rlm

I heard you were taking everyone out to Frasca, Mongo. When is that Indian/Mexican/Italian fusion thing opening at One Boulder Plaza? That would probably inspire some interesting conversations. Fred, I think I need to go back for dinner so I can order off of the menu. I am an early eater at lunch and they didn't have very much out on the buffet yet. I asked if I could see a menu and they pointed me towards the buffet, so I guess they won't serve you off of the menu at lunch. ??? The mango lassi I had to drink was yummy. And no, I have not been back to Star of India to order the poorly-abbreviated veg. ass. platter.

WAH! No-one has any Aurora recommendations for me? We really need some more CO people on the board, eh? If you're a lurker, please post. We don't bite. (Well, Mongo might...ha ha.) Right now, I am really missing downtown (no more walking to Panzano and Tamayo for me). Thinking of checking out Masalaa and Real de Minas next (since Kyle Wagner says Real's green chile is "hot hot hot" and I've read a few good things about Masalaa as well).

Per an e-mail I received, this Sunday evening the 19th, Adega is featuring a Prix Fixe Menu of: Artichoke Puree with Champagne Braised Rabbit, Lemon Crackers 2001 Domaine Ostertag, Pinot Gris, Alsace, France Pecan Marinated Pork Loin with Golden Raisin Jus, Grilled Fingerlings 2003 Torbreck, Woodcutters Red, Shiraz, Australia Butternut Squash Creme Brulee, Maple Sugar Burn N.V. Old Codger, Tawny Port, Australia Menu $26 Wine Pairings $13 So if you've wanted to try the tasting menu, but the prices have given you pause, this would be an excellent opportunity to sample a smaller menu at a very reasonable price.

Mustard's fries are pretty good. If a small place like that can have fresh-cut fries, why can't other places? (Their Chicago dogs are pretty good too.) Chezhoff, I have not tried Brasserie Rouge's fries, but I'm curious if they fry theirs in goose fat like Napa's Bouchon reportedly does. (Fries were the only thing we really enjoyed there, sadly.)

The old Denny's in Louisville on McCaslin is now (or soon to be) a 3 Margaritas. Was never blown away by the Tres Margaritas in Broomfield, but it's always nice to see mediocre places like Denny's go out of business.

Thanks for another tip, afoodnut. Looks like they're there (or at least they still have an active website): Andrea's Homestead Cafe

Yes, the white and red clam pizzas @ Proto's on Fridays are the bomb, baby!!!

The Italian name for the tasting glasses is "tajut." Had another meal here and it was still pretty close to perfect (even though it was "entertaining" trying to get a ride home on CU-CSU weekend). Menu was quite similar, but had been tweaked a bit. I had the Lalande Sauvignon Blanc (7) with the Warm Hawaiian Big-Eye Tuna Salad with Deviled Egg Sauce (13) and mr. rlm had the Shallot Soup (5) with the same wine. The salumi platter was once again calling my name, but I felt compelled to try the tuna Amy had described (so glad I did). Then we had glasses of Paitin Barbera and Betts & Scholl Grenache. I had the bowl of Warm Long Family Farm Shaved Leg of Pork with Peaches (18) and mr. rlm had the Ribeye that I ordered on the last visit. I really didn't expect to enjoy the pork as much as I did, especially after seeing a non-fussy-looking, big bowl of shredded pork plopped down in front of me. This succulent pork did NOT require a heavy sauce, potatoes, or any of the other usual suspects to make it sing. For dessert, we split chocolate gelato and the chocolate torte (much better together). I'm so happy I don't have to drive to Aspen or even Denver for food like this. I hope they keep this up.

Hmm...I hope they're not letting Adega slip due to focusing more energy and time on Mirepoix. We had an issue the time before last with the timely arrival of our wine for one of the courses like you did on this visit, so hopefully it's not becoming a habit. (And here I thought we would see a Frasca review from you after Labor Day, Fred.)

