This was a dinner back at Crystal’s. She decided to make her family’s version of au gratin potatoes (with lots of calls to grandma to check the recipe). For this, she prepared some of the ingredients separately before combining them in her cooking dish. She boiled the potatoes and set them aside. She also made a cheese sauce out of cheddar, flour, milk and butter. The cheese sauce started to curdle as she was making it, but she was able to save it. She layered in her dish: potatoes, ham and cheese sauce. It went into the oven for about an hour. The texture of the cheese was a bit off when we had it but the taste was amazing. It was a delicious, hearty meal. I wanted to add some hot sauce because I’ve become obsessed with the combination of cheddar and spicy. That’s just my own preference though. This was Crystal’s first time making the dish by herself. It turned out really well.
We had the au gratin potatoes with salad topped with the orange citrus dressing.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Restaurant Kevin Taylor
5280 Restaurant Week
Kevin Taylor website
303-820-2600
The 5280 Restaurant Week is a foodie’s dream. It’s promoted by the 5280 magazine and has a large list of participating restaurants. It used to be just one week in past years but is now two weeks. Most places have a prix fixe menu, with three courses and a few choices per course. A couple can dine for $52.80 or $26.40 per person. It’s an amazing deal and a fun way to try out nice restaurants that one may not usually be able to afford.I started my 5280 week with Restaurant Kevin Taylor in downtown Denver with my parents and my brother, Tyler. The restaurant has a posh and cozy atmosphere at the same time. We were led upstairs to a second balcony level. We got to look out into the main restaurant. It would be nice to dine in the main dining area but this section would also make for a more intimate date. I do have to mention that I loved their comfortable chairs.
We got white and olive bread to start with, accompanied by a plate of large slices of unsalted butter. My mom ordered the Wild Horse Pinot Noir while my dad and brother ordered beers.
The menu had some interesting choices. For the first course, I got the Seared French Foie Gras. This came with a Citrus Pound Cake, Blood Orange, Buttermilk Sorbet and Apple Gastrique. I was surprised because I was expecting a pâté of foie gras but it was actually a seared liver. I had never tried just a seared fatty liver before. The taste was just as amazing as the pâté but the texture was a bit strange for me. The little side items were tiny and artistic.
My mom and brother had the Pimenton Seared Hawaiian Tuna which came with Gazpacho Salad, Marcona Almonds, English Cucumbers, and Yellow Gazpacho. The tuna was good quality. I think it was seared a bit more than I personally prefer. My dad went with the Truffle Potato & Leek Soup with Crispy Shallots, Parsley Coulis, and Pommery Mustard Potato Salad. I liked how this was served. The other items were in the bottom of a dry bowl. The creamy soup was poured out of a silver pitcher onto the other ingredients. It was a classy way of not having to worry about slopping the soup.
For the main course, my dad, brother and I all got the Roast Angus Beef NY Sirloin & Braised Brisket: Mascarpone Potato Mousseline, Wild Mushrooms, Baby Zucchini, Rioja Jus. We were served two large slices of the sirloin as well as a healthy chunk of brisket. The meat was all very tender and turned out to be a larger serving than I could handle. I got to take it home and have a little bit leftover. The Rioja jus was a savory sauce that demanded to be sopped up in some bread.
Mom ended up ordering the Butter Poached Maine Lobster: Wild Mushroom Open Ravioli, Pea Sprouts, Potato Fondants, Lobster Saffron Emulsion. I tasted a little bit and it was some of the tenderest lobster I had ever tried. Any pleasant texture that my starter lacked was made up for in the main course.
Finally, we had dessert. My brother and I went with the Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brulée: Pistachio Madeleines, Vanilla Bean Sugar. It was pretty comparable to the crème brulées that I’ve had in the past.
My dad ordered their version of a Snickers. It was served with something I dubbed “peanut fluff.” It looked and tasted very similar to a real Snickers bar. Hopefully they didn’t switch it up on us. Tyler had the Pannacotta: blackberry pannacotta with raspberry meringues, pistachio sponge cake.
