CASCADES- The Restaurant at the Historic Stanley Hotel

I was recently invited to join a number of food bloggers for a private dinner at Cascades in Estes Park.  I had never been to the historic Stanley Hotel, nor had I heard about their restaurant, Cascades.  I have, of course, seen The Shining, and have always been intrigued by that gorgeous white hotel sitting on the hillside in Estes Park that inspired Stephen King to write the haunted horror story.  And, as I approach my seventh year in Colorado, it seems to be about time I step foot in The Stanley. Lucky for me, I got to enjoy a fine meal there as well as meander the enchanted hotel.

Cascades is known mostly as a steakhouse, but Executive Chef Richard Beichner demonstrated his modern approach to classic steakhouse fare.  He told us that Cascades buys as much locally sourced foods as possible, and he presented us plate after plate of modern interpretations of classic dishes.

While we waited for everyone to arrive, cocktails were served.  I started with a French 75, a gin martini with champagne and lemon juice. After the first sip I had great expectations for the afternoon because, in my experience, a good cocktail is often created in establishments that serve good food.

Our first dish was Pastrami Salmon on a cucumber slaw with 1000 Island Panna Cotta and Rye Croutons.  This was a play on Reuben sandwich and it worked.

Garlic infused olive oil sat on the table.  I couldn’t stop dipping my bread in this golden delicious temptation.

Next came a raw vegetable salad with radish, carrot, fennel, and honey mustard dressing.  Again, a real crowd pleaser.

Our next dish was quite unique- zucchini spaghetti with rock shrimp in a San Marzano tomato sauce.  I love zucchini noodles and this dish, which was really well done, inspired me to make some as soon as zucchini is in season.

Our next dish was a preserved lemon and rosemary roasted veal loin with a red wine demi glaze served over fresh corn polenta and orange scented carrots.  I must say- I wasn’t thrilled to be served veal, but it was good.  I definitely wouldn’t order it… probably ever from any where, but, after casting my anti-veal opinions to the side, I enjoyed the dish. I could have eaten a large bowl of fresh corn polenta and would highly recommend looking for that on the menu at Cascades.

We enjoyed thoughtful wine pairings throughout the meal, though I did not pay close attention to them.  I have in my notes that a Pinot Grigio was served with the zucchini spaghetti and a Le Nez Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley was served with the veal. (My ears perk up when I hear Pinot Noir and Willamette Valley, so I made a point to write that one down). With dessert we enjoyed a Canadian Ice Wine, and if you’re not familiar with ice wines, they’re super sweet and have a concentrated flavor.  I really enjoy them.

Ice wine went well with nutmeg sugar donuts, bruléed red grapefruit, vanilla bean gelato, and grapefruit salt caramel.

And then more sweet bites came out, or “mignardises,” if you’d like to be proper. We all sat and nibbled on a variety of delicious mini pastries for a while before venturing off to explore the haunted hallways of The Stanley Hotel.

If you’re a resident of Estes Park, Cascades offers you 20% off year-round, so I’d suggest treating yourself to a nice meal there at your local neighborhood restaurant.  If you’re passing through Estes, you’ll see there aren’t as many dining options as we have in Boulder, so I’d give Cascades a try.

Portland Cocktail Week, day 1, night 2

An address doesn’t guarantee you’re going to get where you’re trying to go. I learned that the hard way last night when I gave the taxi drivers… And I say drivers because I had to try multiple taxis… I gave the taxi drivers the address to Sam’s house and they apparently couldn’t get me there. First guy rejected the drive altogether. By 2 am, the second taxi driver drove me somewhere and kicked me out of the cab because he said he had no idea where he was going. Then, a woman on the street offered me her floor as a bed. By the time the third cab came, I was a bit hysterical. It took him more than an hour with GPS to find the house tucked up in the hills of Portland. Holy shit. That was an insane way to end the night.

But, what happened earlier in the day? So much.

It started with a great lunch at Kenny and Zuke’s Sandwichworks with Sam and his brother Robby. Robby and I had the ratatouille sandwich and it was great. It was way better than the ratatouille I make at home. I bet it had just a touch more olive oil…

Sam had a great looking sandwich, too. Food is always fantastic when I’m around this guy.

