More food! Comm Night, Take 2
As it turned out, ChemGuy and I didn't have to wait long to have another excuse to experience Community Night. We knew that this is the kind of experience his mom would eat up. Figuratively and literally. We knew his dad would be fine with the trip, even though he's not quite as socially boisterous as ChemGuy's mom. We made reservations for the Monday night of their visit.
We spent Monday in the area, so we knew we'd arrive in plenty of time for dinner. Knowing we wanted to be seated near the middle of the table for optimal conversation, we watched a couple of groups get seated ahead of us. We ended up in a staggered conformation, ChemGuy and I on one side of the table, with ChemGuy's mom across me and ChemGuy's dad shifted one seat over.
Our server came by to find out if we had questions or drink orders. I recognized her from last time; to my surprise, she took one look at us and said "Weren't you two here just a couple of weeks ago? For your anniversary?" Smiling, I said "Well, it was in June, but yes, that was us!" She welcomed us back and we introduced ourselves. ChemGuy's parents aren't huge drinkers, so we knew we'd be the only ones enjoying alcoholic beverages that evening. I decided my "two glasses of wine" plan had worked well enough last time to go with that plan again. ChemGuy decided to stick with beer. This time, he meant it. I talked to our server about the wines for the evening; she gave herself a quick reminder of the menu and made a couple of recommendations. As before, the second glass arrived perfectly timed with the meal. She used our names every time she stopped by: "ChemGal, here's the 2nd glass of wine. Let me know what you think." "ChemGuy, would you like another beer?", etc.
Tasty beverages for the Chems
While the people around us weren't scientists like last time, they were all very nice. We spoke mostly with the group seated next to ChemGuy and ChemGuy's mom. We spent the next couple of days making fun of the guy who had been seated next to ChemGuy's dad. (Let's just say this guy thought he knew EVERYTHING about food and wine and wasn't afraid to let you know how inferior to him you must absolutely be. He also believed he had A LOT of money and wasn't shy about that, either. But I wouldn't be surprised from his behvaior if all of his money talk was actually to make up for some feelings of insecurity he had in the finance department. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe he really does live in a million dollar home here. He tried to counsel me on my wine choices. I politely declined his advice. Not something I needed.) We didn't exchange any contact information with our fellow diners, but we got some other restaurant recommendations and passed on a few of our own.
True to form, the meal was fantastic. In fact, after we had tasted the items in the first course, I turned to ChemGuy and said "I don't mean to diminish the amazing food we had last time, but I think tonight is better." He heartily agreed at that point. That assessment held through the entire meal. Both meals were amazingly well prepared, but this one blew us away. Partly because of its elegant simplicity. Some of my photos and notes were taken to remind myself what the subtle flavors were so I could attempt to play with them again at home.
As before, the lighting grew worse and worse as the meal progressed. Please keep that in mind as you look at the photos.
Course 1:
Wood roasted flatbread with artisnal pork from the state in which I attended college, basil, onions, and fresno chile: Amazing. The creaminess of the pork and onion; the spice of the chile. And, of course, the warm, crusty goodness of the flat bread. I would've been satisfied devouring that all evening. It's great to know you can make fantastic bread at altitude.
Crusty, spicy, warm, melt-in-your-mouth: the perfect kind of flatbread
Summer bean salad with shallots and mustard: So simple, so elegant, so perfectly summer. I could've eaten a whole bowl of this, too. I will attempt to prepare something similar at home.
ChemGuy isn't a huge bean fan. And he LOVED these beans.
Duck confit with a frisee salad, herbs, and red grapes: ChemGuy's favorite of the evening. We were only into the first course, but this dish clinched it for ChemGuy: this meal was even more delightful than the food from our first visit. I found it to be a well conceived dish, the tarragon in the salad was what elevated the dish to a level above "salad with meat on top". Tarragon is not one of my typical herbs, so neither of us could put our finger on what the flavor was, but we asked our server and she revealed its identity.
Grapes + Salad = Great Idea
I said I could've eaten a whole bowl; I didn't said I did!