The waiter was very nice and no one ever had a snooty attitude with us. I felt very welcome and enjoyed sitting for a few hours to enjoy our meal.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Z Cuisine
Z Cuisine website
2239 W. 30th Avenue Denver , CO 80211
Every Friday I meet up with a French conversation group. Usually we meet at a cafe in the Highlands but we decided to try something different and go to a French restaurant called Z Cuisine. The menu was a bit expensive but the food was amazingly worth it. I decided to go with the Terrine de foie gras maison: Hudson Valley duck foie gras, marinated in late harvest muscat wine baked in individual terrine, accompanied with seasonal gelée, fruit reduction, and toasted pain de mie. The seasonal gelée was Jasmine flavored and the fruit reduction was pear. This is seriously heaven on a plate. When I put a bite of it in my mouth, all thoughts left my head. I was in complete awe and ecstasy with this dish. The foie gras was amazingly smooth and rich. On the waiter’s recommendation, I had it with a glass of the muscat wine that they marinate it in. The pairing of the sweet wine with it was good.
The serving was quite small so I decided to go with the Soupe à l’oignon gratinée au four. This is a traditional slow baked French onion soup with a vegetarian roasted spice broth, toasted baguette, imported emmenthal and raclette cheese on top. I’m used to the broth being beef so I was pleasantly surprised by the vegetarian broth. It made for a much lighter dish overall.
The ambiance was fun because the restaurant was small and quite crowded. Our group sat around a tall table sort of like an additional bar.
(303) 477-1111
Every Friday I meet up with a French conversation group. Usually we meet at a cafe in the Highlands but we decided to try something different and go to a French restaurant called Z Cuisine. The menu was a bit expensive but the food was amazingly worth it. I decided to go with the Terrine de foie gras maison: Hudson Valley duck foie gras, marinated in late harvest muscat wine baked in individual terrine, accompanied with seasonal gelée, fruit reduction, and toasted pain de mie. The seasonal gelée was Jasmine flavored and the fruit reduction was pear. This is seriously heaven on a plate. When I put a bite of it in my mouth, all thoughts left my head. I was in complete awe and ecstasy with this dish. The foie gras was amazingly smooth and rich. On the waiter’s recommendation, I had it with a glass of the muscat wine that they marinate it in. The pairing of the sweet wine with it was good.
The serving was quite small so I decided to go with the Soupe à l’oignon gratinée au four. This is a traditional slow baked French onion soup with a vegetarian roasted spice broth, toasted baguette, imported emmenthal and raclette cheese on top. I’m used to the broth being beef so I was pleasantly surprised by the vegetarian broth. It made for a much lighter dish overall.
The ambiance was fun because the restaurant was small and quite crowded. Our group sat around a tall table sort of like an additional bar.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Mardi Gras at Pappadeaux
Pappadeaux website
7520 East Progress Place Greenwood Village , CO 80111
What better place to celebrate Mardi Gras than Pappadeaux restaurant? My parents were kind enough to go early and snag a table for happy hour. They got the last table in the bar at 3:30pm. I love Pappadeaux year round but it’s especially fun on Mardi Gras. It’s always packed with people dressed up and enjoying special drinks. I showed up after work with Crystal. The two of us decided to dress up in purple shirts and masks.
We ordered a lot of items from their happy hour menu. Apparently my parents had ordered and returned some orange shrimp because they tasted like chlorine.
Here are the items we had: Catfish Beignets with shoestring potatoes. These were just pieces of fried catfish that came with a tartar sauce. Petite Po Boy, choice of fried catfish or shrimp. We had the catfish po boy sandwich. Crispy Fried Alligator with fresh cut potato sticks & Creole dipping sauce. This was my favorite appetizer! The alligator itself was so delicious. The sauce was savory kind of like a gravy. I could eat this as a main dish. Fried Calamari with a spicy Marinara sauce & Lemon Aioli. The calamari also had good flavor. I preferred it in the lemon aioli. We also tried the 1 ¼ pound of crawfish with corn and potatoes that they had special for Mardi Gras. The crawfish are served whole for peel and eat. I’d never tried them like that. They were tossed in a spicy cajun sauce. They were fun to eat as well as quite yummy. It is a lot of work for just a little bit of meat though. We also ordered a favorite of ours, the Greek Salad, from their regular menu. It’s tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, shrimp, imported kalamata olives, capers, solinika peppers, oregano & feta cheese in Pappas Greek Dressing.
We also took advantage of the happy hour drinks. I mean, it is a party right? My dad and I tried the margaritas. I really liked the lime rich mix they use. I also tried The Big Easy which is “a blend of Sobieski Cytron vodka with fresh lemon, lime, grapefruit & orange juices, sweetened to perfection.” The fruit juices were quite tasty in this. Crystal tried the Bayou Sweet Tea which has Firefly Sweet Tea vodka, Cointreau, handcrafted lemonade & a squeeze of orange.