A few of the places I've been able to check out so far in Aurora (besides the previously-discussed Yummy Yummy): El Parralito A co-worker from El Paso recommended this place, so I was surprised at how boring my lunch was. This is in a shopping center on Buckley and looks like an old diner inside. I noticed they sat pitchers of water at each table, so I thought, “A-ha, perhaps I am about to have a pleasing spicy green chili experience.” The salsa is served in what looks like ice cream sundae cups and has a slight bite to it. I ordered the #10-taco, tamale, enchilada, rice, and guacamole ($7.50). I asked for the tamale and enchilada to be smothered in the spiciest green chili they had and was disappointed to hear, “It’s not spicy.” I didn’t get to sample it anyway, since they ignored my request and brought everything out with red sauce. The taco meat had sauce mixed into it (a nice touch) and was pretty good (though beaten by many other taquerias). Enchilada was of the cheesy Tex-Mex variety & was also pretty good, but the tamale would have been inedible without the sauce & some of the gooey cheese over-spill from the enchilada. Caldonia's This BBQ joint/bar at Parker & Iliff would be right at home alongside the bars in LoDo (lots of TVs/neon beer signs). Several old signed pix of celebrities like Clint Black on the wall of the entrance, including that ex-Bronco who was convicted about a year ago of stealing money from several women. Definitely was a male-bonding type of environment. Had the Baby Back Basket (half a rack of baby-back ribs) with hushpuppies for $11.95 and a hot link ($1.95 extra for the link). Other side options are slaw, mashed potatoes, okra, fries, red beans and rice, potato salad, baked beans, and mac-n-cheese. Hushpuppies were small, yellow-brown orbs that were vastly improved by dunking them in the side cup of BBQ sauce. The baby backs were decent (not as good as M&D’s pork ribs), but the hot link was outstanding (juicy, and did not require sauce). Small slice of watermelon was included in the basket. Helga's German Restaurant and Deli I think I was the only person under 80 here. Lots of retirees kicking back dark German beers in the middle of the day (good for them, I say). I had the Jager Schnitzel (pork tenderloin with brown Hunter’s sauce and mushrooms) with spatzle and pan fried potatoes (just trying to make my starch quotient for the week) for $9.05. It wasn’t bad, but could have used more seasonings. I longed to try the Black Forest Torte, but the server (who was working half the busy restaurant by herself) told me she had not assembled it yet. Obee's (Soups, Salads, and Subs) This is a local outpost of a growing chain based in Florida. This one is in a shopping center on Buckley. They fresh-sliced the meat and cheese after we ordered (a nice touch, but of course, it slows down the line). The ham was sliced into these perfect feathery pillows that made for a nice mouth-feel. All the basic toppings are available, although this location has four or five different kinds of peppers including red pepper rings (not just green bell, banana, and jalapenos). I really hate to use the word “juicy” again, but my Spicy Italian Sub was packed with toppings and the juices were definitely running down my chin after only a bite. Star of India Typical buffet spread (Chicken Masala, Veggie Korma, Saag Paneer). I’m not an Indian food expert, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as India House downtown or even the Taj in Boulder. Great price though--$7.95. Their take-out menu features something called a Veg. Ass. Platter. Fat Burger A Cali burger chain infiltrating the rest of America. Their shake machines were out of commission when we were there, so we ordered two fat burgers and split some onion rings. Decent burger, boring rings. So I'm really looking for some GREAT Aurora places to try. Please post if you find any. Has anyone been to Thai Flavor or Bent Noodle?

Mongo, we ate there quite some time ago (over a year ago at least) and were very disappointed. The food filled us up, but it was not satisfying. It has been ages since I have had good German food. Recently tried Helga's in Aurora, but it didn't really twiddle my knobs either. Pretty sad that I'll either have to go to Oklahoma (Old Germany), Indiana (Rathskeller), or Texas (a number of places in Fredericksburg) for a hearty German meal.

Actually, I was referring to half-glasses rather than half-bottles in my original post. They offer a half-glass "tasting portion" for any of their wines-by-the-glass, which is a great option if you'd like to enjoy different wines with each course but you don't want to get "snackered" or spend lots of dinero. Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson, according to the business card I picked up at the front. Easily one of the best meals I've had in a while.

You will love Austin! I'm a former resident and still miss it. My vote for up-scale restaurant you must try is Jeffrey's. I am also partial to Louie's 106. Don't leave without trying Round Rock Donuts. Trust me. As for the festival food vendors, it looks like a pretty good mix. My favorites would be: Cook's Spicy Special pizza from Brick Oven Cheesesteak from Texadelphia Amy's Ice Cream Solar Falafels (the spiciest one was my favorite; used to buy them at Whole Foods) BBQ sandwich from Salt Lick or Stubb's If you have fun at this festival, go back in March for South By Southwest--it is a blast.

