Cacciatore, Fort Collins, CO

Posted on October 14, 2018 by melsmosaic

A great small, local Italian restaurant in Fort Collins is Cacciatore at Heller’s Kitchen, located in Jessup Farm.

Have visited a few times and never had bad food or drink. Drink-wise, what I love is their wine on tap. My favorite is the Tiamo Barbera. Their notes on the wine are 100% organically grown, full bodied, deep berry flavors, lovely finish and slightly dry. What I like about it is that though it says full bodied it’s not overly heavy, and as mentioned it’s just slightly dry. When you get a bottle of it, they bring it out in a flip-top bottle. Great stuff.

Their menu has a good mix of selections, Italian-wise. Last time I went the two of us at the table split two dishes.

As you might have read before if you browse my posts, I love Brussels Sprouts. So when I noticed them on the menu, it was time to finally try them.

Brussels Sprouts sauteed with garlic, sundried tomatoes and pancetta.

Amazing flavors with all the ingredients coming together. Happiness was…

We also opted for a pizza, the Fig & Prosciutto Pizza, caramelized onion, goat cheese, port reduction.

When I find a non-cow cheese pizza, I’m in love. This is also one of my favorite pizza concoctions. It’s nice and light, with flavors blending together. The crust on this is very light, too.

Great dinner. I believe they have good Happy Hour specials, too, but not sure what they are. I see coupons come out for them in the mail every so often, so tend to actually use them. Check it out.

Pîste Mountain Bistro, Jackson Hole, WY

Posted on October 13, 2018 by melsmosaic

Earlier this year when in WY, dined at a nice restaurant in/at Jackson Hole, Pîste Mountain Bistro.

You take the gondola to the restaurant so you’re at mid-mountain. Beautiful view. The pictures are from the base area so you can see the Tetons.

Service was a bit slow, but we eventually did get our waiter. We ordered a bottle of French wine that was absolutely fabulous. I say this because old world wine is the last kind I reach for. It was Les Champauvins, Alain Jaume & Fils, Domaine Grand Veneur, Cotes Du Rhone. Have to look for this in stores.

Food wise, went for a couple small dishes.

Locavore Salad — Inspired by Local Farmer’s Markets.

The salad was a good size to split. Good vegetable mix included and nice and light on the dressing – the lettuce wasn’t gasping for air!

Grilled Spanish Octopus — Broccoli verde, Romanesco, cauliflower, radish, sorrel, sea beans

I love octopus, parallels the love of Brussels Sprouts. As soon as I saw this on the menu, my decision was made. WOW, wow. Crisp, perfect texture and nice size portion (was from appetizers). This could not have been cooked more perfectly. Amazingly grilled, magical to bite into. The sauce that was on the plate had a bit of spice, with just enough kick to catch your attention, but didn’t overpower the octopus. I could eat this every night.

A couple others at the table ordered the Beef Tartare SmØrrebrØd — Boquerones, cured egg old, onion aioli, radio, parmigiano, cress

Apparently it was delicious, and another dish that was the perfect size. There really is beef underneath all the stuff on the bread.

Other than under par service, a nice night, from food to view, with a free gondola ride.

Table 79, Steamboat Springs

Posted on October 13, 2018 by melsmosaic

Last time I was in Steamboat Springs, CO was able to visit one of the local restaurants, Table 79.

They have a nice variety of tapas/small plates on the menu, as well as some entrees. I love having lots of things to nibble on so we chose a few on the smaller options to check out.

SMOKED ELK & CHORIZO MEATBALL / 4 // sweet corn succotash, sun dried tomato aioli

You do indeed get 1 meatball, but it’s a good size. The corn was delicious, as was the main part of the dish.

DEVILED EGG SALAD / 10 // spicy greens, cornichons, snow peas, pepita brittle, paprika champagne vinaigrette

They told us it was sort of a disassembled salad…what? They don’t just kind of mash up a hard boiled egg with a bunch of stuff. They nicely spread it out on a plate. Very unique and really good!

TUNA POKE / 11 // toasted sesame, pineapple, fiery sticky rice, avocado

The sticky fried rice the tuna sat on was quite nice, great presentation. Good taste overall.

CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS / 7 // table spice

I love Brussels sprouts and this didn’t change that thought, just reinforced it.

So, great experience. We also sat outside on a lovely evening. Service was wonderful, as well. Check it out if you’re in the area. Cheers.