Grilled shrimp with fingerling potatoes and harissa sauce: ChemGuy and I had learned of "harissa" by watching the finale of the food channel reality show in which the winner receives a show of their own. One of the finalists' culinary "point of view" dealt with making exotic ingredients accessible in an American home setting. His pilot episode featured harissa, a spice from North Africa. We were excited to see harissa on the menu, since to our knowledge, we'd never experienced it. This time, our server was "jealous" of our fingerling potatoes. They were crispy, almost like chips, and tossed with a pesto-like substance (herbs, a touch of oil, a touch of acid). Oh-so-good. The shrimp weren't too shrimpy, and the kick of the harissa sauce was perfect with the coolness of the pesto. ChemGuy and I shared a second shrimp skewer after everyone else at the table had had their fill.
It can be challenging to keep grilled shrimp from becoming chewey. Not so for our chef!
Course 2:
Green salad with sherry vinaigrette, herbs, and parmesean croutons: My kind of salad. No goat cheese here! The croutons were perfectly seasoned. I love salad. The perfect accompaniment to our pasta for the evening. Even ChemGuy had a second tongful!
Oh-so-tasty salad
Ravioli with house-made merguez sausage and yukon gold potato, with a simple tomato and marjoram sauce: I later described my experience of this dish as eating a delicious cloud. The pasta was incredibly tender, with a delicate but flavorful filling. Pasta stuffed with potato? Two, two, two delicious starches in one! The simple sauce didn't overshadow the simplicity of the ravioli. I could eat this everyday. ChemGuy's dad really enjoyed it, too. He was suffering from a bout of allergies, so the bit of spice in the sausage cut through his sinuses and let him taste this one. I later learned that some people there that night did *not* like this at all and told the chef. I think they must be crazy.
Little pillows of heaven
Course 3:
With the great lamb we get around here, it was no surprise that to me that one of our entree proteins was lamb again. Of course, I did not mind in the least. We also had salmon again. That's OK, too.
Pan roasted salmon with cauliflower puree, swiss chard and caper dressing: If you read my FB notes regarding our weekly produce box, you know how I feel about chard. Sadly, even what I'm sure was a great preparation of it did nothing to change my opinion. I enjoyed the salmon, though. The deliberately-not-smooth cauliflower was also really tasty.
Grilled lamb sirloin with Israeli couscous salad and yogurt marinated cucumbers: Three letters: Y-U-M. The lamb was grilled whole and sliced before serving. Seasoned well, not too gamey (according to ChemGuy), tender, and at the perfect temperature. The larger-than-life Israeli couscous was really delicious. I even enjoyed the yougurt-ey cucumbers; the coolness and crunch of the salad played so well with the hearty lamb. I love lamb. Have I mentioned that before?
Mmmmmmmmmmmm
Course 4: Dessert.
Chocolate brownies with vanilla gelato: ChemGuy isn't a big dessert eater. And if chocolate is too dense and "chocolatey", it can be too much for me. So we decided to play it safe and share a brownie. A bite or two in, ChemGuy turned to me and said "I'm don't usually enjoy or need dessert, but I could eat a whole plate of these brownies. Right now." Topped with the creamy gelato, they were, indeed, delicious. I was surprised that their dense appearnace did not translate into a too heavy chocolate slab. ChemGuy and I ended up sharing another brownie.
Meringues with whipped cream and fresh strawberries: Served all mixed together, almost "salad-like", I was equally impressed by the tastiness of this dish. Light meringues and fluffy whipped cream, sliced fresh strawberries. The two desserts paired so well with each other.
Good thing we saved some room!
I ordered a hot tea with my dessert; I have a new tea on my favorite's list. I know some of you would enjoy it as much as I do. After I'd had a few sips, I turned to ChemGuy and said "Taste this tea." Our server overheard, and with a worried look on her face asked "Do you not like your tea?" "Oh no!" I said, "I LOVE it!" The worried look faded, and she told me the name of the blend and a local store at which I could purchase it. So helpful.