The food was great and the service was good in spite of the crush of people. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
(303) 740-9449
What better place to celebrate Mardi Gras than Pappadeaux restaurant? My parents were kind enough to go early and snag a table for happy hour. They got the last table in the bar at 3:30pm. I love Pappadeaux year round but it’s especially fun on Mardi Gras. It’s always packed with people dressed up and enjoying special drinks. I showed up after work with Crystal. The two of us decided to dress up in purple shirts and masks.
We ordered a lot of items from their happy hour menu. Apparently my parents had ordered and returned some orange shrimp because they tasted like chlorine.
Here are the items we had: Catfish Beignets with shoestring potatoes. These were just pieces of fried catfish that came with a tartar sauce. Petite Po Boy, choice of fried catfish or shrimp. We had the catfish po boy sandwich. Crispy Fried Alligator with fresh cut potato sticks & Creole dipping sauce. This was my favorite appetizer! The alligator itself was so delicious. The sauce was savory kind of like a gravy. I could eat this as a main dish. Fried Calamari with a spicy Marinara sauce & Lemon Aioli. The calamari also had good flavor. I preferred it in the lemon aioli. We also tried the 1 ¼ pound of crawfish with corn and potatoes that they had special for Mardi Gras. The crawfish are served whole for peel and eat. I’d never tried them like that. They were tossed in a spicy cajun sauce. They were fun to eat as well as quite yummy. It is a lot of work for just a little bit of meat though. We also ordered a favorite of ours, the Greek Salad, from their regular menu. It’s tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, shrimp, imported kalamata olives, capers, solinika peppers, oregano & feta cheese in Pappas Greek Dressing.
We also took advantage of the happy hour drinks. I mean, it is a party right? My dad and I tried the margaritas. I really liked the lime rich mix they use. I also tried The Big Easy which is “a blend of Sobieski Cytron vodka with fresh lemon, lime, grapefruit & orange juices, sweetened to perfection.” The fruit juices were quite tasty in this. Crystal tried the Bayou Sweet Tea which has Firefly Sweet Tea vodka, Cointreau, handcrafted lemonade & a squeeze of orange.
The food was great and the service was good in spite of the crush of people. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Red Square Euro Bistro
Red Square website
Denver , CO 80202
We had a drink included in the coupon so I decided to try the restaurant’s house infused vodka. I had a shot of red pepper vodka with the first course and Shan had the mint vodka. They were each served with a dill pickle slice to follow the shot. For an appetizer, I ordered the Juniper Berry Spiced Duck Confit: Wild Mushroom and Potato Buni, Balsamic Reduction. The duck came on three little bunis. There were delicious combinations of salty and sweet flavors in the duck and the balsamic reduction. Shan ordered the "Pelemeni": Meat Filled Dumplings, Beef Bouillon, Sour Cream. I got to try hers. The dumplings were tiny and adorable with dollops of sour cream on them. The bites were delicious and delicately flavored. The dumplings were sitting in a layer of the beef bouillon which was one of the lighted beef broths I’ve ever tasted.
I ordered another shot of the house vodka to go with my main course. I tried the garlic vodka and Shan tried the honey pepper vodka. There were many tempting main dishes. I was torn between two options. I wanted the salmon stroganoff but ended up ordering the Pan Seared Salmon Pave: Tomato-Basil, Israeli Couscous, Dill Caper & White Wine Jus, Red Beet Chips. The white wine jus mixed in with the couscous and the capers had a tangy lemon flavor. It was heavenly and complimented the salmon. I was surprised by the sweetness of the beet chips on top of the salmon. Shan ordered the "Chicken Kiev": Breaded Cornish Game Hen, Wild Rice Cake, Sauteed Spinach, Parsley & Garlic Veloute. The hen and rice both had great flavor.
Finally came dessert. I ordered a shot of the cranberry vodka to accompany it. For my final course, I had the Brown Sugar Roasted Banana Crepe with Vanilla Ice Cream. The caramelized brown sugar was so delicious that I had to scrape my plate clean with a spoon. Shan had the Chocolate Mousse Terrine with Fresh Raspberries, Vanilla Glaze. Shan was also scraping the delicious sauces from her plate.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was very romantic. With the red walls it would have been perfect for a Valentine’s Day date. I enjoyed the infused vodka and would like to go try it again. We had a charming waiter. I think he may have been from eastern Europe himself. A very pleasant experience overall.
