BekkiM

Shockingly, the renovation is actually on schedule and pretty darned close to being on budget. I have no earthly idea how we've pulled that off for this long... lol For the next week or so, we're in a bit of a holding patter as all the big, dusty work has been completed and we're waiting for our cabinets to ship (scheduled for Sept. 6, according to my husband, but I'm not sure where he got that bit of news). In the meantime, here's what's been going on... Drywall is completed in the kitchen and family room (which are really one big room) and we've painted everything. It looks fabulous. Here you can see the circular dropped ceiling in the family room with the raw drywall. I think it gives you a better sense of what it will look like than the framing alone... And here's another view, now with the painting done and the floors tiled. Sorry that it's so dark, but the side walls are a deep, deep chocolate brown and the floor tiles are a dark grey-brown, so the rooms is, well, dark. Trust me, it's lovely. The dark square on the left side is the fireplace, which has been lowered to the floor level and will be surrounded by 24" walnut panels (eventually). The perspective on this is a little odd, but you're looking down on the floor tiles (which are 24" square) and the inset walnut floor registers (that will match the fireplace and a dropped ceiling over the kitchen island). New French doors have been installed in place of the icky sliding glass door (or, what my inlaws in the mid-west call a "door wall") that the original builder included in every house. The doors open outward, which the installer thought was crazy, but, hey, it's my house and if I can't have a NanaWall, I at least want to draw people outward through the open doors. The tacky shiny brass door handles are going to be replaced, in large part because they're at least 1/2" out of level with each other which irritates the crap out of me every time I look at them. Also, the deck is being resurfaced and a pergola added, which will make the view out that door much more pleasant. My refrigerator (GE Monogram 42" built-in with custom panels) has been delivered and is sitting in my garage in its box (which is killing me, since I want to fondle my new appliances)--behind it is the new range (GE Monogram 48" 6-burner w/griddle dual-fuel), also nestled in its box, awaiting installation. On a side note, one of my coworkers was recently in Napa and sent me the following text message: "I'm 15 minutes from sitting down at the French Laundry and was thinking of you, with your new stove still in a box, in the garage..." Nice, huh? And, finally, here are just a few of the thousands of tesserae I've cut from sheets of stained glass for my custom mosaic backsplash. It will be beautiful once it's done, but since the original plan, when it was going to be about 7-8 sq. ft., the project has grown to 37 sq. ft. of mosaic, covering the entire wall where the sink and the French doors are. That's a lot of mosaic! I just ordered my faucet (we went with a KWC--price be damned!) and have selected cabinet hardware. I'm working on light fixtures for the walnet panel over the island and the circular dropped ceiling in the family room. The ID kept telling us she had an idea to make something for those two locations, but after nearly two months of begging her for a picture or a sketch on a cocktail napkin and getting nothing, we're moving on... Right now it's looking like mid-to-late October before we're completely finished, which is seeming like a VERY long time right now. But if the cabinets don't go in until 9/13 and they take a week, then counters get templated 9/24 and they take 3 weeks, then the glass backsplash on the range wall (two sheets of plate glass, painted on the back) gets templated 10/15 and it takes a week, then the mosaic can't be installed until 10/22, so mid-to-late October.

I'm glad you had a chance to visit Fruition (and that you enjoyed it)! Cabs in Denver usually have to be called--someone at the restaraunt is usually more than happy to do it for you--and, in my very limited experience, are definitely difficult if not impossible to flag down.

Onion Confit and the Minimalist, No-Knead Breach technique I've been roasting broccoli for a while, but now I'm stoked to try the cauliflower (in 8 weeks or so, when I have a kitchen again). Damn. I need to stop reading eGullet when I'm kitchenless--it's just depressing.

I wasn't going to watch this season... Curse you, Tivo! Anyway, I think it was truly unfair to criticize CJ for not showing leadership when he didn't step into the hell-hole that was the inside of that roach coach when things started to screw up... There are just some people you can't manage (that's what firing's for) and Howie is one of them. He's a loaded gun waiting to go off and another contestant stepping in and trying to run the show would not have made things any better (as CJ pointed out). Having Howie explode wasn't worth the trouble it would have caused, trouble that would have far exceeded the problems the team was already displaying. And Padma's look when the girls complained about working in heels and low-cut blouses was uncalled for. Didn't I read an interview with her (or maybe it was on the obligatory "bring the old contestants back for a reunion show") where she said "of course I don't go in the kitchen dressed like this, but I'm not on this show to be cooking." (or something to that effect) I'm in serious danger of a rant here too, so I guess I'll quit, but I agree with Sara that it was demoralizing and probably humiliating... Especially with all the drunk party-goers... Can't wait for Howie to get the boot. What a pig. I'm not sure, though, that so far this season I've seen that there's anyone I really think is a great chef. It's like it's all about personalities and not about the food--I mean, at least in the previous seasons, I felt that there were some really inspired cooks in the kitchen. These guys, for all that every one of them has some sort of "chef" in their subtitle, just seem whiny and not very imaginative. But, of course, I'm hooked and will continue to watch until the bitter, bitter end.

