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

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.

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

Roundhouse Imperial Aged Gin

It all started with a cocktail. I was at SALT while guiding one of my downtown dining tours, and my guests got to “mix + match = make merry” with The Cocktail Element. As the esteemed libation experts at SALT know, I really enjoy my cocktails. And not just any ole’ cocktails. Real, thoughtfully prepared, unique cocktails. Sometimes I’m presented with a cocktail that’s not on the menu, or one that is a twist on a classic. That day, out came beverage director Evan Faber with a martini glass.

I, also sometimes known as Megan Maple Bourbon, immediately thought I had been served a bourbon or scotch cocktail, martini style. I took a sip and couldn’t quite place any flavors, but I knew it was a whiskey cocktail.

I couldn’t have been more wrong! I can only explain it like the moment the record player needles slides off the record and music comes to a screeching halt. It was a gin cocktail. A GIN cocktail! And not just any ole’ gin. This was made with Roundhouse Imperial Barrel Aged Gin. It was so golden honey brown, I was fooled. But, this barrel aged gin, disguised as scotch or bourbon to anyone ignoring the label, surprises and delights the palate.

Roundhouse Spirits, “Handcrafted Spirits of Uncommon Character,” is located right here in Boulder, and you can visit the distillery Thursdays-Saturdays from 3-7 pm. I did just that.

These barrels house the next batch of Imperial Barrel Aged Gin. Ted Palmer, el presidente, chief distiller, and tour guide, told me that the first batch had just gotten out to select restaurants and is available in limited quantities in liquor stores. Looks like the Imperial Cocktail at SALT is one of the first official barrel aged gin cocktails in town for Roundhouse Spirits.

Here’s Evan’s recipe:

2 oz Roundhouse Imperial Gin
1 oz Boissiere Sweet Vermouth
Dash of Orange Bitters
Garnish with a cherry

Stir well over ice and strain into a martini glass.

But, back to the place where the magic happens… Ted gave us a great tour of the distillery.

Turns out he has some custom made stills, handmade in Spain.

Ted is very enthusiastic about gin. He said he knew he wanted to make gin from the moment he had his first delicious sip. I was please at the end of our tour to enjoy some delicious sips of his libations. There’s a complementary tasting at the end of each tour, by the way.

Roundhouse Spirits currently makes gin, the newly released barrel aged gin, as well as Coretto, a fantastic coffee liqueur, which features a special roast from Boulder’s Unseen Bean. And, stay tuned for the new spirit… coming soon!

At the tasting bar, we learned about Ted’s theory of artfully producing a “Melting Pot Gin” with flavor profiles from the best parts of all world styles of gin. Come to a tasting and smell all of his choice ingredients and learn which ones are traditional in Dutch, English, and American styles of gin.

I bought a bottle of the first batch of Imperial Aged Gin. I have plans for this bottle…

You can try the Imperial Cocktail at SALT, but supplies are limited. Cocktail possibilities, on the other hand, seem endless.




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A Bolder Table is a place where I bookmark my favorite recipes for later along with some occasional musings. It's my personal digital recipe compilation... Let's say it's my cookbook. Thanks for stopping by! -Megan
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