1512 Larimer Street Unit R38
303-595-8600
My mom bought me a special coupon online as a Christmas present. This deal got me a three course dinner and drink for two at the Red Square Euro Bistro in downtown Denver. I decided to take my friend Shan to join me in the experience. We got dressed up and were able to take the light rail down to the restaurant. As you enter, the initial impression is of a European cafe. Inside, the walls are all painted a rich red.We had a drink included in the coupon so I decided to try the restaurant’s house infused vodka. I had a shot of red pepper vodka with the first course and Shan had the mint vodka. They were each served with a dill pickle slice to follow the shot. For an appetizer, I ordered the Juniper Berry Spiced Duck Confit: Wild Mushroom and Potato Buni, Balsamic Reduction. The duck came on three little bunis. There were delicious combinations of salty and sweet flavors in the duck and the balsamic reduction. Shan ordered the "Pelemeni": Meat Filled Dumplings, Beef Bouillon, Sour Cream. I got to try hers. The dumplings were tiny and adorable with dollops of sour cream on them. The bites were delicious and delicately flavored. The dumplings were sitting in a layer of the beef bouillon which was one of the lighted beef broths I’ve ever tasted.
I ordered another shot of the house vodka to go with my main course. I tried the garlic vodka and Shan tried the honey pepper vodka. There were many tempting main dishes. I was torn between two options. I wanted the salmon stroganoff but ended up ordering the Pan Seared Salmon Pave: Tomato-Basil, Israeli Couscous, Dill Caper & White Wine Jus, Red Beet Chips. The white wine jus mixed in with the couscous and the capers had a tangy lemon flavor. It was heavenly and complimented the salmon. I was surprised by the sweetness of the beet chips on top of the salmon. Shan ordered the "Chicken Kiev": Breaded Cornish Game Hen, Wild Rice Cake, Sauteed Spinach, Parsley & Garlic Veloute. The hen and rice both had great flavor.
Finally came dessert. I ordered a shot of the cranberry vodka to accompany it. For my final course, I had the Brown Sugar Roasted Banana Crepe with Vanilla Ice Cream. The caramelized brown sugar was so delicious that I had to scrape my plate clean with a spoon. Shan had the Chocolate Mousse Terrine with Fresh Raspberries, Vanilla Glaze. Shan was also scraping the delicious sauces from her plate.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was very romantic. With the red walls it would have been perfect for a Valentine’s Day date. I enjoyed the infused vodka and would like to go try it again. We had a charming waiter. I think he may have been from eastern Europe himself. A very pleasant experience overall.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Valentine's Fondue
I hosted Crystal for dinner at my apartment for Valentine’s Day. I decided to try something new to me that required a lot of preparation. I went for fondue. Instead of having four courses like my family and I do at the Melting Pot, I went for two fondue and one salad course.
We started with a Cheddar Cheese fondue. I found a recipe online that imitates the cheddar fondue at the Melting Pot. It calls for: 6 oz cheddar (I used Kroger sharp cheddar), 2 oz Emmentaler swiss (I could not find cheaper Emmentaler so I used a nice Gruyère), 2 tsp chopped garlic, 2 tsp mustard powder, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbs flour, and 4 oz Coors Light. It tasted amazing and was very close to the Melting Pot fondue. For items to dip in the fondue I had: green apples, cauliflower, carrots, sourdough bread, and multi-grain bread.
At the same time, we had salads. I tried to imitate the mushroom salad that the Melting Pot used to have. It didn’t turn out as successful as the fondues. I used regular button mushrooms and they didn’t taste very fresh. I made a dressing out of white wine vinegar, garlic and chipotle olive oil. Again, this just didn’t have the flavor that I was going for.
We took a break after the cheese fondue to digest. We watched an episode of the TV show Supernatural. Once we felt like we had more room in our stomachs, I prepared the chocolate fondue. This recipe called simply for 4 Toblerone bars and ⅔ cup cream. To dip in the chocolate, I had: strawberries, angel food cake, clementine oranges, and marshmallows. The oranges were my own idea and they were fantastic in the chocolate.
