, I would have one for brunch daily, it was just plain GOOD.

I think if you're looking for a Brunch Menu, you should give it a try. The flavors are great, the portions are good sized and if you order a few items, you can all share the meal.

There are many more items on the menu, like: Ham, Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Pizza, Smoked Salmon, Granola & Fruit, and more.

Thanks as always for stopping by. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to let us know here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

Duck Cooking class at Terroir

2011-02-07T10:44:00.005-07:00

Hi all,

As you all probably know, Barb and I enjoy good food, no it does not need to be expensive food just plain old good food. That can be a great burger or it can be something incredible coming out a restaurant like Per Se or The Fat Duck. The one place it's not likely to come out of (unless it's my Gran’s chicken pot pie) is my kitchen. No, I am not a bad cook but its not often something I make really is a stand out. So, when I noticed Chef Tim Payne of Terroir (www.terroir-restaurant.com)in Longmont offered cooking classes I vowed to make it to one.

Chef Payne offers one or two classes a month on different items, class size is limited to three and they fill up fast. Barb, Elena, and I managed to get spots for a class on Duck. We all showed up around 9 am on Saturday morning at Terroir Restaurant not really knowing what to expect. We were greeted warmly and we all moved into the kitchen. Chef Payne explained that he was not going to teach us recipes (though he did send us home with a few) as there was already tons of cookbooks out there, but was more going to focus on techniques.

The first thing we did is watch him break down the duck, and then we each got our own and we did the same with his help when needed(so glad he seems to have no end of patience as I had to get a lot of help deboning the legs). From there, he showed us how to make a duck “sausage” which we stuffed into the leg meat and trussed up to cook.

We also cooked the duck breast. He showed us the best way to cook it for it to come out well.(I have cooked duck before and it always seemed very greasy but this did not seem that way at all). And we made a duck “pate”. Over the next couple of hours we spent time talking and learning how to make all these things as well as how to render the fat for use and seemingly an endless amount of great information.

Chef Payne cutting some Black Truffle to add to our dishes yum

After everything was said and done, we all sat down family style and shared the meal together and my, my what a wonderful lunch it was and we all took home leftovers.

The cost of the class was $65.00 and came with a $10.00 gift certificate to the restaurant. I for one plan on going again as soon as we can find a open weekend and class I want to see.

We cooked the duck breast the next day at home, and it came out really good!

Thanks for stopping by, we haven’t made it to a restaurant in a bit as our last three attempts were thwarted by sickness or weather. We are planning on going out tomorrow night but once again snow threatens, so we will see. Once we make it out we will get a new review up as soon as we can. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here or send them to us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

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News bits

2011-02-05T08:48:00.001-07:00

Hi all

Here are a few things that we thought were note worthy.
Starting today, all 28 Panera Bread bakery-cafes in Colorado will donate 25 cents of all soup in a bread bowl purchases to Porter Hospice and St. Anthony Hospice as part of its involvement in Soup for the Soul, a unique and heart-warming fundraising event.

In its 11th year, the “Soup for the Soul” fundraiser brings together some of the best restaurants in Denver to showcase a wide array of gourmet soups and appetizers to benefit the two non-profit hospice programs. Porter Hospice and St. Anthony Hospice, which work together through Centura Health at Home, have provided thousands of people with comfort and peace through their end-of-life journey for more than 25 years.

Also for the soup for the soul main event
http://www.soupforthesouldenver.org/

Now we haven’t tried this service yet but it looks great and right now they are helping out the American Heart association

Did you know that February is American Heart Month? Along with getting a yummy box of organic fruits and veggies delivered, you can now add Valentine’s Day goodies to your order, including items from local Colorado companies Beautiful Sweets Organic Bakery and Seth Ellis Chocolatier.
We will donate 10% of the proceeds from the purchase of these special Valentine’s Day items to the American Heart Association. We are proud to support them because of our shared belief that good food makes healthy bodies.
The American Heart Association says that “a healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons in the fight against heart disease.” Many of you probably already know this or share the same beliefs about how what we eat affects our bodies. Maybe there is more to that old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” In any case, we strive to make it easy to eat healthfully while feeling good about supporting sustainable food systems.
So we know that eating plenty of fruits and veggies is important for a balanced diet, but even the healthiest of us needs a sweet treat every now and then. So treat your sweetie to some local organic chocolate truffles or sugar cookies and you can feel good that your purchase will help support the American Heart Association. You can place orders online through February 13th, and have your Valentine’s Day goodies delivered directly to your door.

And Beatrice and Woodsleys Valentines menu’s

short but sweet glimpse behind the scenes and into happenings which are typically only shared with our most interested guests...
As long as this Rumors page is this time, rest assured, it's mostly yummy yummy menus!

________________________________________

Provisions...
Happy Valentine's Day -Two Ways!

Inspired by the notion of togetherness, this year we offer two ways to celebrate Valentine's Day. Amidst the aspen trees we'll be serving a six course prix fixe dinner for the many cute couples and double dates. Just below, in the wine cellar, we'll be welcoming the talented Mr. Bryan Baltzell, Beer Baron of Great Divide Brewing for a beer lover's dinner.
We've been working for months with Bryan to create an evening for an alternative celebration of love; The love of beer! Bryan will be hosting a beer-paired dinner for beer lovers with Great Divide's award winning brews!
Six Course Couple's Prix Fixe Valentine's Day Menu:
Begun with a half-bottle of Schramsberg bubbly...
Amuse Course
First Course ~to share~
SUGARCANE GRILLED PRAWNS - With coconut-lemongrass nage
Second Course
SWEET PEPPER and BUTTERMILK BISQUE - With caviar crostini
Intermezzo
ESTATE OLIVE OIL GELATO
Pre-Entrée Course
SEARED FRESH RED SNAPPER - With braised celery fennel-leek jus and fresh oyster
Entrée Course
TOURNEDOS of VEAL "OSCAR" - With fresh asparagus, Dungeness crab and mustard hollandaise
Dessert Course ~to share~
PARIS BREST
• $145 Per Couple; Gratuity and Tax Not Included
• Vegetarian and Celiac Options Available
• Monday February 14, 2011
• Seating for Dinner Service Available Between 5 pm and 9 pm;
• Call for Reservations: 303-777-3505

"I Heart Beer" -Great Divide Tasting Prix Fixe Menu:
First Course ~ Hoss Rye Lager ~
GRILLED CITRUS CURED QUAIL - With cider braised red cabbage
Second Course ~Titan IPA & Hercules Double IPA ~
RED CURRY MONK FISH - With black rice and bok choy
Entrée Course ~ Smoked Baltic Porter ~
ROASTED HANGING TENDER OF BEEF - With buttery sweet potato puree, beet-bacon hash and sunny quail egg
Dessert Course ~ Espresso Oak-aged Yeti ~
TOASTED BARLEY CAKE - Malted milk chocolate ice cream and puffed faro
• $70 Per Person; Gratuity and Tax Included
• Monday February 14, 2011
• Reception in the Wine Cellar Begins at 7 pm; Seating at 7:30 pm
• Call for Reservations: 303-777-3505

Next two or three weeks

2011-01-31T11:44:00.001-07:00

Hi all

Well the blog is being put on a minor hold due to flu and family issues but I expect we will be back up and running in 2 or 3 weeks. Thanks for stopping by.

Jonathan

A few questions and a recipe from Chef Lon Symensma of Cholon Bistro

2011-01-18T08:29:00.005-07:00

1. What attracted you to cooking?
I grew up in Iowa, my family had a big farm/garden and in charge of hoeing, picking fruits and vegetables. I lived in a rural area and grew up around food. We raised a lot of our own food, so I knew what I wanted to do from an early age.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?
Modern Asian Bistro – I lived and worked in France for a year. I spent a year in Asia. I wanted to reproduce the traditional kind of Asian dishes with the traditional kind of French style. I wanted to bring the European way of cooking and discipline into Southeast Asia. And to generate educated dishes that represent the county of origin with a refined technique to it.

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?
Traveling – once you learn how to create food and learn how to develop flavors, you expose yourself to cuisines and people. You learn about food through the people. I attribute a lot of thought process to a story that represents my traveling.

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?
Thomas Keller – haven’t spent much time with him and his philosophy. What he does is amazing. I’ve lived with Daniel Boulud’s family in France and spent some time with him. So, I’ve spent time with some of the big chef’s out there.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?
Right now I’m digging tamarind, lemongrass, and kaffir lime.

6. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?
Fruition (Alex Seidel) and 12 (Jeff Osaka). Alex, Jeff and I have developed a friendship.

7. How about one restaurant anywhere in the world?
McCrady’s in Charleston, South Carolina – Chef Shaun Brock is a really cool guy. He’s raising his own pigs, making his own cheese. He’s really far out there.

8. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?
Yes.
Please see end of article for the recipe!

9. Which food are you embarrassed to admit you like?
I’m from Iowa; I’m not embarrassed about any food. I eat peanut butter by the spoonful and I really dig the Velvetta shells and cheese. (Hmm..did he know Barb is from Iowa too).

10. What made you choose Denver?
It's interesting to see how Portland has emerged, and I feel that Denver will be the next city to thrive. The city’s beautiful; the economy hasn’t caught up, there’s the Aspen Food and Wine Festival. The area has a green technology business that’s booming with a lot of computer software stuff. I wanted to be a part of what’s happening.

It’s a no brainer. It’s going to explode soon and I want to be a part of it.

11. Why the small plate concept?
I enjoy the vibrant flavors. I get bored after 3 or 4 bites, tired of taking the same bite over and over again. I wanted to throw away the full dining structure and create an interactive eating atmosphere. Our atmosphere creates energy and conversation.

Once we set up the expectation, it’s a true dining experience. I would rather have 4 dishes that cost $10 bucks instead of one meal for $40. You’ve gotten more for your money, and you get a variety of dishes to taste and talk about.

Chili Crab Rolls, Charred Corn Salad, Sriracha Mayo
Yield: 1 Qt.
Sriracha Mayo
Egg Yolks 4 ea.
Water 1 Tbl.
Sriracha ½ C
Salt 1 tsp.
Lime Juice ¼ C
Grapeseed Oil 3 C

Method: Mix yolks with water, sriracha, salt and lime juice. Add oil in a slow steady stream.

Pickled Peppers Condiment
Red Bell Peppers, roasted 8 oz.
Yellow Bell Peppers, roasted 8 oz.
Red Finger Chili, roasted 2 oz.
Pickling Liquid 1 C

Method: Peel and dice the bell peppers. Mince the chili and place them all in the pickling liquid and reserve.

For the Plate
8” Rice Paper Wrap
Red Leaf Lettuce, large leaves
Vermicelli Noodles, cooked and lightly oiled
Blue Lump Crab, picked 2 oz.
Scallion Whites, thinly sliced
Corn, lightly oiled and charred in the wok
Cilantro, wide chiffonade
China
Slate Plate

Thanks to Chef Lon for talking to us. As we said before in a previous post, get to Cholon Bistro as soon as you can, you will be happy that you did.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. If you have any questions, leave us a note here or email us at jonathan or barb@milehigheater.com.

Cholon Bistro, Go, Go Right Now!

2011-01-10T06:54:00.005-07:00

Hi all,
We spent a great evening at ChoLon which is located at 15th and Blake in Denver. According to their website www.cholon.com, ChoLon, translates to "big market”, and is named after the largest Chinese-influenced market in Saigon, Vietnam.
A peek at the kitchen:

Chef Lon

A glimpse at the restaurant:

They have small bites, small plates, large plates and Wok choices. We decided to try 3 small bites and 3 small plates. Our friend Elena joined us, so we each picked two to try.

First off, they bring you a Sesame Rice Puff with Tomato Chili Jam. This was a nice crunchy appetizer to start the evening with.

He says:

I thought this was pretty cool, something different from the standard bread and looked fun. Taste wise it was good but not great with a nice dipping sauce. If for nothing other than cool factor I liked it a lot.

Jonathan picked the Pork Belly Pot Sticker, with Ginger Mustard and the Butternut Squash Soup with Golden Raisin Miso and Root Vegetables.

Barb picked the Curried Duck Spring Rolls, with Cilantro Yogurt and the Shrimp Cakes with Nuoc Cham and Lettuce Wrap.

Elena ordered the BBQ Chicken Bao Buns with Cucumber and the Green Papaya Salad with Tamarind Sorbet and Grape Tomatoes.

We'll go with the order of how plates came out.

First up was the Curried Duck Spring Rolls.

She says: These were a great start to the night. Crunchy, chewy filled spring rolls. The cilantro sauce was a great sauce to swirl your spring roll in. The contrast between the warm spring roll and the cool sauce made me want more.

He says: Yum! That is all, one of many things that makes me want to go back.

Next was the Pork Belly Pot Stickers.

She says: These were really good as well. I think I could have an entire meal of the spring rolls and the pot stickers.

He says: Double yum. Ok, I need to watch out or all you will hear from me is well, yum. But seriously, these were great. Wonderful cooked pork inside the dumpling made me a happy camper

Next was the Bao Buns.

She says: This was a very interesting dish. You open the bun up and make your bite. We had BBQ Chicken, cucumber and other items. This was a lot of great flavors mixing together. I loved creating it and the taste. I didn't like the messiness of it though.

He says: Bah the messiness was kind of fun, and I agree that the chicken and all the ingredients were very tasty, but for me maybe because I did not put enough on but the steamed bun seemed to detract from the overall flavor rather than make it better.

Small Plates

Next up was the Green Papaya Salad.

She says: This dish was my least favorite of the night. I wasn't expecting this dish to be such a cold dish and the tamarind sorbet just made it that much colder.

He says: Rarely do Barb and I completely disagree but here we do, this was one of my most memorable dishes and one that kind of makes me smile when I think of it. The sweet tart taste of the sorbet just made this salad fun, and fun to eat. I wish every salad could make me want to have more like this one did.

Next up was the Butternut Squash Soup.

She says: This was a wonderful warm, rich soup after the cold salad. It was crunchy and tasted delicious. I wanted to lick the bowl clean!

He says: YUM, darn it there I go again, but really that’s all I can say. This wonderful soup was one of those that warms the stomach and makes the taste buds scream for more.

Last up was the Shrimp Cakes

She says: This was a great end to the meal. I didn't care for the Nuoc Cham (the dipping sauce). It didn't really seem to fit the dish, and it was messy running down your fingers as you ate the lettuce wrap. But, the flavors of the shrimp were good.

He says: Well here is the one thing out of so many great dishes that I was not impressed with. It wasn’t bad and some people at our table liked it but for me, meh. Looking back wish we would of stopped at the soup.

Dessert!
We tried two: Bread Pudding with Palm Sugar Ice Cream and Caramelized Banana and the Spiced Doughnuts, Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream and Condensed Milk.

The doughnuts came first, but we were all in agreement that we wished they were the last thing we had as they were Elena and Barb's favorites. Jonathan favored the bread pudding.

Spiced Doughnuts

She says: Yum! The doughnuts came out spiked with a small bamboo stick. The doughnuts were light and fluffy and the coffee ice cream had a nice kick to it.
-He says: YUM! Nope that does not do it justice - YUMMMMM! These were out of this world yummy even for a non coffee drinker like us. The combination of the incredible donuts and the rich wonderful coffee ice cream will blow your mind. If there are 2 of you, you may want to get 2 orders as you’re not going to want to share even though there is more than enough on the plate to do so.

Bread Pudding

She says: The bread pudding was good, but after the doughnuts, it just didn't stand up. It was also messy to dig into. It was hard to cut into and get just the right bite.

He says: Yeah, would have to agree this was the lesser of the two desserts, but it was still a good bread pudding and I enjoyed it, but this was quickly pushed aside for another bite of the donuts.

Overall, we had a wonderful meal and this was one of the two restaurants from last year that were dying to go back to (the other being DISH in Edwards). Next time you’re in Denver or anywhere close and hungry, GO HERE you won’t regret it. As always, thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

Friday news bits 01-07-2011

2011-01-07T10:07:00.002-07:00

Hi all

Friday news bits

Black Cat at the James Beard House
A Heritage Breed and Heirloom Cultivar Dinner
We are fortunate to have been asked to cook again at the illustrious James Beard House on January 19th in New York City. Our progress with heritage breed livestock and ethno botanical and cultivar crops made us stand out in the national dining scene. For the dinner we’ve woven these themes into a menu that speaks of Boulder’s sense of place, its climate and its community. Along the way of cooking great food and taking care of our guests, the Black Cat's mission is to develop a cuisine specific to the Front Range and plains of Colorado. With this special dinner in New York the Black Cat has an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the elements that make our community a special place.
Though the NYC dinner is sold out, we want to share this special dinner with you in our restaurant. From January 10-14th, we will offer our special James Beard menu as our regular tasting menu option along with our à la carte menu, leading up to our two James Beard Celebration dinners on Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th. Eric will be coming out of the kitchen to talk about each course and how it reflects our regionalized Front Range cuisine.
Cost: $99/$149 with paired wines
We also would like to invite you to read our Winter Newsletter and discover all that has been going on at our farms. You can find it on our website and by following the link:
www.blackcatboulder.com/main_newsletterrwinter2011.html.

We hope you can join us as we prepare for our night in the Big Apple!

Happy New Year!

Eric & Jill Skokan

Black Cat is located at:

1964 13th St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: 303.444.5500''

Please join us next Sunday, January 16 at 5 p.m.
for our first in a series of Italian wine dinners

Northern Italian Wine Dinner
(excluding Piedmont)

Course 1:
Tuna carpaccio with blood orange, fennel, pickled cippollini onions, Meyer lemon oil, and fried capers paired with the Le Colture Cruner Prosecco

Course 2:
Sweet potato bisque with sweet potato ravioli and crispy prosciutto paired with the Tenuta di Blasig Friulano

Course 3:
Duck breseola en brioche with farro paired wtih the Castelfeder Lagrein

Course 4:
Red wine braised bison short ribs served over creamy Gorgonzola polenta and gremolata paired with the Inama Carmenere

Course 5:
Hazelnut torte with lavender honey ice cream paired with the Cantina Beato Bartelomeo Torcolato

Tickets for this event are $55 excluding tax and gratuity.

__________________________________________________

Join us as we tour Italy's many wine regions...other upcoming dinners:

Sunday, January 30 at 5 p.m.: Piedmont Wine Dinner

Sunday, February 13 at 5 p.m.: Terroir's 3rd Annual Chocolate Lover's Dinner featuring the wines of Tuscany

Sunday, March 6 at 5 p.m.: Central Italian Wine Dinner

Sunday, March 27 at 5 p.m.: Southern Italian Wine Dinner

To join us on this journey of Italian wine country, please call 303.651.0630 to make your reservation. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!!

Terroir Restaurant is located at:

246 Main Street
Longmont, CO 80501
Phone: 303.651.0630
Fax: 303.651.0631

Twisted Pine Shows Craft Beer Cares
A Summary of 2010’s Contributions

Boulder, Colorado – January 4th 2010 – Twisted Pine Brewing Company has long been a believer in community involvement. "Giving back to the community is built into the core of our company, it's a part of our mission statement and, while we always have fun hosting events, we take our contributions very seriously,” says general manager Jody Valenta. Over the past 12 months the brewery was able to collect 1,000 lbs of food for EFAA(Emergency Family Assistance Association) a local food cupboard, through their canned food drive. The brewery offered, and continues to offer a promotion that encourages customers to bring in 3 canned food items for a free pint of beer.

This month, the brewery will begin employing members of Imagine!. Imagine! supports services to people with developmental delays and cognitive disabilities. They will be assisting with box construction and mixed 12 pack assembly.

The Ale House at Twisted Pine hosted one benefit event every month for the past 12 months. The events serve to raise a substantial amount of awareness and critical funds for various organizations. “This is a win-win situation for everyone involved,” says brewery owner Bob Baile. “It’s great to work with local organizations to help build awareness, make new friends and give back to the community that has supported us for the past fifteen years.” A few of the organizations partnered with in 2010 include the Autism Society of Boulder, the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center and KGNU public radio.

The company plans to continue with these programs which have only grown in popularity since their inception. “We measure the success of our business in various ways,” says Baile. “Partnerships with organizations like this are critical to our overall success and essential to who we are as a company.”

For information regarding beer donations or to propose a charitable event send an email to info@twistedpinebrewing.com.

Happy New Year

2011-01-03T09:20:00.001-07:00

Hi all

Happy New Year! We took last week and this week off from the blog we will be back with our experience at Cho Lon Bistro next Monday. (if you haven’t been yet GO!)

Fogo de Chao

2010-12-21T09:02:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

We first visited Fogo De Chao last year on it's pre-opening night event. Since then, we have visited Texas de Brazil and Rodizio Grill and had come to the conclusion that we thought Fogo De Chao was the best of the three, but had a suspicion that maybe the day to day menu and service there at Fogo may be different than the grand opening so we wanted to come back to Fogo to see if it still held up to it's pre-opening night buzz.

Guess what? It did. We still consider Fogo the best of the Brazilian restaurants.

We invited a couple of friends to try it with us who had never been there but like us had tried the other Brazilian steak houses in the area to see if they shared our view, and they did as well.

Jonathan started off with the signature Brazilian Caipirinha drink (1 lime, 2 ounces of cachaça, Sugar to taste and ice cubes). This tasted a bit like a Margarita. Jonathan really enjoyed it and would recommend for any margarita lover out there to give it a try.

The drink was a great start to the evening along with the house bread, which is a parmesan bread that is gluten free and delicious (these are evil little things that in Jonathan's belief are there to fill you up before the meats come, because they are so darn good when they are toasty hot that it's almost imporrislbe to stop at one of them).
In fact we found out that almost everything on the menu with one or two exceptions is gluten free which is a huge boon for the people that have to watch that.

The Salad Bar
The salad bar at Fogo is full of tasty treats. The items among our favorites were: fresh beets, salmon, asparagus, basil sauce and fresh mozzarella to list just a few of them.

The comments from the table were: The salad bar had less items then the other restaurants, but Fogo's was fresher and seemed of higher quality, and if you let yourself it would be very easy to fill yourself up there. But, whatever you do, don’t do it because if you fall to temptation and fill up on the bread and salad bar, you're missing some incredible meat.

Meatapalooza
Let the meat begin! Fogo has 15 different meats that their gaucho chefs bring to the table. We found out that the servers are also cooking the meat. So, they are very aware about each piece they serve you since they know which cut is rare, medium rare, etc. and seem to take a pride in making sure the meat is exactly the temperature you want, which I think really comes from them being the cook and server.

We also tried out some wine and if you have read the blog much you know we are not huge on wine and know very little about it and seem to gravitate to a white wine when we got a Terreza Reserva Malbec 2008, which we both liked a lot. It wasn’t an in your face strong wine and it seemed to us to go very well with the meat though. Our friend Elena thought it fought with some of the items.

We started out with Filet Mignon (which everyone agreed was the best). From there the meats moved fast and furiously. We were served: lamb chops, chicken wrapped in bacon, pork loin encrusted in parmesan cheese, sirloin and rib eye.

Also on the table are three sides: mashed potatoes, polenta and carmelized bananas. The polenta was a huge hit at our table. Our friends declared it the most moist and best that they had but for Barb and myself the caramelized bananas were the treat of the sides. Thought to be honest, I tried not to spend too much time on the sides because there was just too much wonderfully cooked tender meat to be had.

Daniel showed us a great evening and even gave us a tour of the kitchen area. It was amazing to see where the meat was cooked and to see how the gaucho chefs stay on top of their meat.

Daniel also showed us the Private Dining areas. They also have private rooms and equipment for meetings of all sizes from 8 to 130 and the cool thing about them you can have them for no charge other than the cost of the meal itself. That’s a pretty nice thing where most meetings rooms outside a public library cost an arm and a leg.

Dessert

We were all so full, but we couldn't pass up trying a few desserts (and share family style). We tried Creme Brule, Flan, Turtle Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie and their signature dessert Papaya Creme.

I think we were definitely winding down as we left dessert on the plate - except for the Flan and Creme Brule. They didn't stand a chance! Jonathan kept coming back to the Papaya cream even though he should of stopped. It had a great taste and seemed very light and just appealed to him a lot.

If you are HUNGRY and want a great dining experience, take a few friends out to Fogo De Chao, a great night will be had by all. Thanks again to Fogo De Chao for having us over to prove that our first opinion was not just a fluke! If you have any comments feel free to leave one here or email us at barb or jonathan @milehigheater.com

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

Friday Food News

2010-12-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hi

Not much news this week but here are the things that we have been told about.

DENVER CHOPHOUSE RESTAURANT & BREWERY TO HOST 15TH ANNUAL ‘MIRACLE ON 19TH STREET’ EVENT ON CHRISTMAS DAY, PROVIDING WARM MEALS FOR 2,000 HOMELESS AND IN-NEED FAMILIES IN DENVER

Who: The Denver ChopHouse Restaurant & Brewery, a division of Louisville, Colo.- and Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CraftWorks; Samaritan House, Delores Project, Denver Rescue Mission’s Champa House, Lawrence Street Shelter & The Crossing locations, Denver Children’s Home, SafeHouse Denver, Joshua Station, New Genesis, Urban Peak and Volunteers of America’s Family Motel, Theodora House & Brandon House locations; the Rock Bottom Foundation, a 501c(3), non-profit dedicated to combating hunger in the local markets around the country where CraftWorks brands operate restaurants; sponsors Shamrock Foods, Health Grades, Pepsi, Alpha Baking Company, Bank of America, Robinson Dairy, Radiant Systems, Merchant Link, NTN Buzztime, Anthem, Rocky Mountain Valet, Northwest Seafood Inc, Colorado Trailer Company, Cheer Central Suns and the local Denver community.

What: On Christmas Day, Denver ChopHouse Restaurant & Brewery employees and more than 300 volunteers will come together to provide a warm holiday meal and Christmas cheer to approximately 2,000 homeless and in-need families from Denver.

In addition to a delicious meal that is served on white linen table cloths, Santa will make an appearance to take photos with children. Attending families will receive new winter clothing, pajamas and books for all children, and the opportunity to take a professional family portrait to commemorate the day.

When: Christmas Day – Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010 at 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Photo
Opportunities: Eager volunteers serving Christmas meals to attendees; children visiting with Santa and having their photos taken; Christmas carolers strolling and singing through the event; and families taking part in professional photos to commemorate the holiday.

Where: Denver ChopHouse Restaurant & Brewery, at 19th & Wynkoop, in downtown Denver.

Why: The ChopHouse Restaurant & Brewery and Rock Bottom Foundation are dedicated to combating hunger in the local markets around the country where they operate restaurants. The Foundation is continuously active in giving back to its local communities and is especially passionate about recognizing the meaning and importance of the holiday season through providing meals and other necessities to adults and children in-need.

Frasca Food and Wine
is proud to announce an evening with

Guest Sommelier
Rajat Parr
(RN74 Restaurant, San Francisco)
(Wine Director, Michael Mina Group)
(Co-author Secrets of the Sommeliers)

and

Journalist
Jordan Mackay
(Wine and Spirits Writer, San Francisco Magazine)
(Co-author Secrets of the Sommeliers)

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

$100 per person*
*not including tax or gratuity

includes

*4 course menu
*Parr Selections wine pairings
*signed copy of Secrets of the Sommeliers

Call 303.442.6966 for reservations

Rajat Parr's profound knowledge of wines, enduring relationships with producers, and renowned tasting abilities have made him a legend in the business. Director of the wine program for the Mina Group, Parr presides over the lists at some of the country's top restaurants. In Secrets of the Sommeliers, Parr and journalist Jordan Mackay present a captivating portrait of top wine professionals and their trade.

Rajat Parr is the wine director of the 17-restaurant Mina Group, which includes properties in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington D.C. His program at the flagship restaurant in San Francisco holds a Wine Spectator Grand Award. He is also the co-owner, with Michael Mina, of RN74, in San Francisco, which was a finalist for the 2010 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

Jordan Mackay is the wine and spirits writer for San Francisco Magazine and the author of Passion for Pinot. He is a regular contributor to the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Decanter, and Chow.com

Colorado Cheese Festival

2010-12-13T08:35:00.002-07:00

Hello all,

While poor Jonathan had to work this weekend, I snuck off to the Colorado Cheesefest with our friend Elena. Lined up all around the Embassey Suites were tables full of cheese (cheese Gromit)!

Our first table was Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy out of Longmont (www.haystackgoatcheese.com). They had several types of cheese to partake of, including one of my favorites of the day which was the Buttercup. Their website describes this cheese as: Our first mixed-milk cheese combines cow milk with our goat milk to produce a butter-colored satisfying semi-hard cheese. Buttercup wheels are dipped in black wax and aged for 30-60 days.

This was one of the cheeses that I purchased today.

Elena purchased the Queso de Mano which is Haystack's first raw milk cheese, which has a robust, nutty flavor with herbal hints. It is aged for a minimum of four months.

Haystack was one of my top 3 Fromager's of the Day.