I think the worst dinner guests are the ones who don't show up--who rsvp'ed, then (a) call 30 minutes after dinner was supposed to start to announce that they're not coming (and, yes, I certainly make exceptions for emergencies, which these have not been) or (b) don't show at all, with no notice, or © show up 2 hours late. I'm also irked by the people who declined the dinner invitation, yet show up anyway. I know I have a problem, I'm pathalogically organized for my dinner parties, right down to plating charts for each course, identified the particular china and flatware for each, but admitting it doesn't make it any easier for me to smile and plate my lovely oil-poached salmon willy-nilly on a plate that doesn't match the other plates! It makes me crazy. Of the ones who do show up, preannounced and on time, I have thankfully rarely had any issues with their behavior. My dinner parties are usually small enough and for well-known and well-loved friends, so I know people's food quirks ahead of time. And I do try to make a point of asking, so I can accomodate restrictions and just plain likes and dislikes--I have no problem editing out beets or lamb, for example, if I know that at least one dinner guest finds them repulsive. Who wants to sit at a table watching people eat something that completely grosses you out? It's so small a sacrifice to me, that I'm not sure I even consider it a sacrifice. On the other hand, I have been known to plan a menu, then match my guest list to the menu. I did have one memorably bad Thanksgiving, soon after I was married, that is still legend in my household for boorish guest behavior. I was in grad school and had offered my house to a friend in another program and told her to invite any other "orphans" she wanted. Unfortunately, she did... For the meal, several of her friends brought various stuffings/dressings that were "traditional" to their upbringing which is certainly understandable for a Thanksgiving dinner--but maybe someone should have told me they were going to do it, before I bought all the other food. When they arrived, they barely acknowledged me and my husband, ignored my inlaws altogether, and promptly retired to the living room with all of my wine, leaving the cooking, table-setting, and plating to me and my husband. During dinner, they continued their esoteric and highly specialized conversation about world literature in loud voices, again ignoring me and my family. After dinner, they immediately repaired to the living room again with the remaining wine, leaving us to clear the table and clean up--I think when I went to bed, exhausted, they were still in my living room, getting drunk and arguing loudly. I don't believe any of them spoke a word to me or my husband the entire day. It was truly excruciating. Luckily, my husband and I both still laugh about it because it was so surreal, there was no other logical response.

I have a Fisher Paykel single DWD in my basement wet bar and have mixed feelings about it. We installed it because we wanted something small down there and it was more reasonably priced than the small "regular" dishwashers, so from that point of view, it's been a raging success. It is very quiet (as others have mentioned), which is a plus. On the other hand, now that we're living in the basement full time while waiting for our kitchen remodel to be complete, I am noticing its shortcomings more and more. For one thing, it definitely doesn't hold anything tall (like plastic cutting boards, my full-sized dinner plates, etc.). For another, I haven't been that impressed with its cleaning abilities, esp. compared to the Miele upstairs (which cleans extremely well, it just takes FOREVER to do so). Finally, I don't like the loading options--it doesn't really seem to hold glasses or plates in any logical order and I feel like my semi-delicate glasses (e.g. the $2 highball glasses from Crate & Barrel) are at considerable risk of being knocked around given the rack configuration. I would install DWDs again in a secondary kitchen, but never in my primary kitchen--they're just too limiting.

Oh, Fabby, it's gorgeous!!! I am still green with envy over those Nano walls, but you have a much nicer back yard to look out on than mine, so I think they're well-deserved. However, I have to inform you that I think I may be pulling ahead in our little race. The drywall guys are finishing up on Friday and my appliances are nestled sweetly in the garage as I type. I *think* the final order for the cabinets went in on Monday (the kitchen designer hasn't been returning my emails), which means we're six weeks out on that installation. This gives us time to paint and tile before they arrive... Sorry I can't help you on the eucalyptus--but I love the idea of matching your exterior ipe somehow, some way. What have you selected for a kitchen faucet? I need to order one, but am having trouble making a decision.

