BigDan

If you are going to be downtown most of the best restaurants are pretty convenient. Beyond Rioja I would endorse Fruition, Mizuna, Luca D'Italia, Osteria Marco (the last three are all run by one guy), Panzano, and Vesta. I don't know where you are staying but even the furthest shouldn't be a bad cab ride. For lunch or more casual meal the best locations are Biker Jim's (they have a restaurant and a fews carts all easily accessible downtown), the Cherry Cricket (best burgers I've ever had, but they are just a little further away from downtown, not unreasonable though), and The Rackhouse (Gastropubish place in a whiskey distillery. Great food, deals, and an awesome beer/liquor selection. It would be a cab ride but not a bad one). As for the original poster; Fruition which I mentioned above has it's own farm where they grow all their produce so that's a good spot for local food. Most of the food in Denver is casual except for the big steak houses, but as far as bistros go I recall enjoying Indulge in the Highlands a year or so ago. I hope this helps.

Heading out to LV around Thanksgiving. After hearing so much about Carnevino I think I am gonna try and go there. I checked their website and I didn't see any of their famous aged steaks just on the menu, is it necessary to call ahead to make sure they will have one for you?

This topic has been dead for a little while but I haven't been here in a little while either. Anyway I'm glad to see that someone outside of Denver has heard of Chef Kleinman. Its a great place in what a lot of people unfairly consider a culinary wasteland (Denver). He is also a tremendous person, I actually had a chance to take a cooking class with him a few months ago and he is as knowledgeable and nice as you could possibly want. He taught eight(?) people (most of whom had barely ever heard of molecular gastronomy) in the course of about two and half hours to make a 148 degree poached egg with grilled beefsteak tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, cotija, and reduced cherry balsamic vinegar (the best breakfast you will ever have trust me), tandori and yogurt grilled salmon with cucumber gelee and pickled vegetables, dijon and vanilla sous-vide chicken with pastrami hash and rosemary air, and an orange rum sphere with creme brulee foam and caramel powder. Not only did he teach people to make all of this he was happily answering questions from the people who were more familiar with the concept the whole time. He even invited one guy to come spend a day in his kitchen. He is tremendously talented and sadly under appreciated in Denver. Unfortunately from what I hear FatGuy's experience with only one other table ordering the molecular menu is far from uncommon. If you live in the Denver area check out the blog, find a week that sounds appealing and just go.

I did the Butternut Squash soup from the Bouchon cookbook last week and it was fantastic. Obviously I can't give away the recipe but I can say that it used an immersion blender and a sieve. Also, and here is the trick, it recommended letting it set over night to become sweeter. I did so and it definitely became better after resting.

The extra 2" gets you absolutely nothing. Its what feels comfortable for you. If you are used to an 8" I would recommend staying with an 8". If you want to go with the classic 8" then just click this link http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cu...-santoku-knives and use your gift card online. As far as the Kajis and the different steels used I don't really know but someone who does should be along before too long. I can tell you that I have a Shun 8" Alton Brown Chef's Knife which has the VG10 and even though I am a big guy I have never found it too small or had any problems with the steel.

I got the big score. I originally just asked for a nice Chef's Knife for Christmas since I'm finally to the point to upgrade out of my Henckel Internationals (the economy line), but I was extremely surprised when I opened up a 7 piece set of Shun Alton Browns that my parents found for 200-somethin. I didn't know how I would deal with the angled handles at first but they are actually barely noticeable. Oh and my Mom got the Bouchon cookbook which I have been stealing away and using.

Thanks for the ideas. I'm gonna head on out and scout around and pick up some initial presents. Yesterday my Mom started talking about getting into Sous Vide so if anyone can recommend a nice starter cookbook for that (I hear Under Pressure is not very friendly on that front as far as recipes go) Apparently she's getting a lot more adventurous than I gave her credit for. Definitely gonna look at those other books though if I can find them, she does get more than one gift.

