Denveater

Sustenance & Sustainability: Gear Up for the Green Route Restaurant Tour, April 2010

Just got word from Green Route Denver about this month-long series of tours "showcasing Denver’s sustainable restaurant scene." Pretty cool. To quote from the press release:

Each participating restaurant is a member of Denver’s Green Route, a green map for the City of Denver that showcases the cutting-edge sustainable businesses & organizations making Denver a global leader in sustainability. 

All tours are complimentary and will feature special appetizer & drink specials & the opportunity to meet with the owners & chefs. A tour pass is required to participate at each restaurant & will be available for download starting Monday, March 22, 2010. 

Please visit our website to print your pass & to view what each restaurant will be offering. 

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, April 5, 6 pm–8 pm: 1515 Restaurant 

Wednesday, April 7, 6 pm–8 pm: WaterCourse Foods  

Monday, April 12, 11 am–1 pm: SAME Café  

Monday, April 19, 6 pm–8 pm: City O’ City  

Tuesday, April 20, 10 am–12 pm: Snooze  (Larimer St. branch)

Monday, April 26, 6 pm–8 pm: Duo Restaurant   

Wednesday, April 28, 6 pm–8 pm: Root Down  

 

March Madness for Mealtime Maniacs: Where the Locals Eat Food Fight!

Forget Ohio State & Michigan (except for that last 6 seconds—what a shot!), Clemson & Missouri, all that collegiate mishigas. Where the Locals Eat's online bracket challenge makes for a far more promising betting pool, at least for anyone reading this here blog. 

To quote the press release I got, Food Fight "is an online game where 64 of America's favorite dishes square off in head-to-head match ups, seeded in brackets like the NCAA tournament: burgers vs. nachos, bagels vs. sushi, pizza vs. ribs, & the grudge match everyone is talking about—hot dogs vs. Buffalo wings. 

Pick your favorite foods & help us determine America's champ. The contest is free & we will accept entries until March 19 at 6pm. We will reveal the first-round results on March 22, & the winner will be crowned on March 31. Go to www.WhereTheLocalsEat.com/challenge [linked above] to see the official rules & to submit your ballot." 

And here's the kicker: "GRAND PRIZE: APPLE iPAD!"

Yes, I'm playing; & no, I'm not sharing my picks, except to say they're Colorado proud. And/or gleefully random. Come join me in cheering on lasagna to kick lobster's ass!

The Reserve List Becomes The Empty Bottle

The name doesn't inspire a whopping lot of confidence, but since the former manager of The Reserve List on Old South Pearl is now the owner of its successor, I assume all will be in order. 

According to the newsletter, the Grand Opening of The Empty Bottle will be held on March 27 from 2 PM to 7 PM, featuring:

*French wines from Robert Kacher
*Italian wines from Guiliana Imports
*Hand-selected wines from Spain, Argentina & Oregon
*Local wines from Infinite Monkey Theorem
*Eats from Park Burger & Strings

But it's the day-to-day value rack I'll be opening the door for, from which you can "Mix & Match any 3 bottles for $25. Huge Savings!" No doubt. For $25, I'd be thrilled with a bottle each of Mad Dog, Night Train & Manischewitz.

Suck It Up for Oyster Week at Jax Fish House, 3/8–3/14

Now *this* is my kind of Restaurant Week. Hooray for Jax Fish House, which is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Emergency Family Assistance Association & The Gathering Place, i.e. the sorts of helping-hand community organizations I loll around promising myself I'll volunteer at someday in my spare time. Then I go make a drink & watch some boxing match I've already seen. 

Anyway, as acts of almsgiving go, overdosing on oysters is right up my alley (although, ew, that's one walkway I'd advise you to skirt). Hell, I may even do more than my share, attending the Oyster Week at the Boulder branch from 3/1 to 3/7 before hitting the Lodo location the following week. In short I'll be there with shells on.

 

Coloradans Color the 2010 James Beard Award Nominations

You can read this just about anywhere as of the past half-hour, but it's worth reading again, given such a strong showing from Centennial Staters in the Best Chef: Southwest category. Were I in charge, I can think of a few locals I'd add, but I certainly wouldn't remove any names from the list, with 1 exception that shouldn't be too hard to guess. For the complete list of nominees, click here.

Outstanding Restaurateur
Steve Ells, Chipotle Mexican Grill, everywhere (no comment)
Frank Bonanno, Bones/Osteria Marco/Luca d'Italia/Mizuna, Denver

Best Chef: Southwest
Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja, Denver 
Ryan Hardy, Montagna at the Little Nell, Aspen
Kelly Liken, Kelly Liken, Vail
Alex Seidel, Fruition, Denver
Mark Fischer, Six89, Carbondale
Bertrand Bouquin, Summit at the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs

Best Pastry Chef
Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, Olivéa/Duo, Denver

Rising Star Chef
James Rugile, Venue, Denver

Outstanding Wine Service
Frasca, Boulder

Outstanding Service
Penrose Room at the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs

Old Blinking Light 5-Course South American Wine Dinner, 1/26, 6pm, $65 per

Yet another prix-fixe menu from Old Blinking Light catches my eye—& not just for the typos! It's those bright, refreshing, tart flavors the whole meal's awash in that almost have me wishing I wasn't going to be  in New York next Tuesday. Not quite, of course, but almost. Anyway, if you go, raise a glass of carménère to me.