As the meal was winding down, I found myself needing to use the Ladies Room. (I know what you're thinking -- WHY is she telling us this?!) Hear me out. As I walked down the brick-walled hallway, I noticed that framed versions of mentions of the restaurant in food magazines decorated the wall. One of them caught my eye as an issue I probably have somewhere at home. I stopped to read the blurb that had been in that issue and noticed reference to their preparation of ChemGuy's all-time favorite fish. Smiling, I informed ChemGuy of this fact when I returned to the table. His face lit with as much anticipation and hope as I imagine he had been when he got his first job offer, he flagged down our server to ask her about when such an item might be offered. He started his inquiry by acknowledging that it was a weird question; she smiled and said she wasn't sure, but that the chef who plans and executes each Community Night dinner was at the other end of our table and she'd be sure to direct him our way in a moment. He came by to say Hello. After we told him we thought he was doing a great job, ChemGuy asked his question about the John Dorry. "Well, I've been here for 2 years and haven't done it here, but I used to do it all the time when I was at a different restaurant in Big City." He went on to talk about how much he enjoyed cooking it. Apparently its structure lends itself well to whole-fish preparations, without too much concern over tiny bones everywhere. He said he wasn't sure about the seasonality of it, but he wasn't going to let us leave without looking into it. "Don't leave yet." he said, "I'm going to find out right now." And he disappeared.
A few minutes later, he came back with a card upon which he'd written his private e-mail address. "Looks like we can get quality Dorry most months. Here's my e-mail address. If you know you're coming back for another Community Night, send me a note a couple of weeks ahead of time and I'll see what I can do. I can't promise it'll work out, but I'll certainly try. Or if there's something else you'd really like, just let me know." We were floored.
I knew that they were receptive to food allergies or other culinary concerns for groups. You can mention them when you make your reservation. But I never, ever expected the chef to give me his address and say "let me know what you're thinking and I'll see what I can do!".
Maybe the food + the wine + the conversation + the genuine kindness of the staff just results in both of us being overstimulated. Maybe the whole thing is a huge lie and we're blind to it because we want to be. Whatever powers are at work here, ChemGuy and I both love this restaurant. We feel a sense of loyalty to it, and we want to share that with others. That kind of connection doesn't come along very often. Have we eaten amazing food at other places? Of course! Have we spent more money at other places? Absolutely. But this particular establishment has earned a place on a very select list in our eyes. If you're inclined to make a visit out to us here at Mile High, I recommend working to schedule your visit over a Monday night. I would be happy to mention food concerns upon making a reservation. We're definitely looking for a reason to go back.
All that remained.
We spent Monday in the area, so we knew we'd arrive in plenty of time for dinner. Knowing we wanted to be seated near the middle of the table for optimal conversation, we watched a couple of groups get seated ahead of us. We ended up in a staggered conformation, ChemGuy and I on one side of the table, with ChemGuy's mom across me and ChemGuy's dad shifted one seat over.
Our server came by to find out if we had questions or drink orders. I recognized her from last time; to my surprise, she took one look at us and said "Weren't you two here just a couple of weeks ago? For your anniversary?" Smiling, I said "Well, it was in June, but yes, that was us!" She welcomed us back and we introduced ourselves. ChemGuy's parents aren't huge drinkers, so we knew we'd be the only ones enjoying alcoholic beverages that evening. I decided my "two glasses of wine" plan had worked well enough last time to go with that plan again. ChemGuy decided to stick with beer. This time, he meant it. I talked to our server about the wines for the evening; she gave herself a quick reminder of the menu and made a couple of recommendations. As before, the second glass arrived perfectly timed with the meal. She used our names every time she stopped by: "ChemGal, here's the 2nd glass of wine. Let me know what you think." "ChemGuy, would you like another beer?", etc.
Tasty beverages for the Chems
While the people around us weren't scientists like last time, they were all very nice. We spoke mostly with the group seated next to ChemGuy and ChemGuy's mom. We spent the next couple of days making fun of the guy who had been seated next to ChemGuy's dad. (Let's just say this guy thought he knew EVERYTHING about food and wine and wasn't afraid to let you know how inferior to him you must absolutely be. He also believed he had A LOT of money and wasn't shy about that, either. But I wouldn't be surprised from his behvaior if all of his money talk was actually to make up for some feelings of insecurity he had in the finance department. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe he really does live in a million dollar home here. He tried to counsel me on my wine choices. I politely declined his advice. Not something I needed.) We didn't exchange any contact information with our fellow diners, but we got some other restaurant recommendations and passed on a few of our own.