Here's one I came across while surfing for ideas for my kitchen-christening dinner party... (West) What is "biodynamic aged risotto"???? And "NOILLY PRAT VELOUTE" is probably for real, but it sounds like Dr Suess to me.

How wonderful! I was just starting my planning for my Halloween dinner party, tentatively themed "The 7 Deadly Sins" (inspired by the Top Chef episode), done as a tasting menu. Would I be poaching this thread if I asked people for ideas or should I start a separate one? My current ideas on the theme are: * Anger: Shrimp Diablo or Berbere Chicken * Greed: Oysters Rockefeller * Gluttony: Pork Belly (of some sort) * Sloth: Some sort of savory custard--I have a recipe for asparagus soup with Parmesan custard that might work * Envy: Not sure, but something with green sauce * Pride: Again, not positive, but I'm thinking something tallish (lamb lollipops) on a mirrored plate * Lust: Something rich and creamy and chocolate with raspberry sauce

It seems that everything slows to a snail's pace once the framing is done, but in reality we're still making great progress. The hardwood floors are in upstairs, just waiting for the drywall to be completed before the stair treads themselves go in. For now we're gingerly making our way up the much shortened stairs (they cut the lips off the front of the treads in preparation for the oak they then decided not to install until post-drywall for a tighter fit), which isn't too bad unless you're on crutches, like my son. Electrical is complete in the kitchen--all of my new lights are hung in the soffit, the outlets have been brought up to code (you would think, with a brand-new house, that this wouldn't have been issue, but go figure...), the smoke detectors ditto (strangely, they work much better when attached to the ceiling instead of stuffed in a drawer, emptied of batteries), and the rough-in wiring for the stove and undercabinet lights is in place. I'm currently struggling with the decision about a faucet. Husband wants a real "pre-rinse" faucet (since he's usually the one in charge of dishes, I'm willing to let him make this decision), but I'm not sure about the aesthetics. Does anyone know if the pretty "home" versions (e.g. this one, from Elkay) are comparable? Do they really have better water pressure than your standard, pull-out sprayer? Do they work for filling pots, pans, water glasses, and ice cube trays? I'd like to keep the visual as clean as possible, so I'm leaning away from the versions that have both sprayer and "normal" faucet. Drywall is delivered on Friday for installation starting Monday. We're hoping to have enough of a window between drywall install and tiling that we can paint--we're planning on doing the painting ourselves to save $1800, although given the overall budget for this project, that's only a drop in the bucket. We're also meeting with the carpenter on Thursday to discuss the walnut dropped ceiling over the island and the walnut panels fronting the fireplace. I've got to draw up the detailed plans today, so I'll post those later. Fabby, our contractor is optimistically saying end of September to be completely done--what's your timeline?

I wish the major chain store I shop at offered cart return places. There are 6 aisles of parking at at the end of 2 is a small area demarcated by some curbing and it isn't big enough for the larger of the 2 cart sizes available. I do return carts when I can but the store needs to provide the place to return them. IMHO Kroger = Kheap. ← You're so right. The corolllary to my original pet peeve, therefore, is... grocery stores that do not provide cart corrals or a decent place to return your cart.

I just thought of another one... People who leave their carts just sitting in the parking spaces after they've emptied them--even if they're only a few steps away from the cart corral. How lazy can you be? A) it takes up parking spaces, B) it results in loss/damage to carts which is only going to be passed along to all of us in the form of higher prices, and C) it's just plain rude!

I'll give... Why is this a problem? Garbage is garbage right? I mean, I'm not going to handle anything in there except to tie up the bag and then I'm going to wash my hands, so who cares if they put Jimmy Hoffa's head in there? (Bear in mind that I do not have a cat because I find the entire concpet of a litter box so unbelievably foul that I can't even fathom why someone would have one in their house... Love cats, though) I find the washing/saving/reusing of plastic bags a little troubling when I see people do it. Doesn't seem like it should be particularly sanitary, but on the other hand, I feel so wasteful when I toss them after a single use.

