senorshuckerman

Near the Estes Park side of Rocky Mountain National Park is a stellar place, the Fawn Brook Inn. Located on the southern route to Lyons from Estes, this restaurant was THE place to impress: not sumptuous, or grand, but exquisite and rare. For the sake of full disclosure, I have not eaten there in over eight years. But from what I remember of the place, the owner was the chef. Hopefully someone else on this board has eaten there more recently to either qualify or disqualify my recommendation. The menu was quintessential French/continental using rustic/mountain ingredients. I ate moose and morels with deep-dark cherry-rosemary compote. I still dream of the flavor, though it was so long ago. I think they had a well-chosen, eclectic, wine list. It might be worth the trip if you are to be on the Estes Park side for a night. Fawn Brook Inn Business Hwy 7, Allenspark, CO 80510 303-747-2556

When I lived on THAT side of the river, a friend from the area recommended Mama Lorusso (Yahoo Details) in Pamona. When ever I am in the area, which is infrequently, I buy a pie. The place is old and there really isn't anyplace to eat-in. I love the pizza there, though.

It is quite possible that this weekend's Book review in the NYT will be The Food Issue. …Everyone appearing in print wants to appear cool. So, recommendations can sometimes seem so very contrived, but the Symposium of "chefs, restaurant owners, writers, scholars, publishers and just plain foodies" about their favorite out-of-print cookbooks I found very illuminating, and mouth-watering. They are all very interesting, but, some highlights: Mario Batali: Umbria in Bocca Harold Mc Gee: Savoie: The Land, People and Food of the French Alps, by Madeleine Kamman. Thomas Keller: Ma Gastronomie, by Fernand Point. Nach Waxman: The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth, by Roy Andries de Groot Etc… I have been having a very busy week, so I haven't the chance to read the entire Book Review cover to cover (thus I cannot be more forth coming with what to look for in its contents). Though, I am fantasizing about the evening (tonight, perhaps tomorrow) that I can get to bed in time to actually read it. So if you don't subscribe, this is one Sunday that you might want somehow arrange to get a copy electronic, borrowed, or bought.

In order to place this reply in context; let me say first off, that were I to rank Gray Lady critics since my arrival here on the Right Coast, Ruth Richel on, Bruni would not be the bottom dweller. No, that space would be occupied by AH. Yet, that his rank is one slot removed from hers is not a reason that I feel that I should abstain from defending Bruni on his nostalgic article praising Italian-American dinning. Neither do I agree with Bruni. But it seems that the discussion here has been, in error, about Bruni's Italian food knowledge. I did not read his article that way. I read it that he thinks the newer waves of Italian cuisine are a wonderful thing. He just frequently hankers for the past. Sort of like drinking a wonderful assortment of well-made beers, but singing the praises of Falstaff Beer (-remember "Fall stiff with a Falstaff…") so to critique him is not to critique his food knowledge. In one way I agree with him, that taste, and everything else that goes into a stellar experience at a restaurant has as much to do with the emotional buttons pushed as the chemistry occurring on the plate. Frankly, I perceive of the editorial decision, to deed it SO much space, and the writerly decision focus on it, as a populist move. He may alienate a few of us food-wackos writing our pathetic opinions in the ether, but he will be giving voice to many New Yorkers, especially those of a certain demographic. That I think, by writing the piece, he demonstrates that he has the cumulative taste of a gnat, seems of little consequence.

I realize this is an oldish thread. I have enjoyed reading this thread and Reds in the 'fridge. I found these threads because I had an OK lambrusco recently at Aroma (K&W). I realized with the temperatures warming up that a better example might be wonderful on a warm spring evening. Does anyone have any more to say about sparking shiraz? ...and does anyone have any suggestions for Sparkling Red Italian?

Secretes, on the L E S is, until now, unmentioned either as belonging in the catagory we cannot agree upon, or as not belonging. I enjoyed the meals I had there. The food there seemed unusally composed, and full a surprising combinations that delivered on the satisfaction front. As well, it was clear the chef paid attention to all levels of cooking techniques and was willing to use esoteric and/or atraditional means of achieving an end. Molecular Cooking? -It was good food.

I agree. And there are plenty of talented folks in the kitchens of Boulder... I can confirm that Lui's is the place, btw. Even the scallops tasted fresh, dry, not wet, and the flavors more subtle and complex than most of that genre. Back to subject It would be a shame if Lucille's died, its a great location and a beautiful house etc...

Not to be a bore with only negative comments. I miss being in Boulder. Recently I had the opportunity to share a bit of Boulder with a friend. We went to Lucille's and while the Biscuits were great, everything else was bland and ugly. My lonely old trout shrunk in horror from the miserable tasteless grits that accompanied it on the plate. The coffee was sock juice, even the benets were leaden, not the delicate slippers I remember. Yes you could say that I had built unreasonable expectations, but I trust my buds (taste) on this one, and think that Lucille's has lost it's way. Saddly (since I have worked in the biz) I saw a manager dress down a waiter in the middle of the porch. It was unprofessional....on a more positive note I actually enjoyed a tasty "chinese" meal in Erie, yes Erie....

I did not mean for us to get off track... I thought the Observer piece was interesting in that, as FatGuy pointed out, the Observer is not BMOC when it comes to food, yet there seems to be the bouquet of something off at the gray lady's food critic's desk.

I enjoyed the couple of visits I made to Harlem Grill on Adam Clayton Powell and 132nd. There is music some nights.

Apart from the discussion of the crappy quality of the article, I did not read the piece as a celebration of Bruni. Rather, to me, it came across as reporting on the NY dinning scene's puzzlement with Bruni, and his ...eccentricities...

Observer piece: here I am shocked no one has posted on this, which I found via the Romenesko site, and was in yesterday's posts. aside from the egullet mention there seems to be alot of meat to digest.

maggie; please add 127 for our family

I just hope our maitre'd is 'one of the better ones'! -ral PS - anyone have any ideas for a rehearsal dinner in the area? I think it's 35 people, about $35 - $40 per if there's anything in that range. ←

Cookin' -yea that was the place. Have fun in San Francisco pjackso