Category: Recipes


“Pop!” goes a restaurant!

Filed under: Cooking, Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Travel — Leave a comment
May 8, 2012

On a recent  April evening in LoDo, I was pelted with raindrops and nearly mowed down by Rockies fans fleeing a serious rain delay.  I
was happy to duck into the lobby of the Ice House building at 1801 Wynkoop and even happier to enter the new Studio F space and be handed a glass of Rose.  As I dripped dry, I looked around at the exposed brick/industrial-chic space with a large, professional-quality kitchen complete with large-screen TV above the demonstration table to show diners and cooking-class attendees exactly what’s going on.  On this night, I was one of the lucky guests attending the highly-anticipated inaugural pop-up dinner of James Mazzio’s Studio F.

Mazzio was a gracious host, pointing out the workspace that would be any chef’s dream (I know my home-cooking self was in awe of the large work and cook surfaces).  He also pointed out the Red Star Deli, at the entry way to Studio F, Mazzio’s new stop for a sandwich for all of the worker bees downtown.  Mazzio then introduced me to the star of the evening, Chef Charles Dale, a gentle and polite man whose calm demeanor has surely been beneficial in the many restaurants he has opened up in his 30 years in the business.

Although Dale was at Studio F representing his latest restaurant, Terra at Encantado in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this marked a return trip to Colorado where Dale had opened three award-winning restaurants in Aspen years ago.  Dale is a former Food & Wine Magazine Best New Chef in America winner. I can see why.  He mixes his classical French training with a passion for fresh and sustainable cuisine. He believes in, and practices what he calls “flavor management”, often focusing on just three main ingredients for a dish.  I truly appreciated this real, unpretentious approach.  One of my pet peeves is when a chef creates something so complex and goes so far out of the way to make it unusual that it falls flat. I want to be able to taste each element of a dish that a chef has created.  That was absolutely the case with every course of the wonderful meal we had.

Chef Charles Dale of Terra restaurant in Santa Fe. Photo courtesy Bing photos.

One of the highlights came in the very first bite of the first course, Peppadew Rellenos with Goat Cheese Masa.  Looking just like a cherry tomato, the stuffed and lightly battered peppadew chili was the perfect, poppable appetizer.  My table-mates and I raved over this little tidbit, knowing we were off to a good start. Another highlight was the Asparagus Soup, more of a puree thankfully than a creamy glop, the soup was ladled over flakes of House-smoked Ruby Trout and Terra Chipotle Caviar. See? Three perfectly-chosen ingredients that made for flavors and textures that worked in tandem.  I also loved the Scallop and Pork Belly with Edamame and Celery Root Puree with a Sauternes Reduction. Again, the blend was delicious but I could have done with a plate of just the pork belly. It was sinful.

Each dish was paired with a wine from Sutcliffe Vineyards in Cortez, accompanied by their master, John Sutcliffe who answered our table’s many questions about the process of wine-making, the impact global warming may or may not be having and the like. His English accent and playboy charm added to the experience.  He did an excellent job of pairing exactly the right wine with every course from the Sutcliffe Rose 2010 with the Peppadew Relleno to the Sutcliffe Riesling “Nectar” 2011 with the butterscotch custard for dessert.

By the end of the evening, not only were we all satiated (and feeling no pain), we had all enjoyed the unique experience of going out for dinner but having made new acquaintances with our fellow diners, the chef and the host. It’s a fun way to truly enjoy a meal.

Except for taking a road trip to experience Chef Dale’s cooking yourself (which I highly encourage), there will be ample opportunities to experience this special night out. Hurry to reserve your spot May 10-12 with Colorado’s own Jenna Johansen for a tour of international cuisines celebrating her debut on Bravo’s Around the World in 80 Plates.  The following week, May 18-26, get a little wacky with another Colorado chef, Ian Kleinman who believes food should be fun and has the concoctions to prove it.

Sign up for Studio F’s newsletter to keep apprised of their upcoming events.

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Go west, young family! Devil’s Thumb Ranch revisited.

Filed under: Cooking, Family, Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Travel — Leave a comment
March 29, 2012

Sunset at Devil's Thumb Ranch. All photos courtesy Courtney Drake-McDonough.

We woke up in the city but went to sleep in the old west. Well, almost. It was more like an idyllic vision of the old west –sprawling, pastoral, rustic, elegant and a whole lot of fun – but with all the modern conveniences.

This was our third stay at the 6,000-acre Devil’s Thumb Ranch. The first time was three years ago for a romantic anniversary getaway. The second time was last summer with the whole family to ride horses, hike, swim and experience scenery like the kids had never seen before – a mix of ranch, meadow and mountain. The first two times, we stayed in the main lodge, with its rustic yet plush décor.  This time, we stayed in a little cabin in the woods, one of 16.  The cabins, while lovely, are more

Our little cabin in the woods.

befitting their log walls and roof than the lodge. They are a little on the rough side but with plenty of comfort and all of the necessities – feather beds with handmade quilts, a kitchen, a living room and spacious bathroom.

