FEEL THE BLOG

Sheila Lucero: Reflections from New York and Asheville

Over the past few months, I had the amazing opportunity to step away from the kitchen and into two inspiring spaces for learning, connection, and growth. I traveled first to New York for an Oyster Educator Summit, then to Asheville for a James Beard Foundation Chef Summit—both experiences that left me energized and full of ideas to bring back to my team.

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Stephen Smith: Introducing Prairie Star Beef

The West End Tavern is proud to be working with Stephen Smith, founder of Prairie Star Beef. PSB offers whole-steer ground beef raised in a prairie mountain paradise using regenerative management practices, and we're diving into what the heck regenerative agriculture is and why it matters. 

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Query Bros: Writing Books & Screenplays

The subject of collaboration between writing partners is always an interesting one. The creative journey embarked upon by any writing duo is a complex one — ours made all the more complicated and located as we are brothers.

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Big Red F Restaurant Group Partners With Local Farms, Continues Sustainable Seafood Advocacy

North Forty News has published a great article highlighting Big Red F's commitment to local food sourcing and sustainable seafood.

From Colorado-grown produce to sustainable, responsibly harvested boutique seafood, Big Red F’s culinary talent continues a legacy of quality.

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Doug Emerson of University Bicycles on E-bikes

Sales of E-bikes in all styles and categories are booming in Colorado, in part thanks to a government sponsored program that issues a $450 discount coupon. All you need to do is go to https://energyoffice.colorado.gov/ebike-rebates to get your coupon. Prices were already down due to an inventory glut throughout the industry, and the coupon makes this year the best time to throw a leg over an E-bike for a test ride. I have never seen a customer return from an E-bike test ride without a smile.

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Cypress Point Oyster Company & Little Honeys Oysters

Jax is proud to carry Little Honeys, a woman-grown oyster from Jody Houk and Cypress Point Oyster Company. 
Learn more about their work in this great article...

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A NOTE FROM THE BREWMASTER

Hello from The Post brewery! Nick Tedeschi here, brewmaster of The Post Chicken & Beer. 

It’s crazy to think The Post and our Post family just celebrated our 10th anniversary. A lot has changed since those early days in 2014, and  a lot has also stayed the same. I invite you to celebrate 10 years of The Post with us!

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Dave Query: The Best Thing I Heard All Year

Livin a big, full, active life:  the picture to that statement could look like a lot of things. And most times, in my world, it would center around me or someone I love getting good news - a doctor’s appointment, a raise at work, travel plans or a marriage (or divorce) declaration.  

But the best thing I heard all year wasn’t about me or anyone I know, but just something that made so much sense. 

I was having lunch with a smart friend a few months ago, sharing some things and relationships I was working on and how it is sometimes challenging to figure out when to jump in with both feet before it reaches a point of no return and when to use patience and wisdom and sit back. In response, he said this to me, 

“The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”. 

And I thought, “Damn, he’s smarter and wiser than I had originally imagined.” Soon after our lunch, I discovered that John F. Kennedy said that in a State of the Union address in 1962. JFK was a wicked smahhht guy, too!!

We humans aren’t always proactive. And with our growing mantra of “I’m so busy”, we rarely address a potential problem until it is a glaring problem. 

The time to fix a leaky roof is not during a torrential downpour.  And for those who can plan ahead and think in advance around kid issues, marriages, work problems or our own inner desires to live a bigger and better and more meaningful life, tackling problems and challenges in calm and sunny seas beats trying to climb the mast during a tropical cyclone. 

Coming to a partner or a co-worker when things are good, and addressing the things that you see on the edges, shows commitment and forethought and desire. Trying to repair a friendship or dad-ship or marriage or other important relationship after you’ve let it go too far increases your chances of that boat actually sinking. 

Something to think about as we saddle up next to friends and loved ones in the coming weeks. Certainly something for our city and state and world leaders to strongly consider as our planetary roof, walls and foundations becomes more and more leaky. 

Happy Holidays Everyone!
DQ.  

Holiday Recipe: Broccoli Casserole!

Spice up the holiday’s with Chef Jimmy’s favorite holiday tradition. We won’t mind if you want to take the credit for this delicious Giesler family favorite!