We also enjoyed Beehive Cheese Company based out of Utah. We had three cheeses to try: Barely Buzzed, Sea-Hive and Big John's Cajun.

The Barely Buzzed includes expresso and lavendar. You could definately taste the coffee in this cheese. I'm not much of a coffee drinker as you know, but mixed with the cheese flavor, I have to admit I liked it.

The Sea-Hive is rubbed with Beehive wildflower honey and Redmond RealSalt.

Big John's Cajun was hot and spicy (I don't think Jonathan could have handled it). It actually brought tears to my eyes, but the heat was good.

Another Fromager we liked was the Avalance Cheese Company. They had several cheeses to try. Such as: Chevre, Garlic and Basil Chevre Spread, Truffled Honey and Lemon Chevre Spread, Lamborn Bloomers, Midnight Blue and Cabra Blanca. Go to their website to get more details (www.avalanchecheese.com).

My favorite was the Lamborn Bloomers (which Elena and I both purchased). This cheese is so smooth and gentle. I have to say it's my favorite of the day.

Another favorite table was the Rocking W Cheese from Olathe, Colorado. Again, they had a wide assortment of cheeses to try. We tried: Farmer's Veggie, Queso Blanco, Farmer's Plain, Garlic Chive Jack, Portobello Leek Jack, Jalapeno and Tomato Basil.

My favorite here was the Farmer's Veggie. I was told it had celery, sun dried tomatoes and pepper. The rep there said this is an awesome grilled cheese sandwich.

And, this is so true. We asked our local King Soopers to get some in so we could try it, and it's now Jon's favorite cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich.

I didn't purchase anything here because you can get their cheese at King Soopers and Whole Foods. She said if your store doesn't carry them, ask and they will get it to the store.

Again, these are the tables and vendors who struck us as the best. But, you can choose for yourself by going to www.cocheesefest.com to check out all of the vendors who were at the Fest.

Thanks for stopping by our food blog. If you have any questions, please leave a note here, or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com.

Fridays food news

2010-12-10T11:17:00.004-07:00

Just a few news items that have come our way about the colorado food scene this week.

From Terrior in Longmont

Please join us this Sunday, December 12 at 5 p.m.
for our final wine dinner of 2010
featuring a sampling of champagnes from
Nicolas Feuillatte

Course 1:
Paupiette of sole with Dungeness crab and seafood crema paired with the Brut Blue Label

Course 2:
Chicken ballentine with Spanish chorizo, parsnips, and sundried tomatoes served with grilled asparagus and mango cucumber salpicon paired with the Brut Blanc de Blancs

Course 3:
Grilled swordfish with coconut risotto cake, snow peas, and blood orange beurre blanc with the Brut 2000

Course 4:
Polenta and Meyer lemon pound cake wtih strawberry mousse, whipped goat cheese, and white chocolate ganache paired with the Brut Rose

Tickets for this event are $65 excluding tax and gratuity.

_______________________________________________

Other Upcoming Events at Terroir:

Wednesday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m. Monthly Community Beer Social featuring Timmermans Strawberry and Framboise Lambic Beers and New Glarus Belgian Style Red brewed with Wisconsin cherries...tickets for this event are $25 excluding tax and gratuity

Friday, December 17 and Saturday, December 18 Spend your morning with Chef Tim Payne for an "All About Duck" Cooking Class. Classes are limited to four students and cost $65.

Friday, December 24 Open for dinner service on Christmas Eve from 4 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Closed Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25

Friday, December 31 Celebrate the New Year with us! Dinner service starting at 4 p.m. Enjoy a special five course tasting menu or order from our a la carte menu

Please call 303.651.0630 for more details or to make a reservation for any of these events. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!

Terroir Restaurant is located at:

246 Main Street
Longmont, CO 80501
Phone: 303.651.0630
Fax: 303.651.0631

This holiday season, CBR YouthConnect’s (CBRYC) latest program, Catering Connection, will be heating things up in the kitchen for a worthy cause. Catering Connection students will bake pies, breads and various desserts to donate to local community events over the holiday season.

Catering Connection students will begin the baking process a week before Christmas. CBRYC students will then deliver the baked goods to the charity events prior to Christmas day. Any Catering Connection student that remains at CBRYC over the Christmas holiday will have the opportunity to help serve up their creations.

“This is a great opportunity for our students, many of whom come from disadvantaged families, to give back to the community, share their talents and to participate in an event that brings about compassion, caring and giving to others. It is a time when the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of love, giving and sharing, becomes real in their lives,” said Martin Masar, executive director of CBR YouthConnect. “When we are given the chance to help others, to volunteer, to participate in a cause, to lend a helping hand to others, we open our hearts and minds to receive emotional rewards a hundred times greater than anything we could ever imagine. The children begin to open their hearts to such feelings as compassion, happiness, excitement, confidence, hope and love. These are tremendously powerful healing emotions that contribute to and strengthen the child’s healing journey.”

Besides donating baked good items, Catering Connection students have the chance to give back to needy students in their area. Every Thursday, “The Backpack Program,” sponsored by Care and Share Colorado and Sodexho, provides free lunches to students in the Arkansas Valley. The Catering Connection students help fill the backpacks with available food items.

Under the highly supervised guidance of trained and qualified professionals, youth involved in the Catering Connection program can learn a number of skills in the world of culinary arts, including preparing healthful meals, food safety, cooking, nutrition and employment options. Catering Connection operates as a full-service catering program serving the Arkansas Valley. The program offers CBRYC youth the opportunity to learn and participate in culinary skill building activities and customer service.

About CBR YouthConnect

CBR YouthConnect is a nationally accredited psychiatric residential treatment center. The main campus is located on a 320-acre campus near La Junta, Colo. Founded in 1959 as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, CBR is dedicated to helping youth with severe emotional and behavioral problems become healthier and more effective members of society. Boys ages 10-21 come to the main campus from throughout the nation. CBR YouthConnect also has developed Prevention Intervention and Intervention Treatment mental health outreach initiatives, which include such programs as Pawsitive Connection that serve girls as well as boys. For more information, visit www.cbryouthconnect.org.

###

The perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite foodie: EatDenver's 2011 Dining Decks are now available for $50 a pop - sold online at EatDenver.com and at Tattered Cover bookstores.

EatDenver is an association of 50+ of Denver's best locally-owned restaurants, committed to supporting and promoting the value of independent dining within the community. The Dining Deck holds 52 cards, each offering $10 off a food order of $25 or more at a participating restaurant, resulting in a possible savings of $520 if diners use all cards. The deck is good from January 1 through December 31, 2011, and includes EatDenver members such as 1515 Restaurant, Black Pearl, Dixons, Encore on Colfax, Jonesy's, Olivea, Steuben’s, Table 6 and many more. $1 from the sale of each deck will go to the local Slow Food chapter.

Download high-res images here: http://www.box.net/shared/bk6j39zsa1

Rumors...

A short but sweet glimpse behind the scenes and into happenings which are typically only shared with our most interested guests...

Gift Cards are available! Now through the end of January when you spend $100 on Gift Cards you'll receive a complimentary $25 Gift Card for yourself! We want to make your happy holidays a little happier!

We're offering a wonderful New Year's Eve prix fixe tasting dinner... Check out 'Diversions' just below- read: Dom Pérignon Champagne!

Provisions...

New Brunch Menu!

This week we unveil our new Brunch Menu. We surgically removed some fantastic dishes and replaced them with what we think is a more than fair trade. Like someone taking your backyard away and giving you a tropical beach or ski slope in return, but with eggs, bacon and biscuits...

GRITS AND SHRIMPS
Grilled Fisherman's Daughter shrimp with buttery grits, sunny egg,
Ellie’s brown ale butter sauce and bacon, jalapeño and roasted corn salsa

PIGS IN A BLANKET
Spicy breakfast sausage links, wrapped with buttermilk pancakes,
two sunny eggs and maple tree syrup

SEÑOR BISCUIT
Spicy masa biscuit filled with house chorizo paired with
soft scrambled eggs and green chili ~garden preparation available~

Libations...

New Specialty Cocktails

We have just completed our tasty new cocktail list. And boy are there some delicious new drinks to be discovered. Here are a few examples:

Orchard in the Rye
Served up with Stranahan’s Whiskey, Leopold’s Peach Whiskey,
Apricot Brandy, and Orange Bitters

Ginny’s Green Thumb
Served up with Muddled Arugula and Cucumber, Right Gin,
Lemon Juice, Sage Simple and a flicker of Drambuie

And we brought back the ever-popular...

Worm’s Wild Ride
Served on the rocks with Leopold’s Apple Whiskey, Jack Daniel's,
Cinnamon Simple, Lemon Juice and a splash of Soda

Don't forget Woodsley's Nosh & 'Tails! It's a delightful way to give these drinks a spin! 5pm until 6:30pm, Monday through Friday; featuring weekly changing tasty bites, $6 specialty cocktails, $7 selected pet wines and seasonal $4 draft specials.

2009 Ladera Howell Mountain Sauvignon Blanc Exclusive

Through our friendship with Ladera Vineyards we've acquired the only Sauvignon Blanc available in Colorado! Join us for a glass before it is gone for another year! Only 47 bottles left...

"The Ladera Sauvignon Blanc is planted in a very cool area of the Estate vineyards on Howell Mountain. It was planted in this spot because we like the crisp acidity, freshness and heightened aromatics that are inherent in cool temperature sites and it was too cold to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Petite Verdot in these blocks. Sauvignon Blanc is delicious as a grape and our goal is to preserve as much of the grape quality in the wine as is possible."

The grapes were whole cluster pressed immediately after picking, while berries were still cold. The juice was cold settled overnight and then racked to a combination of new barrels (11%), neutral barrels (5%) and stainless steel barrels (84%). The new barrels added a small amount of toast complexity. The neutral barrels give barrel fermentation character without overwhelming the wine with new wood. The stainless barrels preserve the vibrant fresh fruit aromas but still give the wine the lush mouth feel from aging with the lees. The wine was cold fermented for two weeks and aged on the lees for 5 months. 965 cases were bottled on March 16, 2010.

There are green apple, pear, grassy and melon aromas, along with the hints of vanilla from the lees contact and the small amount of new barrels. The Ladera Sauvignon Blanc palate is most characterized by the crisp acidity and the mouthwatering texture.

Diversions...

New Year's Eve Tasting Dinner

We hope you can join us for another night of wine cellar decadence. We will be serving a six course wine and champagne paired dinner for 14 of our closest friends so we can say goodbye to 2010 and ring in 2011 with good company! All concluding with a toast of Dom Pérignon Champagne!

Amuse
A fond farewell... A new beginning

First Course
Grilled diver scallop, sauce romesco, candied fennel and bacon

Domaine Giachino ~ Jaquere; Savioe, France

Second Course
Seared Hudson valley foie gras, petite minced meatless tart and tellicherry pepper essence

Castelfeder ~ Schiava; Alto Adige, Italy

Third Course
Carrot ginger soup

Selbach “incline” ~ Riesling; Mosel, Germany

Intermezzo
Lobster and champagne "risotto"

Viña Santa Maria ~ Torrontés; Mendoza, Argentina

Entrée
Assiette of milk fed veal

Il Faggio ~ Montepulciano; Abruzzo, Italy

Dessert
Chocolate savarin cake, brandy and morello cherry ice cream

Dom Pérignon ~ 2002 Vintage, "Andy Warhol Colors" Special Edition

7:30 pm, December 31, 2010

Intimate community seating in the wine cellar

$100 prix fixe; tax & gratuity included

Reservations Required... 303-777-3505

Thanks as always for stopping by!

VEGAN ACTIVISTS TO PROTEST SALE OF ENDANGERED SPECIES AT POPULAR DENVER SUSHI BAR

Critically Threatened Bluefin Tuna Still on the Menu in Colorado

5PM-8PM, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2010
SUSHI DEN
1487 SOUTH PEARL STREET, DENVER, CO 80210

DENVER- Animal activists will lead a demonstration Friday to raise awareness about bluefin tuna, an endangered species which is still served as sushi at a handful of Denver restaurants. With signs and sustainable seafood guides in hand, vegan advocates from the nonprofit Plants & Animals Denver will gather at Sushi Den at 5pm for a three-hour protest of reckless eating.

Known to aficionados as “toro” or “hon maguro,” the fatty belly meat of bluefin tuna is considered to be among the most delectable sushi options. This tastiness, however, may be the species’ downfall. Decades of overfishing, toothless regulatory quotas, black markets, and a seemingly insatiable Japanese appetite for toro have brought bluefin to the brink. With its population estimated to be 15 percent of its pre-1960 level, the World Wildlife Fund lists bluefin tuna on its top ten list of threatened species for 2010. Recent failures of the U.N. CITES conference and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or Iccat, to take any meaningful protective measure in favor of bluefin have left environmentalists and Denver animal advocates frustrated.

“At $100,000 per fish, you can understand why fishing fleets have gone to such lengths to catch and ranch these ocean titans,” says Dylon Smith of Plants & Animals Denver, a grassroots nonprofit that advocates plant-based eating as a solution to this and many other environmental and social problems. “But at some point, consumers have to realize that their support of this industry is causing real harm to our oceans.”

Friday’s demonstration will be a new step in P&A’s campaign to make Denver a bluefin-free city. According to Smith, “letter-writing, business outreach, and weekly leafleting sessions have brought minimal response from sushi bar managers, so we are reaching a new phase of our campaign, which includes this demo and a free screening of The End of the Line on December 9th.” For more information visit www.plantsanimals.org.

Tgi Friday's

2010-12-05T13:49:00.003-07:00

Hi all,

We were invited out to TGIFriday's to taste some of their new menu items. Six locations in Colorado are trying out these new dishes and with what we got to taste, I would say they are going to do very well.

We had our meal with Stacey Sepp who is with Xstatic Public Relations and Korisa Geiger who is with Philosophy Communication.

We started out with some of the new drink items. Stacey and Korisa started out with the new Seasonal Red Sangria. In the Sangria were Cabernet, Triple Sec, wild berry puree, fresh berries and fresh lemon and lime slices. The drink came out in the glass which had ice and the berries and lemon and lime slices. Along with this came a small picture of the Sangria mixture which you then poured into the glass. It was a beautiful presentation.

Jonathan tried the Smashed Berry drink. It was fresh raspberries, blueberries and lemons muddled in a glass with your choice of Jack's Daniel's or Crown Royal whiskey.

He says: I liked this alot! Probably way too complicated for me to attempt at home but this was a great tasting drink if a bit scarey, by scarey I mean you really need to be careful with this one, it would be easy to drink too much.

She says: I had a quick taste of Jonathan's drink, but for me it was too whisky-ish tasting for my taste.

Barb had the Strawberry Vanilla Mojito. It was Bacardi or 10 Cane rum, vanilla syrup, fresh strawberrie, mint and lime muddled in a tall glass and topped with club soda.

She says: Now, this was more like it. As those who visit our blog regularly know that I'm not much of a drinker, but let me tell you, I could drink this all night long. It was delicious, not too over the top, but just enough kick.

He says: I thought this was good as well but I prefer the one I had, but thats probably the whisky lover in me

We tried three of the new appetizers: Heavenly Hummus, Ahi Tuna with Avocado Crisps and Warm Pretzels with Colorado Native Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce.

We started with the Pretzels. Here's how it reads on the menu: Dunk these thick oven warmed pretzels in our creamy cheese sauce with Colorado Native beer.

He says: Fresh pretzels, beer cheese. Do I really need to say more? It was GOOOD so good you wanted to lick the sauce out of the bottom of the bowl once the pretzels were gone. If you go for nothing else stop by for a order of these!

She says: To phrase my husband on here, "YUM"! These were soooo tasty. Soft, just the right amount of salt and the dipping sauce was divine. You could eat a bowlful of the sauce alone and be very happy.

Next, we tried the Ahi Tuna. Here's the description: Blackened Ahi tuna slices on warm tortilla chips, with chunky guacamole, jalapenos, and cool veggie slivers, splashed with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette and Wasabi Ranch dressing.

He says: This one I thought was ok in general. I am not a huge fish guy and this was no exception. It was good enough for me not to dismiss and the avocado surpised me with how much I liked it, but on my own I probably would not go for it.

She says: I haven't tried avocado much and didn't really think I liked it, but I liked it in this concoction. The flavors blended beautifully. The one thing I would suggest to those who try this, is make sure you don't forget there's a jalapeno on this dish. I got that as my last bite and it was a little kick that I wasn't expecting.

Next up was the Heavenly Hummus. The menu says: A blend of garbanzo beans and sesame tahini, garnished with classic Mediterranean goodies and served with pita bread pieces.

He says: Hmmpf Hummus! That was my original thought along with ewwww, gross, and please noooooo, but decided to be a good sport and give it a try even though I knew from previous experience I would not like it. Well, I was wrong. When you got a bit of everything on that pita it was just darn yummy. I would actually order this on my own and that is saying something indeed. So, I say TRY this even you hummus haters out there (like me) you will be surprised.

She says: I've only had Hummus once before and wasn't something I would want a lot of, but let me first say the presentation on this dish was visually stunning. And, the flavors were good together. Like other dishes we talk about, you have to get a little of everything to make it work. Once you did that, the dish was more enjoyable.

Out of the appetizers, I would pick the pretzels and the Ahi Tuna again.

On to the main dishes!

We tried four different dishes: Victory Garden Pasta, Sizzling Chimmichuri Steak and Fries, Grilled Vegetable Dagwood and the Turkey Cranberry Reuben.

The Victory Garden Pasta: Spaghetti tossed with sauteed fresh broccoli, cherry tomatoes, radicchio, spinach and sugar snap peas in a lemon vegetable sauce with basil butter and parmasean.

He says: Been on a bad run with pasta lately. Not that it was bad, but it was just ok, nothing special move along nothing to see here.

She says: This was my least favorite of the dishes we tried. That's not to say that it was bad, it just wasn't up to par with the other dishes.

Sizzling Chimmichuri Steak and Fries: Tender grilled flat iron steak, with peppers and onions, grape tomatoes and a spicy Chimmichui sauce for authentic flavor served with crispy fries.

He says: Tender steak very nicely cooked and a fantastic Chimmichui sauce that I just loved, this was wonderful.

She says: This came out sizzling and smelled delicious. The meat was tender and tasty, and mixed with the peppers and onions made it a great combo.

Grilled Vegetable Dagwood: Crisp toasted pita piled high with spinach, broccoli slaw with mango chutney mayo, cucumber and tomato slices, and grilled tandoori-marinated veggies, garnished with goat cheese crumbles.

He says: Vegatarian again, another hmmpf for me (are you getting I like meat), but you know it was good, really good. I wont go so far as to say I would order it on my own, but if someone at the table did I would want a nibble. For a veggie sandwich it's hard to beat.

She says: This was a great cold sandwich. A great mixture of tastes combined with the pita made this a sandwich worth having again. This is a great vegetarian choice on the menu.

Turkey Cranberry Reuben: Rye bread with Cranberry jalapeno thousand island dressing and a generous layer of whole berry cranberry sauce to cushion smoked roast turkey, bubbly melted swiss cheese and a layer of crunch cranberry coleslaw.

He says:MMMMMMM YUMMMMMM NUM NUM NUM!! Step away from my reuben, violaters risk being bitten. Think my point may have gotten across. I REALLLLLLY liked this.

She says: I wasn't sure about this, but was pleasantly surprised by it and it actually was my favorite of the night, followed by the Chimmichuri dish. The flavors blended well together and I wanted more of this sandwich.

We tried one new dessert and one current dessert.

Berry Shortcake Sliders: Warm flaky almond biscuits topped with fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries glazed in a light strawberry syrup, with whipped cream and a dusting of powered sugar.

He says: I liked this alot. Very light enjoyable dessert with a great fresh taste. A great choice if you want something sweet but not heavy at the end.

She says: This was ok. Not great, and not bad - just ok. The talk about the table was that this would be a great brunch dessert and I think that's a good idea.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie: Chocolate ganache layered with peanut butter mousse in a peanut butter graham cracker crust. Topped with whipped cream and a peanut butter cup.

He says: Yumm! I love peanut butter and chocolate any way so no way this could go wrong. It is however very rich and probably best shared.

She says: Now, this was a great dessert. It was like a big peanut butter cup with lots of chocolate sauce to dip it in. This, I would order again.

TGIFriday's has 20 new items on their menus for you to try. They are playing with their menu to reflect the modern flavors that diners crave. They are building on fresh ingredients and bold flavors. The new dishes have freshly prepared and cooked to order items.

If you haven't been to TGIFriday's for a while, we would recommend you get there and try some of these new dishes for yourself. It's a fun night out with friends and ordering a few things and sharing them, by doing so you can try more of the new stuff or share some of your old favorites with friends.

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado food and restaurant blog. If you have any comments, please leave them here on the blog, or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com.

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

neuro

2010-11-27T15:02:00.007-07:00

Hi all,

A respresentative from Neuro contacted us to try their drink. There are seven flavors in all: neuro Sonic, neuro Trim, neuro Bliss, neuro Gasm, neuro Sleep, neuro Aqua and neuro Sport.

She dropped off bottles for us to try and this is what we have to say. First off each bottle has between 35 and 50 calories. Each bottle costs around $2.00. You can visit their site to find a store to purchase the product http://drinkneuro.com/.

Neuro Sonic
I really liked the taste of this. It was refreshing and quinched my thirst. It also gave me an energy boost. We also let a friend of ours who is a die hard energy drink person try this and he said the taste was very good and he could feel the boost of energy fairly quickly.

nuero Bliss
I had a co-worker try this one and she did not like it much as it had a chemical taste and smell to it. It did hold it's carbonation though!

neuro Trim
This one had a citrus taste to it. I don't recall much of an effect with this drink, as it was supposed to curb your appetite. Jonathan also tried this one and he likes the taste but as for the effects it claims it is really hard to say after one bottle.

neuro Gasm
Another co-worker tried this one and had the following to say:
It had a strawberry citrus flavor and I liked the lightly carbonated aspect. The carbonation isn't overpowering like it is with a lot of sodas. It also did not have a sharp aftertaste. I got quite a bit of energy from the caffeine. Jonathan tried this one as well and liked the taste as well.

neuro Sleep: Jonathan tried this one and thought the taste was ok, however, whether it was the drink or just being tired it's hard to say. He got to sleep quickly and stayed asleep that night which for him is a pretty nice thing.

neuro Sport
A co-worker's son tried this one for us and said it had an apple taste to it and that he really liked it.

All in all, we recommend trying this drink. The price is really good compared to other drinks and with these, not only do you get a low calorie count, you also get the added benefits the different varieties claim to give, and you get something that actually tastes good and you want to drink.

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado food blog. Send us any questions or comments here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com.

Things and Stuff

2010-11-26T11:00:00.002-07:00

We get sent alot of news notices about restaurant events and we have been trying to just list them once a month but it seems it may be easier to list them once a week so thats what we will be doing on Fridays if we have any news.

Chef Michael Long of Opus Restaurant and the soon-to-open ARIA is teaming up with Star Bar and New Belgium for a beer dinner Wednesday, December 1 at 7pm. $49pp++. Please call Star Bar for reservations at 720.328.2420. Menu is attached and pasted below.

Star Bar
2137 Larimer Street
Denver, CO 80205

MENU:
La Fleur Misseur / Ranger IPA
Tropical "Fish-n-Chips": Escabeche of Salmon and Mahi on Taro Chips with spicy sweet scallion sauce

Trippel / Mothership Wit
PB&J Thai Chicken: Redbird Chicken Tenders with coriander rub, Thai peanut sauce, coconut milk jelly

La Folie / Abbey
Colorado Lamb Bison Camp Stew with root vegetables and pumpkin

Dear Friends of Meadow Lark Farm Dinners,

As winter wind scours the plains with snow and farm fields are left to rest, we savor our memories of a wonderful farm dinner season. We would like to extend our warmest thanks to all who helped us celebrate Colorado's farms and farmers last summer. It was a privilege to have you at our table. And most importantly, we thank our hosts—the farmers—for welcoming us all on their farms, and for inspiring us with their dedicated work and fine harvests.

We are already making plans for our 2011 season. In the meantime, we're keeping our wood fire burning just a little longer: We are preparing for two special Meadow Lark Farm Dinner fundraisers at Cure Organic Farm.

Anne and Paul Cure have been working toward turning the old Tree House nursery shop into a farm store and community kitchen for teaching classes and preserving their harvest. Our holiday fundraiser dinners will take place inside the Tree House farm store and kitchen building, on Thursday, December 16 and Saturday, December 18, at 6:00 PM. The cost of these dinners will be $100 per person, plus tax (wine is purchased separately, as at our regular dinners). All profits from these two evenings will go toward equipment and improvements of the Tree House kitchen.

Reservations will open on Monday, November 29, at noon. Seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. We hope you can join us!

We wish you a Happy Holiday Season.

Meadow Lark Farm Dinners

We're proud to announce our
Fourth Annual White Truffle and Barolo Event

featuring

Guest Chef Michael Tusk
(Quince Restaurant, San Francisco)

MICHAEL TUSK is the renowned chef and owner of Quince, one of San Francisco's most critically acclaimed restaurants. At Quince, Michael draws inspiration for his Italian influenced cuisine from exceptional locally- sourced and seasonal ingredients-sourced and seasonal ingredients found throughout Northern California.

2010 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominee Best Chef: Pacific
2008 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominee Best Chef: Pacific
2007 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominee Best Chef: Pacific
2006 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominee Best Chef: Pacific

and

Guest Vintner Matteo Molino
(Azienda Agricola Molino, Piemonte, Italy)

MATTEO MOLINO is the winemaker of his family estate, Azienda Agricola Molino, founded in 1953. The winery is located near the ancient abbey of S. Martino di Marcenasco and includes one of the most famous cru of the Langhe, "Vigna Conca", among its vineyards. The excellent wines of Molino, based in the commune of La Morra, epitomize the supple tannins and overt, seductive fruit which
this commune is renowned for.

Monday, December 6th
6:30pm

5 courses
including wine pairings and white truffles

$550 per person*
*not including tax or gratuity

Call 303.442.6966 for reservations
Seating is limited to 45 guests

Thanks as always for stopping by our restaurant blog.

Black Cat Comes to You!

2010-11-18T12:53:00.002-07:00

Just ran across this and thought it interesting, just wish I could afford to do that for our Holiday meal :)

Black Cat to Offer Holiday Farm-to-Your-Table Private Dining Series

Who: Chef/Farmer Eric Skokan

What: Private Chef Dinner Events

Where: In your home

When: Beginning after Thanksgiving and running through January 15th

Cost: $1200 for a party of 10

Contact: (303) 444-5500

Details: Enjoy the best of Black Cat’s farm and bistro at your home. Chef/Farmer Eric Skokan of Black Cat is packing up his knives for the holiday season and heading to your home to cook. Price includes a multi-course meal for you and your friends, paired wine and full service. Space is limited and filling up quickly.

About Black Cat Farm-Table-Bistro:

Opened in 2006 in Boulder, Colorado, Black Cat is a smart, soulful farm to table bistro. Chef/Farmer Eric Skokan creates inspired dishes by employing the careful technique and preparation of local and seasonal ingredients. The restaurant’s ten-acre farm grows over 250 different fruits and vegetables and serves as an incubator for the further development of ‘Front Range’ cuisine.

For more information: www.blackcatboulder.com

Montanya Rum

2010-11-16T10:46:00.007-07:00

Hi all,

A month or so ago we went to a Rum distillery while on vacation and while this may bring up thoughts of warm weather and tropical breezes, it was actually high up in the mountains in Colorado in the town of Silverton. Yep, I know that sounds a bit odd that Colorado would have a rum distillery but it does and Montanya Rum is a great one at that (http://www.montanyadistillers.com).

We arrive up in the town of Silverton early on a cool October day looking for the Montanya Distillery. If you ever have been in Silverton it's way up there - 9300ft and the drive up to it from Ouray is nothing short of spectacular. But the town itself is not large and it really had us puzzled that we couldn't seem to find it.

Finally we pull in and the reason we missed it becomes obvious in our heads when we heard distillery (especially one that is distributed in 6 states). We expected a large operation but the distillery is actually in a fairly small building that looks as much like a house as a place that makes great run.

We are greeted by Lizzie Loyer who shows us around a bit. When you walk in the first thing you see is the big copper distilling pot where the rum is made and a bar which when walking into a distillery is a very welcome sight indeed. We are there pretty early in the morning and at the moment rum isn’t being made but the copper of Bella (what they have named the distillery pot) is still warm from last nights brewing.

The first thing we do is take a little tour. The distillery consists of three floors. Upstairs is where they keep the barrels of rum till they are readied to be bottled, which they do themselves on the little machine shown below.

The main floor is where "Bella" is and the bar where they hold nightly tastings because they want to be known as much for their mixed drinks as the rum itself. And lastly the bottom floor where the mash is made in preparation to get turned into alcohol in "Bella".