True to form, the meal was fantastic. In fact, after we had tasted the items in the first course, I turned to ChemGuy and said "I don't mean to diminish the amazing food we had last time, but I think tonight is better." He heartily agreed at that point. That assessment held through the entire meal. Both meals were amazingly well prepared, but this one blew us away. Partly because of its elegant simplicity. Some of my photos and notes were taken to remind myself what the subtle flavors were so I could attempt to play with them again at home.
As before, the lighting grew worse and worse as the meal progressed. Please keep that in mind as you look at the photos.
Course 1:
Wood roasted flatbread with artisnal pork from the state in which I attended college, basil, onions, and fresno chile: Amazing. The creaminess of the pork and onion; the spice of the chile. And, of course, the warm, crusty goodness of the flat bread. I would've been satisfied devouring that all evening. It's great to know you can make fantastic bread at altitude.
Crusty, spicy, warm, melt-in-your-mouth: the perfect kind of flatbread
Summer bean salad with shallots and mustard: So simple, so elegant, so perfectly summer. I could've eaten a whole bowl of this, too. I will attempt to prepare something similar at home.
ChemGuy isn't a huge bean fan. And he LOVED these beans.
Duck confit with a frisee salad, herbs, and red grapes: ChemGuy's favorite of the evening. We were only into the first course, but this dish clinched it for ChemGuy: this meal was even more delightful than the food from our first visit. I found it to be a well conceived dish, the tarragon in the salad was what elevated the dish to a level above "salad with meat on top". Tarragon is not one of my typical herbs, so neither of us could put our finger on what the flavor was, but we asked our server and she revealed its identity.
Grapes + Salad = Great Idea
I said I could've eaten a whole bowl; I didn't said I did!
Grilled shrimp with fingerling potatoes and harissa sauce: ChemGuy and I had learned of "harissa" by watching the finale of the food channel reality show in which the winner receives a show of their own. One of the finalists' culinary "point of view" dealt with making exotic ingredients accessible in an American home setting. His pilot episode featured harissa, a spice from North Africa. We were excited to see harissa on the menu, since to our knowledge, we'd never experienced it. This time, our server was "jealous" of our fingerling potatoes. They were crispy, almost like chips, and tossed with a pesto-like substance (herbs, a touch of oil, a touch of acid). Oh-so-good. The shrimp weren't too shrimpy, and the kick of the harissa sauce was perfect with the coolness of the pesto. ChemGuy and I shared a second shrimp skewer after everyone else at the table had had their fill.
It can be challenging to keep grilled shrimp from becoming chewey. Not so for our chef!
Course 2:
Green salad with sherry vinaigrette, herbs, and parmesean croutons: My kind of salad. No goat cheese here! The croutons were perfectly seasoned. I love salad. The perfect accompaniment to our pasta for the evening. Even ChemGuy had a second tongful!
Oh-so-tasty salad
Ravioli with house-made merguez sausage and yukon gold potato, with a simple tomato and marjoram sauce: I later described my experience of this dish as eating a delicious cloud. The pasta was incredibly tender, with a delicate but flavorful filling. Pasta stuffed with potato? Two, two, two delicious starches in one! The simple sauce didn't overshadow the simplicity of the ravioli. I could eat this everyday. ChemGuy's dad really enjoyed it, too. He was suffering from a bout of allergies, so the bit of spice in the sausage cut through his sinuses and let him taste this one. I later learned that some people there that night did *not* like this at all and told the chef. I think they must be crazy.
Little pillows of heaven
Course 3:
With the great lamb we get around here, it was no surprise that to me that one of our entree proteins was lamb again. Of course, I did not mind in the least. We also had salmon again. That's OK, too.
Pan roasted salmon with cauliflower puree, swiss chard and caper dressing: If you read my FB notes regarding our weekly produce box, you know how I feel about chard. Sadly, even what I'm sure was a great preparation of it did nothing to change my opinion. I enjoyed the salmon, though. The deliberately-not-smooth cauliflower was also really tasty.
