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.

Boulder’s Best Root Beer Float

Oak at Fourteenth isn’t just serving some of the best lunch and dinner in town– Their dessert menu is pretty tempting and well worth a glance.  I’m a new-found fan of their root beer float that my esteemed tour guide Heather and I split after enjoying a fantastically delicious meal at OAK for her birthday.

Neither Heather nor I felt like ordering dessert, but our waitress brought us a root beer float with a candle to say Happy Birthday, so how could we resist…  Now, here’s the cool part- they serve the ice cream, brownies, and pretzel bites in a glass and bring the root beer in a small caraffe on the side to pour your float at the table. I like that detail very much.

Everything is made in-house except the pretzel bites, which add a nice crunch to the vanilla ice cream, brownie bites, and root beer. Sip it with a straw, dig into it with a spoon- The last sip is slurp-worthy, so if the restaurant is bustling and loud, you just might get away with some impolite slurping.

OAK at Fourteenth

1400 Pearl Street, Boulder CO

The Kitchen Table Bistro, Richmond VT

If you’re dining up in Burlington, VT, I’d suggest heading out to Richmond for a taste of The Kitchen Table Bistro. You won’t be disappointed.

On a recent trip to Vermont to visit my illustrious sister, Alison Ellis- proprietor and designer of Floral Artistry, suggested we (my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law) enjoy a meal at The Kitchen Table.  This farm-to-table restaurant has been serving local VT fare for nine years, and we enjoyed their ninth birthday celebration menu.

We started with bread and butter (fantastically fresh and delicious bread and butter); a kale, cashew, and blue cheese salad; a beet and goat cheese salad; and the baby lettuce salad.

Next, we tasted some toasts. Yes, more of that great bread, please. The roasted red pepper and Cremont (a Vermont cheese I had the pleasure of sampling from Boulder’s very own cheese shop, Cured), was a crowd pleaser. I also really had to try the foraged mushroom toast since I’m often inspired by local Rocky Mountain forager and write of Hunger and Thirst for Life.  Anyway, I’ve had foraging on my mind and if the menu says “foraged mushrooms” I’m going to order them.

We washed this all down with some Illahe Pinot Noir from the Willammette Valley in Oregon, a place I used to adore calling home.  A good time was being had by all.

 Mom and sister (who’s super pregnant at this point) were across from each other…

Dad and brother-in-law played catch-up, too.

And then more food came out… the entreés.

My mom ordered scallops, of course. She always orders scallops.  I had stuffed quail, and apparently gave up on taking photos because I don’t have my sister or dad’s plates.  I did, however, get a shot of the burger and fries.

And then it was time for dessert…

Delectable. Divine. Simply delicious. Especially when enjoyed with a tawny port.

The Kitchen Table Bistro

802.434.8686

1840 West Main St.

Richmond, VT 05477

Pickled Lemon

As the owner of Local Table Tours in Boulder, I am often asked by my dining guests about places to eat in town.  I usually run through all the best places downtown… SALT, The Kitchen, The Pinyon, Bácaro… But recently, my recommendations have expanded to the hill, that few square blocks of town up by CU.  Where should you eat up there? Pickled Lemon.

Pickled Lemon is the latest culinary creation from the Bar-on family, more well-known as the founders of Udi’s bakery.  The casual Israeli eatery is now on the top of my list of places to eat in town.  Chef Robin Bar-on created a healthy, mostly vegetarian menu that honors traditional Israeli dishes while being interesting and quite pleasing to the American (and more importantly, Boulder) palate.