After that we talked a bit with Lizzie Loyer about the distillery and why it is located up high in the mountains in Colorado. Below I have copied a bit of information on why the rum they make is so good.

There are some compelling reasons why making rum in the mountains of Colorado just makes plain good sense.
Here are just a few:
• The main ingredient in rum, comprising 85% of the fermented wash and 60% of the final bottled product, is water. Rum comes out of the still at about 140 proof and is blended with water to be bottled at 80 proof. Now, I am not sure if you have ever been to the Caribbean, but water there is not only scarce but it is not of the highest quality. Here in Silverton, our water is crisp, clean snowmelt straight out of Silverton's own pristine Boulder Creek.

• The finest rums in the world are aged at altitude. It's true - we didn't make this up for our marketing campaign. In Guatemala at the Ron Zacapa distillery, barrels are carried up into the mountains to age because the temperature fluctuations from day to night which force more rum into and out of the barrel's oak pores. The crazy magic of the oak makes the rum more smooth and delicious. It is true that Guatemala has some nice mountains. But the San Juan mountains of Southwestern Colorado are pretty hard to beat.

• Rum is traditionally aged in American Oak casks. Caribbean and Central American rum producers import their barrels from whiskey makers in the US. We are actually closer to the source! Our barrels reach us fresh from the whiskey distillery. A fresher barrel ages tastier rum.

• Rum fermentation attracts fruit flies (and yes, even bats) en masse to the tank, and the good news is...Silverton just doesn't have any of those because of our cool temperatures and high elevation. We don't think they added any good flavors anyway.

• Making rum produces a lot of heat. Ever seen photos of Caribbean distillers working over a hot still in a full sweat? They actually have to cool their wash during fermentation to keep the yeast from dying. In our distillery, the temperature on a summer day is ideal for fermentation. On a chilly winter day, the heat from our still keeps the building in the high 60s, a fine temperature for fermentation and comfortable visitors. What better idea for a business in a chilly climate than one that produces heat as its main by-product?

• Silverton's miners have been drinking rum for 120 years, and we think they should have a source closer to home!

The process for making the rum itself takes about 7-10 days for the yeast mixed with sugercane and water to eat up the sugar and make the mash for "Bella" then get reduced from 100 gallons down to 12 gallons of rum in "Bella". Then from there to be cut with Boulder Gulch spring water and placed in the cask for aging.

Montanya makes two different types of rum, a light that’s called Platino and a dark called Oro, and both are pretty darn good and have been winning lots of rewards (if you would like to know which ones please take a look at their website). For myself, being a Scotch fan I liked the dark run better myself while Barb preferred the light.

Now we got up there pretty early in the day around 10 am and were planning to head on out of town after the tour so when we were offered a drink of the rum and a mixed drink we hesitated a bit but decided why not, we were on vacation and it seems just wrong to pass up a free drink!

What Lizzie Loyer made for us was the “Freestyle”.

The Freestyle:
Rim: Mix equal parts of Ground Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. Add Turbinado Sugar to mix for desired taste.
1oz Clove Simple Syrup
2-3 oz Montanya Oro
1 Full Lemon
Spoonful of Pineapple chunks
Muddled 4-5 Basil Leaves
Clove Simple Syrup: Make Simple Syrup- Equal Parts sugar and water- infuse cloves for one day or Toast cloves slightly then add the water and sugar to make the simple syrup

And man was it tasty. Barb the ever practical one cut me off after a sip or two because according to her I was driving. Myself I believe it was so she could have more to herself.

If you’re ever in the area stop by here at night and try out some of their drinks and see the distillery for yourself. It's pretty darn cool and the drinks are fantastic.

They are coming up with new drinks all the time and seem to be happy to share them, so take a peek at their website.

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado Denver based Restaurant/Food review and blog. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com.

Muir Glen Tomatoes

2010-11-12T13:19:00.008-07:00

Hi all,

We were invited out to Opus Restaurant in Littleton (www.opusdine.com)for a wine pairing dinner. What made it different was this was a dinner focused on one ingredient and of all things a premium organic canned tomato. Yeah, canned tomato’s being used as a centerpiece for a high end meal with wine pairings. The whole idea seemed a bit odd but we were definately intrigued.

So, we geared up and headed out to Littleton not really knowing what to expect. We were greeted at the bar with Bloody Mary's made out of one the brands of tomatoes called Meridian Ruby. And,to go along with it crostini and cheese with Muir Glen Tomatoes. Now I have to be honest here I am not a huge Bloody Mary fan so my opinion here should be taken with a large grain of salt but these tasted pretty good and you could defiantly taste the tomato in it.

Next, we made it out to the table when Chef Michael Long came out and talked a bit about the meal, and why he was participating in the Muir Glen Tomato Event. What I really came away with was that as far as canned vegetables (yes I know tomatoes are a fruit but they do get treated like veggie a lot) the only one he would use in the kitchen would be a tomato as long as it was a very good one. His family has a farm that raises tomatos back east so he is fairly knowledgeable about them. He also had a chance to actually harvest some of the tomatoes that Muir Glen uses and said they had a better taste and were much juicier than most commercially grown tomatoes and of course Muir Glen are all organically grown.

After Chef Long spoke a bit, the Muir Glen represenitive chatted with us a bit and passed out some information. I actually found it interesting so I will go ahead and pass it along to you.

Just as many Napa Valley wineries bottle both their house wine and a special Reserve line that gets a bit more attention, Muir Glen also harvests and cans a very limited run of Reserve Tomatoes each year. Muir Glen started producing the annual Reserve Tomatoes in 2008 and is excited about this new tradition they’ve begun.

Grown exclusively for Muir Glen in Yolo County, Calif., under certified organic practices, the 2010 Reserve Tomatoes are hand-harvested at the peak of ripeness to guarantee exceptional quality and taste, going from vine to can in eight hours. The unique Meridian Ruby™ variety was chosen as the 2010 Muir Glen Reserve Tomato for its deep red color and delectable tomato flavor. Meridian Ruby is offered in two varieties: Meridian Ruby Diced Tomatoes and Meridian Ruby Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. The fire roasted tomatoes are grilled and smoked over a proprietary blend of hardwoods to add the smoky depth that foodies and home cooks alike have come to expect from Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes.

Now came the food which was mostly prepared by Chef Shaun who is now the Head Chef at Opus.

Course 1: Fire Roasted Tomato Shrimp Bisque with Fresh basil and Mozzarella Crouton. Pared with a 2006 Gunderloch (Gewurztraminer) wine.

He says: By far my favorite dish of the night - this was just killer. From the incredible taste of the bisque which was not really heavy and creamy like you would expect to the wonderful Crouton and shrimp MAJOR YUM. The wine also was a hit and enhanced the Bisque which for me to be honest doesn’t happen all that often with wine pairings.

I am pretty glad this was my favorite because it is one of the recipes that comes with the box of the Muir Glen Tomato’s so I got a copy of it and can't wait to try it at home. The whole recipe looks pretty easy, even for me.

She says: The Shrimp Bisque was a wonderful start to the evening and is also my favorite of the night. It was smooth and warm (on a cold November night) and the flavor combinations combined into a sweet bite when getting a little shrimp, the bisque and the mozzarella crouton. I also liked the wine (which if you've read our blog before know that I am very picky when it comes to wine - so that's a high compliment coming from me).

Second Course was An “Italian Tamale”. Handmade Italian Sausage and Fennel stuffing roasted in a Corn Husk over Soft Polenta and Meridian Ruby Tomato Sauce and Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Cheese from Fruition Farms. This was paired with a 2007 “Langhe” Nebbiolo.

He Says: I liked this ok but it was not a stand out. It really had a good solid taste and I enjoyed the over all flavors but not something that really shines. The wine also was ok but I am not a big red wine fan so I would say just ok.

She says: I agree with Jonathan's assessment. This was ok, but not one for the memory books. The sausage was good, but wasn't memorable. The polenta though was very good and I would have liked more of it. The wine was ok, again, I'm not a wine fan, and definately prefer white over red.

The Dessert was an Olive Oil Cake with Basil Crema and Muir Glen Tomato Sorbet. Paired with “Nivole” Michele Chiarlo.

He Says: Yep, you read that right: Tomato Sorbet! I read this and kind of shuddered. I mean come on, a tomato freaking ice cream - that’s just wrong. I do give tons of props to the kitchen for sticking with the tasting theme and doing a tomato based dessert. That being said this was a hard one to pull off and to some extent it worked. If you got just a little bit of sorbet along with the cake and Basil Creama it was very tasty and had a nice fresh taste with a hint of the tomatoes sweetness. However, if you got even a bit too much sorbet it was like a slap to your mouth as it was inundated with tomato so much so it tasted like biting into a whole semi frozen tomato, which can be good some times but not in a desert.

She says: Intriguing. Tomato Sorbet was not what I was expecting and had no idea what an Olive Oil cake would taste like. Again, I have to agree with Jonathan. If you got the right proportions, this was an ok dish, but get more than the other and it was sweet cold tomato time. And, I'm not a eat a tomato slice kind of girl. The Olive Oil cake was nice, but needed the kick of something other than tomato.

After the dinner we were giving a box that contained 1 can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Meridan Ruby Tomatos, 1 can of the diced, one can of tomato paste and one can of dices fire roasted with chipolte peppers to take home. I am looking forward to making a batch of Chili soon with these. If you want to give them a try for yourself they only sell the handpicked premium ones a few months each year starting today. The cost for the 4 pack (including a recipe book with that killer Bisque in it among others) costs $8.00 with free shipping and you can get them at http://www.muirglen.com/ seems like a pretty darn good deal for tomatoes of this quality.

After the dinner we asked Chef Long a few quick questions about the event

1. Why did you choose to participate in the Muir Glen event?
To be perfectly honest Muir Glen choose myself...I had a recipe published in Cooking Light Magazine where I specified the use of Muir Glen organic tomatoes and they noticed it....because I and the other chefs are not paid there is a certain legitimacy to our sponsorship.

2. A lot of restaurants are preaching farm to table, why choose to use a canned tomato?
Two reasons: One, it is a way to great tomato flavors in the winter! I would not use them say in a caprese salad, but I personally have no problem capturing the harvest and using them in soup, toppings, sauces, stews etc. Second, tradition: while not a venerated ingredient like say truffles, honey, verjus, etc...there is a tradition of using canned tomatoes for fine cuisine since canning was invented....you can say the same about canned peas or beets for example.

3. The Tomato Sorbet was a really daring dessert choice why did you decide to go with a tomato dessert for the meal instead of sticking with more traditional tomato based meal items?
I must say that is an example of my personal commitment to exploring cuisine...the try and let people experience the different and unexpected.

4. Can you tell us a bit about your new restaurant you will be opening soon in Cherry Creek?
The restaurant will be called Aria and will feature fun and creative dishes in a slighly less formal setting than Opus. We hope to open before the New Year.

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado based Restaurant and Food Review and Blog. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a comment here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

Argyll: Highs and Lows

2010-11-06T10:27:00.012-07:00

Hi all thanks for stopping by www.milehigheater.com

We dined recently at Argyll: A Gastro Pub in Downtown Cherry Creek. We found out about the Argyll when we attended the Cherry Creek Food and Wine Festival this summer. So, we took a couple of friends to expand our palette.
The Argyll’s food is based on English pub style food, but raising the bar a bit (not to dis pub food).

Sadly due a camera mishap the first few items we dont have pictures for.

They do their own House Made Charcuterie Selections, which is in house curing of meat. We chose the Rabbit Rillette, Gruyere, and Colorado purple onion jam.

She Says: As you know, I love rabbit. And this rabbit was nice and smooth and delicious. Paring it with the Gouda and the red onion and bread was a nice bite. I could have had more and been very happy.

He Says: This is one of the highs. It tasted really good and the combination of the Rillette, cheese and the red onion was just fantastic. I could have done a whole meal of this. If you end up going, they have a list they give you of several different Charcuteries cheeses and “sauces” that you mix and match you should SO try it.

Jonathan ordered one of the drinks of the day and one of our friends ordered one of the others and of course we all shared They were

He says: The lemonade drink was very tart which I found refreshing and good over all, but if you like sweet lemonade you would want to steer clear. The one I ordered was basically a mulled wine and I was very, very happy with it. It was one of those drinks that makes you want to curl up next to a fire sipping this and settle down to read a nice book.

The second appetizer we tried was a traditional Scotch egg.

He says: Well here is where the pendulum swings down. The egg was very well cooked but the overall flavor was extremely greasy and this may be a case of high expectations (the last one I had was YUM). This one was just not. In fact, I was the only one at the table who wanted a second bite.
She says: I didn’t even have a first bite after everyone else gave their opinion, so I was spared.

They also have a house chip they serve before your meal which was made with malt vinegar gastrique reduction and dried thyme and parsley.

Oh OHH I liked these alot at first I could not figure out what the dark thick sauce was on the chips but I knew I loved the taste. These were such a winner and would be great to just munch on while you are enjoying a drink.

Onto the menu!

Barb had the Confit Chicken Pot Pie - Confit Chicken, Bechamel, Carrots, Parsnips, Potatoes, Celery, Leeks & Pie Crust

She says: I have to admit first, that Jonathan makes a mean pot pie from his Gran’s recipe. And I ask him to make it a lot. But, if I were closer to the Argyll I might have to stop in there more often. It was creamy, with the right amount of ingredients. The crust was beautifully made and melted in your mouth.

He says: This was good; ok yeah no disrespect Gran but this may be better than yours (but not much really). If you like a pot pie you can’t go wrong with this, it is very creamy and the vegetables and meat inside are about as perfect as you can get. As far as a traditional pot pie goes I don’t think you can get much better.

Jonathan had the daily special which was House cured Duck Confit with Parpadelli Pasta, Carrot Puree Cream Sauce, Colorado Peaches, Chives and Chantrelle Mushrooms.

She says: You know how much I love duck, but it seemed to be missing from the dish. The noodles were good, but it just felt incomplete somehow. I was high hopes for this dish, but was let down.

He says: Ok when the server read this I got more and more excited hearing about it. Peaches, duck, and Fruition Farms Ricotta, so of course I had to try it and I was expecting something special. What I got was a bowl of noodles with a little sauce but not enough to keep the whole thing from being a bit stuck together and seeming a bit dry. The flavor was actually good however the duck was almost nonexistent and if there were peaches or even a hint of peach flavor there I know I never tasted it. Overall, with this dish I thought I had been promised a Lexus and got a K-car.

Our friends had:
Sea Bass: Herbed Sea Bass, Goat Cheese & Tarragon Gnocchi, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Chioga Beets

She Says: She says: The sea bass was thick and delicious, and eaten with the gnocchi and beet became a taste sensation in your mouth.

He Says: The fish was good, well cooked but really nothing all that special. However, the vegetables that surrounded the fish were just wonderful. Had this been a vegetable dish not a fish dish I would of raved about it as it the vegetables were good enough to still make it a overall enjoyable dish.

And Hickory Smoked Venison: Smoked Venison Flank, Roasted Tomatoes, Colorouge Cheese Fondue, Anson Mills Grits

She says: The venison had great flavor and was tender and delicious. But I only had a small bite as I was loving my pot pie.

He Says: Hmmpff! Leave Barb to give a one sentence description to one of the best things in the meal: The venison was perfectly cooked and tender with a flavor that made me want to steal it outright from Elena (but no way she would of given it up for my noodles darn it).

We also all shared a small portion of their award winning Argyll Shrimp MacCheese: Mini-Rigatoni w/ 5 Cheese Sauce, Braised Shallots, Oyster Mushrooms, Bacon, Peas, Parmesan Breadcrumbs & Prawns

She says: This was a smart choice as we could all have a bit, but not get too overloaded, because it would have been so easy to eat the whole bowl and order another. I can see why it’s won awards!

He says: Wow this is not the Mac and cheese I grew up with. It was so rich and creamy that it just made you smile when you took a bite. But be warned when I say “so rich”. I should say SOOO RICH! If you order a full portion of this you had darn better be hungry because each bite just coats your stomach with its creamy cheesy shrimpy goodness.

Considering the entire meal even if not everything was a hit, enough of it was to make it a place worth visiting. Even if they do hit a few foul balls, when they get it right it goes all the way.

Thanks as always for stopping by our Denver/Colorado based restaurant and food review/blog. If you have any questions of comments feel free to leave a comment here or email us at jonathan or barb @ milehigheater.com

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

Dunkin' Donuts Coffee

2010-11-02T08:56:00.014-07:00

Hello all,

For the Holiday season Dunkin Donuts is producing three new coffees and luckily for us they sent some for us to sample. With that said, Jonathan and I really are not coffee drinkers. I like an occasional cup here and there, and I love the smell of coffee, but I just don't drink it regularly.

So, we took the bags to work with us and had our co-workers try it out. And, here is what they had to say about it.

We received 3 different flavors: Mint Mocha, Vanilla Nut and Pumpkin Spice.

One co-worker said: She liked the vanilla nut as a all day coffee, it had subtle hints of vanilla.

She did not care for the pumpkin as she said it tasted way too heavy of nutmeg for her taste and she did like the mint but felt it was definately a dessert coffee.

Another co-worker said: The mint was very good and would be perfect with any dessert or for an afternoon pick me up.

The pumpkin spice smelled wonderful but the flavor wasn’t true pumpkin spice in my opinion. It tasted very strong and dark to me, like a “first thing in the morning with a bran muffin” sort of drink.

It looks like for the most part people liked them and if you would like to give them a try take a look in your grocery store, they are on the shelves already!

Thanks for stopping by our blog. If you have any questions, you can email us at jonathan or barbara@milehigheater.com.

Whats Going on in November 2010

2010-11-01T11:49:00.012-07:00

Hi all,

It’s hard to believe November is here already. This is the week I put down a list of things we have heard of that are happening in November. I will add to it as the month goes on and we hear of more things. Next week we are heading out to Cholon Bistro to give them a try. If you ever want to join us, drop us a line and we will let you know the particulars.

Also wanted to add quickly, after a couple of our Vegan readers tried out the black cats tasting menu and told us how much they enjoyed it ( www.blackcatboulder.com ) I talked to Chef Eric Skokan briefly and he passed on a little information about how the farm had done this year
" Here's the update on the farm: we've expanded to seventy acres and moved onto the farm which is on 75th and Valmont. Our first animals we've raised are making their way onto the menu: duck and pork come from our farm! The pork is amazing. It is the best I've tasted, bar none. We built a second root cellar at the farm, much bigger than the first. We are starting to pack it with produce. 5,000 pounds of potatoes, 10,000 pounds of carrots"

All I can say is wow the farm has gone a long way from the little vegtable garden I saw a few years back and I think Barb and I may be due to head back over to the Black Cat one of these days to try out that pork Chef Skokan is raving about.

This month in Restaurant Special Events:

Newly added 11/15 Frasca
Monday, November 15th
Jamie Adams of the Sorting Table presents the wines of Castello di Ama, Tuscany, Italy

You could make the argument that Castello di Ama is the greatest producer of Sangiovese in Chianti Classico. The wines, made from impeccably farmed vineyards, at high altitude near the village of Gaiole, are always seriously complex and concentrated. Not to mention sought after, with demand always outstripping supply.

$45 per person for a 4 course menu (not including optional wine pairings)

Wednesday, November 17th
Guest Chef Event with Chef Michael Chiarello-only a few seats left!!

If you're a Top Chef Masters Season 2 fan, this is an event you won't want to miss! Come meet Chef Michael Chiarello of Bottega in Napa Valley as he prepares a 4 course menu from his new cookbook, Bottega. He's also bringing his Chiarello Family Vineyard wines to pair with his menu. There are only a few seats left, so call now to book your reservation!

$160 per person includes a 4 course menu, wine pairings, signed copy of Bottega cookbook and a NapaStyle parting gift! Does not include tax or gratuity.

Monday, November 22nd
Rico Thompson of Baroness Wines presents the wines of Cordero di Montezemolo, Piemonte, Italy

Barolo specialist Rico Thompson, of Baroness Imports, joins us to pour an all red flight from Cordero di Montezemolo. Based in the commune of La Morra, the wines of Cordero di Montezemolo show the suppler tannins and approachability that characterize the village. We will pour the single vineyard Barolo Monfalletto, Barbera and Dolcetto.

$45 per person for a 4 course menu (not including optional wine pairings)

Monday, November 29th
Chiara Leonini presents the wines of Felsina, Tuscany, Italy

Chiara Leonini, winemaker at the legendary Fattoria Felsina, ofsingle vineyard Cru Rancia, and Fontalloro fame, joins us. The winery is located just north-east of Siena in Castenuovo-Berardenga, at relatively low altitude. This warmer micro climate produces richly fruited Sangiovese, with a softer acid structure than some of its more highly situated neighbors. We will pour Fontalloro and Rancia.

$45 per person for a 4 course menu (not including optional wine pairings)

To Make Reservations
Please Call 303.442.6966

Newly added: Restaurant Kelly Liken:

RESTAURANT KELLY LIKEN LAUNCHES “BITES AND FLIGHTS NIGHT,”

EVERY TUESDAY, STARTING NOVEMBER 9 THROUGH DECEMBER 20, 2010

Diners are invited to enlighten their palate with unconventional pairings featuring hand-selected American and French wines, award-winning seasonal cocktails, and micro brews

WHAT: From Tuesday, November 9 through December 20, 2010, Restaurant Kelly Liken announces “Bites and Flights Night” offered every Tuesday at the bar. Owned by celebrated Chef Kelly Liken along with her husband and Wine Director Rick Colomitz, Restaurant Kelly Liken, is located within the world-class ski resort town of Vail, CO. and features seasonally inspired American cuisine with a strong emphasis on locally sourced Colorado ingredients and products. Available every Tuesday from opening until 7 p.m., the menu will change based on what is available and in season featuring side-by-side pairings of wine, cocktail, and beer flights along with canapés of Chef Liken’s extraordinary culinary offerings that bring the essence of the Colorado Rocky Mountain flavors to the palate.

‘Bites and Flights Night’ allows Kelly and I to really experiment with unexpected or contrasting pairings,” says Colomitz. “It brings the culinary experience to a whole other level especially when we are pairing with wine, Kelly’s amazing cocktails, or micro brews.”

The “Bites” menu will change weekly and will include canapés of a trio of items thoughtfully prepared by Chef Liken as influenced by the notes of the wines, nuances of a seasonal cocktail, or by a heartier micro brew. Examples of bites will include a Roasted Beet and Herbed Goat Cheese with Crispy Katifi, Grilled Gulf Shrimp with Citrus Dressed Water Cress and Shaved Macadamia Nuts, and Seared Duck Breast and Duck Confit with Arugula Hazelnut Vinaigrette paired with “The Wine Flight:” 2007 William Fevre “Champs Royaux” Chablis, 2008 Alphonse Mellot “La Moussiere” Sancerre, and a 2005 Clos Des Moielles, Cote de Bourg.

Beer and wine flights will include True Blond Ale-Ska Brewing, Amber Ale-Crazy Mountain, and India Pale Ale from Avery Brewing and “The California Collection” wine flight. Chef Liken’s award-winning seasonal hand-crafted cocktail flights will be showcased on the menu featuring seasonal martinis such as, High Altitude Beet, Pumpkin, and Pear Pleaser, and cocktails inspired by specific eras such as flights of the 30s or 60s.

WHEN: Every Tuesday starting, November 9 through December 20, 2010

Opening until 7:00 p.m.

Seating is limited. Please call the restaurant for further information.

COST: $25 per person including pre-selected flights of wine, cocktails, or beers

“Bite and Flight” pairings will change weekly

WHERE: Restaurant Kelly Liken

(At the bar)

12 Vail Road

Vail, CO. 81657

970.479.0175

Frasca: Frasca Food and Wine is now re-open!

To help celebrate our re-opening, we've invited award winning
Chef Michael Chiarello
of Bottega in Napa Valley to join us for a Guest Chef Event.

Come meet Chef Chiarello on Wednesday, November 17th
as he prepares a 4-course menu from his new cookbook BOTTEGA
Wine pairings by Chiarello Family Vineyards.

You'll leave smiling with a signed cookbook and a NapaStyle gift.
Seating is limited so call now for reservations
303.442.6966

Terroir in Longmont: Please join Executive Chef Tim Payne
this Friday or Saturday morning, November 5 or 6, from 9 a.m. until 12 noon
for a Holiday Cooking Class.
Learn new takes on classic holiday dishes as well as how to brine your Thanksgiving turkey.

Classes are limited to four students to allow for a unique, hands-on experience. Classes cost $65 and include a $10 gift certificate to Terroir as well as lunch. Please call 303.651.0630 to make your reservation.

Other Upcoming Cooking Classes:

Saturday, November 27: "North African and Middle Eastern Cooking"

Russian River Valley Wine Dinner

Course 1:
Crab, shrimp, and lobster cake with celery root remoulade paired with the Fieldstone Sauvignon Blanc

Course 2:
Salad of Aspen Moon Farm red butterhead lettuce, warm brie, roasted shallots, shaved Toohey Farm hakurai turnips, watermelon radishes, focaccia croutons, and citrus vinaigrette paired with the Branham Russian River Chardonnay

Course 3:
Monkfish bourgogne with smoked salmon and potato puree paired with the Kokomo Russian River Pinot Noir

Course 4:
Duck confit served over sweet potato gnocchi with grilled apples and pecan butter paired with the Baker Lane Ramondo Vineyard Pinot Noir

Course 5:
Raspberry upside down cake with spiced pistachios and raspberry coulis paired with the J Vineyards Brut Rose

Tickets for this event are $55 per person excluding tax and gratuity.

_________________________________________

Other Upcoming Cooking Classes:

Saturday, November 27: "North African and Middle Eastern Cooking"

Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4: "All About Lamb"

Friday, December 17 and Saturday, December 18: "All About Duck"

This month in food/ wine festivals and events:
First and foremost:
A LOCAL CELEBRATION OF WORLD CLASS DINING
First Bite Boulder is an annual event highlighting Boulder’s dining scene. For one full week, more than 40 of Boulder’s top restaurants will offer a special three course $26 prix fixe dinner menu to the community.
The week celebrates Boulder's exceptional dining community and will help bring our well-deserved reputation into the national spotlight. We invite you to join us as we celebrate the establishments that make Boulder the culinary destination it is.
This year's event: November 12-20, 2010
http://www.firstbiteboulder.com/

This is a great time to try out that restaurant you have been dying to try!

November 18th!
http://www.celebritycheftour.com/events/denver.html

Also a James Beard Dinner which looks like it could be really good.
HOST VENUE - Osteria Marco

Osteria Marco, named for the youngest Bonanno son, opened its doors just in time to celebrate Marco's fourth birthday in October, 2007. Chef-proprietor Frank Bonanno wanted to complement his highly successful high-end Italian eatery, Luca d'Italia (named for the older Bonanno boy) by offering a little brother—a more playful version of Luca d'Italia, but with the same artisan spirit and impeccable service.

Wide striped black and white awnings greet passersby as both a tribute to the original grocer's shop that stood at 1453 Larimer in the 1880's and as a nod to the traditional bold butchers' cloth. Pigs—in metal on the street and in canvas as within the osteria—were crafted by Denver artist Quang Ho and ironsmith Michael Mancerella, not only as additional tribute to the butcher (and the wares found within Osteria Marco) but to bring luck and good fortune to all who enter.

With our classic hand-tossed Italian pizza, extensive and accessible wine selection, house crafted meats and cheeses, and rustic elegance—Marco carries on the tradition of a classic osteria—a place where an upscale chef might flip a few pizzas; where great food, fabulous wine, and laughing friends connect to experience the Italian table.

GUEST CELEBRITY CHEF - Matt Selby
RESTAURANT - Vesta Dipping Grill and Steuben's, Denver CO

Matt Selby is the community driven chef behind the critically acclaimed restaurants Vesta Dipping Grill and Steuben's Food Service in Denver, Colorado. One of Denver's few native chefs, Chef Selby has been at the helm at Vesta since 1997. Over the past ten years, Vesta has consistently been named one of Denver's "Ten Best Restaurants" helping to launch Matty's reputation as one of Denver's top chefs while he was still in his twenties. Steuben's, while only one year old, has been named "Best New Restaurant", and made its debut on the "top ten" lists as well. At twenty-two years old, most cooks aren't ready to supervise themselves, never mind a kitchen full of cooks. Now, at age 32, after nine years as Executive Chef, Matt Selby has done his part to put Denver and Vesta Dipping Grill on the culinary map.

Born and raised in Denver, Selby's kitchen odyssey began by serving up burgers and cheese sticks in Bennigan's kitchens. After a five year stint at Bennigan's, Matty got the first big opportunity to work under two of his greatest influences, Tim Anderson, and Jimmy Schmidt at The Rattlesnake Grill in Denver. It was here that Matty chose to dedicate his professional life to food. In 1995, with Anderson and Schmidt, Matty participated in City Meals on Wheels in New York City. This was a dream come true meeting of some of the best chefs in the country, before the term "celebrity chef" ever existed.