I did not have any salumi, although I definitely will next time. There are a few seats at the salumi bar. Yes, Steve said Oldani Filsette is from the Italian "Hill" area of St. Louis. I asked if I could have a copy of the menu and Steve obliged. He said they print new ones daily. The salumi platter is $12, with extra choices at $4. First courses range from $5 for the corn soup to $15 for the fois gras. Second courses start at $16 for the tagliatelle and go to $28 for the Ken Macy ribeye. I didn't ask about Mr. Macy, although their menu states at the bottom, "Frasca proudly works with Colorado's greatest farmers." My Google search gave me two entries for a Ken Macy on the Wyoming Board of Agriculture. The third was a link to a Macy's "Texas Beef" t-shirt. The height of fashion, I'm sure.

Fun Facts about Frasca *This is Frasca Food and Wine's second week. *They are only open for dinner right now. *They are across from L’Atelier at 1738 Pearl Street. *Their number is 303-442-6966. *They were completely booked, so I sat at the bar. *The friendly bartender Steve was very knowledgeable about their menu and pointed out the Salumi bar behind me where you can order Prosciutto San Daniele, Berina Bresaola, and Oldani Filsette (accompanied with Rafano and flatbread with olive oil and sea salt). You may also choose olives, spiced almonds/cashews, coleslaw, or “Frasca Cured Pickles and Torpedo Onions.” *The bar stools are extremely tiny and uncomfortable, even according to the person next to me who was as skinny as I was in my 20’s. This was the only negative of the evening. *Their wine list is not as comprehensive as Adega or Flagstaff House, but there are descriptive pages for the different varietals before the listings of available bottles. *Sommelier Bobby is reportedly a Wine God. *They use Riedel crystal. *They have a nifty-looking wine display/storage area on the back wall. *They had a warm corn soup on the menu made from “peaches and cream” corn that was light and blissful instead of heavy with cream. *A few other first courses included Marinated Rishana Flora Potato Salad with Sliced Sweet Carrots, Celery, and Tarragon; Warm Hawaiian Big-Eye Tuna Salad with Deviled Egg Sauce; and Hudson Valley Fois Gras with Apricots, Armagnac, and Toasted Zucchini Bread. *This may be washed down with Anselmi Tocai at 6 bucks a glass. *Or Billecart Salmon Brut at 18 bucks a glass. *Half-glasses are also available. *There was a cutesy Italian name for the half-glasses that escapes me. *The Butter Poached Ribeye of Ken Macy Beef with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Lobster Mushrooms, and Sweet Shallots was a simple preparation but surprisingly flavorful. *The meat paired well with a recommended Paitin Barbera. *Other second courses included Hand-Cut Tagliatelle with Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Basil Oil, and Tomato Broth; Russet Potato Gnocchi with Sweet Corn, Aged Sherry Vinegar and Brioche Crumbs; Pan Roasted Hawaiian Red Snapper Filet with Rishana Flora Red Cabbage, Valencia Onions, Green Beans, and Brown Butter Agrodolce; and Grilled Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Breast with Carmelized Torpedo Onions, Rhubarb Salad, and Duck Sugo. *The last two highly recommended desserts I had at restaurants (Toasted Almond Cake at Luca D’Italia and the Peach Frappe with Biscotti at Frasca) were good but didn’t live up to the staffers’ hype. So perhaps you could walk off the duck liver and pasta you’ve just inhaled by making your way to the other side of Pearl to have some sticky toffee pudding from The Kitchen. *Definitely check out Frasca. I was really surprised at how well everything was clicking in only their second week of business. Hopefully, they are on target like that every night.

Mr. rlm told me I was picky, so I said, "You mean I have a well-developed palate, right?" The response: "Isn't that just a fancy phrase for picky?" Lance, since this is a board for food geeks, we are probably a little more...um...selective than the general dining public. I think I was guilty of being a bit too amped up and expecting to be blown away too, and that's probably not fair for your second day of business. Oh, and thanks to Holly for sharing the frying expertise.