We started with a Cheddar Cheese fondue. I found a recipe online that imitates the cheddar fondue at the Melting Pot. It calls for: 6 oz cheddar (I used Kroger sharp cheddar), 2 oz Emmentaler swiss (I could not find cheaper Emmentaler so I used a nice Gruyère), 2 tsp chopped garlic, 2 tsp mustard powder, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbs flour, and 4 oz Coors Light. It tasted amazing and was very close to the Melting Pot fondue. For items to dip in the fondue I had: green apples, cauliflower, carrots, sourdough bread, and multi-grain bread.
At the same time, we had salads. I tried to imitate the mushroom salad that the Melting Pot used to have. It didn’t turn out as successful as the fondues. I used regular button mushrooms and they didn’t taste very fresh. I made a dressing out of white wine vinegar, garlic and chipotle olive oil. Again, this just didn’t have the flavor that I was going for.
We took a break after the cheese fondue to digest. We watched an episode of the TV show Supernatural. Once we felt like we had more room in our stomachs, I prepared the chocolate fondue. This recipe called simply for 4 Toblerone bars and ⅔ cup cream. To dip in the chocolate, I had: strawberries, angel food cake, clementine oranges, and marshmallows. The oranges were my own idea and they were fantastic in the chocolate.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Linger Happy Hour
Linger website
2030 West 30th Avenue Denver , CO 80211
Since we were there for happy hour, we got to order the small appetizers from their happy hour menu. I’ve listed the items and their descriptions below. Everything was amazing. We went all out in ordering almost all of the items on the menu. For drinks, I ordered a happy hour margarita. There was a lot of snow in the forecast for that evening so the bar manager informed us there was a bet for what time the snow would start. We all guessed later times, but the snow started earlier than expected. None of us were close. Luckily, the bar manager decided that we’d all get a free drink anyway. He brought us creamsicle shots.
While the items were fairly pricey, the taste of everything was delicious. I also enjoyed the nods to the former mortuary. The happy hour menu was on toe tags. The water was served in squat brown bottles. The tables had rollers under the glass top. All in all I had a fantastic time and I would probably go back.
Here are the items we tried from the happy hour menu:
Mongolian BBQ Duck Bun: Steamed sesame buns, miso-pickled cucumbers & scallions
Bành Mi Tea Sandwich: Inari Tofu, sambal cream cheese, cilantro aioli, jalapeno, radish & fresh herbs
Popper "Breakdown": Wok-seared peppers, tempura cheddar curds & valencia-habanero jam
Strongbow Cider Mussels: garlic, thyme, celery, grain mustard, maple drizzle & grilled cheddar-jalapeno bread
Maple Leaf Duck Wings: shaved fennel, blood orange hot sauce & celery root ranch
Organic Waffle Sweet Potato Fries: Chipotle-tomato ketchup
Sesame BBQ Tacos: kobe short rib, napa slaw, radish, avocado & lime
(303) 993-3120
I was invited by my friends Kuni, Ellen and Sara to join them for a happy hour at a bar/restaurant in the Highlands named Linger. This restaurant used to be the Olinger mortuary so there are many nods to this fact in the menu and atmosphere. Since we were there for happy hour, we got to order the small appetizers from their happy hour menu. I’ve listed the items and their descriptions below. Everything was amazing. We went all out in ordering almost all of the items on the menu. For drinks, I ordered a happy hour margarita. There was a lot of snow in the forecast for that evening so the bar manager informed us there was a bet for what time the snow would start. We all guessed later times, but the snow started earlier than expected. None of us were close. Luckily, the bar manager decided that we’d all get a free drink anyway. He brought us creamsicle shots.
While the items were fairly pricey, the taste of everything was delicious. I also enjoyed the nods to the former mortuary. The happy hour menu was on toe tags. The water was served in squat brown bottles. The tables had rollers under the glass top. All in all I had a fantastic time and I would probably go back.
Here are the items we tried from the happy hour menu:
Mongolian BBQ Duck Bun: Steamed sesame buns, miso-pickled cucumbers & scallions
Bành Mi Tea Sandwich: Inari Tofu, sambal cream cheese, cilantro aioli, jalapeno, radish & fresh herbs
Popper "Breakdown": Wok-seared peppers, tempura cheddar curds & valencia-habanero jam
Strongbow Cider Mussels: garlic, thyme, celery, grain mustard, maple drizzle & grilled cheddar-jalapeno bread
Maple Leaf Duck Wings: shaved fennel, blood orange hot sauce & celery root ranch
Organic Waffle Sweet Potato Fries: Chipotle-tomato ketchup
Sesame BBQ Tacos: kobe short rib, napa slaw, radish, avocado & lime
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