Vesta Dipping Grill offers a unique concept with a special kind of menu freedom that has allowed Matty to be whimsical, creative, and worldly all at the same time. After only a year in business, Vesta was receiving incredible reviews, and Matty's reputation as one of Denver's best new chefs was growing. And the raves just kept coming: Best Chef in Denver, Denver's Top Ten Restaurants, Best Dessert, Best Appetizer, Best Cheese Plate, Best Duck, Best Place for a First Date, Best Place for Groups, Most Romantic, and the list goes on. Vesta has been noted in the New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, The Washington Post, Travel and Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Maxim (the most respected of food magazines). Recently Vesta was featured on The Food Network's Unwrapped, and Rachel Ray's Tasty Travels. In her magazine Rachel Ray claimed Matty is "going to be a rock star." Perhaps one of the most gratifying highlights in Matty's career was an invitation to represent Denver at the James Beard House in New York City in 2005.

Matty could be the only chef in Denver that has remained in the same kitchen for nine years. His loyalty to Vesta and his continued desire to make it better has allowed Vesta to remain one of Denver's best restaurants year after year. Finally, in June of 2006, Matty took on another challenge by opening Steuben's, with the team and partnership he had built at Vesta Dipping Grill. While Vesta allows Matty to cook with his mind, Steuben's regional American and comfort menu has allowed Matty to get back to his roots and cook with his heart. After only two months Steuben's has been called "retro fabulous", "the hottest new joint in town", and recognized by the New York Times as "where to eat now."

Matty regularly contributes his time to a variety of local charity work including Vesta's annual "Small Plates For The Spot", Co-Chairing Culinary Conversations for the Liver Foundation, Too Many Chefs in the Kitchen (Children's Hospital), nine years in a row of Share Our Strengths Taste of the Nation, Chef's Out Front Operation Front Line, Dining out for Life, and numerous local art openings. Matty teaches regularly at The Seasoned Chef, and Mise en Place cooking schools. He has broadened his horizons with stages at Chez Panisse, An American Place, Goodfellows, and Gramercy Tavern.

GUEST CELEBRITY CHEF - Alex Seidel
RESTAURANT - Fruition, Denver CO

Alex Seidel, now Chef/Owner of Fruition Restaurant, began his career in the kitchen at age 14 in his home state of Wisconsin. From there, he quickly moved from the line to Sous Chef of Main Street Bistro by age 20. Inspired by food at a young age, Seidel studied at Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, graduating at the top of his class. After graduation, he wanted to move to the California coast and work with the best chefs, local produce, and bounties from the nearby waters. He found his way at Hubert Keller's Club XIX at the prestigious Pebble Beach Resort, along with some of the state's finest kitchens. He went on to become Sous Chef at Antione Michelle and Chef at Carmel Valley Ranch both in Carmel, California. From there, he left the coast for the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

After a spontaneous trip to the Vail Valley, Alex fell in love with the strikingly beautiful natural setting and quality of life in a mountain town. He found a home as the Chef De Cuisine in one of Colorado's most renowned establishments, Sweet Basil in Vail, Colorado. Keeping his roots in Vail, Alex's thirst for culinary knowledge and experience took him to France, Italy and Morocco, where he experienced first hand the foods that formed his foundation in French cooking techniques. Following his first love (wife Melissa), Alex moved to Denver and became the Executive Chef at Mizuna. There he stayed for four years compiling the necessary ingredients (Vision, Hard Work and Ethics) needed to grow and understand what it takes to become a successful restaurateur.

Seidel opened his first restaurant, "Fruition," in the historical 7th Avenue district tucked between downtown Denver and Cherry Creek. Fruition quickly became popular with a 31/2 star rating in the Denver Post. In June of 2007, Gourmet Magazine featured Alex's new eatery, noting, "Fruition has opened a whole new chapter for Denver." The next month, Denver's 5280 Magazine rated Fruition with four stars. "Spectacular technique, innovation and precision define this dining destination that is destined to become a superstar in the metro area". Gayot.com rated Fruition as one of the top 10 new restaurants in the U.S. for 2007, along with World-renowned Chefs such as Gordon Ramsey, David Burke and Michel Richard. Zagat Guide has honored Fruition by rating the food the highest in the state. Recently, Seidel was recognized by the James Beard Foundation via an invitation to cook for the 20th Anniversary "Dinners across America."

Honored by his success and recognition from the national media, Alex's focus remains on the quality and consistency of his food and the ultimate dining experience for Fruition's patrons.

GUEST CELEBRITY CHEF - Michael Ginor
RESTAURANT - Hudson Valley Foie Gras and Lola - Great Neck NY

Michael Aeyal Ginor is co-founder and Chef of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, the most comprehensive Foie Gras producer in the world. Michael, with his partner Izzy Yanay, modernized the ancient delicacy known to Pharos and kings by utilizing the hi-tech and scientifically advanced production techniques of the twentieth century. Production is now a unified, controlled and consistent operation based on nature, nurture, and technology. It is a closed, independent production system where the duck and the egg both come first!

Michael was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1963. He is a graduate of Brandeis University and studied for an MBA at New York University. After four years on Wall Street as a Senior Vice-President with David Lerner Associates he decided to take a revolutionary step: having been born to Israeli expatriates living in America, in 1988 Michael joined the Israeli Defense Forces. He served as a patrol-commanding Captain in the Gaza Strip and as the Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson. It was in Israel that Michael first discovered the potential of modern-age Foie Gras processing. Michael pursued his dream by establishing what is today the major Foie Gras producer in the United States. The company distributes its moulard duck products through a network of distributors extending throughout the United States, and beyond.

HVFG has received the 1993 Gold Merit Award from Chefs in America and the 1996 Award for Excellence from The James Beard Foundation. In 1996, HVFG received the Five Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences and the 1998 Award of Excellence from the American Tasting Institute. Michael has served as Honorary Event Chairman for the Spinazzola Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Fund. In May 1996, Michael received the first Olive Branch Award from the Jewish National Fund for humanitarian and professional achievements. He was honored with the 1997 Angel Award from The James Beard Foundation for dedication, contribution and foresight and in 1998, Michael received the American Master Taster Award from the American Tasting Institute. Both Michael and Izzy Yanay were inducted into the James Beard Foundation Who's Who of Food and Beverage.

While HVFG is the bedrock of Michael's pursuits, since 1990, Michael has dedicated his time to the many facets of the culinary world, including product development, creating and organizing gourmet and charitable events, workshops and demonstrations. Thus, Hudson Valley Foie Gras is committed to and is associated with: The James Beard Foundation, where Michael serves as a member of the National advisory Board, The Culinary Institute of America, New England Culinary Institute, Meals on Wheels, Share Our Strength, The Robert Mondavi Master Chefs Program, The Television Food Network, The Masters of Food and Wine, The St. Mortiz Food & Wine Festival, Singapore World Gourmet Summit, and the Bangkok World Gourmet Festival among numerous others.

Michael is also founder of Culinary Brainwaves which consults to the gourmet food industry. He has worked with Rio Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas; Hyatt International; The Regent Group; The Four Seasons Group; Shangri-La Sheraton International; Inter-Continental and the Disney Corporation. He inaugurated the Food and Wine Festivals for Club-Med International.

Michael organizes culinary events and festivals worldwide. By bringing together celebrated American chefs and local chefs, Michael helps to create an intercultural culinary exchange program, which introduces American ingredients and techniques to world markets. Such events have been organized in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Great Britain, Finland, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Michael is a food and travel contributor to such stellar publications as Food Arts Magazine; The James Beard Magazine; Art Culinaire; Coffee & Cuisine; Singapore's Cuisine Scene and Great Britain's Great Hospitality. His cookbook, the internationally acclaimed Foie Gras…A Passion, is a comprehensive reference book accompanied by 84 recipes, received the prestigious 1999 Prix la Mazille for best international cookbook of the year from the International Cookbook Revue in Versailles.

Michael, along with Chef Ken Oringer launched Boston's La Verdad, a casual Mexican Taqueria and restaurant, which has already been awarded "The Best Casual Mexican Restaurant in the US" by Bon Appetit Magazine and "One of the best 100 Restaurant in the US" by Food and Wine Magazine. In July 2007 Michael opened TLV in Great Neck, NY, a Mediterranean restaurant which is garnishing critical acclaim and has received three stars from Newsday – "An oasis of serious food…. by culinary luminary Michael Ginor" as well as "best new restaurant (Long Island) 2008'. It received a Zagat "most notabl" distinguish in 2009. In September 2009 Michael opened "Lola", a new personal cuisine restaurant, also in Great Neck, NY. Lola is already being hailed as one of Long Island's best restaurants.

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado restaurant review and food blog. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here or email us at jonathan or barbara @milehigheater.com

News bits

2010-10-26T12:29:00.002-07:00

Hi all

Running a bit late on our weekly posting due to a few life issues. We will have a post up tommorow about our trip to Fruition farm. I Also wanted to say if any would like to join us at one of outings to a restaurant just drop us a line. Next month we are heading out to Cholon Bistro.

Here is a press release we were sent thought we would pass it along.

ROCK BOTTOM SERVERS TO DONATE 100% OF TIPS FOR DENVER’S HOMELESS COMMUNITY!

(Denver, CO) October 21, 2010 – Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, located at 16th & Curtis in downtown Denver, will be hosting a DAY OF TIPS on Thursday, November 4, 2010. Tipped employees will be donating 100% of their tips from their shift to Rock Bottom’s Thanksgiving Gathering!

DAY OF TIPS will take place all day on Thursday, November 4th. Guests can dine for a great cause – helping to feed individuals and families in Denver’s homeless community! “We look forward to this event all year long and we work all year long to make sure the Gathering is a special day to for our guests.”, says Melanie Keller, General Manager for the downtown Denver Rock Bottom.

In addition to the DAY OF TIPS taking place, Rock Bottom will also be celebrating 19 years of Cheers that night! Their Anniversary Ale will be tapped at 6 p.m. and they will serve free pints of Anniversary Ale until 6:30 p.m.

Rock Bottom’s Thanksgiving Gathering takes place on Thanksgiving Day. The restaurant is closed to the public for the day, but their doors will be open to feed a traditional Thanksgiving meal to individuals and families in the homeless community.

Tipped employees wanted to help raise money for the Thanksgiving Gathering. While many Rock Bottom employees will also be donating their time to ensure Rock Bottom’s Thanksgiving Gathering is a success, money is also needed to purchase the many things required to make Thanksgiving a memorable day for those in the homeless community. To donate to Rock Bottom’s Thanksgiving Gathering, please call Rock Bottom at 303-534-7616 and ask to speak with Melanie Keller.

In addition to the Thanksgiving meal, gift bags will be handed out to every person who dines at Rock Bottom on Thanksgiving Day.

For questions or more information on Rock Bottom’s DAY OF TIPS, please call Melanie Keller at 303-534-7616 or Dawne Hostetter at 303-478-9671.

About Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc.

Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. currently employs over 6,800 nationwide. It owns and operates 102 restaurants across the United States - 64 "Old Chicago" restaurants and 38 brewery concepts operating under the names "Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery," "ChopHouse & Brewery," and "Walnut Brewery". The Company also operates two Sing Sing concepts, an entertainment venue featuring a dueling piano bar in a club setting.

It has franchise partnerships under its Old Chicago brand that account for 37 locations; three locations under the Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery brand and one ChopHouse location.

In 2000, the Company formed the Rock Bottom Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit entity. The Foundation's primary focus is to make a positive impact on the issue of hunger within its communities, help its teammates in crisis, and inspire a culture of giving and volunteerism.

The Company’s annual sales in 2009 were $304 million. Projected sales for 2010 are $303 million.

All of Rock Bottom's restaurants are casual dining establishments featuring excellent service, high-quality, moderately priced food and a distinctive selection of micro-brewed and specialty beers served in a comfortable, hospitable atmosphere.

A Talk with Chef Bob Blair of Fuel Cafe

2010-10-17T17:04:00.004-07:00

Hi all,

This week we post a few questions we asked Chef Bob Blair of Fuel Café after our dinner there with Hush Denver.

1. What attracted you to cooking?

Process of elimination and stubbornness. I thought I was always supposed to go to college. I failed miserably as a student. I am actually pretty smart, I just hate to study. After being in college for 7 years without a degree, I finally quit school and started waiting tables and cooked for friends and family. I was catering a few parties from my home when a friend said his dad wanted me to move out of Colorado and open a restaurant for him. I had no idea why someone who never ran a restaurant would be asked to do it now. He said, I have seen your work ethic and the way people react to your food. That is all I need to know that you have some serious potential in a kitchen.

The stubborn side of me would never let me listen to my Mom or old girlfriends when they suggested I go to cooking school, or try cooking as a profession.
They eventually wore me down though.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?

Never be afraid to try something. Always be fearless about new techniques, cuisines and especially about contributing ideas. Everyone in the Fuel kitchen has to come with ideas. Just dont take it personally when we shoot them down. We are always trying to bring something interesting to the table, try not to bring trends, or the same old same old.

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?

Sentimentality. I selfishly cook to transport myself to Italy, Spain, France, or my Mom's kitchen. I dont get to travel much these days, so I cook to take myself there. My parents died about ten years ago, and I always have something on the menu that reminds me of them.

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with? and why?

Pep Manubens of Cal Pep in Barcelona. He cooks the purest Spanish food I have ever eaten. My wife and I honeymooned in Spain. We spent our first few days in Barcelona, and went to Cal Pep. It was amazing. We then traveled up north to San Sebastien and when we came back to Barcelona, we went straight back to Cal Pep. He is probably 65 years old now and still works the bar, waiting on customers and cooking at the bar too. I will never forget the baby squid with lentils, cooked in squid ink. One of my most powerful flavor memories.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?

Whatever I did not cook with yesterday. I hate leftovers, I hate cooking the same thing day after day. I always want to cook something new and interesting.

6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?

Homemade pasta with Ragu Bolognese

7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?

Z Cuisine and Six 89 in Carbondale

8. How about one restaurant any where in the world?

Arzak in Spain. Most people think Ferren Adria started the contemporary Spanish movement. Juan Marie Arzak came first. Ferran Adria may have taken it to a whole different level, but Juan Marie is the man.

9. What do you think about the Hush dining concept of going to different location types for their meal events?

I love Hush. I dont like going back to the same restaurant on a regular basis, I hate eating the same thing day after day. Hush is ideal for me. I love the mystique, the surprise, and especially the willingness of the guests to trust us as cooks, and Phil and Chance, and their crew to prepare an experience for you.

Thanks for visiting our food blog. If you have any questions, you can leave comments here or email us at jonathan or barbara@milehigheater.com.

Events October 11-November 8

2010-10-11T05:30:00.001-07:00

Hi all
Here is the things that are going on in the next month

Restaurant Events October 11- November 8

Beatrice and Woodsley: Denver http://www.beatriceandwoodsley.com/
We have created an evening to celebrate the enchantment of the night... Things may go "bump", things may cause fright. Rest assured that everything will be as perfect as can be made by candle light. Expect an evening of uncommon cuisine and peculiar service. Lanterns will flicker fleeting shadows of the unnatural as you dine with your friends closely entwined in the cellar that is home to our immortal wine... Menu
6:30 p.m. October 28, 2010
Intimate community seating in the wine cellar
$48 prix fixe provisions alone;
$72 prix fixe provisions and selected potations
~Gratuity Included~
Seating is limited; Reservations Required... 303-777-3505

Chimney Park: Windsor www.chimneypark.com CHEESE and WINE TASTING - LAST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH
Join us for this fun and educating event! We pick a region of the world, 4 wines, 4 cheeses and you come enjoy! "Head Cheese" Chef Jason Shaeffer shares his "cheesy" knowledge and the rest of the staff "whines" about wines! The cost is $25 per person; you receive a glass and start sampling! We ask that you arrive between 5:30 and 6:30 PM...there is not an "ending time". Call for more information 970-686-1477.

Ian Kleinman: www.food102.blogspot.com As the seasons are changing, our plan for the cart will continue into the winter at the Colorado Convention Center. We will be setting up for our first convention on October 18, 19, and 20th.
Kelly Liken: Vail http://www.kellyliken.com/ Extreme Dining" - A tasting Event By Reservation Only
10.02.10
"Taste of forbidden love" - Romantic Dinners, Celebrated wine and spirits of the past
10.04.10 - 10.09.10
"Kids Corner" Dinner and Dessert Creation Station
10.08.10
"Taste of forbidden love, Night Out" - Romantic Dinners, celebrated wine and spirits of the past.
10.09.10
For more details on any of these events visit http://www.kellyliken.com/events

Mizuna: Denver http://mizunadenver.com/ Various cooking classes

Sugar beet: Longmont http://www.sugarbeetrestaurant.com/ None listed as of 9/28

Terroir Longmont www.terroir-restaurant.com/
Thursday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m.: Hard Apple Cider Dinner - Please join us as we welcome local cider apple afficionado, Dick Dunn, of Talisman Farms and enjoy five courses of autumn themed cuisine paired with four hard apple ciders from around the world. Mr. Dunn will provide us with a tasting of the cider apples he grows at his farm in Hygiene, as well as share his wealth of knowledge on this topic. Tickets for this event are $45 per person excluding tax and gratuity. Seating is community style and is limited to 15 guests. To make a reservation, please call Melissa at 303.651.0630.

Wednesday, October 20 at 6:30 p.m.: Please join us as we welcome Upslope Brewing Company of Boulder, Colorado. We will be featuring their Pale Ale and IPA, and also their soon-to-be-canned Brown Ale. Tickets for this Community Beer Social are $25 excluding tax and gratuity. To make a reservation, please call Melissa at 303.651.0630.

Sunday, October 31 at 5 p.m.: Celebrate Halloween at Terroir! Enjoy a five course Pumpkin themed wine dinner...reservations can be made by calling 303.651.0630.

November 12-20: Join us for First Bite Boulder! Enjoy three courses from a special, limited menu for $26 excluding tax and gratuity.

Cooking classes are offered at Terroir each Saturday morning from 9 a.m. until noon. Classes are taught by Executive Chef Tim Payne and are limited to four students, thereby providing a hands-on experience for all. Classes cost $65 including all supplies, lunch, and a $10 gift certificate to Terroir. For a complete listing of scheduled classes, please call Melissa at 303.651.0630

Food events/ festivals

October 19th from 5-8pm.Twisted pine Brewery is hosting Streat Chefs for a very unique beer dinner on Tuesday,October 19th from 5-8pm. Streat Chefs will be cooking up a variety of dishes using Twisted Pine Beer. They've got 18 draft beers to choose from so we should get some really interesting dishes.

About Streat Chefs:

The Streat Chefs menu is inspired by street food found across the globe, from alleyways in Bangkok to sand pits on the beaches of Mexico. What makes this kind of food special is the passion, flavor and uniqueness that can only be found on the street, where real life happens.

Streat Chefs founder, Hosea Rosenberg, winner of Top Chef Season 5 is constantly researching new food trends as well as local flavors in order to bring them to the street!

###

October 21;
9HealthFair and EatDenver have partnered to present the second annual "A Saucey Affair" held Thursday, Oct. 21 from 6-9pm at Infinity Park Event Center in Glendale. Chefs compete for "Boss of the Sauce" in the People's and Judge's Choice award categories and offer tastings of their accompanying dishes. Participating restaurants include Black Pearl, Elway's, Encore on Colfax, Jonesy's Eat Bar, Locanda Del Borgo, Opus Restaurant, Root Down, Snooze, Steuben's Table 6, Tarbell's SouthGlenn, The Avenue Grill, The Crushery, Vesta Dipping Grill and Wynkoop Brewing Company.

Tickets are $65 and entertainment will be provided by Hazel Miller. Proceeds from the event support 9HealthFair's volunteer-run free and low-cost health screening and educational programs.

For more info, please see attached or visit www.9HealthFair.org.

We're also doing a four-course vegetarian beer dinner on Saturday October 23rd at 6:30pm at the Gindi Cafe in Boulder. Here is a look at the menu:

First Course - Spanakopita Pinwheels

Sauteed spinach and onions, layered with Phyllo dough and Feta cheese, rolled and baked until golden brown. Served with a side of yogurt and sliced cucumbers.
Paired with Billy’s Chilies, a light brew infused with a variety of peppers.

Second Course - Spring Mix Salad

Organic spring mix with shredded carrots, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and our house balsamic vinaigrette.
Paired with Hoppy Boy, an India Pale Ale balanced with a malty sweetness.

Third Course - Oven Roasted Squash

Butternut squash stuffed with orange-ginger brown rice and pine nuts, roasted until tender. Served with a side of caramelized oranges sprinkled with nutmeg.
Paired with Pearl St. Porter, a Baltic porter celebrating Boulder’s 150 years.

Dessert Course - Chocolate Duo

Chocolate Mousse - our hand rolled tart shells filled with fresh chocolate mousse.
Chocolate Truffle - a traditional chocolate truffle dusted with Ghirardelli cocoa.
Paired with Espresso Stout, a smooth stout balanced with an earthy espresso.

October 22-23rd

Wine In The Pines 2010: Event October 22nd & 23rd. Keystone Colorado
Wine In The Pines 2010: Event October 22nd & 23rd. Keystone Colorado
This year the Wine In The Pines celebrates the wine and work and wines of Francis Ford Coppola. The theme of this two day event is based on one of Coppola's most popular films Godfather. The event draws guests for coast to coast.

Click Here To Visit The Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

The event opens Friday October 22nd evening at the Keystone Ranch Restaurant with the legendary Winemaker's Dinner with a menu designed by Head Chef Jason Kassib, that is sure to be a show stopper.

On Saturday October 23rd the Keystone Conference Center will swing into action when the ballroom doors open at 6pm until nobody is left standing! The International Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting this evening will host more than 500 international wines, gourmet food from seven of Keystone's top restaurant, live music featuring; The Jerseys.

Guest are welcome to wear "Godfather attire (but leave the Tommy gun at home), black tie as always is a safe way to go.

It's advised to purchase tickets in advance to ensure your spot for this historic event.
Click Here For Ticket Information
Prices range from $100.00 to $350.00 depending on the package you prefer.

October 23rd
The Board of Trustees and Friends of the Colorado Music Festival & Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts cordially invite you and your friends to attend

FEAST FOR THE SENSES 2010 - FESTA ITALIANA
to benefit the Colorado Music Festival &
Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts
Saturday, October 23, 2010, 6:00 p.m.
At Laudisio Ristorante Italiano
1710 29th Street, Boulder

• Fine wines & passed hors d'oeuvres followed by a gourmet family style Festa Italiana
• Silent & Outloud auctions with wonderfully new and unusual items including unique vacations,
rare wines, luxury services, outdoor adventure activities and more • Gary Corbett, auctioneer
• Musical entertainment • Semi-formal dress

Again this year, Antonio Laudisio will delight our palates with his handcrafted food, paired with fine wines. The voices of Ashraf Sewailam and Sarah Barber will welcome guests and entertain between courses. Taking into consideration the layout of this wonderful restaurant, the auctions have been redesigned for more fun AND more elbow room!

Space is limited and we expect it to sell out quickly. Please RSVP by October 11th to receive the early registration price of $175/person - $200/person after October 11th.

Reservations can be made online at www.COmusic.org/goto/FFS or by calling the CMF office at 303.449.1397.　

Novmeber 4
The Omni Interlocken Resort, Broomfield, CO
THE TASTE OF ELEGANCE" CHEF'S FOOD & WINE COMPETITION & WINE AUCTION
Thursday November 4, 2010, 6 to 9pm,
The Mile High Station, Denver, CO
Ticket Cost: $100 per person
This amazing event is limited to 400 tickets.
The "Taste of Elegance" Competition pairs Gold Medal wines from The Denver International Wine Competition, with some of America's most creative chefs. While the event is sometimes referred to as "Iron Chef meets wine", participating chefs have no secret ingredient. They are assigned two gold medal wines (white & red) one week before the competition. Chef's are provided with sample bottles to taste and develop their custom paired dishes.
On event day, the participating chefs will create custom paired dishes, served in appetizer portions. Representatives from the assigned gold medal winery will pour wine samples alongside the chef's food table.
A panel of notable food and wine critics/experts will taste each culinary creation with its assigned wine.

shhh!... The Hush secret revealed

2010-10-04T06:59:00.001-07:00

Well, the secret was revealed last night when we went to our Hush dinner. Last Wednesday, Jonathan got an email about where we would be going. We ended up at the Fuel Cafe. But, we did not eat in the Fuel Cafe. We ate outside where a table was set for 85 people. We were surrounded by the Fuel Cafe garden and railroad tracks and an open field. You might say, "railroad tracks" how odd, but I must say that it gave the outdoor setting a rustic feeling as the trains went by. We thought we might get rained out, but once the storm cloud dropped a few raindrops, it moved on and the night became a lovely evening making new friends, eating wonderful food, listening to a fantastic guitar player, and sharing tales with new people.

Here are a few pictures of the area where we were:

We were served four different appetizers: Raw Scallop marinated with Ouzu Citrus, Cilatro and Beet Chips.

He says: Ok, not sure about this one. It had a nice citrus taste with a spicy kick at the end but something about the slippery rawness of it just did not go well. It was ok but don’t think I would want it again.

She says: I'm allergic to scallops...so I passed.

The next appetizer was a Harissa Fritter with Harissa Aioli and Anchovy.

He says: The small fish sitting on top of the fritter really threw me off but the smell was amazing and then when you take a bite… YUM!!! Just an incredible mix of flavors I quickly looked over almost hoping the anchovy would make Barb pass on hers but..

She says: Anchovy?? Ewww....but decided to be brave and give it a try. The anchovy was cold and the fritter was hot and crispy and gooey, so the mixture of the two was good. You didn't get an overwhelming taste of anchovy, because they blended so well together.

Our third appetizer was an cooked oyster.

He says: Ok, to be honest when I saw the oyster shell I was nervous, as you may have guessed from my comments on the scallop I am not a huge fan of slimy lumps of fish meat. However I was very happily surprised by this creation which had a wonderful texture and a taste that made me sit up and look for more. Once again I looked over to see if Barb had wimped out and not eaten hers but no she saw the oyster shell and passed altogether, so I couldn't steal hers....sigh.

She says: OK, I wimped out on the oyster. I can only be so brave in one night. I just didn't think I could do it. But after what Jonathan said, I wish I had been brave! hehe

Our last appetizer was Peach wrapped in Prosciutto.

He says: Well, I can’t really add much that the picture doesn’t say for itself. A perfectly ripe peach and an incredible prosciutto, if your mouth isn’t starting to water looking at this nothing I can say could sway you.

She says: This was yummy. One quick bite of sweet peach and savory ham.

Course 1: Ajo Blanco Soup with Striped Bass, Membrillo, Avocado Ice cream, Tobiko, Chive. Wine pairing was Jean-Babtiste Adam - Riesling Reserve.

He says: Seriously? Fish avocado ice cream soup? Reading this I knew there was just no way I was going to like this. WRONG - it was another major Yum, maybe even YUMMMY. This was an amazing dish, the tastes and textures were just so good that you wanted to hunker down and just eat the soup. I have had many soups at restaurants, some have been hits and some misses, but only a very few are something that I think back later and just crave. This is one of them.

She says: First off, I didn't know what tobiko was and found out it was Flying Fish Roe Caviar. This dish was delish. As we've mentioned many times you have to get a bit of everything on your spoon to appreciate the flavors together. Sometimes when you only get one or two components you don't understand the dish. This dish had it all, soft, hard, sweet, savory. Just a great combination of flavors.

Course 2: Tomato Confit, Bottarga, Purslane, Tomato Gel. The wine pairing was Three Rivers - Sauvignon Blanc.

He says: Hmmpff! It's tomatoes on a plate…oh boy. You may guess I am not a huge tomato fan, so this did not do it for me. But talking to several of the people around us after the meal, several of them said this was one of their favorites.

She says: I am not a big tomato fan, so this dish for me was not that memorable. The tomatos were beautiful and the purshane fresh from the Fuel Cafe garden was good, but overall, this just wasn't my favorite dish. But, the people around us who were tomato fans loved this dish.

Course 3 - Zucchini Linguine, Sea Urchin Sauce, Chicharrones. Wine pairing was Pepiere – Muscadet.

He says: Bite one, hmm, not sure about this one. Odd flavors that stick around a bit. Bite two, wait a minute did someone switch out my dish? I kind of like this. Bite three, mmmm I really like this. I don’t know why it grew on me so much but it really did. I'm so glad I gave it a second bite. At the end of the dinner I thought this actually was my favorite course, but I think the soup has left an over all bigger impression as time has passed.

She says: At first I was dreading the sea urchin sauce idea. But, once you started eating it, that dread went right away. The sauce was delicious, it smelled wonderful and tasted even better than I could imagine.

