shhh!... The Hush secret revealed

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

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







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

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

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

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

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

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

Our third appetizer was an cooked oyster.

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

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

Our last appetizer was Peach wrapped in Prosciutto.

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

hush releases the list for adventures in dining

Tickets Now On Sale for
"Adventures in Dining"


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

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

Featuring

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

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

Saturday November 20th- Chef James Mazzio

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

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

Details given to our confirmed guests upon ticket purchase.


See you there




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




Eat Outside The Box.

Smash Burger

Hi all,

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

He says:

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


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

Barb chose to have a salad.

She says:

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


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

He says:

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

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

Farms, Dairys, and Wines, Oh My

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

Interview with Chef Rahm Fama

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

Here’s our conversation:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Absolutely.

Coffee and Red Chile Rubbed Flank Steak Recipe
Courtesy Rahm Fama

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

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


Will any of the shows take place in CO?

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

What do you eat in the middle of the night?

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

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

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


Chef Rahm says:

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

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

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

Questions and a Recipe from Jenna Johansen @ Dish Restaurant

Hi all,

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

1. What attracted you to cooking?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bacon. I am a total whore for the pig.

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

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

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

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

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

8. How about one restaurant anywhere in the world?

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

New Food Network Show featuring Colorado Chef

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

Chef Fama has culinary roots in Vail and Colorado Springs.

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

Barb & Jonathan