First, I love the location. As longtime fans of Barolo Grill and Fruition, I’m always happy when another restaurant opens up on 6th Avenue. It’s a nice break from Denver’s typical restaurant rows and parking is easy.

We started out with the Duck Confit Mac & Cheese. Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that my mother taught me not to lick plates, as the thought did crossed my mind once it was gone. (The couple staring dejectedly at their empty appetizer plate? Yes, that was us.)

For our entrees, I had the short ribs with mashed parsnips and substituted braised brussel sprouts instead of the sautéed spinach. The ribs were so tender, a knife was almost obsolete and the brussels were perfect. The parsnips were interesting…a nice shift from your typical mashed potatoes.

I also liked that the owner himself sat us, the waitstaff were friendly yet perfectly professional, and the place didn’t try to overdo the decor, keeping the focus on the food.

My only request: I wish they had more choices than Prosecco as the only bubbly by the glass. (I find it a little sweet.)

We will most definitely be back!

This Thanksgiving, instead of a traditional turkey, we decided to do a wine-glazed Smithfield country ham. It was delicious! Of course, I’m now looking for recipes for all that leftover ham. Sara Foster came through again last evening when I made her Roasted Tomato Grits and Country Ham…wonderful fall flavors of rosemary, balsamic vinegar, roasted tomatoes, creamy grits, and of course, country ham. Comfort food at its best!

I decided to try again, this time drawing from friends’ advice, Food Network, and careful note-taking during a conversation with Mom.

1. In olive oil & a bit of butter, brown chuck roast on medium-high heat.
2. Add diced onions, cover, and let sit for 1 hour on VERY low heat.
3. Add canned Roma tomatoes, 1 cup beef broth, 1 cup red wine, 2 carrots, 3 potatoes, a dash of rosemary, salt & pepper.
4. Simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Uncover and simmer for another hour.
5. Remove meat from pot and tear apart with 2 forks. (If you need a knife, it’s not tender enough yet.)
6. Meanwhile, allow the sauce to cool so that you can skim the fat off easily.

We were lamenting a couple of years ago about how much we liked Italian subs, but how we can’t eat them very often due to their high fat content. I offered to make a healthy version with vegetarian “meat,” but my husband instantly turned up his nose. I sensed a challenge…

So, one day I purchased fake pepperoni and salami…

…topped it with Provolone cheese, fresh sliced tomatoes and good lettuce…

…gave it a touch of Newman’s Own Lite Italian dressing…

…and served it with my favorite pickles in the world

He liked it so much, he couldn’t believe that the meat wasn’t real. Because it’s an Italian sub and due to its “hippy” and wholesome ingredients, we dubbed it “Woodstock Tony.” It has now become a summer favorite.

This evening, we enjoyed this recipe along with spicy mustard greens sautéed in olive oil, saffron rice, a simple sliced heirloom tomato, and…

…Cheesecake Stuffed Peaches from Palisade, CO – a relatively new recipe I just found this summer. (It most commonly elicits responses that sound something like “Oh. My. God.”) I don’t consider this bragging since I didn’t create it…but the original cook did win $500 from Better Homes & Gardens for her recipe if that’s any indication of its loveliness.

The collards, black-eyed peas, and rice & gravy were out of this world (as in, I could have made my whole meal just out of those three.) The chicken was good, but HUGE. We will definitely order only one breast next time. The fried okra was OK…perhaps I’m forever spoiled by Mama Chris’ super-crunchy okra with just the right amount of salt and pepper. These were a little bland for my taste.

Overall – I can’t wait to go back and try a few more dishes. Next stop, Tom’s Home Cooking.

…and Tri-tip Steak with Citrus-Chile Butter from Southern Living  (helloooo, new lover!)…

…but by happenstance, I found GREEN TOMATOES at my Whole Foods this morning. (I had blogged earlier this summer about how hard they are to find in Colorado.) Such a treat!

Also, kuddos to Strings, an all-time Old Denver favorite, for making my husband’s 40th birthday special. We celebrated his actual birthday there with extended family, then attended a Titanic Lifeboat #6 Dinner at the Molly Brown House Museum (which I highly recommend) with just the two of us. Good times with wonderful company!

If Molly Brown’s or the Titanic’s history interests you at all, the museum is planning many events to honor the 100th anniversary next year. I’ll post as I learn more.

Also, a colleague at work was kind enough to give us a bottle of Mama Sita’s, his favorite hot sauce from the Philippines. I sprinkled poured it on Cajun shrimp and creamed grits last night with a side of roasted veggies and hummus. The taste is wonderful, but the heat isn’t for the light-hearted! Thanks for sharing this with us, Andy!

Photo Courtesy of Food & Wine

This evening’s feast will include my first attempt at an umami burger, as shown in this month’s issue of Food and Wine. This burger’s only condiments are Stilton blue cheese, a Port reduction sauce, and an interesting “umami dust” that my husband and I spent of the better part of an hour today crushing in a mortar and pestle since we don’t have a spice grinder.

Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

As per the directions, I filled the pan to the “fill” line on the baskets. After I added the eggs, however, it turned out to be a little much and I had to use a ladle to take some of the water out.

I have a bad habit of getting egg shells into the bowl when I break them, so I first broke the eggs into a ramekin.

In lieu of Hollandaise sauce (aka 3 egg yolks & butter to go on top of your eggs…jeez!), I whipped up a mustard lemon dill vinaigrette.

The water still gets a little messy, but most of the egg stays in the little baskets and keeps a nice round shape. I skipped the recommendation of adding vinegar to the water – it just seemed unappetizing.

My favorite part about using the egg poacher is that I could lift the basket out and check for doneness. In spite of that, I still over-poached them a little. First time for that!!

The final product: poached eggs well-done with avocado, tomato, & mustard-lemon dill vinaigrette over whole wheat muffins with a side of peppered turkey bacon. I need more practice with the egg poacher, but I definitely give it a thumbs up! (As does my clean-up crew, who commented on how nice the non-stick pan and baskets were compared to a regular pot.)