I found my sink (Blanco 512-750) on eBay for a steal. I paid $740 with free shipping, which was far, far less than the kitchen designer could get it for me. It arrived in its original packaging and is in perfect shape. Other than that, I'm not sure that I've found anywhere specific for bargains. It really depends on what you're shopping for. The best advice is persistance. When you find a specific item (faucet, sink, lighting fixture, wallpaper, etc.), spend a couple of hours on Google tracking down a site that sells whatever it is and looks reliable. But like everything else, there's no such thing as a free lunch. The guy selling a 60" Wolf range on eBay for $3,000? Probably not for real. I think more than using the web to find bargains (although we're trying), we use the web to find unique or specialized items. For example, we ordered flush-mount walnut vent covers for the kitchen/family room to inset into the tiled floor at a place called Ameriican Wood Vents because I couldn't find them locally. And my husband found a place online to get our stainless backsplash (Frigo Design), but we haven't contacted them yet for a quote, so I don't know whether we'll use them or try to find someone locally. The GE backsplash is only 22" and I want something that extends all the way from the range to the hood, so I needed a custom size. If I find any other sources, I'll let you know. We haven't ordered the faucet yet, so I may have more info later. Good luck with your project!

You're on! On your mark, get set.... wait for it.... wait for it.... Oh, crap, we have to move a pipe... lol Our renovation is actually proceeding fairly smoothly. During the initial demolition, we did discover a waste pipe from the upstairs was routed through the closet wall in the kitchen and had to be relocated, but it wasn't too bad. We also discovered that the builder had not installed the water line to the refrigerator to code and when they attempted to shut off the water to it, it started leaking. Call the plumber again... Actually, we had kind of known about it beforehand, but when we finished the basement, we couldn't figure out how to get at the valve (it was above the heating duct and behind a beam), so we went with the "cross your fingers and hope it never leaks" approach which is really not recommended for home improvement projects. It's always a crapshoot when you open up the walls of any house (as fabulousfoodbabe is finding too), even a relatively new one like ours. When they took down the half wall between the kitchen and the family room they discovered that the wiring for the garage routed through there (don't ask me why, it's not on any sort of straight path that I could draw) so we were without garage power for a few days until the electrician could come in a reroute it. Also, we had hoped to move the cold air return to the adjacent wall, but that failed when we realized the target wall was almost literally a sold stack of 2x4s holding up the steel beam that's holding up the upstairs--back to the drawing board with the HVAC stuff. And that was only the first week! We were able to work out a deal with our contractor (bless him!) to cut back his involvement in exchange for some concessions on the budget and get the front stair demolition back into the project. It means we'll have to take over the general contractor duties once floors and drywall are completed, but I think we're okay with that, especially since the kitchen designer will handle all of the cabinet and appliance install. So here's where we stand at the end of week 2: * Old kitchen is completely demolished. The old cabinets are sitting in our garage waiting for a friend to pick them up. * Framing of the soffit in the kitchen and family room is complete and it looks aweseome! (see pix, below) * Wobbly, ugly stair railing is gone and the new half-wall is framed up in its place. * Carpet is removed from the stairs and son's new bedroom (we combined two small rooms into one) in anticipation of the hardwood floors. * Hardwood flooring has been delivered and is acclimating in the family room * Tile for the kitchen and family room (24" Ann Sacks--beautiful!) has been ordered and is scheduled to be delivered today * Appliances have been ordered, but are on backorder * Cabinets have been ordered, but the plant is on a two-week shutdown (they're in northern Canada, so they close for the two weeks of summer they get), so we are probably looking at 7-8 weeks before they're completed. * Electrician is scheduled for Monday to install the kitchen/family room lights * I'm about 3% complete on cutting the glass for the mosaic backsplash which the interior designer has convinced me needs to extend to the ceiling behind the sink. Here are some pictures of the progress: The soffit looking from the kitchen into the family room. The soffit looking from the family room into the kitchen.

I am sooooooooo jealous! I so wanted Nanawalls along the back side of my kitchen, but the budget wouldn't allow. So I'll be following your progress with a faint tinge of green. I think we're on about the same construction schedule--I wish you great luck with your project. Hopefully we'll be planning kitchen-warming parties at about the same time!