Course 4 - Halibut Cheeks, Beans, Rutabaga, Vanilla Garlic Ice Cream. Wine pairing was Guffens Heynen White.

Ok, was getting pretty dark now so the next two pictures are not great - sorry.

He says: Garlic ice cream…re-read course description. Yes, that’s what it says. First the avocado ice cream, and now this. I like ice cream, I really do, but this mad scientist of a chef puts things in ice cream I would not dream of even in a nightmare ... and I am so glad he does, because it just works. Everything blended well together, the flavors and textures to make a fantastic dish.

She says: I have to say that when we got to our fourth course, the sun had disappeared and the tiki torches and candles were not illuminating as much as they could have, therefore I have to rely on Jonathan's pictures to know what I ate! But, even though I couldn't see it, it tasted delicious. The beans were crisp and tasty blended in the vanilla garlic ice cream. The halibut cheeks were soft and melted in your mouth.

Dessert - Apple Confit Cake, Creme Fraiche, Caramel and Lemon Tuile. Wine pairing was Bonny Doon Vin Ferno.

He says: This was good, but not a huge standout for me. Probably because it was the end of a very filling meal. I remember thinking it was good but that’s all I can really report about this one.

She says: Again, I couldn't see what was on the plate, but I ate every bite! Crunchy and light and very fulfilling for the end of the evening.

We forgot to mention that we were served Champagne upon arrival, and we didn't say much about the wines, since neither of us are real wine drinkers - but the pairings went very well together. I think I was even a little tipsy by the end of the night.

And finally we will leave you with a picture of the chef from Fuel Cafe, Bob Blair and Phil Armstong, one of the two partners who put together the Hush events.

Thanks as always for stopping by our Colorado restaurant and food review and blog. If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us here or at jonathan or barbara@milehigheater.com

hush releases the list for adventures in dining

2010-10-01T07:26:00.001-07:00

Tickets Now On Sale for
"Adventures in Dining"

We invite you to join us at our mountain retreat for an overnight adventure in dining. Guests are asked to bring the following:

1)An appetite for adventure
2)An appetite
3)Appreciation for great food and amazing wine
4)Desire to get away from it all for 24 hours
5)A friend/spouse/lover/ to share your private jacuzzi with
6)Relaxed attitude
7)Desire to learn secrets from some of Colorado's top Chefs
8)Toothbrush, everyone hates morning breath

Featuring

Saturday October 23rd- Matt Jensen Chef/Owner of Mateo and Radda Trattoria in Boulder CO.

Saturday November 6th- Alec Schuler Chef/Owner of Arugula Ristorante in Boulder CO.

Saturday November 20th- Chef James Mazzio

Saturday December 11th- Chef Daniel Asher of Root Down Denver.

Check your stress at the door and let us take care of the rest...

Details given to our confirmed guests upon ticket purchase.

See you there

Tickets on sale NOW @ HushDenver.com
An email will be sent to this list only for first 48 hours, then opened up to entire Hush list.
Each experience limited to 6 rooms based on double occupancy queen (price the same if room is only occupied by one guest) Dates beginning the last weekend in October.

Eat Outside The Box.

Smash Burger

2010-09-29T08:36:00.006-07:00

Hi all,

For a while now we have been hearing about the new burger chain “Smash Burger” www.smashburger.com and to be honest really hadn’t thought much of it since it seems like there are enough chains out there with their frozen patties that all pretty much taste the same. Then a few weeks back we were invited down to give it a try and so we went down really not expecting much.

He says:

Looking on the menu you see a much more diverse burger type than most places and the salads and sides really made it far more appealing. Myself, I had a Mushroom Swiss burger with a side of haystack onions. The first thing that hit me when looking at the burger was that it far more resembled a burger I would make on a grill at home than the normal burger joint. I mean it looked like meat, not a frozen piece of cardboard if you know what I mean. Second noticeable difference was the bun. It was fresh egg roll not your garden variety tasteless one.

The burger was juicy and very good and the “haystack” onions I had, which were basically very thin onion rings in a great spicy sauce was outstanding (I would go back for more of those even without the burger). I also added a really thick chocolate shake to the mix and was very happy with everything

Barb chose to have a salad.

She says:

We wanted to be able to provide a choice for those who aren’t burger eaters.
I had the BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad. It had a mix of fresh garden greens topped with strips of grilled or crispy chicken, applewood smoked bacon, diced tomatoes, haystack onions, cheddar cheese, with buttermilk ranch dressing and bbq sauce.

Sometimes when you see the ingredients on the menu, you're never quite sure how it's going to come out. This was one of those times, but it was a pleasant surprise. Once you got everything mixed together, it was a great tasting salad. The mixture of ranch dressing and bbq sauce was nothing I would have ever thought to combine, but it worked well in the context of this salad. And, the haystack onions added a nice texture to the garden greens.

He says:

All in all, I would have to say Smash Burger pretty much kicks some burger butt. And, given the choice when I am in the mood for a burger I would choose them well before any of the normal burger chains out there and even before some of the “gourmet” burger places. My only reservation would be on the day we went they were very busy and they seemed to have some problems keeping up with the patrons leaving as a result a lot of the tables were a bit sticky. But I am sure it was probably just the time we were there not an overall trend.

Thanks as always for stopping by our Colorado restaurant and food blog, if you have any questions, please let us know here or email us at jonathan or barbara @milehigheater.com.

Farms, Dairys, and Wines, Oh My

2010-09-27T15:06:00.003-07:00

Friday, in the morning I'm heading down to Fruition farm to speak to Chef Seidel about the new addition of a goat dairy and talk a bit about the farm and restaurant. Then that evening we're going down to Infinite Monkey Theorem Winery in Denver to talk about their wines and what it is like to have a winery here in Colorado. If you have any questions you would like to ask let us know before Friday.

Interview with Chef Rahm Fama

2010-09-25T14:08:00.010-07:00

I had the unique opportunity to talk with Chef Rahm Fama, the host of the new Food Network show “Meat & Potatoes”. He was fun to talk to, and the passion you see on his show also came through on the phone.

Here’s our conversation:

Where did the concept come for "Meat & Potatoes"?

It’s what people understand and what they know and what they love. Everybody wants to feel comfortable with that they’re eating and cooking. I love that fact that something that sounds so easy, meat and potatoes, are really something so beautiful and its art. What can we do with meat? It’s endless.

With a lot of chefs going towards more lighter meals, why meat?

I really generally love the history aspect, it’s been around forever and in other cuisines from French and Italian to Mexican, and it’s all based around meat (protein). I think it has a lot of history, a lot of technique; you’ve got to get that pastrami right. You have to get it just right or it’s going to be rubber. It takes a lot of talent and dedication to understand and love meat. The concept for cooking meat is another. I’ve been doing it for years, I’ve been a chef for 20 years and I still don’t think I have it right.

For example: all the different burgers, it’s ground beef, it’s a patty, and every burger is remarkably and amazingly different. If a burger can evolve, image how the other meat can change. No end to it, and that’s what I like. No end to meat, it’s on and on and on. It’s a constant type of education for me. I keep wanting to find more. And every show I find something new.

You can tell you have a passion for meat, what is your favorite meat and where did your passion come from?

My mom was a horrible cook (please forgive me mom). With having been a rancher and raising cattle, to putting it on the plate, I think I have a lot of appreciation for the meat then other chefs. I’ve seen it up close. Ranch life is hard. I want to take it to the next level and make sure it is created with the respect with which it deserves.

Out of all the episodes recorded, what was the weirdest thing you tried?

Each episode has a different segment. BBQ –there’s nothing weird about BBQ. There’s Steakhouse Wars and there’s Late Night Meat in LA. Beautiful steakhouse looks like a train. You can get a great steak at anytime (24 hours a day). Every place has been a great experience. I’m not eating bugs or testicles. The strangest thing I tried to conquer was the 10 pound burrito. I thought I could do it, but ended up sharing it with the crew.

The hot dog place really was a gourmet place, it was unbelievable. The Foss Hog!
Every restaurant has been incredible.

What one restaurant would you visit again as soon as possible?

I’d like to spend a little more time at David Burke’s in Chicago. They dry age steaks (rib eye) 75 days. Here’s an example of one of his meals. You get a rib eye, a waffle, with cheese, bacon, and scallions. You spread butter and sour cream on top. It comes to you as a warm waffle with a side potato.

What makes your show different from the variety of “let’s visit restaurants” shows out there?

Because my show is fun, energetic and educational. I’m trying to capture those people who have had that or haven’t had that. I show people different stuff. We’ve all had a pastrami sandwich, but maybe you haven’t had a Montreal influenced pastrami sandwich.

It’s a steak but different. It’s BBQ, but different. It has great endings and fun factoids.

Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Absolutely.

Coffee and Red Chile Rubbed Flank Steak Recipe
Courtesy Rahm Fama

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/3 cup New Mexico red chili
1/4 cup ground coffee
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 pounds flank steak
Score the surface of the steak with 1/4 inch deep knife cuts, about an inch apart, across the grain of the meat.
Combine the dry rub ingredients and the steak in a large freezer bag and shake. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Using olive oil soaked onto a paper towel, coat the grill thoroughly.
Preheat the grill with high, direct heat.
Remove the steak from the bag and shake off excess rub.
Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill.
Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side. Half way through grilling on each side, turn the steak 90° so that you get more grill marks.

Flank steak is best-eaten medium rare, well done will make it too tough. When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board.
Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat and to keep the steak from drying out, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Will any of the shows take place in CO?

Hopefully in the next season we can visit Colorado, “Hi Colorado!” There is lots of great meat in Colorado. We’ve only filmed 6 episodes, so we had to narrow it down. I don’t have a lot of decisions on where I go. It’s a combination of a lot of things where we decide to go.

What do you eat in the middle of the night?

Being a chef, I graze, I’m never full. Last night I went to a dinner in LA and couldn’t eat it all. I graze all day.

What I have in my kitchen I have a lot of deli meats, sliced capocollo, prosciuttos. I’ve been doing my own duck prosciutto at home.

I’m not cooking as much as I want, but when I’m in my kitchen, I just do my thing.

Chef Rahm says:

Stay tuned for the show and watch it. Have as much fun watching it as I did making it. You can see the fun and energy that’s coming through me and I’m just as surprised to see this stuff like everyone else. I appreciate the opportunity. I’m super excited about it. I get to do what I love and be on TV, it’s awesome!

Thank you to Chef Fama for his time and to Michelle Betrock from the Food Network Channel for setting up the interview.

Thanks for stopping by our blog. If you have any questions you can leave a comment here or email us at jonathan@milehigheater.com or barbara@milehigheater.com

Questions and a Recipe from Jenna Johansen @ Dish Restaurant

2010-09-19T07:49:00.015-07:00

Hi all,

After our wonderful meal at Dish we had a chance to ask Chef Jenna a few questions

1. What attracted you to cooking?

I have always been enamored with what happens over a dinner table. It brings me much pleasure to create a meal that brings people together, nourishing the body, feeding the soul and the relationships of those dining together.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?

Simplicity in everything. I have never been one to "dress up" a plate with tricked out garnishes and sauces that weigh down the flavors and take minutes to plate. I love fresh food and am heavily influenced by vegetables. I am proud of the fact that I make lots of great vegetarian dishes in which you won't even miss the meat.

In the kitchen... happy,passionate chefs make great food. We listen to good music when we prep and allow our individual personalities to shine through in the dishes. The best time to eat at dish is when someone in the kitchen is falling in love...

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?

The seasons. Our menu changes all the time, and the biggest influence is what is fresh and in season. The only time you'll see corn at dish is when ears from Olathe are fresh, and you'll see it on a at least a few dishes. As it gets colder, my body craves braised meats and richer flavors. When it heats up, the crab is chilled and the watermelon comes out... I like the ingredients to drive the menu, not the other way around.

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?

I have always, always been a huge fan of Alice Waters, and even after all these years would be so honored to spend time with her in the garden and the kitchen.
I'd also love to hang out over the stove with David Chang.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?

Bacon. I am a total whore for the pig.

6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?

Gnocchi. I could eat it every single day of my life.

7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?

Fruition is my absolute favorite. The food created by the hands of those men behind the line makes me very happy...

I'd be lying if I said I didn't eat at least one (rare, no cheese) Larkburger a week, so I guess it is another one of my favorites that I just can't live without.

8. How about one restaurant anywhere in the world?

Any hole in the wall in Italy. The smaller and more out of the way, the better. I have had some of my best meals of my life in small trattorias that I could never find again...

9. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Absolutely. I always share recipes, food is meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone. I consider it a huge compliment when a guest enjoys a meal so much that they would like to re-create a dish again.

Jenna's Recipe
Warm Autumn Kamut Salad
2 cups kamut, uncooked
5 cups water, boiling (season with 1 tsp. kosher salt)
1/2 ea yellow onion, diced
3 ea garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ea small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced 1/4"
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pinenuts, lightly toasted
1 ea fresh lemon, zested to taste
kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:
Rinse kamut and place in pot with boiling water, reduce to simmer.
Cover and cook until tender, but slightly chewy (1- 1 1/2 hours), add more water as necessary, meanwhile lightly toss squash in 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, place on sheetpan.
Roast squash in 350* oven until soft (about 15 minutes).
Saute onions and garlic over meduim heat in 1 tbsp of olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes
Mix all ingredients (kamut, squash, onion mixture, 1 tbsp olive oil, remaining ingredients). together while warm.
Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper, serve.

Chef/ Owner dish restaurant
Jenna Johansen
http://www.eatdrinkdish.com/

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaruant and food review blog. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here or email us at jonathan@milehigheater.com or barbara@milehigheater.com.

New Food Network Show featuring Colorado Chef

2010-09-15T07:12:00.004-07:00

Beginning Friday, September 24th, the Food Network Channel will be debuting a new show featuring Colorado chef Rahm Fama. The show is called "Meat and Potatoes" and features Chef Fama where he travels the country devouring delicious meats and their complementary side dishes dishing out the details to viewers along the way.

Chef Fama has culinary roots in Vail and Colorado Springs.

We'll be checking it out and Chef Fama will be answering a few of our questions at a later date.

Barb & Jonathan

Restaurant Events and Food Festivals Sept 13-Oct 10, 2010

2010-09-13T09:38:00.003-07:00

Sept 13-Oct 10 Food Happenings

Hi all,
Summer is just about over and the food and wine festivals are slowing down, but below we have listed what’s going on in Colorado from September 13th to October 10th.

Restaurant events:

Terroir in Longmont www.terroir-restaurant.com
Terroir "Uprooted" Farm Dinner
at Sol y Sombra Farm
in Hygiene, Colorado
Celebrating the Arrival of Fall with Breadbasket Italian Wines
Sunday, September 19 at 5 p.m.

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres (paired with the Pederzano Lambrusco):
- Grilled flatbread pizzas with anchovy
- Crostini with house-made duck prosciutto and aged gouda
- Bear Mountain bison carpaccio and herb pesto bruschetta

Course 1:
Salad of grilled mushrooms with roasted carrots, greens, truffle oil, and lemon paired with the Cataldi Madonna Cerasuolo

Course 2:
Roasted Jodar Farm cornish game hen served over ratatouille with green tomato chutney paired with the La Salette Valpolicella

Course 3:
Braised Fox Fire Farm lamb shank with crispy polenta, caponata, and gremolata paired with the Terredora Aglianico

Course 4:
Sweet potato tart with coconut streusel and cinnamon creme anglaise paired with the Marenco Moscato d'Asti

After Dinner:
Amaro Montenegro digestive

Join Allison Edwards at her picturesque two acre farm as we celebrate the arrival of fall and the bounty of this past summer. This will be our last Terroir "Uprooted" Farm Dinner of the season. Tickets for this rain or shine, al fresco, event are $65 excluding tax and gratuity.

Community Beer Social
featuring the beers of Lagunitas Brewing Company
of Petaluma, California
Wednesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m.

MENU TBD

Tickets for the dinner are $25 excluding tax and gratuity. Community beer dinners are offered monthly at Terroir on the third Wednesday of the month. Seating is community style and is limited to 15 guests.

"Meet the Winemaker" Dinner
featuring the winemaker of Altocedro Wines
Tuesday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m.

MENU TBD

"Meet the Winemaker" Dinners are offered once monthly at Terroir and provide the unique and intimate experience of having dinner with a visiting winemaker. Dinners are always five courses with four wine pairings and the cost is $45 per person excluding tax and gratuity. Seating is community style and is limited to 15 guests.

Cooking classes are offered at Terroir each Saturday morning from 9 a.m. until noon. Classes are taught by Executive Chef Tim Payne and are limited to four students, thereby providing a hands-on experience for all. Classes cost $65 including all supplies, lunch, and a $10 gift certificate to Terroir. For a complete listing of scheduled classes, please call Melissa at 303.651.0630

Also at Terroir a new happy hour.

New Happy Hour Menu

When: Monday through Saturday at the bar from 4:00-6:30 p.m.

Where: 246 Main Street, Longmont, Colorado, 80501

Cost: $3-$7 with all wines by the glass and beers on draft at ½ price.

Menu:

Bar Menu

Stuffed New Potatoes. Haystack goat cheese stuffed new potatoes served with poblano pepper romesco sauce 5

Ahi Poke. Marinated yellowfin tuna served on crispy wonton chips 7

Lamb Meatballs. Fox Fire Farm lamb meatballs served in spicy tomato sauce 7

Tostones with Black Bean Dip. Plaintain chips served with bean dip 3

Baked Gnocchi. House-made gnocchi served baked with garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano 5

Falafel. Black bean falafel served with tomato vinaigrette 3

Restaurant Kelly Liken events: http://www.kellyliken.com/events

September 16-18, 2010 Great American Beer FestivalDenver, ColoradoAmerica's greatest beer celebration: 46,000 + attendees, 1,900 beers, in days.
September 16-19, 2010 Annual Colorado Mountain WinefestPalisade, ColoradoThis is Colorado's oldest and largest wine festival. Offering four days of fun, it features more than four dozen wineries, great music, food, chef demos, bike rides and golf amid fall colors in scenic wine country.
Irish Single Malt TastingFriday, September 17: 6:30 p.m.

“Half-way to St. Patty’s Day Irish Whiskey Tasting”Raise your glass with Professional Celtic Entertainer Scott Beach as he delves into the hidden Single Malt Whiskeys of Ireland– the country that invented whiskey! Find out the difference between Irish and Scotch Whiskeys, enjoy Irish tunes on the different styles of bagpipes, and celebrate your love of the Emerald Isle with rare and unique Irish Single Malt – not your typically Jamison or Bushmills! Reservations: $65.00 includes Castle Tour, Irish Supper Buffet, Cash Bar, Whiskey Presentation, Dessert & Coffee Reception with the Presenter.
http://www.cherokeeranch.org/index.html?lsm=1_1

September 17-19, 2010 17th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews FestivalTelluride, ColoradoThe festival is a three-day celebration of music and microbrews, held in Telluride Town Park, an outdoor music venue with breathtaking mountains for a backdrop.
2010 Great American Dine Outis September 19-25, 2010
http://strength.org/apps/dineout/index.php/Google/DisplayMap
09/17 - 09/26, 2010 - Oktoberfest DenverDenver, ColoradoLocation: Ballpark NeighborhoodContact Phone: (720) 255‑5475Website: www.oktoberfestdenver.com

September 18, 2010 Lake City Uncorked Wine & Music FestivalLake City, ColoradoGood food, good wine, good music under the fall aspen leaves in historic Lake City, Colorado -- featuring six regional bands. Variety of wines for tasting; SKA Brewing beer booth; unique food & artisan vendors.

Date
Start
End
Location

Event Registration
21 Sep 2010
6:00 PM
9:00 PM
The Broadmoor - Charles Court Restaurant 1 Lake Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80906

The BROADMOOR's culinary team is proud to announce the Fifth Annual "Taste of the BROADMOOR" Benefit Dinner to be held September 21, 2010, at Charles Court restaurant.
Benefiting The Broadmoor's Culinary Apprenticeship Program and the Colorado Restaurant Association's ProStart Program, the five-course dinner is a celebration of the culinary industry and the next generation of great chefs. The evening will feature epicurean creations by star-studded line-up that includes The Broadmoor's Executive Chef Siegfried "Sigi" Eisenberger, Summit's Chef Bertrand Bouquin, Penrose Room's Chef Justin Miller, Charles Court's Chef Greg Barnhill, and Executive Restaurant Pastry Chef Rémy Fünfrock. Wine Director Tim Baldwin will pair all courses exquisitely with Old and New World wines.
Cost for the dinner is $150.00 per person and includes the welcome reception and wine pairings. Tickets can be purchased by calling Dining Reservations at 719.577.5733. The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m. Dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m

September 22nd Westwords Dish
http://microapp.westword.com/dish/2010/

Taste of Greenwood Village
October 1st Hush’s adventures in dining go on sale.(http://www.hushdenver.com/)

10/02 - 10/03, 2010 - Cider Days Harvest Festival Lakewood, ColoradoLocation: Lakewood's Heritage CenterContact Phone: (303) 987‑7859Website: http://www.lakewood.org/
10/02 - 10/03, 2010 - Applefest Cedaredge, ColoradoLocation: Cedaredge Town ParkContact Phone: (970) 856‑6961Website: n/a

Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers Markets with Deborah Madison When: Thursday October 7 2010, 6:00 (tasting), 7:00 (speaker)Where: Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York Street Denver 80205Cost: $20 (Slow Food and DBG members), $25 (non-members), $10 (students, with valid id)
This is the seventh and final lecture in the 2010 Bonfils-Stanton series: The Feast in the Garden, Edible Landscapes and Regional Food Traditions. Slow Food will host a tasting prior to each lecture, highlighting tastes related to the speaker's work and featuring Colorado products.
Deborah Madison, founding chef of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, is a cook, writer and cooking teacher with an emphasis on seasonal produce, and heritage fruit and vegetable varieties. She has authored many award-winning cookbooks, including “The Greens Cook- book” and “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.” Her writing reveals the deeper culture of food through recipes and profiles of farmers, ranchers, producers and cooks. She writes for magazines such as Gourmet, Saveur, Orion and the blog Culinate.com, is on the board of the Seed Savers Exchange and has been involved with Slow Food for more than a decade. She is currently co-director of the Monte del Sol Edible Kitchen Garden in Santa Fe.
Slow Food members and students, please call DBG to reserve with a special rate: 720.865.3580. To learn more about the entire series or reserve online (DBG members and non-members), click here.

Tickets go on sale October 7th for the celebrity chef tour http://www.celebritycheftour.com/

Thanks for stopping by our restaurant and food review and blog. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here or email us at jonathan or barbara @milehigheater.com

Hushs adventures in dining

2010-09-10T08:48:00.001-07:00

This was just sent our way from the people at hush ( www.hushdenver.com) and thought we would pass it along to you sounds very exciting.

We are getting excited,are you?Hush would like to warmly welcome you to our new series "Adventures in Dining". We have received an overwhelming response to this new experience and could not help but share our excitement with you, our future guests. The team at Hush is busy furnishing our new digs, lining up top culinary talent, and truthfully...getting giddy as school children envisioning the look on your faces when you see what's in store. Think of this as a remote restaurant with rooms, a gourmet adventure, an intimate experience that you will never forget. Dates will be announced October 1 and available on a first come first served basis. In case you missed it, overview of experience is outlined below.Saturday, 8:00am- You awake like a ten year old on Christmas morning (only more hungry) bags packed and ready to go. But where?11:00am- You drop kids/pets/jealous friends off at the babysitter/friends house/nearby bar and make your way to the meeting location.2:00pm- You arrive at pre-disclosed meeting spot somewhere in the front range. You agree never to disclose the location you are headed to anyone, only stories.3:00pm- You arrive at breathtaking Hush mountain retreat and check into your private room complete with Egyptian cotton linens and jacuzzi tub.4:00pm- You join other guests in great room for wine and hors d' oeuvres.5:00pm- The cooking begins in our open kitchen where you participate along side our featured chef (or not) in the preparation of your 5-6 course dinner event.10:00pm- You stumble back to your room in a food coma for a night cap and bubble bath...Sunday 9:00am- You awake to the smell of french press coffee and jaw dropping views outside your private deck.9:30am- You join guests in our upstairs breakfast area for a gourmet breakfast.11:00am- You join featured chef in our open kitchen for a cooking class/demo on topic of chef's choice. Lite lunch included.1:00pm- You depart with changed mind, body, and belly telling only stories about your experience.Home in time to watch Sunday night HBO/Football.
Tickets on sale October 1 2010An email will be sent to this list only for first 48 hours, then opened up to entire Hush list.Each experience limited to 6 rooms based on double occupancy (price the same if room is only occupied by one guest) Dates beginning the last weekend in October.

Kelly Liken on Top Chef

2010-09-09T09:36:00.003-07:00

We just wanted to say "Great Job" to Kelly Liken on Top Chef. Although Kelly was eliminated last night, she did a phenomenal job on the show by showing her skills as a chef. We were saddened to see her go, but know that many great things will be coming her way because of the experience of being on Top Chef.

If you get a chance, go to her restaurant in Vail and taste for yourself. Check out the website here: http://www.kellyliken.com/

Barb & Jonathan

Lets "Dish"

2010-09-06T12:47:00.002-07:00

Let’s “Dish”!

We discovered a unique surprise during our recent visit to the Vail area. Located in our hotel room, was a guide to local restaurants and this one stood out for us, so we had to give it a try. It’s actually located in Edwards, which is about 4 exits west of Vail.

The building that Dish is located in, is unique it itself. Its uniqueness intrigued us and we were not disappointed.

We got to the restaurant a little early, so we sat at the bar and had their signature drink, the Greyhound. The Greyhound is vodka and grapefruit juice. We watched as the bartender mixed our drink in front of us, juicing the grapefruit before our eyes. Now, neither one of us is big drinkers, but we both said that this was a drink we’d have over and over again. Ok, Barb said she could have it again, and I went yum. If you are there you need to try this drink along with their evil truffle popcorn. I almost said the heck with the meal and just sat there drinking greyhounds and snacking on the popcorn. I am afraid I may be ruined for all other popcorn forever.

Don’t let it fool you, this is no normal popcorn. Eat it at your own risk, popcorn may never be the same. Barb was not as enthralled with the popcorn as I but her pop corn savvy is not as finely honed as mine .

Here are a few pictures of the restaurant.

Jenna in her kitchen talking to a customer.

The Meal
Dish serves “tapas”, which are small plates which are great for everyone getting something different and sharing between you which makes for a great meal and great conversation. We decided to go with the six course chef’s tasting menu.

The first thing out was the “the Original”, which was shaved Spanish Serrano ham, a sliver of artisan manchego, and a splash of alvear dry sherry.

What you do is wrap up the manchego cheese in the Serrano ham and dip it in the sherry. Afterwards, you can drink the rest of the sherry. This is based on a Spanish tradition.

She said: The Original was good, but it didn’t stand out for me at all. The cheese was delicious, the ham was a little chewy for me, but the flavors were good.

He said: I found this pretty cool, nothing outstanding but tasty and a good start to the meal and the meals conversation, and really when is it a bad thing to get a little bit of sherry!

The second starter was a creamy roasted red beet and ginger soup, with Indian curried yoghurt.
She said: The soup was the standout for me. It was delicious. The smell was incredible, and the color of it was gorgeous. The soup was thick and creamy. The yoghurt mixed in created a smooth taste of hot and cool.

He said: When it was coming towards the table and before the waitress started describing it, we both kind of thought it was some sort of sorbet or perhaps a berry based cold soup and I was looking forward to it just based on appearance.

Then she started the description and as soon as she said beets I was "woahh, wait a minute - beets, do I have to?" Probably like a lot of folks the only beets I was really exposed to early on in life were those canned beets that seem to just flop out of the can and sit there on the plate and dare you to touch it, so needless to say I am not a huge beet fan even if some experiences as of late have been proving me wrong.

Well, this is another instance of my initial thought being proved wrong. This hot soup was rich with a great taste. The yoghurt gave a little cooling effect and the mingling of spices from it and the soup made me really take notice. As you ate it, you kind of had a “stick to your ribs” feeling and a little of this soup really made you feel satisfied (of course that could of also been a side effect of me gorging on the popcorn earlier). Beet lover or hater you really, REALLY should give this soup a try.

Our next course was salad. Barb received the Celery salad. It contained celery, black pepper champagne vin, brown butter croutons and artisan goat gouda.

Jonathan was served rocket greens, local greens, chickpeas, chives, and madras curry vinaigrette.

She said: My salad was awesome! Who would have thought that celery could taste so good? Once you got all the ingredients on the fork, the tastes just popped in my mouth. As Jonathan says, “Mmmmmmm”. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was and I cleaned my plate.

He said: Barb really liked her salad and so did I. Now for mine - with the mix of chickpeas and the curry vinaigrette which tasted a bit of cumin and other spices, just did not float my boat. It was one of those things where you know it’s not bad and could see that someone else would probably like it but for me it was kind of "meh".