Turmeric and Coriander Roast Chicken

Posted on May 24, 2018 by melsmosaic

The May 2018 issue of Food & Wine featured Restaurants of the Year and provided some of their recipes. One of them that I recently checked out/made was Maydan’s Turmeric and Coriander Roast Chicken.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I just used 1 cup of olive, didn’t feel like buying the grapeseed)
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup garlic cloves (about 10 cloves)
1/4 cup coriander seeds (used already ground)
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Directions

Step 1

Place extra-virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, garlic, coriander seeds, and turmeric in a blender. Process on high speed until smooth, about 35 seconds. — hello orange turmeric!

Step 2

Place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of backbone; discard backbone. Turn chicken breast side up, and press down on breastbone to flatten chicken. Season both sides with salt. Place chicken in a large roasting pan, and rub all over with marinade. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours or overnight. — I ended up doing mine overnight.

Step 3

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high (about 450°F) on one side, or push hot coals to one side of a charcoal grill. Gently blot chicken with paper towels to remove excess marinade. Place chicken, breast side up, on oiled grates over unlit side of grill. Grill, covered, over indirect heat until chicken is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 160°F, about 20 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a carving board, and let rest 15 minutes before carving.

While cooking I ended up putting this closer to direct vs indirect heat because it was taking quite awhile to cook. The meat was nice and tender and the flavor was great. The overnight marinating definitely helped with that. When ‘carving’ I sort of tore it apart, make it into chunks, pulled chicken-like pieces, and more. I prefer using my hands when possible. It was so tender that it was simple to do it that way. So a nice easy dish with lots of flavor. Great for the summer!

Mama Roni’s Pizza, Ft. Collins, CO

Posted on May 7, 2018 by melsmosaic

A benefit of moving to a new place is that you get coupons for a bunch of discounts and FREE stuff. And I’m not talking BOGO, but just plain and simple free. One of them that I recently took advantage of was the Mama Roni’s Pizza coupon. It was for a medium pizza of any kind.

Pizza is always interesting for me since I’m the lactard (more commonly known as lactose intolerant). One of my favorite pizzas is one with BBQ sauce and chicken. And, they happened to have it on the menu!

BBQ Chicken — Hand-tossed crust with our own tangy BBQ sauce, chicken, red onions & chopped bacon

What I had to inquire about is whether it had cheese (since it’s not in the description). It did and I was also sharing this pizza with a non-lactard. So, they were awesome and made half the pizza with cheese and half without. I’m also not a huge bacon fan. I love ham, prosciutto, pork tenderloin, just not bacon. So they nixed that.

So, I had the free coupon and it was for pickup. This was not initially a problem. The problem started when I put the pizza in my car and had to drive 2+ miles homes. The smell, the smell, the smell…that was tough. I’m glad I put the box in the back of the car.

Got home, opened it up and off to the eating. Such perfect crust. Not too thick, not too thin and not greasy AT ALL! The ingredients were in perfect balance, too. The cheese side was apparently great, as well. Will have to check this place out, again.

Beef and Shallot Stew

Posted on April 13, 2018 by melsmosaic

Winter months just call for a good stew. This is a recipe that I’ve had for a long time from Real Simple that I just think of every so often – Beef and Shallot Stew. I don’t/can’t eat beef, so I replace it with wild game. I’ve normally had venison but this time I found Wild Boar at Sprouts. It’s generally easier to have whole pieces of meat vs. ground, but sometimes you have to work with what you have.

Ingredients

4 pounds chuck meat, cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces, or 4 pounds pre-cut stew meat
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bottle dry red wine
1 1/2 pounds shallots, peeled
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
8 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1) Heat oven to 300° F. Season the beef with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add some of the beef to the pot and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef.

2) Spoon off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Add the wine and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom, for 3 minutes.

3) Return the beef to the pot along with the shallots and broth. Bring to a boil. Skim any foam. Add the thyme. Cover and transfer to oven until the beef is tender, about 2 hours. Spoon into individual bowls.

Since I used ground meat, I didn’t need to cook the stew for nearly as long (can be a fraction of the time until the meat is cooked and onion are to the ‘softness’ you want). I serve it with some great French bread and green salad. Perfect for a cold day. Also pairs well with red wine. Cheers!

Seared Radicchio and Roasted Beets

Posted on March 29, 2018 by melsmosaic

Was looking for a new recipe for Christmas dinner and wanted something colorful. Came across this one when flipping through Bon Appetit magazine – Seared Radicchio and Roasted Beets.

Ingredients

6 medium beets, scrubbed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
2 small heads of radicchio, cut into large wedges through root end
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup pomegranate seeds
Flaky sea salt (for serving)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss beets with 1 Tbsp. oil on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; season with kosher salt. Roast, tossing once, until skins are charred and beets are tender, 40–50 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook radicchio wedges on cut sides until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter.
Add pomegranate juice to skillet; bring to a boil and cook until thickened and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar; season with kosher salt.
Tear beets open and place around radicchio; spoon dressing over. Top salad with pomegranate seeds, sprinkle with sea salt, and drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil.

