Browsing Category Lunch

If you’re a minimalist and love an unpretentious environment “The Kitchen: [Next Door]” is for you —and apparently for me. As you enter the sparely furnished dining area you can’t help to take note of the modern French influence on the decor. As I approached the interior I could smell something delicious is cooking – indeed it is.

It’s not just the environment that is minimalistic its the food – only using 70 ingredients are used through out the entire menu. I brought my good friend, Kit Seeborg, to try out some of the menu. Kit and I are not shy at all about trying new eats. We dug in!

• My first time ever I had a glass of wine on tap – yes that’s right wine on tap! I am a wine snub but this wine on tap was delicious. I tried the Jack Rabbit Hill “Dill Farm” Riesling from Colorado. It’s a lovely summer wine that went very well with every thing I ordered.
• The Kale Chips are very different – lightly salted with olive oil – crisp and enjoyable – I like kale chips so much better than grilled Brussels sprouts which could be bitter with a funny after taste..
• Spiced Chickpeas and Humus with sweet onion is served with bread – for those that are glutton free – so sorry about that – the bread is delicious with humus. I love a good chickpea salad – this on is refreshing.
• Quinoa salad with beets, arugula, beans, carrots – this truly a surprise to my senses – a mixture of “sweet and lemony flavors which take your tongue to the edge of brilliance” – to quote Kit.
• We couldn’t stop ourselves we also tried The Kitchen’s Slow Roast Pork with salsa verde – truly simple the pork cooked to perfection BUT it’s the salsa verde a mixture of pesto and mint that enrich the flavors.
• The big finish came as an Ice Cream Sandwich – a real chocolate chip cookie with creamy vanilla ice cream. AND a Chocolate Mousse that is simplely perfect to the taste. I can never have enough chocolate mousse.

The Kitchen [Next Door] draws a local crowd – those who are all to familiar with Owner/Chef Hugo Matheson; who is all about sustainability and utilization of local farms. I admit I am a big fan of Hugo! He has a way of coaxing the flavors out of his dishes – though the American palate may need to show patience – our tongues are so over salted, sweetened, and spiced we truly need a new road-map to divine consumption – this is place will allow for new sophistication.

As pointed out the sparsely decorated interior was created by Jen Lewin, also owner of The Kitchen [Next Door]. Though sparse; there are incredible details that provide an eating experience that takes me back to Europe and UK – I love a common sharing table because it provides an opportunity to be social. The private sitting area in the front is exposed seats 8 people or you can use this are for a small private cocktail event. Perhaps I’ll be using it soon as I embark on my next adventure…

Kimbal Musk you truly out did yourself and gave the people of Boulder and those who share similar aesthetic for less is more; something special to enjoy.

The Kitchen [Next Door] opened on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. Pre-opening launch that raised $15,000 for charity – this is what I love about Boulder entrepreneurs always finding a way to give back to the community!

What do you do with a can of tuna, mango, avocado, onion, lemon and dill? Well you mix all together adding a dash of salt and pepper, and a table spoon of olive oil. This is a deviation from Amy Lieberman’s recipe she uses fennel instead of dill.

This very easy to make summer salad is very refreshing.

Well, after about 20 years of sitting in my famous 3-ring binder “Pulitzer’s Cookbook,” I pulled out our beloved Cheese Enchilada recipe from “Country Folk” newspaper. After about two days and many trips to the grocery store, I finished them. Of course, I once again goofed on my measurements and put in 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper instead of 2 tablespoons of chili powder. It was so hot I coughed and couldn’t take much other than a prickly sensation in my mouth. I diluted it by straining out 1/2 the sauce (preserving the onions) and then added another can of Campbell’s Tomato soup. I also substituted chicken instead of ground beef, as an effort to be healthier.

When my two girlfriends came over to indulge in these marathon creations, I forgot to serve the sour cream to help counter the hotness. Ooops.

Here is the chicken:

And the finished product:

Here is the famous recipe:

In July 2000 Shape Magazine had a recipe for “Black-Bean and Zucchini Pancakes” that I have been meaning to make. I finally did! And it was worth the wait. The only things that added time to the whole preparation was having to roast the garlic and I didn’t have salsa at home so I ended up making it from scratch. Both were worth is because they were super delicious. I will definitely make this recipe again–even the salsa!

