With all the traveling I’ve been doing (literally 10,000 miles in under 6 weeks), it’s been hard to get motivated to sit down and write a few posts. Certainly, it has nothing to do with a shortage of meals to write about.
I’ve had two dinners in Colorado that are quite blog-worthy, and two in Chicago – one of which it would be a great disservice NOT to write about.
And of course, there have been some fun events here at home – an Open House at Hangar One, our first Outstanding in the Field dinner, plus a fabulous brunch at L’Artiste Patisserie in Los Angeles.
As I sit here on my flight from Oakland to Chicago and then on to Hartford, I can hardly decide where to start. So, I think I’ll start at the beginning – in Colorado.
Colorado has not traditionally been known for its cuisine. That’s not to say there hasn’t been plenty of good stuff to be found; it’s just that it’s always been a “meat and potatoes” kind of place. However, Denver (and, of course, Boulder) are really experiencing something of a culture boom. From Vietnamese cuisine to Spanish Tapas and even Persian food, there’s not much you CAN’T find in the Denver metro area these days.
Wine lists are also flourishing, and in the past month, I’ve had the pleasure of drinking two really fabulous wines.
The first, a ’96 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne was lusciously honeyed, with lively fuji apple acidity and a surprising (but not overpowering) bit of oak. A gorgeous, lingering finish of allspice and more honey wrapped things up nicely. We bought this bottle at Flatz restaurant in the Renaissance hotel in Broomfield. It was their very LAST bottle, which had several of us halfway to tears.
The meal itself was very good as well. I’ve eaten here several times, as the Ren is where I usually stay when I’m in Colorado, and I am always impressed at the quality of the ingredients and the thoughtful preparations. The kitchen has a slightly heavy hand with sweet ingredients, so I try to steer away from those menu items that contain such ingredients. If you’re ever there, don’t miss their Lobster Bisque ($9.50) – it is an exceptional version.
The other blog-worthy wine we drank this month was a '92 Joseph Drouhin Vosne Romanee. It was drinking superbly, with a still-youthful nose, bright red fruit and subtle smoke that followed through to the finish. The tannins were beautifully rounded out but still held up well to the powerful game meats on the table.
These three bottles were drunk at the Red Lion, a German restaurant in Boulder specializing in wild game. Everything is hunted locally, and the specialties include buffalo, wild boar, elk and, on the night we were there, caribou.
I was surprised that the boar was far more flavorful than the caribou, though part of that may have been the preparation, as well. This was a very different “meat and potatoes” sort of meal, and one that would interest anyone who enjoys wild game. A shared salad of celeriac and duck breast was one of the best things on the table, along with the escargot appetizers.
Flatz Restaurant at the Renaissance
500 Flatiron Boulevard
Broomfield, CO 80021
303.465.0153
The Red Lion Restaurant
38470 Boulder Canyon Highway 119
Boulder, CO 80302
303.442.9368
Technorati Tags: Food & Drink | Wine | Colorado | San Francisco | Boulder