The next course is seafood. Barb is served yellow fin tuna Hawaiian, sashimi salad, pickled cucumbers, sesame avocadoes and crispy wontons.

Jonathan was served blackened shrimp, chilled, watermelon tomato gazpacho, watercress and avocado vinaigrette.

At this point in the meal, the chef came out to talk to us. We had mentioned at the start of the meal that we were bloggers and that we’d like to copy the menu down for later. The chef, Jenna Johansen mentioned that she wanted to start a blog, so she asked us questions. She was super friendly and very passionate about her food. She was a treat to talk to. Talking with her you could really hear and see the passion she had about her cooking and food in general and it was a genuine pleasure having the time to talk to her.

She said: At first I didn’t like this course, it just didn’t hit me the way the previous courses had. But in most cases with these types of courses, you need to have every component on your fork. Once I did that, the course improved for me.

He said: With Barb's meal, I actually felt different about it. I thought the tuna by itself had a very nice flavor but once I added in the wontons and everything else it seemed to get a bit muddied, not a bad dish by any means but not a standout. I think in reality for me I only like raw tuna in small doses but I really like those small doses. If I can get a small tasting of tuna I am very happy, but when you get a generous serving I think it just becomes too much. I believe a real tuna lover would of gone nuts over this course.

With my dish was just the opposite when you got a bit of everything on your fork it had a great flavor that I really liked but if you had a bite that did not have each and everything on it, the taste really lost ground. It went from very good to just ok. That being said I did enjoy this dish and the taste combinations you just have to make sure you get a bit of everything on your fork.

Next up for Barb was Crispy chicken breast with chilled glass noodles, carrots, napa cabbage and spiced peanut dressing.

Jonathan received Grilled lamb sirloin with Serrano ham and fresh corn vegetable salsa and rancho gordo red quinoa.

She said: Delish! I’ve never had glass noodles before and they are these thin almost see through noodles. The flavors were strong and bold. The peanut dressing was a perfect combination with the chicken and noodles. Again, I cleaned my plate and was feeling very full and sated.

He said: Barb's dish was very good and I felt really happy that she liked it a lot because there is no way at all I was sharing more than a bite of my lamb. It was MMMMMMMM worthy! Perfectly cooked piece of meat that just melted in your mouth and the corn salsa added a bit of crisp sweetness that made it just scream out yumminess. Even though I was getting pretty full at this point I nearly licked this dish clean. Looking over this review again right before we post it and my mouth still starts to salivate thinking about that lamb. Has me thinking it may be worth the trip back up just for the lamb.

Wow, we still have dessert to get through. Jenna decided to give us one extra dessert to try, so we had three desserts! We were served Chocolate Butterscotch pudding with sea salted toffee sauce and cocoa nibs.

Next up was Palisade peach rustic crisp with oatmeal crust and vanilla bean gelato.

Our last dessert was Rocky Road rich chocolate cream pie, with Oreo crust, marshmallow crème and filberts.

She said: At first I thought, pudding. I can make pudding. Well, guess again. That pudding was my favorite dessert of the three. It was so rich and decadent, that I ate two bites of the peaches and went right back to the pudding. The Rocky Road was very rich, almost too much so for me (believe it or not). I think by the time it came out, I was so stuffed that I couldn’t enjoy it as much.

He said: OK, look back at that pudding see that it’s not really whole, well it got sat down and we both pounced and forgot to get a picture! It looked and tasted that good, yum!. The peach rustic crisp was probably my favorite of the three. Fresh peaches from a local Colorado Farm that alone makes it craveworthy but add the crisp and the art of a great chef = YUMMMMMMMM!

The rocky road was so darn rich it almost kills you to eat it but you can’t put your fork down. What a incredible end to a fantastic dinner.

We would recommend “Dish” very highly to anyone visiting the area, or even for a drive up from the Metro area. It was a wonderful surprise that we happened upon and we would go back again.

For me, the casual relaxed atmosphere and the passionate chef will make it a place I crave, and will be returning to in the future to see what else Jenna can come up with.

Jenna also does cooking classes monthly where she closes down the restaurant and shares her passion for cooking with others. Keep an eye on the restaurants website for details and we will try to list them in our blog when we hear about them. http://www.eatdrinkdish.com/

Some pictures of the outside

As always thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaurant review and food blog. If you have any comments or questions please let us know either here or at Jonathan or Barb @milehigheater.com

A few questions with Chef Kelly Liken

2010-08-24T07:24:00.006-07:00

Hi all

After our wonderful meal at restaurant Kelly Liken, we emailed Kelly a few questions about her cooking and even though she is extremely busy these days with everything going on with Top Chef and everything else she took the time out to answer them for us and here they are below.
1. What attracted you to cooking?
The fusion of creativity and science attracted me the most to cooking. Also, there is nothing like the feeling of satisfaction in creating something with your hands, and watching someone enjoy it. It’s the best feeling in the world.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?
I cook a simple, yet exciting seasonal American cuisine. I am dependant and supportive of local Colorado farmers, ranchers and artisans. This definitely lends an authenticity and element of education to my cuisine which in turn elevates it into an experience I can provide to my guests, not simply a meal.

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?
Local Vegetables. I take inspiration from the bounty of the harvest. I always start a dish thinking about the produce and their flavor profiles and move into the protein later in the creative process.

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?
There are many chefs living today that I would be honored to work with. Eric Ripert comes to mind, he is a seafood master and I’m sure could teach me volumes. Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park creates beautiful dishes with just a hint of molecular gastronomy. His use of modern technique is wonderfully balanced to accentuate the ingredient rather than disquise it. I would love to learn with him as well.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?
I just like to cook. I do love seasonal produce and am inspired by it, so every season I have a new favorite ingredient!

6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?
Artichokes and Florida Stone Crab claws

7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?
Moe’s Original BBQ – Eagle and Vail, CO
Avondale – Avon, CO (In the Westin Riverfront)

8. How about one restaurant anywhere in the world?
Maison Pic – Chef Anne Sophie Pic - Valence, France

9. We read about your involvement with the sowing seeds program, can you tell us a little bit about it and why you think it’s important?
“Sowing Seeds” is a curriculum and enrichment-based schoolyard garden program for children aged K-5 at Brush Creek Elementary School in Eagle, CO. I helped develop this program with the Vail Valley Foundation and our Director, Sandy Story that will emphasize the importance of nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability, as well as provide students with hands-on knowledge of their environment. The edible schoolyard consists of a greenhouse garden, located on the grounds of Brush Creek Elementary, close to our home. The greenhouse encompasses a variety of growing methods for teaching and learning, including a hydroponic system allowing the students to grow and harvest food year-round. Ingredients grown in the Sowing Seeds greenhouse are being integrated into the Brush Creek cafeteria menu. We are instituting a “Scratch Cooking” program at the school for lunch, and have hired a chef to cook. Kids will no longer be eating “heat and serve” nutritionally absent food in the cafeteria. Students are also saving their lunch scraps to add to the composting stations in the greenhouse.
I feel this is so important, because we are helping to take responsibility for a generation of kids who will grow up knowing where their food came from. These kids are learning the importance of health and wellness, and we are combating problems like childhood obesity. They are also learning to take responsibility for their local community and their own education. The lessons in this program are just endless. It’s so exciting to watch a whole new world open up to these kids and know that I am a part of them becoming better adults one day.

As of now Kelly is still in the running to win Top Chef so I want to add good luck Kelly. Thank you all for stopping by our Colorado based food and restaurant review and blog site. If you have any questions or just want to say hi feel free to leave a comment here or email us at jonathan or Barbara @milehigheater.com

Husssshhh

2010-08-20T15:23:00.002-07:00

HUSSSSHHHH

I am sitting here typing this and wondering where I am going to be on the 28th of August. No this is not some idle "what will I be doing in two weeks sort of thing". I know exactly what I will be doing, I will be hopefully be enjoying a great meal cooked by the people from Fuel Café. It’s the where I will be eating that has me pondering. You see, we aren’t going to Fuel Café, we are going to a dining event put on by Hush Denver (http://www.hushdenver.com/) and when you go to a Hush event you never know where you’re going to enjoy your dinner. It could be on the roof of an art museum, the floor of a furniture store or anywhere else they can dream up to make your meal a memorable event not only for the food but for the overall experience. So the question of where will I be is one I really am curious about.

I had the chance to talk to Phil Armstrong one of the two people behind the Hush concept and he told me the story of how Hush came about. Phil has been in the restaurant industry since he was 13, gradually working up the culinary ladder with hard work and a passion for food. Finally he got what he thought would be the pinnacle of his culinary ambitions as general manager of a restaurant in Chicago with a “celebrity chef” in the kitchen.

Like a lot of us once you reach a long sought after goal, once you reach it you find it's not exactly what you were expecting, the same happened with Phil. The people he worked with were passionate about food and that part was inspiring and exciting, but the chef was one of those bosses who thrive on conflict and tearing the people who work with them down with the thought of building them back up more in the chef's idea of how they should be. This whole experience caused Phil to rethink his goals and moved to Colorado with the thought of opening a restaurant in Vail.

Once in Colorado and looking to open a restaurant, he realized with the economy in a slump and the huge starting requirements of a new venue that perhaps it was not the best time to open a new one at this point. But still wanting to be working with restaurants Phil and his partner brainstormed how to get a restaurant started without the huge initial overhead.

The thought to do something like Outstanding in the field, and Meadowlark Farm dinners more locally (http://www.farmdinners.com/) a organization that hosts dinners at local farms to showcase locally extremely fresh food. However, they want to do things a bit different. They wanted to give the people just starting out in their culinary journey a chance for one night to showcase their abilities, the line cooks and chefs who weren’t well known yet but putting out incredible food. To go along with this they wanted to have the meals in locations that were out of the ordinary, that made the meal an adventure to further increase the enjoyment of the food and to give a hint of mystery and excitement to the experience itself. Thus, Hush dinners were formed.

They started this past winter and the response has been fantastic Phil says, and now after this last supper in August they are going to take break for a bit then announce a partnership with Dining Out magazine to bring the meals and locations to a new level and even be able to tour to different cities. It is an exciting thing to see your idea take flight and grow, especially when that idea also connects you with your passion. And it’s an exciting time for Denver to have such a cool thing for us to enjoy.

Where will I be on the 28th I just won’t know until a week before and you know the buildup of curiosity and excitement is a unique and very cool thing. I guess for now I just have to wait and see.

Hush just released some information about a few special events that seem very exciting here is the information about that.

For the next few months Hush will be taking our concept to the next level. We have been fortunate enough to secure one of the most exclusive and breathtaking venues in all of Colorado to bring you a series we have aptly named "Adventures in Dining Out". This series of events is limited to 6 individual guests or 6 couples per experience and feature one of the most luxurious and hidden overnight locations in the front range. Guests will enjoy a cocktail reception upon arrival, six course tasting menus prepared by some of the areas most notable culinary talents in an intimate ( you may be asked to cook along side !) setting. Guest will then relax in our private 9700sq foot luxury mountain retreat and retire to their private guest room complete with personal jacuzzi. The next morning rise to a gourmet breakfast with life changing views and depart with a changed mind, body, and belly. These events have limited availability and available on a first come first serve basis. To add your name to the list, and receive more information about dates and availability please send an email to invite@hushdenver.com with "Adventures in Dining" as the subject.

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaurant and food review and blog. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave a post here or email us at jonathan or barbara @milehigheater.com

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

Harvest Week Preview

2010-08-17T05:56:00.005-07:00

Jonathan and I had the opportunity to go to the Harvest Week kick off event on Sunday night and taste a few tidbits from the participating restaurants. It was held at Balisteri Vineyards and really it was kind of odd to be driving along I-25 in the middle of Denver, get off an exit and suddenly there to be grape vines and a vineyard. They have tours and tastings 7 days a week. The food was set up in shelters outside the vinayards office. We felt like we were guests on "Top Chef" going from table to table to partake.

We had about 8 different treats and a couple of drinks (yes, us! We hardly ever really go in for the wine or alcohol based drinks at restaurants or gatherings) and overall had a good time for our first real “foodie” event.

Harvest Week starts August 21 and run through August 27. If what we tasted is just a preview, then you should be truly satisfied at any of the restaurants you choose to visit that week.

Here are a few pictures of the food and drink items that the chefs at the participating restaurants had out to sample.

Colorado Sous vide Lamb Loin with Colorado Corn Fritter and House Smoked BBQ Gastric
from Chef Chuck James of 1515 restaurant

Colorado Peach Bruschetta with Leopold's Peach Whisky
from Chef Daniel Asher of Root Down

Cold Olathe Corn Soup with smoked Haystack Mountain goat cheese
from Chef Goose Sorenson from Solera

Smith Farms Rocky Ford Cantaloupe Soup, Ugly Goat Dairy Goat Feta, Greek Yogurt, Verde Farms Lemon Balm
From Chef Paul C. Reilly, Encore

Il Mondo Vechio Bresaola with Colorado Melon and Verde Farms Micro Basil
from Chef Matt Selby of Vesta Dipping Grill

Olive Oil Poached Alamosa Striped Bass with Colorado Sweet Corn Fennel and Onion Relish, Arugula and Charred Colorado Peach Whisky Jam
from Chef Brandon Doyle from Jonesy's Eat Bar
(Our favorite dish of the evening)

Buffalo Bratwust with Mustard Sauerkraut and Lamb Merguez with Harissa
From Chef Jeff Bolton of Second Home

Jumping Goat Cheese Cake with a Balsamic Reduction and Berry Patch Cherry Tart
from Chef Charley Sinden, The Lobby

We had two drinks, and the one that really stood out was a mixture of peach puree, ginger syrup and rum and not any rum it was made with Montanya Run, a local rum made here in Colorado. Who knew we had a local rum brewery? I am going to try to contact them and get the recipe for this drink, as it was one of those drinks that make you want MORE.

Chef Matt Selby of Vesta Dipping Grill and Chef Brendon Doyle of Jonesy's.

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaurant and food review blog. If you have any questions, please contact us here or at jonathan or barb@milehigheater.com

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

Food Happenings August 9th- September 12th 2010

2010-08-08T13:54:00.021-07:00

Food Happenings August 9th - September 12th, 2010

Once a month we're going to try to list food festivals, wine events, and other special events happening in Colorado. We will also list if we hear of them, any special events at chef driven restaurants we have eaten at here in Colorado. The first things on the list will be special events at restaurnats we have been to followed by food / wine events that we think are especially noteworthy followed by a list of everything else we could find that's going on.

Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail continues with their wonderful harvest meal special on Sundays, with a three course meal using ingredients from that days farmer market. Cost $45.00 ( see the post about our meal there at http://www.milehigheater.com/search/label/kelly%20liken

Just announced also By Kelly Liken

PROMINENT CHEF KELLY LIKEN PREPARES A SPECIAL HARVEST DINNER BENEFITTING THE “SOWING SEEDS” ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM, A PROJECT OF

THE VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION

Chef/Owner and T.V. personality Kelly Liken creates a special menu based on ingredients grown at Brush Creek Elementary School in Eagle, CO

WHAT: An intimate 4-course harvest dinner hosted by local residents and Vail Valley Foundation (VVF) supporters Margie and Tom Gart, and prepared by Chef/Owner Kelly Liken, will benefit the “Sowing Seeds” program. Chef Kelly Liken is helping to spearhead together with Brush Creek Elementary School in Eagle and the Vail Valley Foundation to help develop the “Sowing Seeds” pilot program, a curriculum and enrichment-based schoolyard garden program for children aged K-5. All percentage of proceeds from the dinner will go directly to the Vail Valley Foundation “Sowing Seeds” project.

Kelly is also participating in a five-day “Sowing Seeds” Summer Camp August 16-20, 2010 geared to kids ages 7-11 which will feature Kelly leading a class on Wednesday, August 18 entitled “Grow it, Cook it! With a Chef.” Additional “Sowing Seeds” harvest dinners will take place as crops are harvested throughout the upcoming season. General Manager and Wine Director Rick Colomitz will create customized wine pairings for each course for the August 20 dinner. The menu will include:

A Selection of Passed hors D’Oeuvres

Dungeness Crab Salad

Tomato-Watermelon Gazpacho, Chili Oil, Pickled Watermelon Rind

All Natural Colorado Rack of Lamb

Eggplant Caviar, Feta Studded Faro, Pickled Red Onion-Fennel Salad, Creamy Cucumber Raita

Rosemary Infused Vanilla Cremeux

Smooth and Creamy Vanilla-Rosemary Custard, Balsamic Macerated Strawberries,

Sweet Cornmeal Crisp

WHEN: Friday, August 20, 2010

6:30 p.m.

COST: $1,500 per couple ($750) benefitting VVF newest program the Sowing Seeds project

WHERE: Gart Residence in Lake Creek

2179 West Lake Creek Rd.

Edwards, CO 81632

SILENT

AUCTION: For information on how to donate an item to the silent auction, please contact www.vvf.org or call 970-949-1999

ABOUT SOWING

SEEDS: “Sowing Seeds” is a curriculum and enrichment-based schoolyard garden program for children aged K-5 at Brush Creek Elementary School in Eagle, CO. Chef Kelly Liken helped develop this program, in conjunction with the Vail Valley Foundation, that will emphasize the importance of nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability, as well as provide students with hands-on knowledge of their environment. The edible schoolyard will consist of a greenhouse garden, located on the grounds of Brush Creek Elementary, close to Kelly’s home. The greenhouse will encompass a variety of growing methods for teaching and learning, including a hydroponic system allowing the students to grow and harvest food year-round. Ingredients grown in the Sowing Seeds greenhouse are being integrated into the Brush Creek cafeteria menu. Students are also saving their lunch scraps to add to the composting stations in the greenhouse. For additional information visit www.vvf.org or for further information about the Sowing Seeds Camp please call 970-949-1999 for a registration form to sign up for a day camp session.

ABOUT

RESTAURANT

KELLY LIKEN: Located in the picturesque resort town of Vail, CO, Restaurant Kelly Liken is located at the base of the mountain, within walking distance of several luxury hotels and shopping destinations. With a passion for utilizing ingredients unique to the Rocky Mountain region, Liken works with local farmers, ranchers, and artisan purveyors—many of whom grow or supply ingredients especially for the restaurant—to develop a menu that reflects the seasonal bounty of Colorado. Liken has recently appeared on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America and is one of the contestants on Season 7 of Top Chef D.C. on Bravo TV. Restaurant Kelly Liken is located in the Gateway Building at 12 Vail Rd. at the entrance to Vail Village and is open for dinner seven nights a week from 6-10 p.m. For reservations, which are strongly recommended, call 970.479.0175. Valet parking is provided. Visit the website at www.kellyliken.com for additional information. Interested parties may also keep up with high-altitude happenings via Face book or by following Liken on Twitter.

###

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT WAGSTAFF WORLDWIDE

AT 323.871.1151

Who: Terroir Restaurant

What: “Terroir Uprooted” Dinner Series featuring My Mamma’s Hat Farm featuring “Summer in Greece”

When: Sunday, August 15 at 5 p.m.

Where: My Mamma’s Hat Farm, Niwot, Colorado

Cost: $65 per person excluding tax and gratuity

Menu:

Passed Hors d’Oeuvres (paired with the Skouras White):

- Chicken rillettes with cherry and rhubarb jams
- Salmon tartare on black pepper tuilles
- Zucchini involtini with herbed ricotto

Course 1:
Summer Greek salad with house-pickled peppers, olives, roasted onions, cucumber, Haystack feta cheese, fresh herbs, and tomato paired with the Domaine Sigalas Asyrtiko/Athiri
Course 2:
Paella with PEI mussels, jumbo shrimp, chorizo, and edamame paired with the Zoe Rose
Course 3:
Spit roasted Fox Fire Farm leg of lamb served with couscous, green beans, and charmoula paired with the Domaine Skouras Nemea St. George
Course 4:
Nectarine crostada with candied almonds and fromage blanc paired with the 2003 Domaine Sigalas Vin Santo
Tickets for this al fresco, rain or shine, event are $65 excluding tax and gratuity. Seating is limited to 25 guests and is community style. Menu is subject to minor changes based on seasonal availability of ingredients. To learn more about upcoming Terroir “Uprooted” Farm Dinners, please call Melissa at 303.651.0630 .
Other Details: Farm dinners will be al fresco, rain or shine. To make a reservation, please call 303.651.0630 and speak with Melissa.

About Terroir

Opened in 2007 in historic “Old Town” Longmont, Terroir Restaurant serves seasonal, modern American cuisine with Mediterranean influences. True to their namesake, Terroir draws its inspiration-in and out of the kitchen-from characteristics specific to Colorado. Ingredients are always sourced from local purveyors and the shotgun alley space has been carefully preserved, reflecting its turn of the century roots. Owners Tim Payne and Melissa Newell are on hand nightly to cook and serve this thoughtful cuisine that honors the land and the people around them.

For more information: http://www.terroir-restaurant.com
see our blog post at http://www.milehigheater.com/search/label/Terroir

IMT Welcomes Fruition, Table 6, Twelve and Masterpiece Deli Chefs for Summer Seafood Supper
Who: The Infinite Monkey Theorem (IMT), Fruition and Table 6

What: Summer Seafood Supper

Where: IMT Lot at 931 W. 5th Avenue, Denver, 80202; r.s.v.p 970-260-0710

When: Sunday, August 22, 2009 from 6-8pm

Cost: $50 with wine by the glass at $10 each

RSVP: 303.736.8376 or ben@theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com

See our post about Alex Seidel and Fruition at http://www.milehigheater.com/search/label/fruition

About The Infinite Monkey Theorem:

Opened in 2008, The Infinite Monkey Theorem (IMT) is an urban winery located in the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver, Colorado. Housed in a Quonset Hut, IMT represents a counter culture in winemaking: no vineyard, no pretense and only the best grapes.

For more information: http://www.theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com

PACIFIC SALMON AND OREGON PINOT NOIR... A PERFECT COMBINATION
Chef Sheila Lucero & Ron Penner-Ash Present a Northwest Salmon Bake
WHO: Jax Fish House Denver

WHERE: 1539 17th Street, Denver CO 80202
WHEN: August 18th, 8pm

COST: $49 per person, call 303.292.5767 for reservations
WHAT: Northwest Salmon Bake, a family style dinner paired with the delicious Penner-Ash wines
DETAILS: Ron Penner-Ash – vineyard manager and ‘cellar rat’ for Penner-Ash wines in Willamette Valley Oregon, will be joining Jax Fish House Denver on August 18th to share his knowledge and enticing wines. Family style plates will stream out of the kitchen with Chefs Chris Cina and Sheila Lucero ‘manning the stoves’. Appetizers, salads, sides and starches will accompany glorious full filets of cedar scented NW Pacific Salmon in a multi-course, communal feast. Meanwhile Ron Penner-Ash will guide us through the Willamette Valley, showcasing the delicious differences between the various appellations of Oregon. It will be an intimate night, with many opportunities to ask questions, learn, and experience the wines of Penner-Ash in a whole new way. For more information visit www.jaxfishhousedenver.com

Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail continues with their wonderful harvest meal special on Sundays, with a three course meal using ingredients from that days farmer market. Cost $45.00

1575 Boulder St.
Denver, CO 80211
Reservations: 303 477 4600
www.vitadenver.com

Argentina Wine Dinner

We will be offering a four course dinner paired with wines for $35/person on Wednesday, September 8th. Seats for this event will be limited, so please let us know when you make your reservation that you are reserving for the wine dinner.

1st Course: (Choice of)
Sauteed Blue Mussels, Asado salad, Chorizo Oil
or
Antipasto of Longaniza Sausage, Morcilla Sausage, Gouda and grilled bread.

Wine Pairing for 1st Course: Michel Torino Rose of Malbec; Cafayate Valley

2nd Course:

Roasted vegetable salad, eggplant wafers, grilled anchovies, cilantro & lemon.

Wine Pairing for 2nd Course: CUMA ‘Organic’ Cabernet Sauvignon; Cafayate Valley

3rd Course: (Choice of)

La Morenita Coffee spiced seared skirt steak, red potato gratin, roasted tomatoes, chimichurri sweet Colorado corn salsa.
or
Chile brined grilled pork chop, sautéed gnocchi, grilled asparagus, spicy roasted red pepper sauce.

Wine Pairing for 3rd Course: Michel Torino ‘Don David’ Malbec; Cafayate Valley

4th Course:

Peach sorbet with Olmeca Altos tequila poached apricots.

Wine Pairing for 4th Course: Michel Torino ‘Don David’ Torrontes; Cafayate Valley

Harvest Week!

August 21 - 29, 2010

This Saturday begins this years 3rd annual Harvest Week. Created by the independent member restaurants that compose EAT Denver, it's a tasty week of showcasing the products of local growers, producers and suppliers. Beatrice & Woodsley has created an unusual menu highlighting some wonderful finds and rarities Colorado has cradled this season.

We took a lot of extra time to create this menu as we had our heart fixed on some unusual ingredients we were interested in featuring... Last year it was the celebration of all things goat; goat braised in goat's milk, goat cheese, goat ice-cream, goat and more goat. The year before we ran wild with the lamb...

This year, after many months of tracking down what we believe may be the only supplier for the close of the summer season, we have succeeded in finding our muse. As you read this, our chef is traveling to Montrose to pick up our provision of heritage Turkey and Yak, both of which are the pièce de résistance of our exciting Harvest Week menu:

~AMUSE BOUSE~

~SOUP~
Local Summer Squash
Chilled with marinated Ugly Goat feta

~SECOND COURSE~
Salad of Baby Bibb Lettuce
With grilled asparagus, fococcia croutons, preserved lemon vinaigrette

~INTERMEZZO~

~THIRD COURSE~
Galantine of Colorado Heritage Turkey
With grilled olathe sweet corn bread,
smoked Colorado Yak sausage and creamed bitter greens

~OR~
Creamy Chestnut Polenta
With charred tomatoes, wild baby arugula
and Colorado heirloom bean cassoulet

~DESSERT COURSE~
Colorado Cherry Clafloutti
With apricot-buttermilk ice-cream

We will also have a limited selection of our regular menu to choose from during Harvest Week. The menu is prix fixe at $55, We have added two extra days (provided we have enough provisions...), and as we have held a great many tables back, we currently have many times and table to choose from.

Reservations: 303-777-3505 -or- Beatrice & Woodsley.com

Join us at À Côté de Z Cuisine for
a Wine Tasting to benefit Denver Urban Gardens!

Date: Wednesday, August 25th from 5 - 6:30 pm
Cost: $25.00 includes tastings of 10 plus wines and paired appetizers (extra donations are welcomed)
Wine: Dessert Wines
RSVP: 303-477-1111 Space is limited

Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) comes alongside residents, and together, we grow community - one urban garden at a time. This wonderful organization began in 1985 with a handful of volunteers who created three gardens in northwest Denver. Twenty-five years later they are celebrating their 100th community garden - and still support the mission of having a thriving and connected network of deeply-rooted community gardens, conceived of, cultivated and supported by local residents and institutions throughout the urban neighborhoods of metro Denver.
For more information visit: www.dug.org

Upcoming Noteworthy events!

August 21-27, 2010

EatDenver, comprised of the area’s top locally-owned restaurants, announces the third annual Harvest Week, a celebration of Colorado’s exceptional produce and products. Each participating restaurant creates a menu for Harvest Week that features food and/or beverages grown or produced in Colorado and highlights the style of that particular eatery. Click on the restaurants to the left to discover their Harvest Week menu.
The following restaurants are participating:
• 1515
• Avenue Grill
• Beatrice & Woodsley
• Bistro Vendome
• Black Pearl
• Cafe Colore
• Second Home
• Table 6
• Dixon's
• duo Restaurant
• Elway's Cherry Creek
• Encore
• Gelman'sRestaurant & Bar
• Great Northern
• Snooze AM Eatery
• The Lobby
• Jonesy's EatBar
• Locanda Del Borgo
• H Burger
• Tarbell's SouthGlenn
• Olivéa
• Opus Restaurant
• Osteria Marco
• Panzano
• Parallel Seventeen
• Racines
• Rioja
• Root Down
• Steubens
• Wynkoop Brewing
• Tables
• Barolo Grill
• Tambien
• The Crushery
• The Fort
• Vesta Dipping Grill
• Vine Street Pub
• Washington Park Grill
• H Burger
This is always a noteworthy event for those of us who like to eat locally, and we try to make it to a restaurant during this time to see what they can do.Two years back we went to Luca d'Italia ( http://www.milehigheater.com/search?q=harvest+week+at+luca ) and it was fantastic. I am sure the restaurants participating this year will put out a yummmm worthy feast!