Following the example of all other buildings at Devil’s Thumb Ranch, the cabins are built as green as possible with geothermal heat, courtesy of heated flooring not lost on bare feet on crisp, cool mornings.

By staying in the cabins, you can choose to cook your own meals. However, if your idea of a vacation getaway means getting as far away from cooking as possible, you are in luck. There are a variety of restaurant options for the whole family. Heck’s Tavern is casual, perfect for families, with kids’ menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even the up-scale Ranch House Restaurant has a kid’s menu or half portions of adult entrees for kids with sophisticated palates. Stop into Hallowed Grounds Coffee House for sandwiches or a smoothie before heading out on a hike. Or just get a bite poolside from Heck’s.  All meals are prepared from scratch, using natural and local ingredients.

Our daughter at Wrangler Camp, learning to tend her horse before going on a ride.

On this trip, our daughter attended the Wrangler Camp, held in multiple sessions throughout the summer. Along with just six other kids, she learned horse-riding and horse-care skills including a little stint doing rodeo tricks. After nose-to-tail guided trail rides, the afternoons of Wrangler Camp were spent fly-fishing, swimming, taking aim with archery and searching on a scavenger hunt.

During those action-packed days, the rest of the family was free to take long hikes, enjoy the spa, game room and build an impromptu mini-log cabin. We also had fun just walking around the property, enjoying amazing views and seeing the various buildings including the Broad Axe Barn, Spa and the new Yager House, which houses family reunions, cooking classes, weddings and other special events. Up at the Stables, you can see horses, goats, chickens, rabbits, a calf that walks around like a dog, with the dogs and Stormy, the resident black cat.

At night, guests gravitate to Heck’s patio to make s’mores around the campfire, sharing stories, laughs and suggestions for hiking and biking trails – all with strangers. It’s a good lesson for kids to see that you can find things in common with people you don’t even know, who are there from other states and even countries.

Lodging rates vary at Devil’s Thumb, depending on the season and type of lodging you are looking for but there’s always some sort of

Imagine swimming with this view!

great deal going on. The cabins are more expensive than the Lodge rooms but then again you have a little cabin all to yourself and can save money by cooking your own food.  Sign up on their website (www.devilsthumbranch.com) to receive notification of lodging deals year-round.  Although the mid-week gets you the lowest rates, stick around for the weekend for the Cowpoke Camp. Giving kids and parents time together and time apart, the Camp lets kids ages 5 to 12 do fun western-themed activities like learning to lasso, build a compass, go fishing, taking a kiddie cooking class and more.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch has some amazing things planned for this spring and summer. This May, they’ll have a Mother/Daughter spa package. In June, July and August, there’s the Summer Wrangler Camps for kids 12 and up that our daughter attended.  For adults who like to cook and eat, there is a series of themed Chef Demonstrations followed by multi-course dinner with wine pairings. For adults who like to relax and be pampered, their extensive spa with its own patio area, private hot tub and spa menu brought to you as you luxuriate is enough to put you over the edge of bliss (and who couldn’t use a little of that?!)

For those who want to rough it a little more, go horseback-riding, take riding lessons, let the kids have a pony ride, go on a family wagon ride or get really serious and go on a cattle drive or zip-lining! I’m telling you, the folks at Devil’s Thumb Ranch are brilliant! There is literally something for every interest, taste and skill-level and it’s all beautiful.

The horses heading to the pasture to graze.

By the way, in case you are wondering about the name, Devil’s Thumb, according to local lore, after the warring Ute and Arapahoe tribes settled their differences in the Ranch Creek Valley area, they buried the Devil but left his thumb exposed to remind them of the evils of war. That “thumb” is an outcropping of rock on the Continental Divide visible from the Ranch. A Colorado couple and parents of two children, Bob and Susan Fanch, are the owners of Devil’s Thumb Ranch, intent on making the very sustainable property a getaway for everyone, from wedding parties to business groups to families. It’s a peaceful, kick-in-the-pants-fun place only about an hour and a half from Denver, making it a very doable escape.

Note: A version of this article originally ran on ColoradoParent.com in 2011.

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“To Kill A Mockingbird” By Thea Tagower

Filed under: cookbooks, Cooking, Movies, plays, Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Theater — Leave a comment
October 13, 2011

As I walked out of the theater, wishing I’d worn water-proof (i.e. tear-proof) mascara, a woman behind me complained that in this version of To Kill A Mockingbird, the narrator was on stage the whole time.  She explained to her date that in the movie, Jean Louise as narrator was never seen, only heard and that this version just ruined it for her.

John Hutton in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird. Photo by Terry Shapiro

It was all I could do not to turn around and say “get over it, lady. This isn’t the movie and it’s another interpretation of how the story should be handled. And it was wonderful!”  I said nothing but it was a reminder to be open-minded and look at every adaptation of books, plays and movies with fresh eyes lest a wonderful production such as this one, playing at the Stage Theater of the Denver Center, not be seen for what it is.

