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.



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


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


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



Rumors...




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

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

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





Provisions...

New Brunch Menu!



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

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

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

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





Libations...

New Specialty Cocktails

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

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

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

And we brought back the ever-popular...

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

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



2009 Ladera Howell Mountain Sauvignon Blanc Exclusive

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



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

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

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






Diversions...

New Year's Eve Tasting Dinner



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

Amuse
A fond farewell... A new beginning

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

Domaine Giachino ~ Jaquere; Savioe, France

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

Castelfeder ~ Schiava; Alto Adige, Italy

Third Course
Carrot ginger soup

Selbach “incline” ~ Riesling; Mosel, Germany

Intermezzo
Lobster and champagne "risotto"

Viña Santa Maria ~ Torrontés; Mendoza, Argentina

Entrée
Assiette of milk fed veal

Il Faggio ~ Montepulciano; Abruzzo, Italy

Dessert
Chocolate savarin cake, brandy and morello cherry ice cream

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

7:30 pm, December 31, 2010

Intimate community seating in the wine cellar

$100 prix fixe; tax & gratuity included

Reservations Required... 303-777-3505

Thanks as always for stopping by!


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

Critically Threatened Bluefin Tuna Still on the Menu in Colorado

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

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

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

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

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

Tgi Friday's

Hi all,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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


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

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



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

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

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




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

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

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



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



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

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



On to the main dishes!

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

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



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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

We tried one new dessert and one current dessert.

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


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

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

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



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

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


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

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

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

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

neuro

Hi all,

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

Things and Stuff

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

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


Star Bar
2137 Larimer Street
Denver, CO 80205


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


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


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

Dear Friends of Meadow Lark Farm Dinners,


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

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

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

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

We wish you a Happy Holiday Season.

Meadow Lark Farm Dinners

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

featuring

Guest Chef Michael Tusk
(Quince Restaurant, San Francisco)

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

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

and

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

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

Monday, December 6th
6:30pm

5 courses
including wine pairings and white truffles

$550 per person*
*not including tax or gratuity

Call 303.442.6966 for reservations
Seating is limited to 45 guests


Thanks as always for stopping by our restaurant blog.

Black Cat Comes to You!

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

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

Who: Chef/Farmer Eric Skokan

What: Private Chef Dinner Events

Where: In your home

When: Beginning after Thanksgiving and running through January 15th

Cost: $1200 for a party of 10

Contact: (303) 444-5500

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

About Black Cat Farm-Table-Bistro:

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

For more information: www.blackcatboulder.com

Montanya Rum

Hi all,

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


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

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



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



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




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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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


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

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

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




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


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

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

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

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

Muir Glen Tomatoes

Hi all,

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


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


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




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



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

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

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

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




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

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

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


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




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

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

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




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

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


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





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

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

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


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

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



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