The end, at least for now

Hi all Well 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

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

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

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

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..

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

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?

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

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


Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

News bits

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

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

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!

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



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Friday news bits 01-07-2011

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

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

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



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Friday Food News

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

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

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

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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

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.

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