I always thought it was my private disorder (shame?) that made me feel the way I do in the grocery store and I am soooo glad to know I'm not alone. A couple more: * When the produce mister comes on without warning just as I'm reaching for the "special" produce (e.g. the fancy stuff that most people don't buy like fresh basil or watercress), usually when I'm wearing a nice blouse. At least some stores play the "thunder" sound just before the sprinkler goes off, but my local, crappy store does not. Plus, I'm not sure that produce in plastic bags (see my next pet peeve) benefits much from being misted as it generally just means that the bag fills up with water that rots the goods anyway... * The fact that produce you buy in multiples (cherries, grapes, etc) comes sealed in plastic bags in most major stores these days. First of all, it's nearly impossible to judge how many pounds you're buying that way (yes, I could walk alllll the way over to the scale, if I could find it) and when you get to the register it's a little shocking to buy $15 worth of green grapes (okay, maybe I'm exagerating a little bit). Second of all, I want to be able to pick the specific produce I want, not buy in bulk something where there always seem to be a stash of rotten brown grapes hidden in the center of a bag, or rolling around loosely. Cherries bother me most of all because I like my cherries a specific ripeness level and want to be able to select just the ones I want. Yes, I can solve this problem by shopping at farmer's markets etc., but that's not practical on a day-to-day basis. * People who stand at the checkout counter while their enormous stack of groceries builds up in the bagging area because baggers are becoming an endangered species--for goodness sake, get off your fat ass and load some stuff in bags. But, noooo, they just stand there while the entire order is rung up, then stand there some more while the single checkout person bags all their stuff, usually during the evening rush when I'm late to get home to make dinner... I warned you that I have a disorder... * And a minor beef, people who don't put the divider down behind their stack of groceries even though they know there is someone behind them. I mean, how hard is it to extend a little courtesy to the world around you?

My husband doesn't drink coffee, but goes through diet coke like it's going out of style. To my young son, it was always "Daddy Coke" The funniest (although this isn't exactly food) was when our nanny said she'd put something in the microwave when we were in a hotel one day and he looked shocked, blurting out "why is it your crowave?" Very nice.

Yay!!!! Demolition is scheduled for next Monday (coincidentally? the entire family will be out of the house for a week, which should be good) and I'm hoping to sign off on the cabinet plan today. The past week has been fairly stressful in that we've finally accumulated enough estimates to realize that we're close to 40% over our original budget, which, since it's a home equity loan, is a fairly fixed number. So there have been many, many, many phone calls and emails between the contractor (who's a gem--we've worked with him before and are constantly impressed with his organizational skills and his calm in the midst of a storm), the kitchen designer (who I'm less thrilled with, as her quote, two weeks late, was $8K more than her original estimate with no explanation of the 25% jump in price), and the interior designer. My husband and I have been scampering all over Denver looking at stoneyards and tile shops and scouring the internet for deals on plumbing fixtures, lighting, appliances, and just generally for creative ideas to bring our budget back in line. And I *think* we've finally accomplished it. We're going to replace the painted maple doors of the cabinets with painted MDF and downgrade the cabinet boxes from maple to MDF (although we're keeping the dovetailed, full extension, quiet-close drawers), and we're going to eliminate the two-level, "hutch-like" pantry and install a standard pantry column instead. Along with doing the painting ourselves (and potentially the plumbing and some electrical) and not replacing the railing on our front stairs, this *should* allow us to include some of the extras that have sneaked into the project along the way like replacing the builder-grade windows and fireplace. I've also had to scale back my stove dreams. I had hoped to get the 60" Wolf dual-fuel, but it's just not going to happen. Replacing the 60" with a 48" GE Monogram and its corresponding hood cuts more than 10K from our budget (I get a GE discount through work). The contractor and the kitchen designer were kind enough to let me reach that conclusion on my own. So I'll order the appliances today and store them in the garage until it's time for install. We've spent the last week or so packing up the kitchen, sending rarely used and/or badly battered items to Goodwill or the trash heap. It's been a revelation to realize how much crap I have accumulated simply because I had the storage space to do so. I definitely feel cleansed by the process! We've had lots of indoor time to do this because it's been 103 in Denver and my son (almost 10) broke his leg and is enthroned on the couch, cast from groin to toes, fairly mobile on his crutches, but not enough to go traipsing about in the heat. So I'm planning a nervous breakdown for August, when we're truly mid-project and I've been kitchenless for a month and a half. You're all welcome to join me! We should have final plans from the kitchen designer today--hopefully I'll be able to post some updated images.