I searched around for a thread like this but I couldn't find anything. Sorry ahead of time if I missed it. I need to shop for my parents for Christmas. They are hard to shop for because if they want something they just buy it so I have to come up with something they haven't thought of. I don't have a lot of time to do anything really artisanal (though I am doing a bottle of Limoncello using KatieLoeb's recipe), so I need some product idea or recommendations. They are retired and are on a big gourmet cooking kick so I figure this is about the ideal place to ask. For my Mom I'm thinking some new cookbooks. She does not have too many cookbooks and usually favors clipped recipes she's accumulated through the years so I'm thinking some sort of higher end gourmet book like Keller that will help her come up with some new techniques and maybe help her find some new cooking techniques. The books she has now are pretty boring, she has a Barefoot Contessa, but beyond that just stuff like the big old plaid Better Homes and Garden. Anyone have any recommendations that they think of that may be appropriate? My Dad is a bit different. He is starting to cook a lot more and branch out, but like a lot of dads he traditionally only takes care of grill duties. He is obsessive with his baby back ribs recipe and tries to constantly tweak it. Steaks and what not he usually does pretty straightforward on the grill with just some S&P. If anyone can think of any sort of awesome grilling references that would be on the right track. I know he is starting to become interested in making his own rubs and sauces. The other end of the spectrum with him is Wine and Cocktails. He is a big wine enthusiast and loves a good cocktail but mainly makes martinis and bourbon on the rocks. I don't think he is opposed to trying out some other good cocktails so a high end book for that may also work out. I hope that can help get us started but any other ideas anyone has are more than welcome. For a final note, I live in Denver and have access to Sur La Table etc... so I can hopefully find whatever I need to.

Looks like I'm buying cocoa tomorrow.

I'm in pretty much the same situation he is in. I just started broadening my horizons and realizing that better knives were out there this semester. What I got as an upgrade to the Tools of the Trade brand that were in my house were some Henckel Internationals. They are the bargain line from Henckel and definitely a noticeable improvement over the crap I was using. For what you are willing to spend they are definitely priced right. In fact I did a quick Amazon search to double check and found this on sale. http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-Internation...29194416&sr=8-1 I've used real Henckels before and while it is definitely obvious that these are not real Henckels I found this very easy to maintain even with a bunch of roommates that don't get the concept of taking care of just a kitchen knife. I would totally recommend these as the intermediate set before moving up to really nice knives.

I put a piece of bread on a plate then some turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy (in that order). Not sophisticated but it's been my traditional left over meal since I was a wee boy.

For anyone that has yet to buy the book and needs a little extra convincing (like I did until say... 2 minutes ago) Amazon is having a great deal on it and you can pick it up for only $31. Dunno if this is a Black Friday deal or not. http://www.amazon.com/Alinea-Grant-Achatz/...27908315&sr=8-1

I've seen quite a few food horrors here in college. Alcohol, no cooking skills, and a lack of money account for most of them. The worst one I can remember though was just pure mean, but I did bring it upon myself in 2006. Being from Seattle I made a bet with my friend from Chicago come playoff time. I bet him that the Seahawks would make it to the Superbowl and he bet the Bears would. Of course the stakes were that the loser had to cook the winner dinner, about as serious as we get around here. Of course the Seahawks go so I do what anyone in my situation would. I rubbed it in his face. A lot (this is football after all it's meant to be that way). Dinner time comes of course and while I am not expecting anything fancy what I actually receive is a frozen chicken breast (from one of those huge generic super market bags) grilled with no seasonings on a George Foreman. He then simply dumped a can of generic super market mushroom soup on it and gave it to me. The Seahawks losing in the Superbowl just made it all the worse. Oh and as I mentioned in another thread already I once had the unique pleasure on a camping trip of having Spam that was roasted over a cow pie fire. Not exactly one in someone's house but it was my Uncle's idea.

I can see doing a sashimi with some of the meatier and more flavorful organs, but to be honest a raw piece of chicken breast just does not sound in any way shape or form like it would be good.

Because of this thread I picked up Mexican Everyday by Bayless. My first impressions are that its a wonderful beginner book. I am in college with limited money and resources and I still think I can cook most of the stuff in there. I'll post again after I have the chance to read more into it.

On one memorable occasion with my uncle we made a fire out of dried up cow pies and then put Spam on some sticks and roasted it over said fire. It gave it quite an interesting taste if I remember correctly. I wish I was joking.