 

Gennaro's is back, bambinos—as Gennaro's Cafe Italiano!

We got this flier in the mail. 

The new red-sauce menu looks a lot like the old red-sauce menu, but what with an espresso bar serving "latte works of art" & karaoke night, delivery service & 2-buck slices on Tuesdays, the owners clearly aim to cater to a whole new gaggle of kiddos. Either way, here's hoping they held on to the Sopranos pinball machine the Director & I used to play into the ground—garlic knots & amaretto shots here we come! 

(If you never knew the original S. Broadway joint, click here.)

Castle Entertaining: From Ranch Hands to Royalty signing, 1/13, 7pm

A friend sent word of this new local cookbook by Meg Anderson & John Lake: 

Seems that for 20 years, Anderson & Lake catered all manner of shindigs at Cherokee Ranch & Castle for then-owner Mildred Montague Genevieve "Tweet" Kimball; the book contains not only recipes but reminiscences of the horse & cattlewoman & the undoubtedly charmed life she lived at the Sedalia landmark. 

It actually sounds kinda cool, & the authors will be giving a free talk about it on the above date as part of the Book Reports series at the Littleton Museum, where it's already available for sale. 

Advance tix at the Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., Littleton, CO, 303.795.3950.

 

Sneak Peek at Colt & Gray's Spanking New Cocktail List

Colt & Gray bar manager Kevin Burke being the real effing deal & all (see, for example, here, here & here), I was thrilled & honored to get a glimpse of his up-&-coming concoctions. Though it may yet be tweaked here & there, it already looks like a winner. Count me in for copious St. Celeriums—how cool is housemade celery soda?!—followed by any & everything containing Amer Picon.

ORIGINAL COCKTAILS  

 

FIRING PIN 

BULLEIT BOURBON, LEOPOLD’S THREEPINS LIQUEUR 

 

DUBLIN COFFEE 

GUINNESS LIQUEUR, JAMESON 12Y.O., EGG 

 

WINTER SOLSTICE  

SINGLE MALT WHISKY, CRÈME DE VIOLETTE, LAVENDER, LEMON 

 

RYEPA 

AVERY-MALT INFUSED WHISKEY, IPA CORDIAL, CARPANO 

 

COLONIAL FIZZ # 2 

MONTECRISTO 12YR RUM, YELLOW CHARTREUSE, APPLE BRANDY, HOUSE GRAPEFRUIT SODA 

 

ST. CELERIUM 

HAYMAN’S OLD TOM GIN, DOLIN BLANC,  

ST. GERMAIN, HOUSE CELERY SODA 

 

COCKTAIL VIEJO 

DEL CIELO REPOSADO TEQUILA, AGAVE, PEYCHAUD’S 

 

VINTAGE COCKTAILS 

 

CORPSE REVIVER # 2 

GIN, LEMON, COINTREAU, LILLET, ABSINTHE 

HARRY CRADDOCK SAVOY COCKTAIL BOOK 1930 

 

BOBBY BURNS  

SCOTCH WHISKY, CARPANO, BENEDICTINE 

ALBERT CROCKET OLD WALDORF BAR DAYS 1931 

 

BIJOU # 2 

GIN, CARPANO, GREEN CHARTREUSE, AMERPICON 

HARRY JOHNSON BARTENDERS’ MANUAL 1900 

 

BARMAN’S CHOICE   

ALLOW US TO CREATE A COCKTAIL FOR YOU BASED ON YOUR PERSONAL TASTES 

 

Italian Family Dinner Night at Tony's Market, Jan. 21, 6pm

While shopping for NYE snacks at Tony's Market the other night, I grabbed a flyer for this terrific-sounding 5-course festa ($30 per person). Since the seating area on the far side of the market proper is pretty small, reservations are limited, so all interested parties should probably claim their spots, say, nowish.  

Porrata
Tuscan leek-pancetta tart

Cannelloni con Aragosta fra Diavolo
Lobster-stuffed pasta in spicy tomato sauce

Osso buco con Risotto alla Milanese & Rapini con Aglio
Braised veal shank with Milanese-style risotto & garlicky broccoli rabe

(Risotto alla Milanese is distinguished by the use of saffron; when well made, it's a classic to end all classics, as this guideurope photo attests.)

Insalata di Mela, Radicchio e Prosciutto
Salad with apples, radicchio & prosciutto

Zabaglione con Frutta di Stagione e Torta di Spezie
Wine custard with seasonal fruit & spice cake

To pair with your meal, you can purchase any or all of the following bottles of wine directly through the market:

Amanya Sauvignon Blanc / $23
Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon / $28
Doña Paula Malbec / $22

Eccellente, eh?