It could be precisely that you are only doing 42 square feet (although I guess that isn't as rare in your neck of the woods as it is in mine)--it's such a tiny job that contractors are more than willing to drop it after an hour to go to a more lucrative place. You definitely need to interview all your contractors AND check references, but you also need to listen to your gut. Not all contractors are shady or greasy or unreliable--in fact, many of them are hard-working, conscientious craftsmen (and women) who truly *want* to do a good job for the money. If you run across one who just doesn't feel right to you (e.g. refuses to sign a contract or spend the time to explain to you what the project will entail), look for another. Unfortunately, it sounds like you're already well into this project and all of our well-meaning advice will only work for future projects (assuming there will be future projects given the terrible experience you've had so far). I am really sorry to hear that it's been so painful and hope that at least it's over soon for you. Demolition on my kitchen project (floor-to-ceiling, baby) starts in two weeks--I'm sure I'll have stories to share by then.

Are you weighing your ingredients or just measuring them by volume? I'm thinking that the humidity in LA may result in a much moister flour than what some of us in more arid climates are using. My first batch (I've made about the same number as you) was definitely doughy--it helped to (a) weigh the ingredients to ensure the proper hydration ratio and (b) use the instant-read thermometer to get the interior of the loaf up to the correct temperature. In fact, the driest batch was the one I forgot about (my excuse being that I was meeting with our kitchen designer at the time and the discussion of a new oven completely drove the experiment out of my mind) which ended up being about 5 degrees hotter than the recommended temp. I didn't much care for the mahogany exterior (I like my crust a little lighter), but the interior was great. I did not go out and buy a $150 Le Crueset, but I did "splurge" on a $25 cast iron pot at Target. It heats up very nicely and is a good volume for the single loaf. I've been letting it preheat for at least 45 minutes before plopping in the dough. You don't say how long you've been cooking covered vs. uncovered, so it's hard to say how modifying those ratios will work for you, but since we're talking about a dollar's worth of ingredients, it might not be a bad idea to test a few loaves working the ratio up and down and seeing what the impact is for your environment.

I wasn't lucky enough to fly first class, but did fly business class from San Francisco to Singapore (en route to Vietnam) and I vaguely recall submitting my menu selections ahead of time. But maybe that was because we were flying with a 7-year-old and wanted to make sure we got a kid's meal for him. Not that we need to have bothered; the food on board was excellent and our semi-foodie child would have eaten anything they put in front of him. Wish I'd taken pictures... Edit to add: As I recall, you could choose between Western and Asian offerings, customizing your meal to your preferences.

From my grandmother, I received a set of six silver grapefruit spoons, complete with grapefruit motif handles. And from my grandfather, a yellow duck cookie jar. It's extra-special for me because he and I used to eat Entemann's chocolate chip cookies for breakfast before everyone else was up. I'm jealous of the swordpicks. Those are AWESOME!

Frasca is, hands down, the best restaurant in the Denver-Boulder area. There's just no comparison. But, if you're not interested in Italian cuisine, I don't know much about Boulder places, but can heartily recommend Potager as a great, romantic venue. The seating in the back gardern is small (teensy, weeny tables), but lovely and the enclosed (at least roofed) seating in the back is also very romantic. What I really love about Potager (besides the fresh, seasonal produce, the fabulous bread, and the relaxed yet comprehensive service) is the wine pairing. Every course has a suggested pairing and you can order very reasonably priced half-glasses of each so that you rememeber your last course as clearly as your first. If you go the bottle route, the wine list is short, but the prices are good. The drawback for Potager is that they don't take reservations and by 7:00, the place is pretty full. However, we arrived at 6:00 last Saturday and were immediately seated out in the garden. The early seating, though, could be perfect if you wanted to catch a show at DCPA. Dessert on Saturday? The caramel ice cream was right up there with one of the best desserts I've ever tasted--led only by the chocolate malt at Frasca and the chocolate soup at Fifth Floor.

I'm not sure I can come up with 10, "can't miss" places. 1. Frasca (Boulder): Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous 2. Rioja: As I've said before, the pork belly is to die for 3. Potager: Especially if you're hosting vegetarians 4. Luca d'Italia: I've always been pleased, but it's had some bad reviews on this board 5: Table 6: I really like the relaxed atmosphere and the food is generally very good Others: Fruition? My experience was less than overwhelming (although definitely good), but others have had good experiences. Mizuna? I haven't been in forever, but I remember liking it Vesta Dipping Grill? Fun, but nothing you can't get elsewhere Casa Bonita? Terrible food, but a strangely interesting Denver dining experience. The Fort? I've never been, but it's a western experience for out-of-towners