Big Dan~ You throw the cooked pasta in, right?Or does it cook in the rice cooker? Sounds so easy ! ← Big Dan: I wanna know too! ← The macaroni cooks in the rice cooker. I usually use 1 and half cups of macaroni, one and half cups of chicken broth, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Dump it all in the rice cooker hit the switch on the rice cooker and go about your business. The cream and broth not only cook the macaroni but it help flavor it a bit and form a bit of a sauce for the cheese to mix in with. When it switches back over to warm just dump some shredded cheese in. I usually use about 2 cups total of a mix of cheddar, Parmesan, bleu, and mozzarella. Mix it in the rice cooker until its mostly all melted then I hit the cook switch again and leave it for just a couple minutes so the cheese at the bottom becomes a nice and crispy brown. Minimal effort required and it is awesome. The amount that I listed above usually lasts me for two meals by itself.

Rice Cooker Mac and Cheese. Easy and quick just let the rice cooker do it's thing with the macaroni, chicken broth, and cream then toss a bunch of shredded cheese on top and hit the cook button again and bam easy delicious dinner.

Here in Colorado our big gourmet brand is Boulder Chips. Their Malt Vinegar and Sea Salt is still my favorite period.

I hear it is good, not great. The space was formerly the home of "Corsa Cucina." Managment apparently wasn't happy with the place, so they made the change to "Stratta." Basically they kept the Italian theme and asked Chef Stratta to lend his name and advice to the menu. I think he's actively involved, but certainly not in the kitchen every night. His primary focus is at Restaurant Alex. ← Understood.. But is seems like a decent choice for Italian. I am staying at The Mirage this time, but like spending some time over at The Wynn when I am in Las Vegas. ← I'm sure you won't be disappointed even if you're not wowed. Valentino at The Venetian is another fine choice for Italian. You'll have a great trip I'm sure. The coming months should be interesting in Las Vegas as the restaurants at Encore start opening in late December of '08 and some of the restaurants at MGM City Center start to open later in '09. ← I will echo the recommendation of Valentino's. I went there about a year ago and had the tasting menu with my parents. Its been so long that I can't remember what we had but its my favorite Italian place in Vegas though I am sure there are others I really need to try.

If you want a less syrupy version of the Sweet and Spicy Tabasco I would go with Paul Prudhomme's Magic Pepper Sauce. It is the same sort of thing but with a better flavor and consistency in my opinion. Besides that I usually just have Chipotle and regular Tabasco around plus whatever interesting thing I pick up at the store. If you have a designated hot sauce store or are fond of ordering online I would recommend Devil Drops. Absolutely delicious fruity and spicy sauce. I also love to keep some sort of Jalepeno jelly on hand (speaking of which does anyone have any experience making any? I'd love to try it myself).

Yes, it was actually the Molecular Tasting Menu. If I'm not mistaken it was $50 straight or $75 with the wine pairings. Pretty standard for a good tasting menu. Anyway on to Panzano. Again I went with my parents on this expedition. I'm a poor college student so I try and bleed my parents for good restaurants as often as possible. For those who don't know it's a Northern Italian joint, around town it has the buzz for the best caeser salad around. I didn't try it, but if that is your thing then word is you should go to Panzano. Salads I didn't try aside, this is up there with Luca as one of the best Italian places in the city. The three of us lead with mushroom crepes with a fonduta sauce and white truffle oil. These were purely awesome. The sauces complimented the natural flavors of the mushrooms perfectly without overwhelming and they were generous portions. Next up my mom and dad split the calamari while I went for the soup of the day. The calamari was good for calamari. The pieces were tender, they were light on the grease, and the breading was very mild so you could actually taste the squid. It came with the mandatory aioli but thats to be expected. Again it was good for calamari, but it was calamari. Not exactly breaking any molds or rewriting any paradigms. The soup was probably the best mushroom I've ever had. Rather than being extremely heavy and filled with cream they tried to let the fungus do the talking again. If anything it was a bit on the watery side but the earthy tastes are perfect for fall and purely represented the ingredients. My main course were the "Love Letters". Four big ravioli like pieces of pasta with a filling of butternut squash, cinnamon, and mascarpone cheese. These were finished with toasted walnuts, Grana Padano, a little sage, and a browned butter sauce. A nice sweet dish with nice and light flavors. Everything worked together well and nothing was overwhelming. Enough to fill me up nicely. My dad had the Cabonara which was as good as any Cabonara I've had anywhere. My mom got the chicken scallopini with polenta and sausage. Nothing special with the chicken but it was prepared well and was even delicious the next day when I rewarmed it. We didn't get a chance to get desert this time around, but I am hoping to be back. If you are looking for a better priced alternative to Luca than Panzano is for sure the way to go. As far as overall meal satisfaction goes however Luca still gets the nod.

