Good Food Sampling: First Bite Boulder
Until Saturday, November 21st, 40 of Boulder’s top restaurants are participating in First Bite Boulder, a week designed to celebrate and promote Boulder’s dining scene. Participating restaurants are offering three-course meals for $26. Though we’re not crazy on the idea of paying $26 per person for a meal, for most of the restaurants $26 for three courses is significantly cheaper than normal prices. This means that during this week you might be more willing to go to restaurants you otherwise wouldn’t be willing to go to or you might be able to try more food at those restaurants than you otherwise would. We looked through all of the participating restaurants’ menus and picked out our five favorite three-course combinations (in alphabetical order by restaurant):
AJI - Empanada De Longosta (lobster empanada, Oaxaca cheese, caramelized onions, beet cream), Ensalada Mesclum (mixed green salad, goat cheese, dried cherries, smoked almonds, red onion, tostinos, basil vinaigrette), and Latin Paella (paella, shrimp, tuna ,trout, chorizo, chicken, tomatoes, onions, chipotle-saffron shrimp & lobster broth)
BRASSERIE TEN TEN – Salt & Pepper Calamari (with chili tossed cucumber salad, lavender-dijon mayonnaise), Roasted Flatiron ‘Hunter Style’ (with brandy porcini creme, prosciutto flecked potatoes & black truffles), and Hazelnut and White Chocolate ‘Molten Cake’ (with chevre-orange ‘creamsicle’ ice cream)
LEAF - Raw Ravioli (coconut ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms and broccoli raab, served with truffle cashew cream and balsamic fig pureé & mixed greens), Arugula & Blood Orange Salad (arugula, sautéed wild mushrooms, blood oranges, maple pecans, and blood orange vinaigrette), and Saffron Risotto (saffron risotto with butternut squash & Brussels sprouts on a bed of cider braised kale)
TAHONA TEQUILA BISTRO - Shrimp Mojo Tamale (red chile and garlic braised shrimp, house made tamale, pickled vegetables), Local Winter Calabacitas (late autumn squash, Hazel Dell mushrooms, roasted garlic, corn and pearl onions, with a creamy oaxaca cheese polenta), Pumpkin Brulee (crispy chile pecans & white chocolate whipped cream), and a complimentary glass of wine or sangria
TRATTORIA ON PEARL – Insatata Caprese Tricolore (fresh sliced organic yellow, green and vine ripe tomatoes and home-made mozzarella cheese topped with balsamic glaze and basil pesto), Involtino di Pollo (organic chicken breast stuffed with sage and prosciutto, served with asparagus and basil mashed potatoes), and Gelato (home-made, 16 flavors, your choice, served over a cookie tuile and pernod infused pizzele)
We couldn’t resist translating “pernod infused pizzele” for you–it’s an absinthe-infused Italian waffle cookie.
For a full list of participating restaurants, menus, and phone numbers, click here (we strongly urge making reservations well in advance).
If the idea of 6 courses and 6 beers for $45 in Denver interests you, check out the Beer Dinner tonight at Argyll.
For all of our Denver restaurant reviews, click here.
