Paul’s Coffee and Tea
- At April 11, 2011
- By megan
- In coffee, Restaurant Review
0
I have been really excited about my morning beverage since starting to guide Coffee and Pastry Tours in Boulder. I’ve learned so much about beans, roasts, grinds, and brews from master roasters, master brewers, and self-proclaimed “coffee junkies” on my tours, that I was really excited to stumble upon coffee beans roasting live and out loud at Paul’s Coffee and Tea in Louisville, CO.
When I walked in and saw this machine going, I knew I had to take a few minutes to talk to the guy with the buckets of green, un-roasted beans.
It turns out that we have some artisanal coffee roasting going on a few times each week in Louisville by Roger Cohn, who isn’t just some guy who plays around with a coffee roasting machine. Roger was a founder of Allegro Coffee, which, as we all know, you can purchase in any Whole Foods in the nation. This guy knows coffee. He was born into a family of coffee traders and is a pioneer in the Front Range coffee scene. And the best part? He’s roasting right here in Louisville a few times each week.
I got closer to the roasting machine and it reminded me of a popcorn maker. It sounded like a popcorn maker too, minus the exploding kernels…
I sat there in the shop and was quite impressed with this Louisville establishment.
Their latte was fantastic. It’s worth a trip out to Louisville to get that sensory experience of the sights, sounds, and smells of coffee roasting.
So check them out:
Paul’s Coffee and Tea
956 West Cherry Street
Louisville, CO 80027
720-259-1723
The Organic Pizza Company
- At March 21, 2011
- By megan
- In gluten-free, pizza, Restaurant Review, Udi's
- 3
The Organic Pizza Company. Who/What is that? It’s a great take and bake pizza company and if you’re near a Denver metro location, pick up a pie for dinner.
Our private tasting event at the OPC’s new location in The Spire building started with a pizza making demo. It is all done by scratch- dough and all, and there aren’t any crazy funky ingredients either. The Organic Pizza Company makes pies like you would at home and they source organic ingredients.
We headed to a private dining area and were greeted with lots of good wines.
Then the pizzas started coming…
I ate a few pieces and got caught up in conversation. I soon realized that all of those wines were not some random wines for us to taste. The Organic Pizza Company partners with local liquor stores to provide pizza buyers with wine pairing suggestions for each pizza. I love this idea! You can plan an affordable pairing base on some great suggestions from wine enthusiasts.
I think the wine pairing idea is so good it’s copy-worthy. Really. Copy-worthy. Consumers often like a little help with this part of dinner, so I like that The Organic Pizza Company has thought this out.
They offer a gluten free pizza with Udi’s gluten free crust. I had a slice and it was really good. You can order any one of their pies gluten free.
At first, I payed a lot of attention as each pie was presented.
And then I got so caught up in conversation I found myself snapping photos way after people had served themselves.
In the end- I not only had a great time meeting people, drinking wine, and eating great pizzas… I got to take one home with me to bake on my pizza stone.
I ordered the Norwegian pie that comes topped with smoked salmon. It baked up nicely and my hungry man, who had not been eating pizzas with me all night, was happy I came home with dinner. The pizza baked well according to their baking instructions, and to me, that’s the most important part. It’s good to know that the pie actually bakes at home the way it is supposed to.
There are currently two Organic Pizza Company locations-
Denver Highlands- 4500 W 38th Ave 303-561-1111
and downtown Denver- 891 14th St 303-534-2223
They also deliver within 2 miles of their locations.
Oak at Fourteenth, Pearl Street, Boulder
- At February 4, 2011
- By megan
- In local foods, Restaurant Review
- 0
One of my favorite restaurants in Boulder is Oak at Fourteenth. I’m not just saying that because they are a featured stop on Local Table Tours. I’m sayig that because… well, because of a number of reasons.
First, the Fried Pickles. I’m serious. I could eat fried pickles from Oak every day for the rest of my life. The panko battered pickles are perfectly fried, subtly crunchy, and paired with a Green Goddess Ailoli that compliments the pickled taste of pickles.
