Top of the Hill Grill West

Living in the Gunbarrel neighborhood of Boulder has it’s benefits. You get more house for your money. You have impressive views of the Flatirons and the front range. But, it has a lot of drawbacks- You are a few miles from downtown Boulder, and bus service stops earlier than most would prefer. So, going out on the town for dinner and drinks tends to become a planned event, not just a spur-of-the-moment “hey, let’s go downtown.”

But, as my first sentence said… there are benefits to this area, and food trucks are one of them! My new favorite truck in town is Top of the Hill Grill West. These guys are cool, and their food is fantastic. Their dad’s Vermont restaurant, Top of the Hill Grill, conveniently provided the inspiration for Boulder’s best mobile BBQ joint. They set up shop across the street from me at Asher Brewery, so I just walk across 63rd St and order.

Let’s just take a minute to acknowledge this menu: Veggie Burger, Vermonster (available in veggie option), and Tempeh Wrap sit amongst the Steak and Cheese, Half Chicken, Pork, and Ribs offerings. I like that. I like that a lot!

I didn’t try the pulled pork sandwich, but was told a whole stream of positive, mouth-watering words about it. But, I did eat some of these perfect fries.

The half-chicken falls off the bone. Go get a half-chicken! I can’t wait to get another. It’s that good!

Here’s my Vermonster wrap. I was so impressed with this wrap because as a home cook who makes tempeh at least once each week, I have pretty high standards for tempeh. Top of the Hill Grill West makes the best tempeh Vermonster and you should go try one.

I also scarfed down their chipotle brownies, and though I offer no photo here, they look like delicious brownies. You can use your imagination on the photo, but not the flavor. Chipotle brownies are a really fitting dessert for a BBQ meal.

For updated info on where Top of the Hill Grill West will be parked and serving food, visit their Facebook Page.

Local Table Takes

At April 26, 2011
By megan
In local table takes, local table tours, taste that tune
0

I am having a lot of fun making mini movies about the food and beverage scene here in Boulder. Check out my new Vimeo Channel, Local Table Takes. Subscribe so you never miss a movie!

Cheers!

Megan

ROOT and Orange Glazed Ham

Here’s something new and fun to try this Easter. I don’t personally eat ham, but I have a lot of friends and family members who do, so I thought I’d post this recipe I got from Art in the Age and their resident cooking guru, The Reverend Michael Alan.

ROOT and Orange Glazed Ham
2/3 Cup Root
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/3 Cup Apple Cider
2 Tbsp Grainy Mustard
2 Tbsp fresh grated Ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 7-8 lb Ham (bone in)
Cloves
Orange Slices

Heat an oven to 350.

In a saucepan add the Root, brown sugar, orange juice, apple cider, mustard,
ginger, cinnamon and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until you get a
nice syrup.

Place ham cut side down in roasting pan and score the skin in a diamond
pattern. Secure slices of orange to the ham with cloves.

Pour half of the glaze all over the ham, cover with foil and roast for one
hour. Remove foil and coat with the remaining glaze- continue to roast for
another hour or so, basting intermittently.

Allow meat to rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

Paul’s Coffee and Tea

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.