Well, if you have six minutes to spare, you will see a drawn-out episode of me cooking some Macaroni & Cheese with Cauliflower. PS. There are some of my classic kitchen gaffes.

My first stop was lunch at Feast. Ok so Feast wasn’t on the list and didn’t even know Chicago’s Restaurant Week was happening. I wanted to try Feast out and this was a place Joe Kutchera recommended…he also joined me there for afternoon lunch.

The Salmon Teriyaki Spinach, orange, cucumber, and red onion salad over soba noodles was very good! I especially liked the flavor to the teriyaki sauce which enhanced the soba noodles and spinach salad.

Joe had Steak Tortilla Salad skirt steak, grilled onions, lettuce, avocado, grape tomatoes, crispy tortilla strips and cilantro herb dressing. I was invited to nibble on some of Joe’s salad which was also very good.

Feast- Gold Coast
25 E. Delaware
Chicago, IL 60611
312-337-4001

For my entrée the only way I could describe it was an East Asian style lamb with glazed vegetable and almonds. The sauce had a rich plum taste. I really enjoyed tough the lamb was a bit fatty which probably brought more flavor to this dish.

Jen had the grilled pork tenderloin braised savvy cabbage, medjool dates and red wine reduction. The red wine reduction and grilled pork made a perfect combination.

Wave did not want their customers to walk away with just dessert so they provided us with two desserts to taste. The roasted apple almond tart with cinnamon gelato and caramel sauce which the perfect ending to a great meal, but there’s more…we also tried the two combination that I thought would never play nice in the sandbox: dark chocolate Cremeux vanilla-lime tapioca — opposites do attract is I how I would describe it.

Wave
644 N. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60611
312-255-4460

I was disappointed with sole though the roasted baby artichokes and potatoes were great. I did not understand why there was a roasted pepper sauce it did not go well with the sole. 

Perhaps it was busy the Saturday night, salmon was not available, that this portion of my restaurant week experience wasn’t up to my standards.

Bice Restaurant
158 E. Ontario
Chicago IL 60611
312-664-1474

Restaurant Week Chicago should be thought of more for the quality of food and atmosphere rather than a savings in a meal. There was so many other restaurants that I wanted to try I’ll either have to wait until next year or venture in on my own.

Well, my first few attempts at Quinoa were not very good, but I think I’ve mastered a good recipe! I figured out how to cook it properly and then I add carrots, string beans, mix in some lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley. It’s my new favorite salad!

Well known food blogger, Noshtopia joined me in the fun.

Started with the Johnny Apple – green apples, pecans, pickled onions over arugula.

Entrée Braised Pork Rib over Risotto with Truffles delicious!

Big Finish was a Cuppa Red Hot Chocolate —-beyond heaven!

Avalon
480-656-0010
7707 E. McDowell Road
Scottsdale, AZ

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Some ingenious casual cooks have a way of creating fabulous festive parties without breaking sweat on cooking. Lon Taylor is on of those ingenious cooks. His Super Bowl spread was delicious and delightful. Lon shares with us his recipe for down and dirty Louisiana style rice and beans. As easy as 1 2 3:
 
The Recipe:
He simply bought a box of Zatarain’s and combined it with a can of Eden’s Organic rice & beans mix. Then slice up and cook an Andouille sausage on the stove top for about 10 minutes. Once the sausage is done just add it to the rice & beans mix simmer on the stove. I Added pinch of paprika, with Tabasco sauce to taste and it’s good to go.

 

Lon laughs out loud when he say, “Wish I could give you a story that the recipe was handed down from my great uncle who grew peppers in Louisiana!”

In addition to Lon’s Louisiana’s Rice and Bean he also constructed a sandwich with a two types of cheese, ham and salami, chopped relish and olive chutney, and lite olive oil spread.

 

For dessert we had a selection of cupcakes from More Cupcakes.

Lon is truly the host with the most!