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


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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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