Riffle NW

I’ve told this story now so many times, I can’t believe it took me a couple weeks to actually write it down.

I was in Portland for Portland Cocktail Week 2012 and had just spent three whole days socializing, eating, drinking, talking, attending all kinds of events, hanging out with others, and even sharing a room with someone. So, on my last day, when I had no plans with friends after class and my roomie had already hopped a flight back to Denver, I decided I was going to do what had needed to be done since arriving three days earlier- I was going to eat some fish and seafood.

Riffle was on my radar as THE place to go for freshly caught, perfectly prepared fish, so I put on my raincoat, hat, and gloves, got out my iMaps (or whatever Apple calls it), and walked from The Doug Fir to Riffle.

Best. Idea. Ever.

I walked in alone, all misted upon, and was seated at the chef’s bar. I greeted the chef de cuisine with a smile and heard the words “Salmon tartare, VIP, Fire it up.” I thought to myself, “Man, it would be so cool if I were the VIP…”

A couple minutes later I was presented a delectable salmon tartare.

Meanwhile, I had ordered the Portland Cocktail Week cocktail (which I can’t recall… ugh… so many cocktails).

But, I had just had a cocktail photography class that morning (remember- I was at school all day for Portland Cocktail Week, friends), and in class we learned the importance of maximizing light, so I put my drink in front of a candle. I was also dining alone, so even though I had a Portand dining scene magazine, I needed something to do while waiting for my amazing meal.

Next, before I ordered any food, came a monkfish stew tasting. Wow. That’s what I’ll say. I loved it very much, but it was so rich, a tasting was perfect for me. It let me know what I’d be getting into, but gave me an out so I didn’t have to regret the calories in the morning.

What I had ordered was a sole dish. I read about this dish in Portland Monthly’s Best Restaurants 2012, and it’s what inspired me to come to Riffle over most other places mentioned in the magazine. What I was presented was far more visually stimulating that I recall enjoying lately.

This fish is de-boned, but the bones are deep fried and, in this case, placed as sails of a ship, and ready to be snacked upon like any deep fried treat. Yes- I’m saying you eat the fried bones. It’s genius.

Mind you, the whole time I’m loving my tartare, stew, and sole, I’m graced with the presence of the Chef de Cuisine, Joseph Cefalu, and the Sous Chef (who’s name I don’t know), so we were chatting about food tours, Denver, Boulder, Portland- all things food, really. The Sous Chef asked me about Black Cat Bistro, which was obviously pretty cool, as he had been to Boulder.

I ordered two veggie dishes with this sole because I had been, let’s just say, consuming copious amounts of alcohol for a few days. I needed vitamins, and as someone who usually drinks vegetable Vitamix smoothies most days, all this eating out was getting unhealthy. I ordered some broccoli with Rogue Blue and squash with kale. Yes. Please. Thank you.

I must say, I was really disappointed I couldn’t find room to finish all of these plates. Despite my efforts, I failed and couldn’t even consider dessert. As I was realizing my fullness, I found myself talking to the owner, Ken Norris. He came by the chef’s bar to make sure his guys were doing their jobs entertaining me, or feeding me… or something like that. Ken was a really nice man and I told him how coming into his restaurant was the best decision I had made in a long time.

I left that evening, after one of the most unrivaled meals I’d ever had in Portland, and met Randall Layman of Ace.Eat.Serve. in Denver for a beer in a dive bar. I was over the moon with my dining experience and he told me that the most important guest in a restaurant is the one who’s there alone. They’re there dining with the restaurant, not with someone else.

So, thank you, Riffle, for a lovely meal. It was my pleasure dining with you and I look forward to dining with you again.

Bramble & Hare, a Farmhouse Kitchen and Pub

A farmhouse kitchen and pub… I dig the sound of that and I loved the food I tried during the industry soft opening on July 1. New restaurants need to ease in to their rhythm, but for a first night of service, you’d be surprised to discover Bramble & Hare hadn’t been around for quite some time. Everything was on point, and our waiter- the esteemed Tyler Nemkov, former executive chef of Mateo Restaurant Provencal and part-time chef of Black Cat Bistro– delectably described all 14 items on the menu in a way that made me want one of everything.

 In good company, of course, we started out with the cocktail menu. I ordered A Welcomed Pause.

