Old Chicago

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

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.....

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

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

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

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.

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