Also coming up is the Northen Cherry creek food and wine festival which we havent made it to yet but are planning on stopping by this year and my doesent it sound great!
eat. drink. be cherry!
August 20 & 21, 2010
Cherry Creek North

Cherry Creek North Food & Wine (CCNFW) celebrates the culinary arts in Denver’s beautiful Cherry Creek North neighborhood. The event features free educational chef demonstrations, exciting wine and spirits sessions, an Opening Night VIP Party and the signature event of the weekend, The Grand Tasting.
The Cherry Creek Arts Festival (CCAF) produces CCNFW. CCAF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to providing access to art experiences and supporting art education in Colorado. A portion of the proceeds from CCNFW
benefits CCAF’s year-round art education and outreach programs.

Special thanks to our 2010 sponsors:
Steele Street Bank & Trust presents Cherry Creek North Food & Wine, a Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District signature event.

Sponsored by Continental Airlines, Media sponsor is 5280 Denver’s Magazine, Kitchen provided by Viking Range Corporation, Wines provided by The Vineyard in association with

• Opening Night VIP Party
• Friday August 20, 2010, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• This special celebration kicks-off the Cherry Creek North Food & Wine event weekend in true VIP style! Guests will enjoy a filling, entertaining and educational culinary journey with numerous delicious samples prepared live by local Celebrity Chef, Elise Wiggins, Executive Chef of Panzano Restaurant, Denver. Included in your private and intimate evening experience are exciting open-bar wine and spirits stations, live music and the company of a party limited to 150 guests.
• Admission: $65 through August 6, $75 thereafter ($30 tax deductible.) Tickets on sale May 2010.
•
• Grand Tasting
• Saturday August 21, 2010, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
• The Grand Tasting is the signature event of the weekend and features numerous Cherry Creek North restaurant tasting opportunities, open-bar wine and spirits stations, and an entertaining live chef demonstration by Celebrity Chef Elise Wiggins. This event will truly satisfy everyone from the culinary & wine aficionado to the foodie in all of us, and all guests receive a complimentary commemorative wine glass!
• Admission: $40 through August 6, $50 thereafter ($20 tax deductible.) Tickets on sale May 2010.

Two other events that we would like to make special note of are:

A Taste of Colorado
Denver
September 3rd to September 6th
www.atasteofcolorado.com/
We blogged about this 2 years ago: http://www.milehigheater.com/2008/09/taste-of-colorado.html

At the Taste of Colorado this year:

KICK-START YOUR DAY WITH THE DUNKIN’ TURBO™ BIG TASTE TOUR

Giant Cross-Country RV Brings New Dunkin’ Turbo Coffee to Denver September 3 - 6

WHO: Dunkin’ Donuts® new Dunkin’ Turbo packaged coffee, available where you buy groceries (11 oz., msrp $7.49-$7.99). Dunkin’ Turbo offers an extra boost of delicious Dunkin’ Donuts flavor to kick-start your day!

WHAT: A giant, Dunkin’ Donuts RV that’s designed to be a coffee-brewing kitchen on wheels to dispense free coffee samples and coupons to consumers at the A Taste of Colorado.

WHEN: Friday, September 3, 11:30am – 10:00 pm

Saturday, September 4, 10:30 am – 10:00 pm

Sunday, September 5, 10:30 am – 10:00 pm

Monday, September 6, 10:30 am – 8:00 pm

WHERE: Civic Center Park

· Dunkin' Turbo Wheel - Consumers spin the Dunkin’ Turbo wheel to win a variety of prizes, including a year’s worth of Dunkin’ Turbo packaged coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts grocery lists, reusable grocery bags or 11 oz. coffee packages.

· Big Taste Mascot – Take a picture with the Dunkin’ Donuts mug mascot to remember your time with the Dunkin’ Turbo Big Taste Tour.

and the Estes Park Scottish Festival with a special note of the scotch tasting if they do it this year I would say GO GO GO> http://www.milehigheater.com/search?q=weekend+of+brigadoon

Long's Peak Scottish-Irish Festival
Estes Park
September 9th to September 12th
www.scotfest.com/

Below are a list of other food/wine festivals and events:

August 14, 2010
Hideaway Park
Winter Park, Colorado
12pm - 5pm
The Taste of Grand County has been cancelled this year. Please visit www.WinterParkBeerFest.com for
more information and to purchase tickets.

08/14 to 08/15 2010 - A Taste Of Lone Tree Art & Food Festival
http://www.lonetreechamber.com/images/ATasteofLoneTree2010Information.jpg

August 14-15
The inaugural Snowmass Culinary Arts Festival brings foodies, wine connoisseurs, and art lovers alike together in a premiere visual and delectable feast. It features celebrity chefs, a juried art exhibit with regionally and nationally recognized artists, food & presentation expert panels, and a Palette of Pairings featuring specialty foods with wines & spirits, all set in the scenic mountain splendor of Snowmass Village, Colorado. Extend your stay and set out to explore easy or extreme hiking and biking trails, take in a free & festive Thursday night concert on the Hill, and visit world-renowned Aspen and its cultural delights right next door.

Beaver Creek Wine & Spirits Festival
August 19, 2010 - August 21, 2010

Featuring the winners of the San Francisco International Wine Competition and World Spirits Competition, world-renowned culinary talent and outdoor events to enjoy summertime in the mountains.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19th

Beaver Creek Rodeo Guest Chef BBQ
Beaver Creek Rodeo at Traer Creek, 5:00-8:00pm
Back by popular demand guest chefs will stimulate your senses at the Beaver Creek Rodeo. Tickets include VIP rodeo ticket, dinner and drinks. Rain or shine. Kids 12 and under eat free (one child per adult ticket)!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20th

Walk & Wine
Beaver Creek Hiking Center & Grouse Mountain Grill, 9:30am-2:00pm
A guided hike with the experts of the Beaver Creek Hiking Center for all ability levels is followed by a 4-course wine pairing luncheon at Grouse Mountain Grill.

“Mix it Up” Cocktail Seminar
The Osprey, 3:00-4:30pm
Learn how to mix specialty cocktails (and taste them all) while enjoying paired appetizers from The Osprey in Beaver Creek.

Wine Dinner
Mirabelle, 7:00-10:00pm
Enjoy an amazing wine pairing dinner with Guest Chef (TBD) and Guest Pastry (TBD). Bid on amazing vacation packages benefiting local charity, The Bright Future Foundation.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21st

Cooking Class
Splendido at the Chateau, 10:00am-1:00pm
Enjoy this one of a kind cooking class with Guest Chef (TBD) in the state of the art Splendido kitchen. Sip cocktails and enjoy lunch while tasting your creations.

Wine Seminar
Spago, The Ritz Bachelor Gulch, 3:00-4:30pm
Learn about your favorite and soon to be favorite wines from wine experts as well as Spago’s master sommelier, Sean Razee. At the same time taste an array of mouth watering appetizers prepared from Spago’s kitchen.

Culinary Demonstration Series
Outdoor demonstration tent, 5:00-6:00pm
Watch Guest Chef (TBD) create a dish before your eyes in this unique open air kitchen. This relaxed atmosphere is first come, first served and includes a complimentary cocktail prepared by a mixologist.

“Best of” Walk-Around Tasting
Vilar Performing Arts Center, 7:00-10:00pm
The one event not to miss! Taste over 40 award-winning wines and spirits and dishes from all of the Celebrity Chefs and your Beaver Creek favorites.

DENVER’S TOP LOCALLY-OWNED RESTAURANTS PRESENT HARVEST WEEK 2010

August 21-27, 2010

EatDenver, comprised of the area’s top locally-owned restaurants, announces the third annual Harvest Week, a celebration of Colorado’s exceptional produce and products. Each participating restaurant creates a menu for Harvest Week that features food and/or beverages grown or produced in Colorado and highlights the style of that particular eatery. Click on the restaurants to the left to discover their Harvest Week menu.

eat. drink. be cherry!
August 20 & 21, 2010
Cherry Creek North food and wine festival

11th Annual Lafayette Peach Festival with Arts and Antiques
Saturday, August 21, 2010
9:00am-4:00pm
Public Road in Old Town Lafayette

This wonderful annual family event includes:
• Over 30,000 pounds of organic peaches by Morton’s Certified Organic Orchards from Palisade, CO.
• 600 fresh whole peach pies while supplies last
• 4,500 servings of warm peach cobbler
• 9 x 12 pans of peach cobblers will also be available for purchase while supplies last
• Over 2,500 servings of Peach Smoothies
Live entertainment includes:
Main Stage (at Lafayette Florist)
* Wendy Woo, acoustic pop/rock, 10:30a.m. – 12:00p.m.
* The Informants, Blues Band, 12:30p.m. – 2:00p.m.
* Triple Nickel, Country & Classic Rock, 2:30p.m.- 4:00p.m.
Kid’s Entertainment at Festival Plaza Stage (at Chester St.)
* Mary Sue & Cari, 10:00am-10:45am
* Jim Jackson, 11:00am – 11:45am & 12:45pm – 1:30pm
* Mr. Shine Music, 12:00pm – 12:30pm & 1:45pm – 2:15pm
* Ballet Folklorica, 2:30pm - 3:00pm
* Seven Falls Indian Dancers, 3:15pm - 3:45pm
* Free face painting & balloon sculpting and so much more!
• Art demonstrations by the East Boulder County Artists’ Association and the Book Arts League.
• Farmer’s market, artists, antique dealers and crafters from all over the front range.
• Food vendors galore! Enjoy fresh baked bread to turkey legs, Falafel, Gyros, BBQ and much more.
• New this year: complimentary PEDICABS! Park at City Hall located at S. Boulder Rd. and Public Rd., Pedicabs available to and from Kimbark St. We encourage you to use the Public Parking area, it is only 2 blocks from the festival!
Bonfils Blood Mobile will be holding a Blood Drive. Look for the Bonfils Bus on S. Public road near Kimbark Street. To reserve your time or for more information visit Bonfils.

August 22, 2010
Omni Hotel – Broomfield, Colorado
4pm - 7pm
Lovers of gourmet food and fine wines will not want to miss the opportunity to sample and enjoy a wide array of food and beverages at the 4th Annual Corks and Forks tasting on August 22nd. Sponsored by Superior Liquors, all proceeds will be going to the National Sports Center for the Disabled.

August 25th Celebration of Premier Colorado Wines at the Governor's residence, benefitting the Governor's Residence Preservation Fund

August 27-28, 2010 Mesa Verde Country, Colorado
Staged against the backdrop of the Mesa Verde, the Mesa Verde Country® Food, Wine and Art Festival will feature wine tasting from some of Colorado's finest wineries, including our own local vintners.
.
August 29, 2010 Bootstrap western wine Festival
Evergreen, Colorado
A true Colorado wine festival, nestled in the romantic Rocky Mountains of beautiful Evergreen, where Colorado wineries will showcase their award winning products with truly inspiring jazz music by Modazz.

A Taste of Colorado
Denver
September 3rd to September 6th
www.atasteofcolorado.com/

Windsor Harvest Festival
Windsor
September 4th to September 7th
www.windsorharvestfest.com/

Long's Peak Scottish-Irish Festival
Estes Park
September 9th to September 12th
www.scotfest.com/

Harvestfest
Thornton
September 11th
www.cityofthornton.net/Festivals/Pages/HarvestFest.aspx

Arvada Harvest Festival Parade
Arvada
September 11th to September 13th
www.arvadaharvestfestivalparade.com/

09/11 - 09/12, 2010 - Festival Italiano
Lakewood, Colorado
Location: Belmar, 408 S. Teller St.
Event Hours: 10:00am-7:00pm each day
Contact Phone: 303.742.1520
Website: http://www.belmarcolorado.com/sub/event/festival_italiano/contact.html

Saturday, September 11th
6th Annual Denver Food & Wine Classic "Grand Tasting" Event (come rain or shine, the DFWC held under tents)
12 noon to 4:00 pm
Southern Wines & Spirits of Colorado and the Colorado Restaurant Association Education Foundation are pleased to present the 6th Annual Denver Food & Wine Classic - the largest single-day food, wine and spirits tasting experience in Denver. Food, wine and spirits enthusiasts will sample more than 600 featured wines, signature spirits and cuisine from Denver's finest restaurants. The Culinary Showcase featuring Denver's finest Chefs, the Pernod Ricard Lounge, The Maker's Mark Bourbon Street Bar, The Sky Suite, The Patron Spirits Company, WJ Deutsch Wine Bar, Trinchero Family Estates Wines and A Wine Auction.

Tickets available at the door or at any DFWC ticket outlet location. For event sponsorship and restaurant participation information, contact Siobhan Blanckaert at 303-830-2972 or siobhan@coloradorestaurant.com. For event details, please visit our website at www.denverfoodandwine.com.

Ok, yes it is a busy month in Colorado as far as food and wine festivals go. Below we will list special events at restaurants around the area if we have heard of any.

Who: Terroir Restaurant

What: “Terroir Uprooted” Dinner Series featuring My Mamma’s Hat Farm featuring “Summer in Greece”

When: Sunday, August 15 at 5 p.m.

Where: My Mamma’s Hat Farm, Niwot, Colorado

Cost: $65 per person excluding tax and gratuity

Menu:

Passed Hors d’Oeuvres (paired with the Skouras White):

- Chicken rillettes with cherry and rhubarb jams
- Salmon tartare on black pepper tuilles
- Zucchini involtini with herbed ricotto

Course 1:
Summer Greek salad with house-pickled peppers, olives, roasted onions, cucumber, Haystack feta cheese, fresh herbs, and tomato paired with the Domaine Sigalas Asyrtiko/Athiri
Course 2:
Paella with PEI mussels, jumbo shrimp, chorizo, and edamame paired with the Zoe Rose
Course 3:
Spit roasted Fox Fire Farm leg of lamb served with couscous, green beans, and charmoula paired with the Domaine Skouras Nemea St. George
Course 4:
Nectarine crostada with candied almonds and fromage blanc paired with the 2003 Domaine Sigalas Vin Santo
Tickets for this al fresco, rain or shine, event are $65 excluding tax and gratuity. Seating is limited to 25 guests and is community style. Menu is subject to minor changes based on seasonal availability of ingredients. To learn more about upcoming Terroir “Uprooted” Farm Dinners, please call Melissa at 303.651.0630 .
Other Details: Farm dinners will be al fresco, rain or shine. To make a reservation, please call 303.651.0630 and speak with Melissa.

About Terroir

Opened in 2007 in historic “Old Town” Longmont, Terroir Restaurant serves seasonal, modern American cuisine with Mediterranean influences. True to their namesake, Terroir draws its inspiration-in and out of the kitchen-from characteristics specific to Colorado. Ingredients are always sourced from local purveyors and the shotgun alley space has been carefully preserved, reflecting its turn of the century roots. Owners Tim Payne and Melissa Newell are on hand nightly to cook and serve this thoughtful cuisine that honors the land and the people around them.

For more information: http://www.terroir-restaurant.com

IMT Welcomes Fruition, Table 6, Twelve and Masterpiece Deli Chefs for Summer Seafood Supper
Who: The Infinite Monkey Theorem (IMT), Fruition and Table 6

What: Summer Seafood Supper

Where: IMT Lot at 931 W. 5th Avenue, Denver, 80202; r.s.v.p 970-260-0710

When: Sunday, August 22, 2009 from 6-8pm

Cost: $50 with wine by the glass at $10 each

RSVP: 303.736.8376 or ben@theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com

About The Infinite Monkey Theorem:

Opened in 2008, The Infinite Monkey Theorem (IMT) is an urban winery located in the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver, Colorado. Housed in a Quonset Hut, IMT represents a counter culture in winemaking: no vineyard, no pretense and only the best grapes.

For more information: http://www.theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com

PACIFIC SALMON AND OREGON PINOT NOIR... A PERFECT COMBINATION
Chef Sheila Lucero & Ron Penner-Ash Present a Northwest Salmon Bake
WHO: Jax Fish House Denver

WHERE: 1539 17th Street, Denver CO 80202
WHEN: August 18th, 8pm

COST: $49 per person, call 303.292.5767 for reservations
WHAT: Northwest Salmon Bake, a family style dinner paired with the delicious Penner-Ash wines
DETAILS: Ron Penner-Ash – vineyard manager and ‘cellar rat’ for Penner-Ash wines in Willamette Valley Oregon, will be joining Jax Fish House Denver on August 18th to share his knowledge and enticing wines. Family style plates will stream out of the kitchen with Chefs Chris Cina and Sheila Lucero ‘manning the stoves’. Appetizers, salads, sides and starches will accompany glorious full filets of cedar scented NW Pacific Salmon in a multi-course, communal feast. Meanwhile Ron Penner-Ash will guide us through the Willamette Valley, showcasing the delicious differences between the various appellations of Oregon. It will be an intimate night, with many opportunities to ask questions, learn, and experience the wines of Penner-Ash in a whole new way. For more information visit www.jaxfishhousedenver.com

Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail continues with their wonderful harvest meal special on Sundays, with a three course meal using ingredients from that days farmer market. Cost $45.00

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado restaurant and food blog if you know of any events we should include in here or just want to chat or leave a comment, just let us know here or at Jonathan or Barbara @milehigheater.com
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An evening at Restaurant Kelly Liken

2010-08-04T12:31:00.016-07:00

Kelly Liken is one of the cheftestants on this seasons “Top Chef” and we were fortunate enough to get invited to her restaurant to see the chef in action. A trip to Vail, glorious weather and a fantastic restaurant, it was a great weekend.

We arrive at the restaurant and there’s Kelly greeting patrons at the door. That was quite a surprise. We expected to meet her at some point during the meal, but weren’t prepared to meet her coming in. Also her husband was the person parking cars, greeting guests, working with the wine, and basically seemed to have a hand in everything front of the house, and I must say he does a fantastic job as the experience over all was fantastic.

We are seated and the experience begins. Our server Rachel delivers the amuse bouche. It is a roasted corn bisque with fennel, blackberry, parsley and chive.

She says: This was a tasty start to the meal. The corn was crunchy and the flavors blended together beautifully. It smelled and looked fantastic.

He says: Rachel says corn bisque and I immediately have an inner sigh. My experiences with corn chowder, corn bisque, corn soup, creamed corn, well you see what the thread have in common. It left me with the overall feeling of blah with corn based food items, but boy was I wrong on this one. From the wonderful creamy texture of the bisque to the sweet notes the blackberry added this was a fantastic start to the meal.

Kelly has a special menu on Sundays. She visits the Vail Farmer’s Market and plans the menu around the ingredients that she purchases that day to take advantage of produce that is in it's peak of freshness.
We had the tasting menu, and we each picked a different item so we could taste everything on the menu.

Jonathan also did a wine pairing with his meal.
1st course wine: 2007 Canyon Wind, Sauvigon
2nd course wine: 2007 Sutcliffe, Merlot
3rd course wine: 2009 Jack Rabbit, Riesling

She says: Now you all know that I’m not a wine lover, but in small doses and paired with the right food they can be enjoyed even by those of us who don’t always enjoy.

He says: I have found myself to like some wines but in general the sommelier has to be darn good to get me to think the wine really enhances the meal.
Barb’s first course was Morales Farms roasted Beet Salad: “Sowing Seeds” tender lettuce, fines herbs, caramelized shallot crème

She says: My beet salad was delicious. The colors were sharp and inviting. The beets were fresh and crunchy and I ate every bite on my plate! I can't remember having beets as an adult as much as I did when I was younger, but I'm definitely having them again soon because this dish was delish.

He says: Ok, yes it was pretty but this is, the second time in a row something came out that I am normally not a huge fan of...beets. I think in general I am just going to have to throw out the whole preconceptions of dishes in general it seems lately every time I say to myself "hmmpf" I am not going to care for that .. I end up really enjoying it, and this was no exception. It was as tasty as it was good to look at but I guess it’s just the deep down meat loving man in me who has a hard time giving huge praises to a salad regardless of how good.

You will see Sowing Seeds several times in this menu, and we will talk a bit more about this later and a lot more in a blog entry along with a few questions for Kelly.

Jonathan’s first course was Miller Farms Spring Onion Vichyssoise: Spiced balsamic reduction, house made bacon crisps.

She says: This was good, but I was so engrossed with my salad, that I only had one bite. The presentation was beautiful.

He says: Woohahah! Soooo very happy Barb was engrossed in her salad as this to me was the star of the two dishes. The onions had a very light not overpowering taste like you get in some onion based soups where the onion jumps up and smacks you so hard in the taste buds you might as well just be eating raw onions. The bacon pieces added a very smoky flavor and really, how do you go wrong with bacon. The balsamic just topped it off with a little sweetness that made this dish just pop, I could of had another 2 servings of this, so as you might have guessed, I was not disappointed at all when Barb did not want more than a taste. The wine, a 2007 Canyon Wind Sauvigon had a nice flavor to it and seemed to go well with the courses but did not stand out other than being a wine that I liked which is something in itself.

There were three choices for the main course.

Pan Roasted Colorado Striped Bass: Morales Farms beet and potato gratin, wilted summer greens, warm bacon vinaigrette.

All Natural New York Strip Steak: Silky Miller Farms, carrot potato puree, sweet baby carrots, “Sowing Seeds” cabbage slaw.

“Sowing Seeds” Summer Squash Risotto: Brush Creek Elementary summer squash and cherry tomatoes, creamy basil drizzle, parmigiano-reggiano Because they wanted us to try everything; they brought us both a serving of the risotto.

She says: For me, I think the risotto was my favorite dish of the night. I've had risotto a couple of times before, and was just not impressed with the effort. I can not say that about this risotto. It was so creamy, the vegetables (squash, tomato and zucchini) were just the right size bite to mix in with the risotto. Yummy!

He says: Well here we have our first certifiable Mmmmmm! You know the one when you bite into something that is so darn good and a Mmmm just comes out involuntarily. The risotto was cooked to perfection, the fresh vegetables were fantastic and the overall flavor I can only describe as something you lust after days later. Had this been a small plates restaurant I doubt I would of ever made it past the Onion Vichyssoise and this risotto as I would of just asked for more of each. And as it turns out that would have been a mistake as for me the standout of the evening was yet to come.

Barb had the Striped Bass

She says: I was blown away by the beet and potato gratin. I would never have thought of those flavors together and it was wonderful. It was even better when you took a bite with the bass. Delicious! I still struggle with fish courses as I haven’t had a lot of them, but this one was fantastic.

He says: I also normally struggle with fish but I can appreciate some well prepared fish, this one was very well prepared and when I took a bite of just the fish I liked it, however when I took a bite that had all the components on it : a little fish, a little potatoe/beet gratin and a little sauce I was wowed. I have been looking over the blog and thinking back to past fish dishes we have had and I have to go all the way back to Le Bernardin before I can find a fish dish I liked as much as this one and that is high praise indeed.
Jonathan had the New York Strip Steak

She says: The carrot-potato puree was smooth and creamy. I could have had a plate of just that. The steak was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful.

He says: The meat was well cooked and tasted good, the carrot-potato puree also was tasty and overall a good dish, but after the incredible fish and risotto this just did not stand out for me. The wine here, a 2007 Sutcliffe Merlot was good but did not really add much to either the fish or the meat, but as I have said before I am not a true wine person so it has to be an extremely good pairing for me to notice and in general has to be a very good wine for me even to like and I did like this one.

Kelly came out and talked to her patrons, stopping at tables, posing for pictures and even signing autographs. She was at ease and friendly. She stopped and talked to us for a minute and we talked about the Sowing Seeds program that she is working on with the Vail school district. They’ve created a garden at the school and some of the items on her menu came from this project. It was fun talking to her but it was awful hard not to bust into hundreds of Top Chef questions, as it was she seemed very down to earth and passionate about her cooking.

Dessert: Grilled Wynn Farms Palisade Peach, vanilla scented mascarpone cream, rich and moist yellow butter cake.
Kelly served the dessert course to us herself.

She says: This was light and airy and just the right size to end the meal. The peaches were grilled and warm, and the cake was yummy. I finished the meal and felt full, but not overfull which sometimes happen with several courses during a tasting menu.

He says. This is the season for fresh peaches here and Colorado and to have them used in such a light and tasty way was great. You left the desert still wanting just one more bite and I think that’s the way a good desert should leave you feeling. Sometime you leave a restaurant feeling like you’ve indulged too much and sometimes still feeling like you could have a bit more and sometimes you just leave and the meal does not really leave any impression on you other that filling a void in your stomach. As we were bidding Restaurant Kelly Liken goodbye I felt happy and satisfied both in the food and the experience as a whole. The wine paired with this one was the 2009 Jack Rabbit Riesling and it was a great addition to the course and seemed to even bring out further the taste of the peaches.

He says: Most meals we have had have a "miss step" some where something that though may be good just did not live up to the quality of the rest of the menu, here even though the meat dish did not soar it could not be called a "miss step" or really even close to one, and a meal with out a "miss step" is a incredible meal indeed.

If you happen to be in the Vail area I would HIGHLY suggest you stop at Restaurant Kelly Liken. I can almost guarantee you will leave the restaurant with a smile on your face and a full and happy belly!

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaurant and food blog. We hope to have a post up within two weeks with a few questions we asked Kelly about her cooking and her restaurant.
We were contacted and invited by the restaurant and they did comp our meal (which we were very grateful), but it’s not expected on our part. I added this just so you know, we never write our review based on a free meal, we write what we truly felt about the food and sometimes we do have to slam the food (like the food at the Scottish festival).

Luckily, here there was no awkwardness here as the food was all fantastic. I just mainly wanted to add this bit to say not only to the people who read our blog, but also to anyone who may invite us out, that while its fantastic and greatly appreciated if you want to cover part or all of our meal it never affects what we say about the meal itself, good or bad. If you have any questions feel free to email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com or just leave a comment here.

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Ian Kleinman and the Inventing Room

2010-08-04T11:24:00.010-07:00

Hi all,

Just wanted to say a few things real quick about one of the most interesting chefs in the area, Chef Ian Kleinman. Ian previously worked at O’s steak and seafood and had a very cool molecular gastronomy meal which Barb and I still talk about nearly two years later. He has now started a catering business http://www.theinventingroomonline.com where he brings the magic of it all to you.

I can’t imagine anything much more fun than having Chef Ian create his dishes at a party whether it be his mixology, small plates station for adults, an ice cream station or all the way up to a full meal. Having seen and tasted his food and been to a program he presented, Chef Ian's "Inventing Room" can only make your event a knockout! Please take a look at our previous posts on Ian to see pictures to understand the great things he can come up with.

Harvest Week

2010-07-28T08:59:00.007-07:00

Hi all,

One of the most exciting times of the year for Denver restaurants is fast approaching - "Harvest Week". Many Denver and surrounding areas take this week to focus on local foods and showcase the best ingredients the area has to offer. Every year we look forward to finding out what local chefs prepare during this week long event.

Harvest Week - is August 21-27, 2010. This week long event has over 50 member restaurants creating special menus celebrating Colorado products and producers.

Got to http://www.eatdenver.com/harvest-week to see which restaurants are participating.

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Old Chicago

2010-07-21T06:20:00.014-07:00

Happy Wednesday!

We were invited to Old Chicago to try their new summer treat the "Pizzini". The "Pizzini" is only going to be available until August 15th. It's on the menu for the summer to give you a lighter meal. Now's the time to get to Old Chicago.

There are six "pizzini" styles to partake of:
1) Spinach & Feta

Baby spinach, red onions, Feta crumbles, mushrooms, green chilies, roasted garlic, diced tomatoes, oregano spice and melted Mozzarella cheese. Baked and topped with marinated tomatoes and Feta cheese crumbles. Add chicken for just a bit more.

2) Hot Sicilian

A blend of pepperoni, salami, smoked ham, Parmesan garlic dressing and Mozzarella cheese wrapped and baked golden brown. Topped with pepperoncinis and green onions.

3) BBQ Chicken & Bacon

All white chicken breast tossed in honey chipotle BBQ sauce, smokehouse bacon, green chilies and red onions baked up with melted Cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses. Topped with a tangy pickle onion relish.

4) Grilled Steak & Mushroom

Grilled steak strips, sliced mushrooms, red bell peppers, red onions with fresh basil and Mozzarella, Parmesan and Ricotta cheeses. All wrapped and baked up golden brown, topped with a zesty red pepper relish.

5) Sausage & Meatball

All-beef meatballs, Italian sausage, green peppers and onions, crushed red pepper, our signature marinara sauce and Mozzarella cheese. Baked and topped with melted Mozzarella cheese, marinara and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

6) Chicken Florentine

A delicious blend of seasoned chicken, green onions, roasted garlic and layers of baby spinach and Mozzarella cheese. Baked up golden brown and topped with marinated Roma tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

We were greeted by the manager Brandy, who let us know that we would be trying 4 of the 6 "pizzini's".

Jonathan picked the Hot Silician and the Chicken Floentine
Barb picked the Grilled Steak & Mushroom and the Sausage & Meatball

Let the tasting begin!