Mmmm. Cow lips. Lance, I think people on this forum understand the fast casual concept, but in order to keep people streaming through the doors you need to offer a more compelling product than fast food since your price points are higher, yet offer better value than the “gourmet burger,” table-service places like Max. That’s a tough job, and I appreciate what you’re trying to do. Icon is your “baby,” so it is understandable that after working so hard to open that you would want to defend it. I don’t think we were unduly harsh in our assessments. Chezhoff complimented the décor, shakes, buns, onion rings, and pointed out that you serve beer. I said it was not bad, listed other menu items that might interest people, and pointed out the “nice juicy tomato.” I couldn’t resist peeking under the bun and was impressed that I was greeted with a beautiful tomato instead of a mealy, anemic one. A few tweaks like fresh-cut fries and asking customers if they would like sautéed onions, for example, could make all the difference and make your place “special” and worth going out of the way for. I drove from another city just to eat at Icon, and I had not even heard of it until Chezhoff posted about it in this forum. In order to drive that far for a burger again, there has to be something about it that gives me cravings. Hell, I even drove 2 ½ hours to eat Thai food in Carbondale since I love the other restaurant owned there by the same chef. So even simple things like mouth-watering fresh fries or a juicier patty would definitely swing the balance in your favor and make it worth the drive.

I was not that impressed with Fuddrucker's in Austin, TX. However, I've never been to any others so I can't make a blanket statement about the whole chain. Chezhoff, your Good Times comparison holds true, although I think I actually prefer GT's to Icon (a little juicier), especially the heart-attack-waiting-to-happen known as the Big Daddy.

Well, it won't make you forget about the burgers at In-N-Out. Or even Max Burgerworks. Not bad though. I don't think I'll drive over to Lafayette specifically to eat there again, but if I lived closer I'd pop in once they get the "newbie" kinks worked out. Had the signature Icon Burger with "the works" plus bacon and cheese (extra), fries, and a Coke. Two of these meals will set you back about 19 bucks. Mine came out without pickles or bacon. Onions (not sauteed, unfortunately), romaine lettuce, a nice juicy tomato, ketchup, and "Icon Goop." Fries were hot, but nothing special. We were there in the early evening and waited about 15 minutes for the burgers, although a counter kid came over to apologize about the kitchen back-up. They also have a Boca burger, several hot dogs, and fish-and-chips. Red, gray, and black decor with pictures of classic diners on the walls.

Looks like The Daily Camera has answered some of our questions this morning about L'Absinthe, Acqua Pazza, and Bombay Bistro. Not as excited about Acqua Pazza now that I know it is brought to us by the Antica Roma folks. L'Absinthe comes from the owner of Ute City Bar and Grill in Aspen, which is listed in Aspen's Official Menu Guide with the tagline, "A Taste of New Orleans." Bombay Bistro will blend "Indian, Thai, Italian and Mexican cooking." Hmmm.

Ah, clever indeed. If it says Atlas Shrugged, then their objectivist credentials are hereby confirmed. Icon Burger has a red-and-white sign and is in a new-ish-looking shopping center near a Meineke. I took South Boulder Rd. to Hwy 42, and it was on the left-hand side of the road right before Arapahoe. (Yahoo Maps was not as kind with the location of Casa de Mina in Erie, so if anyone can give me some pointers as to how to actually find the Mexican restaurant instead of just a random farmer driving a beat-up pick-up truck 10 miles per hour on the Leon Wurl Pkwy, it would be appreciated.)

I managed to locate Icon Burger today. However, a sign on their door indicated that "due to an equipment malfunction," they have delayed their opening. They are supposed to be open on Monday, August 16th. The address is 2755 Dagny Way & there's a Galt Way nearby, so it looks like Lafayette town officials are big Ayn Rand fans.

Yes, we only have three delivery options that I'm aware of here in this part of the 'burbs: Papa Johns, Domino's, and Abo's. Not exactly the World Council of Pizza Excellence, but at least Abo's doesn't taste like it was made three days ago and re-heated in a microwave.

When I first moved here, the two places recommended to me by co-workers, believe it or not, were Beau Jo's and Woody's. Both are fairly basic, and I've had good and bad pizzas from each. I guess Beau Jo's has the "gimmicky" squeeze bottle of honey on the table for the crust. Perhaps they have a clever history? Any natives care to share? (I'm too tired tonight to Google for pizza anecdotes.) As for delivery, I have to go with Abo's. Their pies always arrive hot and fresh and the drivers from the location near me are nice. Anybody know when the Boulder location of Proto's will open or where it's going in? Did I just read that Chezhoff is flying us all to Pizzeria Bianco on his dime? May I at least pretend?

Hey, I like their crust! Am I defective? I wouldn't want that type of crust all the time, so I don't stick with just one place. Yes, I am a pizza slut. I haven't tried Parisi's, but that's definitely on my list now. Would you guys quit giving me such great recommendations? I'm spending too much money.