I found it fascinating that a woman, Harper Lee, wrote the book To Kill A Mockingbird during the 1950’s at a time when it wasn’t the norm for a woman author to be writing about topics like rape much less taking on issues of racism. However, her timing was perfect. Even though the book takes place in the 1930’s of the south, she was writing it as race relations and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,’s movement was just getting started, so it was incredibly relevant.  To me, a woman’s touch comes through not only in making Scout such a strong female character (at a mere 10 years old) but also in the lilting language she used such as “Finders were keepers unless title were proven. Plucking an occasional camellia, getting a squirt of hot milk from a neighbor’s cow on a summer day was part of our ethical culture…”  Gorgeous!

Maurice Jones, Matthew Gary, Caroline Rosenblum, Thomas Russo, Kim Staunton and Charles Weldon in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird. Photo by Terry Shapiro

This production of To Kill A Mockingbird is as gorgeous as the words being spoken. The simple set  consisted of wood planks are adorned only with a screen door and large mossy tree.  The set only changes from a porch swing at the Finch home to the courtroom where Tom Robinson’s trial takes place. The lighting is dim and dappled. The frequent mopping of men’s brows and ladylike fanning in the courtroom as well as the intimate seating of the theater gives the sense of the air being still, heavy and close. It makes feeling the tension rising throughout the play even more palpable.

Some of my favorite local actors are in this play including John Hutton as Atticus Finch, Philip Pleasants as both Walter Cunningham and Judge Taylor, Kathleen M. Brady as wretched Mrs. Dubose and Kathleen McCall as Jean Louise (narrator). John Hutton gave his Atticus the perfect blend of compassion but firmness.  And I loved the way Kathleen McCall’s grown up Jean Louise sometimes mirrored actions  and facial expressions with her childhood self, played by young Caroline Rosenblum.  A narrator off stage couldn’t have given the sense so clearly of being an adult looking back at oneself as a child and remembering so clearly.

Caroline Rosenblum and Kathleen McCall in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird. Photo by Terry Shapiro

Although the subjectmatter is difficult and the language can be rough at times, feel confident taking older children to this production. It is an education in great writing, American history, sociology and top notch theater.

To Kill A Mockingbird plays the Stage Theatre through October 30. For tickets call 303-893-4100 or visit www.denvercenter.org.

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Welcome to: In Good Taste Denver By Courtney Drake-McDonough

Filed under: cookbooks, Cooking, Movies, plays, Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Theater — Leave a comment
October 3, 2011

Welcome to my brand  spankin’ new blog, In Good Taste Denver.  This blog is the more chatty sister to a column I have written for five years in “The Lowry News” here in Denver.   I have had the joy and privilege of writing reviews of local restaurants, theater productions, travel destinations both local and not on a monthly basis.

That’s fine and dandy except I am limited by space and by time.  So many great things are going on in the world of food, travel and entertainment but I just can’t write about all of them because of the monthly format of this fine newspaper.  So now that I am a little more savvy about such things, I can use this blog to expand on topics I’ve written about in the newspaper as well as remain more current with new things I hear about. Oh, and just to amuse myself, and hopefully you too, I will write these blogs as my alter egos which will also serve to better categorize the topics.

Here’s what you’re in for with this blog:

  • Reviews of local restaurants written by Edan Goode, who, by the way, writes a family food blog for Colorado Parent magazine.
  • Recipes that I’ve tried, succeeded and sometimes failed at (you get to learn from my mistakes) written by Cookie Baker.
  • Reviews of cookbooks I’ve come across because I read cookbooks like other people read novels (and I know I’m not the only one), also by Ms. Baker.
  • Reviews of travel destinations both near and far by T. Ravlin Lyte.
  • Reviews of local theater productions from Thea Tagower as well as movies that are about to hit the theaters as provided by Ms. Lotta Butter.
  • News bits on each of these. If I hear of something you might want to know about, I’ll let you know here as well as on my Facebook and Twitter sites.
A word about what it is to be a reviewer:
  • I am the first to admit that I am no expert on anything but I know what I like and what I don’t
  • I feel I am just typical enough to have my finger-on-the-pulse of what the general public might like or not
  • The role of a reviewer is to be honest, from their point of view. I will not rake anyone over the coals in a condescending, cruel way nor will I kiss anyone’s behind just to make them happy. What you can count on from me, is that I will tell it like it is.
  • Please know, because I certainly do, that my opinions are my own and should be taken into consideration (and nothing more) before you plunk down your hard-earned money on a meal, cookbook, theater production, movie or travel spot.  Soon enough, if you are a loyal reader (and I hope you will be), you’ll know whether or not we agree on things or whether we couldn’t be more opposite, yet you find my blogs so charming, you just have to keep reading.  (I’m hoping for a little of both).
So there you have it.  Please do read my columns in The Lowry News and if you don’t receive it, fear not, you can always find the “In Good Taste” column on page 10 online.  Then tune in here to read more of the story (if there is any more to tell, as well as photos, if there are any to show).  Find me, Like me and Follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InGoodTasteDenver and Twitter at www.twitter.com/InGoodTasteDen and I’ll keep you apprised of news tidbits as worth well as, well, anything that shows up on Facebook and Twitter on a given day.
Thanks for reading!
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