What’s in A Welcomed Pause? I can’t recall. Bourbon or Rye…  I didn’t snap a photo of the cocktail menu, but that’s OK for a couple reasons: 1. The cocktail program, overseen by Dev Ranjan (Sommelier of The Black Cat Bistro and Beverage Director for Black Cat and Bramble & Hare), is clearly one of the best in town. It’s so good, I’m excited to announce Bramble & Hare will be a new stop on my Boulder cocktail tours.

After clinking glasses and saying cheers, we moved on to food. Tyler recommended we order one of everything on the menu. But, we limited it to 5 plates and a dessert.

A quick note on the menu: It’s the coolest menu in town, and definitely one of the coolest I’ve ever seen. You get a mini pencil so you can write the quantity of each plate you desire to explore- it’s a sushi-style-menu.  Also, the top is hand perforated so you can tear it off and keep that “portion for your records.”

A plate of seared greens arrived first. I could eat these every day. I have three words that highlight this dish: crispy fried garlic.

Next came a beet stuffed steamed bun and a doughnut with duck liver mousse. I didn’t try the duck liver mousse… Not a big fan of liver… But the steamed bun is quite a unique vegetarian option. I’m hoping they play around with all kinds of steamed buns.

Since I was dining with Molly Browne, my Cheese Tasting Tour guide, we tried Bramble & Hare’s grilled cheese sandwich. Let me just say it was the best grilled cheese ever and I’d go there any day for a grilled cheese rather than make it on my own… It was THAT good. This particular night they used a cheese called Les Freres, a European style farmstead cheese.

We also shared the chilled roasted turnips with were served with broccoli florets.

Dessert was definitely in order, so we indulged in a sour cherry pie.

Chef/Owner/Farmer Eric Skokan has definitely introduced Boulder to a new style of restaurant and we’re very fortunate. On his Black Cat Farm, Eric raises the animals and grows many of the vegetables served at both of his restaurants, so this is definitely farm to table.  But, the price point for each plate is really reasonable (in some cases quite low), which encourages ordering multiple small plates and sharing- a style of dining I prefer.

I’m looking forward to returning to Bramble & Hare. Looks like I have a new favorite spot in town.

Bramble & Hare

1970 13th Street, Boulder CO

303-444-9110

Open 7 days a week. Lunch. Dinner. Late night (til 2 am).

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

Taste 14: Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey

It turns out that he prefers bourbon, so we get along well. Before I was introduced to rye whiskey, I considered myself a bourbon gal.  Now, depending on my mood, my spirit of choice is often either bourbon or rye. Whatever form of whiskey (or whisky) it may be, I really enjoy craft-distilled oak-aged libations.

Last year I became familiar with Tuthilltown Spirits, a craft distillery in Gardiner, New York, and producer of Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey.  I attended back-to-back tastings by Gable Erenzo, chief distiller.  Gable talked to us about each spirit as we sampled their New York Corn Whiskey, Husdon Baby Bourbon, Four Grain Bourbon, and Manhattan Rye. The guided whiskey tasting by Tuthilltown Spirits was a great way to taste a number of their products in progression from un-aged (white whiskey) to the spicy rye.  I enjoyed each one individually and gained a great appreciation for this small, up-state NY distiller.

Ever since launching cocktail tours in Boulder in 2011, I have an unquenchable thirst for information about spirits, distillers, and cocktails. I like details, like the following: Tuthilltown Spirits distills whiskey from 100% corn grown in New York State ~which might mean we can discuss its terrior. Hudson Baby Bourbon was the first legal pot-distilled bourbon made in NY since prohibition. It is aged in smaller barrels than many bourbons out there, which means the Baby Bourbon benefits from a greater surface area of wood to bourbon (meaning it’s smooth and flavorful…think of vanilla and caramel notes).

When I decided to give him 14 tastes of how much I care, I knew that one taste had to be bourbon. I immediately thought of the Baby Bourbon, wrote an email, and asked for a bottle.  I’m telling you this to be completely honest since I did not go and buy this bottle, yet I sit here praising it as one of my favorite bourbons ever. Am I truthful? Absolutely. And of the 14 tastes this month, I think I saved the best for last.

One thing I find particularly cool is that this afternoon we opened – year 11, batch 13, bottle 1171- and I know this because it’s hand written on the label.  He cut through the hand-dipped wax cap (which we discussed as a meaningful detail by the distiller) and sipped on this smooth, amber libation. On the second sip he emphatically said it was the best bourbon he’d ever had. That comment brought a smile to my face, as I realized he genuinely appreciated this finely crafted whiskey. I’m looking forward to sharing the bottle with him.