She says: First off, the "pizzini's" looked beautiful. Nice golden crust, and topped with fresh ingredients. I tried the Sausage & Meatball first. It was very tasty, with lots of cheese and sauce. All of the "pizzini's" are served with Wonton Chips dipped in BBQ sauce. The Sausage & Mushroom was my favorite of all 4.

He says: Ok I love pizza in general and have a special fondness for calzones so when we were invited out here I was really looking forward to it. I do wish I liked beer because this place looked to be a beer lovers paradise with 2 full pages of different draft and bottle beers. Bet this place gets lively during football season with all the tvs and beer available.

In general when I take a bite into a pizza I get the burst of flavor of the cheese and the sause but most of the other ingrediants just kind of are a side show, the first thing I noticed when biting into the meatball pizzini was that you actually got a big burst of meatball flavor along with the cheese and other ingrediants which I really liked seemed to combine the best parts of a pizza and a meatball sub , yummm.

Next up was the Steak & Mushroom

She says: Again, beautiful crust (and I love crust). This was my least favorite of the 4 we tried. It's not that it wasn't tasty, it just tasted like the topping wasn't the right mix for the "pizzini".

He says: Well steak and mushroom, how could this not be my favorite ... well somehow it just wasn't. It was'nt bad, far from it but none of the flavors really jumped out at me at all, it was just kind of there. Luckily this is the only one of the 4 that we tried that I felt this way about.

Next up, Chicken Florntine.

She says: This was tasty, with a nice mix of chicken, cheese and onions. There was also spinach in this sandwhich (which I really don't like), but it was spread out enough to not be overpowering.

He says: Bah, I like spinach maybe not mounds of spinach by itself but mixed in to a dish or in a salad I like it alot. This was the first one I tried and it started me out with a very pleasant note. Once again, you got a burst of chicken flavor mixed in with a great sauce and of course cheese. This is the one I would come back for several times. Also want to take note of the "chips" they serve with these. They are fried wontons flavored with a barbaque taste. I like barbaque chips in general and these were darn good. Wish they sold these by the bag. I would be just fine having a large order of these with a coke and sitting back and watching a football game or something.

Last not least, the Hot Silician!

She says: Pepperoni! Smoked ham! Yum! This was my 2nd favorite of the night. The mixture of pepperoni, ham and mozzarella. It was a great flavor combination and a real treat.

He says: Ok, have you ever had a piece of pepporoni that was cooked really well and it fell off onto the plate by itself and when you ate it you got a huge burst of flavor. Biting into one of these is just like that, it slaps you in the face with the taste of pepperoni with each bite and to that I say hit me again :)

As we mentioned, these are only available until August 15th, and we recommend giving them a try. Thanks to Brandy the manager for this special treat. They have a meal deal going starting at $9.99. You get a salad, pizzini, and a dessert. Darn good deal that for most of us will mean lunch for the next day as well. We thank Old Chicago for inviting us over to give them a try. If you like pizza and calzones, I think you really would like these pizzinis.

Thanks again for visiting our Colorado based restaurant and food blog. Next up for us is Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail. She is currently doing well in the show Top Chef and we are looking forward to seeing what her food tastes like in person. If you have any questions feel free to drop us a line here or at barbara or jonathan @milehigheater.com

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The Fat Duck

2010-07-07T07:51:00.040-07:00

During our stay in London, we had the most wonderful opportunity to eat at the "Fat Duck". Jonathan had to make the reservation 2 months in advance, getting up at 3:30 am Colorado time to call the restaurant when they opened. It was well worth it.

We had to go to Paddington Station to get a ticket for the train to Bray where the restaurant is located. What a busy, bustling place Paddington is! We arrived in Bray, and had to take a taxi to the restauant. Talk about a drive. Small winding roads that seem to lead to nowhere, when finally we come upon a non-descript place where inside a fiesta of flavors was about to begin!

There were probably 12 tables in all. A small but lovely little place. A fireplace near the front door. A staircase leading to the restrooms. We could see through the kitchen from where we sat. The magic was about to begin.

Our first course was "Lime Grove". Nitro poached green tea and lime mousse.

Jonathan: Right after they placed down the food they sprayed a small mister above our heads that had the smell of lime this was our introduction to the showmanship and food the Fat Duck is famous for.

Barb: This was meant to be eaten in one bite and melt in your mouth, but I just couldn't shove the whole thing in my mouth!

Next on the menu was "Red Cabbage Gazpacho". Prommery grain mustard ice cream.

Barb: I am not a big fan of mustard, but pleasantly surprised to like this.
Jonathan: Ok the only thing I could think of was cabbage and ice cream mmm well okay, but after my first taste I was sold it was a great dish.

Next up: "Jelly of Quail, Crayfish Cream". Chicken liver parfait, oak moss and truffle toast.

Jonathan: Here another bit of theater took place they poared hot water onto a moss coated container and a steam arose that put out a smell that reminded you of being out in the woods. To top that off before you took a bite of your food they asked you to put in this little thin strip breath mint that had the strangest taste if I had to describe it, I would call it a woodsey oak flavor.
The food itself I thought was very good when we started it but as you ate more and more it became too rich then just to much. Some flavors are best in moderation.

It was followed by "Roast Foie Gras". Cherry puree, braised Konbu and crab biscuit.

Barb: We had our first experience of Foie Gras at Per Se in NYC and have enjoyed it ever since.

Next was "Mock Turtle Soup" - Mad Hatter Tea.

Barb: This was an incredible presentation. Inside the cup, there looked to be a gold pocket watch or locket. Once the water was poured in, it dissolved into a tea with gold leaf.

Jonathan: Inside the bowl you poured the broth into looked to be little mushrooms and such but they were not, I am not sure how they constructed this little thing but it was just way cool.

Next up was "Sound of the Sea".

Barb: Now this, was an amazing course. You recived the dish, which looked like a beach scene. Sea foam rising off what looked like sand. You were given a shell and inside the shell was a small Ipod and earphones. You inserted the earphones and listened to the sound of the sea as you ate, enhancing the experience. The fish was delicious and the "sand" was not sand at all.

Jonathan: the sand was tapioca and all in all this dish was probably the most incredibly constructed dish I have ever experienced. Really the meal so far has been so far over the top presentation it left you with the feeling you were at a theater not a restaurant.

The next course was "Salmon Poached in Liquorice". Artichokes, vanilla mayonnaise, trout roe and Manni olive oil.

Jonathan: The flavors here were very strong and so odd to get a strong liquorice flavor with fish to this day I am not sure about my feelings on this one.

At this point, you don't think you can eat anymore, but there are still several courses to go.

Next course: "Powdered Anjou Pigeon". Blood pudding and Confit of Umbles.

Jonathan: BLOOD PUDDING......RUN...well that was my first thought but just as in another restaurant we tried pickeled herring I went ahead and gave it a go and you know all in all it was pretty darn good.

Next up was "Taffety Tart". Carmelized apple, fennel, rose and candied lemon.

Jonathan: And the deserts begin mmmm and this was a great start with a interesting that seemed both light and gummy at the same time.

The next course was very interesting as well. "The Not-So-Full English Breakfast". Parsnip cereal, nitro-scrambled egg and bacon ice cream, with Hot and Iced Tea.

Barb: Oh my! This course was a delight in presentation and taste. You recieved a box of Parsnip cereal which was really good. Then the server began preparing the nitro-scrambled egg. This was showmanship at it's best. He told a tale while he cooked the egg.

Jonathan: The story the man told was about chickens that have been fed on bacon to give there eggs a bacon like taste, the he proceeded to crack open the egg and add the liquid nitrogen table side and out came this wonderfull ice cream that looked like scrambled eggs and yes had a light bacon taste, and even though even I a true bacon lover was thinking (bacon ice cream that just may be too much) it turned out to be fantastic

Barb: This was served with a Hot and Iced Tea drink that was simply mind-boggling as when you sipped it, you tasted both hot and cold. It was a mind teaser and it was delicious.

Jonathan: Ok this was just wrong and I kept sipping at it how the heck can something taste piping hot when it enters your mouth but the time you swallow it feels as cold as a slushie. If any one knows how he does this trick please let me know.

Just when you thought it would never end, out came "Chocolate Wine Slush" with Millionaire shortbread.

Jonathan: First a tea that turned out to be as cold as a slushie, then a slushie that tasted like chocolate at this point my taste buds were confused as all heck but happy :)

A picture frame was then given to us which contained "Wine Gums" laying out the Historic trade routes of Britain. There were 5 different gums that tasted like Mead, Cognac, Madeira, Sherry and Rum. Yum!

Last, but not least we received a little goody bag from the "Sweet Shop" and was sent on our way. Also included was a sealed envelope with the menu. Sated and happy to experience one of the best restaurants in the world.

Jonathan: All in all I would say this was the most entertaining meal I have had and probably engaged more of my senses at one time then anything ever has, but as far as taste it was in the top 10 but was not as good as say Per Se but so very worth the experience.

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaurant and food blog if you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us here or at jonathan@milehigheater.com or barb@milehigheater.com

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It's Been Awhile.....

2010-07-05T13:10:00.002-07:00

Sorry we haven't added anything in such a long time. The economy is partly to blame as we slowed down a lot from visiting some really nice places. But, we do have a few places still to get to, so please keep visiting and soon. I will be trying to load pictures from our Europe trip which included visits to St. John in London, The Fat Duck in Bath, England and Dalhousie Castle in Scotland.

Also, I'll let Jonathan tell his tale of the "calzone" in Paris! You won't want to miss that one.

Will be working away this week and trying to get something up.

Thanks for your patience!

Barb

Chef Eric Skokan

2009-10-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all

Just wanted to make a quick note of the fact that Chef Skokan of the Black Cat one of our long time favorite restaurants here in Colorado has been invited to cook at the James Beard house! This is a huge honor and once again shows how his love of food shines in the kitchen as well as his use of food straight from the garden

Congratulations on this Chef Skokan!

For more info on this check out the Daily Camera article on 10-7 (www.dailycamera.com)

Jonathan and Barb

Scottish Festival Estes Park

2009-10-06T08:42:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

This is the second part of our experiences at the Estes Park Scottish Festival. We went up on Saturday morning and took the time to watch over all the colors and noises of the festival. We had a lot of fun watching the various activities and would recommend going up there just to see various events.

The first thing we ran into was some of the dogs warming up for the various competitions they have.

After that we spent some time watching the athletic events. It was amazing watching them pick up those huge logs and tossing them about.

Following that, as we were heading to meet my father, who was coming by to see things with us, we heard a dull thunder that kept rising in volume as we approached a few tents. Inside were the dancing competitions and wow, they were incredible moving and stomping around with a flash of color in their costumes.

And, of course the bag pipers were making music throughout the festival. We all very much enjoyed our time watching the dogs, pipers, and dancers, as well as the pretty darn cool games and we decided to go try the food. This is a carnival type event so we went to a few different vendors and snacked to try the wares.

The very first thing we tried was a Scotch egg.

A hard boiled egg, sausage wrapped and then deep fried. A yummy heart attack on a plate. This was really good and I truly enjoyed it and could have had one or more.

The second thing we ran into was a meat pie that came with mashed potatoes and peas.

This was decent. It had a nice amount of meat and a good taste and actually pretty good as far as festival food goes.

The next thing was a bread bowl full of Chili.

This was ok, considering the cold day, but to be honest the most that can really be said of it is that it was hot; the chili itself was fair, and the bread about the same.

Lastly was a Pasty from the same place the Chili bowl came from.

A pasty is a meat filled pie basically and normally very darn good. However in this instance, it was not. In fact, one bite is all we could do. The pasty was hard as a rock and tasted like cardboard and the inside was as dry as the same rock. This was just plain bad, bad for carnival food bad for dog food.

All in all I would encourage you to go to the fair, enjoy the festivities, they are well worth enjoying. Drink the beer (plenty of Guiness all around) and by all means go to the Scotch Tasting. It was great, but except for snacking (I still want another Scotch egg) don’t eat your meal of the day here go on into the town of Estes Park and come back for more of the fun.

Thanks as always for coming by our Colorado dining and food blog, If you have any questions or comments please let us know at jonathan or barb@milehigheater.com

Guest Blog at Beet Street

2009-10-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hi all

Just a quick note our blog entry on the Scottish Festival will be up tomorrow but I did want to mention the folks at Beet Street ( www.beetstreet.org) asked us to do a guest blog for their fantastic Fort Collins and Northern Colorado culture site. If you get a chance take a look over there they have some really interesting stuff coming up.

Jonathan

Scottish Festival the Weekend of Brigadoon.

2009-09-28T13:58:00.001-07:00

Weekend of Brigadoon
Hi all,
Recently we were asked out to the Scottish/ Irish Festival up in Estes Park, initially when I received the email inviting us I was well, um why us? We deal with restaurants and that like and they explained they had some venders who did Scottish food as well as a Whiskey expert doing a Scotch tasting class. Scotch tasting? I thought, well that has promise. How can an invite to a Scotch tasting ever be a bad thing and for the most part I was right. With that thought, let’s get to it.

The first thing I will talk about without Barb at all because she decided to sit out the Scotch lecture and tasting (silly girl). Ok, going into a scotch tasting seminar I honestly was not thinking it would be educational, but surprisingly, the person who hosted it was Robert Sickler who is a master of whiskey (yes, you read that right, he is a master of whiskey - now that sounds like a fun job) was incredibly knowledgeable and shared his wealth of knowledge, as well of his love of the drink with us.

I had to ask what a master of whiskey does and what Mr. Sickler told me was that as a Master of Whisky I work as a brand ambassador for the whiskies of Diageo, which include Johnnie Walker, the Classic Malts of Scotland, Crown Royal, Buchanan’s Scotch whisky, Bushmills Irish Whisky, Crown Royal, George Dickel Tennessee whisky, and Bulleit Bourbon.

I host whisky tastings and whisky dinners throughout Colorado, as well as Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. In addition, I function as a whisky knowledge resource for distributors, key accounts, and Diageo cluster teams.

Robert Sickler is the one on the right.

When they opened up the door to the room where the tasting would take place a very talented bag piper started playing and the wonderful smell of scotch wafted out of the room and we all took our chairs and waited for Robert Sickler to get started.

The lecture started out with a moment of silence as this was September 11th and I thought that was a very nice thing to spend a moment in remembrance of that day and our troops regardless of your feelings on current politics. Then he gave us some basic information about whiskey and I will list a few of the main points of interest as well as little bullet points.
1. The Irish invented Scotch but these days the Scottish scotch whiskey and the Irish scotch have a few differences. In Ireland, they don’t use peat in the process and they distill the scotch 3 times, which they say provides a smoother better scotch.
2. In Scotland they do use peat in the process which adds a distinctive smell and taste to it and only distill the scotch 2 times (they say the Irish do it 3 times because they can’t get it right in 2 ).
3. A single malt scotch only has 3 ingredients: Water, Barley, and Yeast. That’s it.
4. Scotch comes out of the cask much, much stronger than we normally see it here, unless you get a bottle of cask strength. But, they add water to it from their spring at the brewery to mellow it down to around 80 proof.
After the initial presentation, he took us through tasting 7 different scotches from 7 different areas and he talked a little about where each one came from. We smelled it, took a small taste, then he gave a toast and we finished it off. I was amazed by how very different each scotch really was depending on where it was made and what kind of wood it was stored in.
The Scotches we tried here were The Singleton of Glendullan, Bushmills 10 and 16 year old, Clynelish 14 year old, Caol Ila 12 year old, Talisker 10 year old and GLenkinchie 12 year old. My personal favorites were the Talisker and the Caol Ila.

Another really fun part of the scotch tasting was watching some of the faces of those who were not all that much into scotch when they tried the different ones. The “scotch” faces they made were great and almost had me spitting my scotch due to laughter.
As we were about to drink our last scotch this fellow came strolling on in

to make the toast and of course we were all more than happy to share the whiskey with a leprechaun and hope he helped luck favor us for it.

One of the toasts of many was this one just to give an example of a good scotch toast:
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.

If you ever get the chance and you have any interest at all, I would highly recommend coming up to the scotch tasting next year it is well worth the cost of admission!
I am going to make the Scottish festival visit into 2 parts and end here this week. Come back next week to read more about how our visit to the festival proper went!

Thanks as always for stopping by our Colorado restaurant and food blog. If you have any comments or questions feel free to contact us here or at jonathan or barb@milehigheater.com

Crepes De Paris

2009-09-21T08:44:00.004-07:00

Hi all

Tucked away in the Orchard shopping complex is a quaint little place called Crepes de Paris. Walking in you get a sense of Paris based on the very cute wall drawings. Little vignettes of the Parisian lifestyle all around you to get you in the French food mood.

You have your choice of savory or sweet crepes, with savory being your dinner crepe and sweet being your dessert.
There are 10 savory crepes to choose from:
Cheese Crepe – cheddar, parmesan and cream cheese
Ham & Cheese – Gruyere or Mozzarella cheese w/honey mustard sauce
St. Louis – turkey or ham, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and tomato
Des Amis – bacon, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms & olives w/tomato sauce
Curry Crepe – chicken, sweet red pepper & mozzarella cheese in curry cream sauce
Spinach Crepe – Fresh cooked spinach, feta cheese and sweet red pepper
Chicken-Spinach – mushrooms, chicken, spinach and mozzarella cheese in cream sauce
Paris Special – chicken, mushrooms, black olives & mozzarella cheese w/garlic cream sauce
Viva La France – shrimp, red pepper & parmesan cheese in wine cream sauce
Le Moulin Rouge – smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers

She says: I had a cheese crepe, which was good.

The crepe was light and fluffy, and the cheese was melted nicely. I liked the cream cheese mixed with the cheese, it made the crepe very ooey-gooey good. There aren’t a lot of choices for picky old me, so I went with basic cheese. They probably would have substituted or done without an ingredient, but I didn’t feel like being a difficult patron.
He says: Very mixed on this place I had the St Louis crepe and it was very dry and had little flavor.

My father had the Paris special and that had an incredible garlic sauce that just made you hungry smelling it and satisfied the taste buds with its wonderful mixture of flavors inside and had the other two crepes we tried been like this I would of felt completely different about the meal.

That crepe was almost enough for me to forgive the bad one I had , almost but not completely so I really can’t recommend Crepes de Paris myself but I think Barb says the Dessert Crepes are great and worth a visit here just for them but we did not have one that week so I wont commit to that myself.
She Says: I had been there the week before on a girl’s night out and had the Ham & Cheese crepe and it was very good, so I didn’t want to pick the same thing again. Also, the week before I had split a Dulce de Leche crepe (caramel, powdered sugar with Chantilly cream) with my friend and I must say that the dessert crepe is the way to go over the dinner crepe. That’s what crepes are for I think, the sweet decadent flavors. And the dessert crepes will not disappoint. My recommendation would be to go to dinner elsewhere, see a movie or go shopping, then sneak away to Crepes de Paris for a sweet treat at the end of the night.

As always thanks for stopping by our Colorado restaurant and food blog if you have any questions or comments or perhaps know a place we should try feel free to contact us here or at jonathan or barb@milehigheater.com

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End of Summer thank you.

2009-08-24T08:48:00.002-07:00

Hi all

As summer winds down I would like to take a moment to say a few words and give a word of thanks to two chefs. I don’t know if I had mentioned it before but both Barb and I are Librarians by profession and this summer two chefs came down to the Library I work at to do a presentations for our patron’s. The chefs both donated their time from their busy schedule and I just wanted to say thank you to both.

The first one was chef Ian Kleinman from O’s restaurant who did a wonderful presentation for the children that both entertained the kids and encouraged them to look at science in a different way. It has been several months now since he did that but the fact that I still have children come up to me and talk about what he did shows how very excited they were about it.

Chef Kleinman Made such things as Blueberry pop rocks, a lime soda pop, lemon foam and an incredible strawberry ice cream made with liquid nitrogen that each and every one of the kids got a chance to try. His display of Molecular Gastronomy and the encouragement he gave to the kids to learn every thing they can will long be remembered and appreciated here. If you would be interested in more info on Chef Kleinman and his wonderful food and science his restaurants website is http://www.westindenverboulder.com. Chef Kleinman also has a blog that is allot of fun to look at www.food102.blogspot.com. And additionally we did an article or two in our blog here http://www.milehigheater.com/search?q=o%27s.

The second chef that came down to talk to the adults was Chef Skokan of the Black Cat in Boulder. He came to speak about his cooking philosophy as well as sustainable agriculture and farm to table cooking. Chef Skokan if you did not already know has a newly acquired 10 acre farm which the produce from he uses in his restaurant as well as donating to local food banks. He is as passionate about his farm as he is about his food and we had people drive in from 50 miles off to hear him talk and all found his talk to be educational and enlightening.

Chef Skokan’s website is at www.blackcatboulder.com you can go to his great restaurant in boulder or visit his booth at the boulder farmers market. We have articles about him as well http://www.milehigheater.com/search?q=black+cat . Thank you again chef Skokan.

Thanks all for stopping by our Colorado food and dining blog I hope everyone had a great summer and as always if have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

Texas De Brazil Head to Head

2009-08-17T07:09:00.004-07:00

Hi all

Last week we went to Texas De Brazil www.texasdebrazil.com at their request to give a head to head comparison with the newly opened Fogo de Chao. Once again I must say when you go to a Brazilian steakhouse go with an empty belly so you can fully enjoy the large variety of meats and other food items that they provide. When we walked out of Texas De Brazil we walked out full and happy having had an excellent meal and busy minds trying to compare the 2 restaurants. Here we go with the head to head.

The atmosphere.

He says: In my opinion, it really depends on what you are doing and who you are with. Texas De Brazil has a warm welcoming feel with rich colors and decorations and seems a place to sit back with friends and family to talk and enjoy a great meal. Fogo De Chao has more of a “date” or business meeting feel. I can’t in any way say one is better than the other in this regards as I said above, it depends on what you are looking for on that day.
She says: The atmosphere at both places was humming and busy. But I do have to give props to our server Stephanie at Texas de Brazil who was very competent, eager to answer any of our questions and made our experience that much more special. The décor is very dark wood and elegant. I enjoyed being by the window so that we didn’t feel closed in.

Salad Bar
Once again calling this a salad bar is really doing it a injustice as there is just so much here to eat and snack on that you could easily and happily spend your whole meal just here (but don’t!).

He says: Texas de Brazil’s “salad” bar was very interesting. It featured grilled portabella which I loved even more than the marinated shitake mushrooms at Fogo, to a great smoke Salmon and several nice cheeses and some lovely grilled shrimp. One thing that set Texas de Brazil’s bar apart from Fogo was a hot bar which had a nice soup (on our night a great lobster bisque) and also a traditional Brazilian dish of rice black beans and Farofa . One item that threw me off was they has some sushi rolls on the salad bar that tasted fine but really seemed out of place.
To decide which was better was a matter of great debate between me and Barb as was the whole evening and I am sure you will notice that throughout this article. In the end even though Fogo had several more items on their salad bar, I have to give the salad bar to Texas De Brazil because of the hot bar with its excellent rice beans and Farofa , although it was a very close call ( I really missed the peppers from Fogo).

She says: First up was the salad bar. There were a lot of items on the salad bar menu that I didn’t know what they were. They had the names of things on placards, but even that didn’t help me to know what I was eating. There was lobster bisque soup, sushi, goat cheese (yum) and much more, but again I didn’t know what some things were and not feeling very adventurous, didn’t sample as much as I could have. To me, that was a little disappointing. I could have asked the servers, but it wasn’t just one or two items, but several.
So, for me Fogo has the better salad bar (they should add goat cheese though!).

Meat
Ok, this is really what it is all about. You come here for the meat, and oh man did they have a lot of it.
The meat at Texas de Brazil was all pretty good with a few stand outs and a few not so much. We will go ahead and list several that we can take a direct comparison with. The sides here are once again the cooked bananas and garlic mashed potatoes. To me, once again the mashed potatoes were good but did not stand out. The bananas however were a bit sweeter with a nice taste of cinnamon. Myself, I liked Fogo’s a bit better but Barb preferred the sweeter taste of Texas De Brazils.

He says: House specialty which is a cut of top sirloin. This was very, very good at both restaurants. Myself, I honestly could not call it. I decided both restaurants were about equal with this cut of meat with the taste and tenderness. Texas de Brazil is a bit saltier in general with their meat due to the way they cook it, but not to a point where it detracts at all from the meal.
She Says: We started just as we did at Fogo with the house special, the picanha. This meat is so delicious and moist and it melts in your mouth. More meat made the rounds, and I next chose the lombo pork, chicken wrapped in bacon and lamb.

Chicken:
He says: I did prefer Texas de Brazil chicken entrée’s more than fogo’s but both were very good
She says: The chicken too was delicious and refreshing. I enjoyed it more than Fogo’s.

Filet Mignon:
He says: Here I found Fogo’s Filet Mignon to be superior to Texas De Brazil both in taste and tenderness. Mind you that Texas’s was not bad and I would be happy to have it on my plate anytime, mmm. But, Fogo’s was a touch better.

She says: Next up was the filet mignon wrapped in bacon. Oh my, this was the bomb as far as I was concerned. It was so yummy, so soft and delicious.

Lamb Chop:
He says: They brought out a nice mint jelly to our table and the lamb chop was tender and juicy and with the addition of the jelly this was a definite yummm . Hands down, Texas de Brazil’s Lamb Chop was superior to Fogo’s
She says: Our server brought over mint jelly for the lamb and never having mint jelly before gave it a try. I must say it was a nice contrast to the lamb and decided that more is needed in the future.

Pork : The best comparison I can come up with is Fogo’s Lombo vs Texas de Brazil’s Pork and Parmesan.
He says: Both are yummy and these are very close overall, both of them being very tender and juicy, but I would need to give a slight edge to Fogo’s spices over Texas De Brazil’s Parmesan. Though I have gone back and forth about this a lot it is sooo close and both are just very good!

She says: The lombo was this wonderful boneless pork piece wrapped in parmesan cheese. It was delicious. It was juicy and rich in flavor and went down very easily.

This is where they cook the meat even after the meal when we went in this room I started to get hungry again with the wonderful smells.

Sausage:
He says: a wash for me here both are good and tasty and a bit spicy
She says: I didn’t try the sausage here. I’m not a huge sausage fan, and it just didn’t appeal to me that night.
Desserts:

Between the three of us we tried out three deserts.
1. Mousse De Maracuja (Passion fruit mousse). This was similar to the dessert my Father had at Fogo but I think done better. Of the three desserts at the table we all kept going back to this one. It was sweet and tart and just delicious!

2. Cheesecake: Very good with beautiful plating and a nice crust.

3. Crème Brule Tasty with a firm top and a lemony taste to it this was very good as was all the desserts but not really a stand out when compared with the other 2 desserts.

She says: Of course, by the time dessert comes around you are so stuffed, but you just can’t say no and so we didn’t. The desserts were good, all three of them that we partook of. But again, this is a steakhouse and so dessert wise; it’s a wash for me. They were all good, all filling, all decadent all fattening!

Overall Impressions:

He says: Two things I really want to mention about our evening at Texas De Brazil. The introduction to how a Brazilian steak house works and what we were in store for was made better and more interesting by our… hmm don’t want to call it a server maybe a host is a better word as ( her name) she was more around to make sure everything was going ok and to explain what things were etc regardless what you call her she was fantastic and made the meal that much more enjoyable with her knowledge and friendliness. Also Elena asked for a drink that the bar did not know but the assistant manager did and that person went ahead and made it for her and from all reports it was fantastic.
She says: I don’t know if I can really say one way or another which Brazilian steakhouse to go to. They are both very good restaurants with wonderful selections at both. Each place has it’s own uniqueness and overall feel, but truly I think it depends on where you are and where you’re going. If you’re going downtown, I’d suggest trying out Fogo de Chao. If you’re going on a shopping excursion, I’d pick Texas de Brail. Or, if you just want a great meal try them both!

Wow ok this is so very hard to do when you enjoy both meals very much and everything is close its hard to say one is better than the other so you know I don’t think I will. I don’t think you can possibly be unhappy with either restaurant and indeed I bet you will leave full and happy. As I said at the beginning I think it really depends on what you are doing for the evening and maybe more importantly where you are.

Wanted to put in a quick update note. It has been about a year since we wrote this post and time has made a winner more clear for Barb and I, though we enjoyed both when we think of going to a brazillian steak house fogo de chao is the one we crave so I think will make me say Fogo was the overall winner

As always thanks for stopping by our Colorado food and dining blog if you have any questions or comments feel free to ask them here or contact us at barb or jonathan @milehigheater.com

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Battle of the Brazilian steakhouses

2009-08-03T07:36:00.002-07:00

Hi all

Just a quick note for this Monday morning last week after our post about Fogo de Chao the folks at Texas de Brazil contacted us and challenged us to do a head to head with them vs Fogo and tomorrow night we are taking up that challenge. It should be interesting to see if Texas de Brazil can outshine the great night we had Fogo.

Stay tuned for the battle of the Brazilian steakhouses 