I recently enjoyed a number of small plates at Oak on their midday menu, which, by the way, is another reason to love this place. It is open for midday food, which is somewhat of a rarity in Boulder amongst restaurants of their acclaim. My friends and I snacked on some Fried Pickles, Wood Oven Roasted Cauliflower, and my meat loving friends split the Meatballs (and then talked about them all afternoon as the best meatballs they’d ever had).
Everything was so fantastic. We kept placing orders…
I could have eaten the Crispy Rock Shrimp all day.
And I think the biggest mistake I made was sharing the Yellow Fin Tuna Tataki with friends. I mean that! This is worth trying. It comes on a bed of cucumbers and is so light, fresh, and delicious.
But, what I find coolest about Oak at Fourteenth is you can tell a man in a vest which spirits you prefer and he can create something unique with flavor profiles you enjoy.
I am a big fan of Rye and like to taste new cocktail creations beyond the sazerac. New cocktail creations is what you’ll get at Oak. Besides their pre-prohibition-era cocktail menu, the beverage manager, Greg, is talented enough to ask you a few questions about your tastes and then create something unique for you. I have never had the same cocktail twice while at Oak.
Greg knows I like rye, and though I can’t remember the ingredients he told me were in my cocktail (there was port, I recall), he used local Denver-based, small batch Leopold Brothers Maryland Style Rye Whiskey. I love supporting local restaurants when I dine and when I bring small groups on culinary walking tours. I especially like to see the restaurants support other local businesses as well.
Oak at Fourteenth is very easy to find: 1400 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO
303.444.3622
Pizzeria da Lupo, Boulder
- At January 28, 2011
- By megan
- In pizza, Restaurant Review
- 5
Anyone following the food scene in Boulder knows that we now have more phenomenal pizzerias per capita than anywhere outside of Italy. Where did I get that statistic? I made it up, but it seems to be true lately. In my latest taste-test of our primo-pizzerias, I went to Pizzeria da Lupo, which is located right next to Larkburger in the Village Shopping Center. Where is that? It’s where McGuckin’s is, silly.
Anyway, let’s get back to the pizzeria… Walking in, this place felt like a pizzeria. I don’t know how to describe that exactly, but there was a familiar feel to the open kitchen, small tables, and unpretentious decoration. I could have been in a pizzeria back in Jersey as a kid. That’s what it felt like, I suppose.
But, unlike a kid, I started with some wine…
I tried the Cinquepassi Negroamaro from Puglia, Italy. I can’t recall ever trying this variety before, so I went for it. Good choice.
I also really liked that they gave us a small plate with some sea salt, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, and shaved parmesan. That is exactly what you need with pizza and it was great to have it right there to pinch some if you wanted it. Nice touch.
We started with the shaved brussel sprout, pecorino, and walnut salad. It was great, and I’d order it again. I eat enough “standard” salads at home, so it’s always nice to order something different when we go out.
We also split the burrata. I’ve realized that if I go somewhere and burrata is on the menu, I order it. Pizzeria da Lupo serves burrata with pistachio, lemon confit, caper agrodulce, and flatbread. As I was eating it I wished I had ordered a few servings of that for dinner. But then… the pizza arrived.
We got two pies: I wanted the bianco, which was topped with house made mozzarella, reggiano parmesan, ricotta, and arugula. They served the pies on cool two-tiered wire racks. Another nice touch.
Kevin had the pancetta pie topped with bacon, caramelized onion, and scamorze cheese. He basically said it was one of the best pies he’s eaten outside of Italy. But, mind you… we’ve only been to northern Italy and over-indulged in northern style pizza. Looks like we need to travel to the south for traditional Napoli pies to make an educated comparison.
And now… for the most important detail of a pizza… the crust. Pizzeria da Lupo is doing something right because their crust is light and airy with just enough crunch and chew to make it almost addictive. Even when I was full I went back for one more slice. And then when we got home with left-overs I went back again for my last slice. Come to think of it, it would be nice to have another slice right about now.
So go check them out. Pizzeria da Lupo is new, so give them a try.
2525 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302.
303-396-6366
Order some pies and let me know what you think.
Let’s get Social