Grilled lamb sirloin with Israeli couscous salad and yogurt marinated cucumbers: Three letters: Y-U-M. The lamb was grilled whole and sliced before serving. Seasoned well, not too gamey (according to ChemGuy), tender, and at the perfect temperature. The larger-than-life Israeli couscous was really delicious. I even enjoyed the yougurt-ey cucumbers; the coolness and crunch of the salad played so well with the hearty lamb. I love lamb. Have I mentioned that before?
Mmmmmmmmmmmm
Course 4: Dessert.
Chocolate brownies with vanilla gelato: ChemGuy isn't a big dessert eater. And if chocolate is too dense and "chocolatey", it can be too much for me. So we decided to play it safe and share a brownie. A bite or two in, ChemGuy turned to me and said "I'm don't usually enjoy or need dessert, but I could eat a whole plate of these brownies. Right now." Topped with the creamy gelato, they were, indeed, delicious. I was surprised that their dense appearnace did not translate into a too heavy chocolate slab. ChemGuy and I ended up sharing another brownie.
Meringues with whipped cream and fresh strawberries: Served all mixed together, almost "salad-like", I was equally impressed by the tastiness of this dish. Light meringues and fluffy whipped cream, sliced fresh strawberries. The two desserts paired so well with each other.
Good thing we saved some room!
I ordered a hot tea with my dessert; I have a new tea on my favorite's list. I know some of you would enjoy it as much as I do. After I'd had a few sips, I turned to ChemGuy and said "Taste this tea." Our server overheard, and with a worried look on her face asked "Do you not like your tea?" "Oh no!" I said, "I LOVE it!" The worried look faded, and she told me the name of the blend and a local store at which I could purchase it. So helpful.
As the meal was winding down, I found myself needing to use the Ladies Room. (I know what you're thinking -- WHY is she telling us this?!) Hear me out. As I walked down the brick-walled hallway, I noticed that framed versions of mentions of the restaurant in food magazines decorated the wall. One of them caught my eye as an issue I probably have somewhere at home. I stopped to read the blurb that had been in that issue and noticed reference to their preparation of ChemGuy's all-time favorite fish. Smiling, I informed ChemGuy of this fact when I returned to the table. His face lit with as much anticipation and hope as I imagine he had been when he got his first job offer, he flagged down our server to ask her about when such an item might be offered. He started his inquiry by acknowledging that it was a weird question; she smiled and said she wasn't sure, but that the chef who plans and executes each Community Night dinner was at the other end of our table and she'd be sure to direct him our way in a moment. He came by to say Hello. After we told him we thought he was doing a great job, ChemGuy asked his question about the John Dorry. "Well, I've been here for 2 years and haven't done it here, but I used to do it all the time when I was at a different restaurant in Big City." He went on to talk about how much he enjoyed cooking it. Apparently its structure lends itself well to whole-fish preparations, without too much concern over tiny bones everywhere. He said he wasn't sure about the seasonality of it, but he wasn't going to let us leave without looking into it. "Don't leave yet." he said, "I'm going to find out right now." And he disappeared.
A few minutes later, he came back with a card upon which he'd written his private e-mail address. "Looks like we can get quality Dorry most months. Here's my e-mail address. If you know you're coming back for another Community Night, send me a note a couple of weeks ahead of time and I'll see what I can do. I can't promise it'll work out, but I'll certainly try. Or if there's something else you'd really like, just let me know." We were floored.
I knew that they were receptive to food allergies or other culinary concerns for groups. You can mention them when you make your reservation. But I never, ever expected the chef to give me his address and say "let me know what you're thinking and I'll see what I can do!".
Maybe the food + the wine + the conversation + the genuine kindness of the staff just results in both of us being overstimulated. Maybe the whole thing is a huge lie and we're blind to it because we want to be. Whatever powers are at work here, ChemGuy and I both love this restaurant. We feel a sense of loyalty to it, and we want to share that with others. That kind of connection doesn't come along very often. Have we eaten amazing food at other places? Of course! Have we spent more money at other places? Absolutely. But this particular establishment has earned a place on a very select list in our eyes. If you're inclined to make a visit out to us here at Mile High, I recommend working to schedule your visit over a Monday night. I would be happy to mention food concerns upon making a reservation. We're definitely looking for a reason to go back.
All that remained.