Then, Robby and I went to Coava Coffee Roasters. Vajra, from Boxcar Coffee Roasters in Boulder, gave me a list of coffee shops to check out while in town and Coava was one of them. This place is pretty cool and I met Matt, owner and roaster, and drank a chemex of a peaberry coffee. That was just the jump start I needed before starting to drink… Quite heavily.  Coava makes the stainless steel filters for Chemex and Aeropress coffee “makers.” They have a unique coffee shop in a space shared with a wood-working company, so, needless to say, the wood work is nothing short of amazing.

I love watching coffee junkies at the brew bar, and Robby had his first mini coffee brewing lesson: Let it bloom to release the CO2.  Blooming is a really important step to making a good cup of coffee. Pour a little of your hot water over the grinds and let them sit for 30-45 seconds.  If you watch it, you’ll see how it kind of looks like something blooming.  Then start adding more water according to your brew method. Robby told me a couple days later he had been letting his French press bloom.

I also love watching people roast beans, and they roast on site at Coava.  Roasting on site means your beans are fresh. Super fresh.

By 3:00 it was time to get a cocktail.

First drinking stop: Clyde Common. I had their Red Hook barrel aged rye cocktail. I learned that punt e mes was a sweet vermouth, and I realized that everyone at the bar was in town for Portland Cocktail Week.

Second stop: Kask, where illustrious architect of libations Tommy Klus tends the bar. Kask is a really cool bar, so I suggest making it a destination.  If you’re in Portland, you HAVE to check it out and meet Tommy.  If you’re not in Portland, I suggest booking the next flight out there.

Then to the Teardrop with my new friend Allie from The Hooch Life and Spencer Warren, owner of The Firehouse Lounge and Embury in Pittsburgh, PA. Todd Richman was guest bartending, and we ordered a fair share of his libations.

Then back to Clyde Common for food and more cocktails.  All that drinking makes you hungry, and Clyde Common is the perfect place to eat. Everything is good. Even the popcorn.

Next stop was Wilf’s for the opening night party and lots of cocktails.

After the party, I wound up in a bus going to a strip club. Totally not my style. I left with a fellow Coloradan and think we went to Dig a Pony because I have one of their menus in my purse. Yes, it was that kind of night. I’m piecing it together based off evidence in my purse. Uh oh…(insert smile here)

But it was super fun til I couldn’t get home easily. That was insane and I’m mentally recovering from it. I might need a cocktail to help me feel better… And I woke up reeking of booze, so the only way to cover that up is with more booze, I think.

Stay tuned. The adventure continues today. I hear there’s a cocktail cart in town…

Portland Cocktail Week, Night 1

I’m in Portland, OR for Portland Cocktail Week. All I have is my iPad, so posting is possible, but not ideal, and I can’t link to things, so I will go back and edit later. I will be sure to write a recap when this work-vacation is over. But, my first night was a blast! Of course it was… I was with Sammy Dunn, my friend going on 10 years now. A man who knows about the Portland food scene and likes to have fun. What else could I ask for in life?

Sam picked me up at the airport and we went straight to Biwa for a fantastic dinner. Kimchi, pickled mackerel, a fried sardine, burdock and carrot salad, fermented soy beans that have a raw quail egg to make them gooey, fried rice balls, some other pickled stuff, and a couple ginger gimlets. Now, here’s what my receipt says we ate:

Yoyogi, Saba Nanbanzuke, Yakionigiri, Kimchi, Natto, Kinpira, Sardine, and Ginger Gimlet.

Yeah. I have a lot to learn about this fusion cuisine and if we had a place like Biwa in Boulder, I could study more.

From Biwa we walked to Cascade Brewing and tasted some sour ales- Barrel #1 Platinum Blond, Apricot, Sang Royal, and Kriek. Oh, for the love of sour style beers.

Then we finished the night the way old friends should- with a bottle of what appeared to be an 04 vintage of Pinot Noir from The Adea Wine Company of Willamette Valley. I say “appears” because the label is missing and there’s some hand written words on the bottle that indicate 04 Pinot Noir. Some secret stash? Quite possibly.

Off to explore food, coffee, and cocktails today. Definitely can’t complain.

SALT, Still a Personal Favorite