You can roast the beets early to knock that off your list, since that takes awhile. That was helpful. I found that it took longer than 5 minutes to thicken the pomegranate juice.

Regardless, in the end, the recipe turned out great. It had the eye-catching red/bright colors for the evening and was delicious. And, had leftovers (which tasted wonderful). Definitely saving it for future use.

Los Tarascos

Posted on December 28, 2017 by melsmosaic

Got together with some friends to celebrate a birthday (not mine) recently and got to check out another new (to me) place in Ft. Collins. This time it was Los Tarascos.

Love Mexican food so I was quite excited about this. We were meeting at 6pm, but I was told to get there a little early to make sure to get some Happy Hour specials. Well, I got there at 5:45pm and I happened to be the only one to arrive early. I easily chose a Classic Margarita and dang, that thing was good. Since I knew there would be several more people coming, I ordered a few pitchers of the amazing drink. When the other attendees arrived, they were quite pleased.

At this place, they bring you chip baskets…of course. I surveyed the table and was wondering about salsa. Then I found out they have a salsa bar. You get to pick what you get to dip those addictive pieces of corn in. Dang, talk about trouble. Now, the only problem is, the containers they give you for the salsa are small. But, you can make do. They have many choices and I liked how I saw one person use a menu as a tray to carry several cups of salsa back to their table.

Somebody at the table ordered some guac and I grabbed a bite — very good. Excellent consistency and nice spice.

As I looked through the menu I found what I love at this type of establishment — ceviche. This one was Ceviche a la Tequila — Shrimp cured in lime juice and tequila mixed with tomato, onion, and jalapeno. And for a few more dollars, you could add Octopus, which I totally went for.

This stuff was good, with the different texture of the octopus. The only downside was that the jalapenos made it very spicy for me. I don’t have a huge heat tolerance. I picked as many pieces of it out as I could. But, I will totally go back and get more of this.

So, between the delicious margaritas, tons of salsa, good guac and octopus ceviche, this place is definitely one I’m checking out again.

Salud!

Thai Pavilion

Posted on December 23, 2017 by melsmosaic

Was at National Harbor, MD and checked out Thai Pavilion. They have quite nice decor and just the doors to get in the restaurant are intricate — thick and metal with much design. You need to use both hands to open them. Couldn’t wait to get to the food!

The menu blew me away. So many choices! It was very traditional Thai food, too. I flipped through the menu for quite awhile before finally deciding what to get. Went with a soup/salad meal:

AmNat ChaRoen or TOM YUM. Fresh mushrooms in lemon grass soup, galangal and Thai spices with chili paste. Your choice of chicken or mixed vegetables.

This was such a good soup. Just everything the description says. I got it with the veggies. Could easily have enjoyed more.

PatTaYa orSOM TUM MA LA GORE. The most popular Som Tom. Julienned green papaya, roasted peanuts, tomatoes, and string beans tossed with spicy lime dressing.

This was so interesting because the papaya was crunchy. It wasn’t the taste I was expecting (which the waiter warned me of). It was all quite good and was brought together nicely with the lime dressing.

Also enjoyed some Sauvignon Blanc with this. A very nice Thai dinner and this is definitely a place to return to so that more (of the many) menu items can be tasted.

I Am the Walrus

Posted on December 4, 2017 by melsmosaic

Well, actually, I just went to a restaurant called The Walrus. National Harbor, MD.

First great/fun/cool thing about them – they have wine on tap. This perhaps used to be looked upon as an odd thing, but it’s great. Makes the wine last longer, it won’t go bad, and keeps it at the right temp. Cheers to that! I opted for the Rose (non-Moscato, of course). Nice and dry, light berry taste and perfect temp. And during happy hour, $2 off per glass.

After looking over the menu, food-wise I went with the Butternut Squash Soup – Fresh Maryland lump crab, local butternut squash, chives and JO Spiced pepitas. Very nice size for the dish, perfect thickness. It cooled down quickly, but nonetheless, with the crab it was even more delicious!

Wanted more veggies and a soup/salad theme, so opted for the Roasted Beet Salad –

Roasted golden beets, goat cheese, baby greens, candied pecans, honey balsamic vinaigrette with sautéed shrimp. Good flavor and it came with both thinly sliced beets and cubed beets. The shrimp were also very nicely cooked.

Liked the place and the service at the bar was pretty good. The initial bartender we had was perfect, then the amount of staff in the bar dropped so it was harder to get service, but it was not the end of the world. Check this place out if you’re at National Harbor.