Well I've been poking around these forums for awhile now so since I live in the Denver area I thought I may as well start here. One place I haven't seen mentioned here yet is O's Steak and Seafood in the Westminster Westin. For you locals its right by the Promenade. The reason to go is because it's the only place to try Molecular Gastronomy in the Mile High city. Not an every day experience but it was one that I have always wanted to try. I finally made it in late June with my parents. My Dad and I both opted for the Molecular Tasting Menu, with wine pairings, while my mom just went with a steak. The steak was more reasonably priced than a lot of other Denver steak houses and was just as good in my opinion. Anyway on to the real action. The molecular tasting menu isn't strict Molecular Gastronomy. Most of the items were imaginative but not everything had strange chemicals and strange presentations. Case in point first up was a berbere encrusted pork belly with a poached egg, fermented garlic, and sour cream folded basmati. Unique combinations in this dish especially for Denver, but not exactly the sort of Molecular Gastronomy I imagined from watching Food Network. Anyway the Pork Belly was terrific and everything was perfectly cooked. It was one of those dishes that could only be properly appreciated if you took a bit of everything in one bite. Next up was sou-vide dill salmon with bing cherry noodles, carbonated lychee, and sweet corn butter. This was more of what I was imagining and it was delicious. I was born and raised early on in Seattle so I am usually a harsh judge of salmon. Still it was really good, I usually just like mine with some lemon and olive oil but the dill and corn butter (placed on top of the salmon) worked really well together. The bing cherry noodles tasted like twizzlers and they worked primarily with the carbonated lychee. I don't know how the lychee were made but imagine big delicious pop rocks. The palate cleanser we had in between was a Grapefruit and Spearmint space foam. This was made tableside by the chef with a big tank of liquid nitrogen. The chef was obviously tired at the end of a long day but he gave us a very warm thank you for ordering the tasting menu. It was very obvious that the tasting menu was what he enjoyed doing. As for the foam it was a nice palate cleanser and tasted like a big Dippin' Dot (the so called Ice Cream of the future). He made a third one for my mom even though she didn't order the tasting menu and we all had a lot of fun with them. Our next dish was may ploy encrusted buffalo meatloaf with bleu cheese air, shitake gnocchi, and some bok choy. The meatloaf was very good but in the end it was still meatloaf. The bleu cheese air was primarily flavorless but I didn't expect too much. It was simply a very fine and light foam that had about the weight and consistency as lather when you are washing your hands. The shitake gnocchi was excellent combining two of my favorite things. I think the dish would have been better if the gnocchi were the focus instead of the meat loaf. Our final course was dessert. Again this was made tableside by the chef with liquid nitrogen. He combined chambord marshmallow, dark chocolate, graham crackers, with cream and then simply mixed it by hand while adding in liquid nitrogen. It came out as creamy and delicious as any ice cream I've ever had. I'm a sucker for s'mores though so that probably has something to do with how much I liked it. Overall I greatly enjoyed the meal, and I am looking for an excuse to make it down that way again. If you think you may want to try and visit be aware of two things. First is the tasting menu is only done towards the weekend (I don't remember the exact span sorry), so you may wanna call ahead. Second is the chef runs a pretty cool blog at http://food102.blogspot.com/ . If you are hesitant to go and try then you can just check on there and see what the tasting menu for the upcoming week is. You can also use it if you want to write a review and want to correctly remember what you ate.