Grandma Giesler's Broccoli  Casserole 

6 cups fresh broccoli florets about 2 bunches
10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup (or homemade)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup cheese crackers , crushed

Directions 

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil broccoli for 2 minutes. Drain well.

In a large mixing bowl combine mushroom soup, mayonnaise, eggs, onions and shredded cheese and mix well.

Pour over broccoli and toss to combine. Pour into greased casserole dish.

Sprinkle crushed cheese crackers on top. Bake at 400 degrees F for 40-45 minutes.

Favorite Holiday Recipes

We tapped a few of our Chefs to see how they are keeping the bellies of their nearest and dearest full this season.

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Dave Query: Where We Are - or as we say in America, Then and Now

It's just hard to believe the Covid time warp that has taken place. Four years ago, heading into the holidays, we began this journey when smart investors started buying long on Charmin and Huggies anticipating the world shutting down in March. Just crazy now to look back almost four years later. Business and how we do business has been forever changed since coming out of the pandemic, and the looming heaviness of AI threatens so many industries and trades as it creeps in. But the one thing that will never, ever be affected or altered - no matter how many Ubers and Door Dashes and Green Chefs will try - is the experience of going out to eat at a restaurant. The joy of sitting in a well-curated dining room in all the right ways with lighting and music and comfortable chairs and clean aesthetics and restaurant people trying to create a really relaxing and memorable moment for you and your guests...in the way we restaurant people do. 

So what has changed?

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Camping Food Hacks

Here's a few quick & easy ideas for your next camping trip!

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Fried Chicken Leftover Home Recipes from BRFers & Friends

Here are some ideas for how to use those fried chicken leftovers!

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Farmers: the OG Farm to Table Chefs  

Andy Breiter
 Grama Grass and Livestock

I'm Andy Breiter, a first generation rancher, born in the suburbs of Chicago. I got into farming from a love of food. I loved cooking it, I loved trying new restaurants, and overtime I grew to love farming it. As my love for food developed, I became curious about where our food comes from. To learn more, I traveled all the way to Spain to work on farms and get my hands dirty. As I learned more about food, I realized that food is a part of an ecosystem. It needs to be raised while regenerating the land not while abusing the land's resources. Having gone to school at the University of Denver, I was drawn back to the West, where native grasslands and ruminant animals like buffalo belong. My business aims to replicate the historic relationship between the bison and the prairie by working with our cattle to heal land.

Operating as a first generation rancher in Boulder County, I am extremely fortunate to build relationships with a variety of landowners. My business doesn't own a single acre of land and yet we steward close to 500 acres. This is from partnerships with public entities and private individuals. These partnerships are what allows a young'n like myself get started farming. 

We primarily raise grass fed beef. We do harvest our animals year round. Personally, I try to enjoy the whole animal. Coming out of winter, I've gotten to cook several croc pots full of arm roast, which I love. I especially like to keep it simple. Before I head off to tend the animals, I throw my roast into the croc pot (this recipe can be used with chuck roast or beef shank as well). I add 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 2 Tablespoons of salt, and turn the croc pot on low. By the time I come back from work it's already to be served alongside a nice spring salad.

Ibrahim Ayad
  Simply Fresh Microgreens

Growing up in a family with a century-long farming history, makes me a farmer by default. Even though farming became part of my DNA!

Through the years I acquired new skills to develop much-needed technologies and working as a technologist for the last 23 years. 

Currently working on marrying technology and farming to further enable sustainability. 

I received my Ph.D. in "Demystifying the Rate Adaptation Algorithms in Internet Video Applications” College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Colorado at Boulder. My research interests encompass Networking architecture, Internet protocol stack, in particular Multipath-TCP reliable transport, Video coding, and Neural adaptive streaming algorithms using machine learning and artificial intelligence (ai/ml).  

Simply Fresh Microgreens is a ‘direct to community’ MICROGREENS urban farm that offers free home delivery anywhere in Broomfield, Boulder, and Denver counties. Microgreens are a new healthy and sustainable food packed with nutrients and historically associated with well-off consumers.

Our mission:

We at Simply Fresh Microgreens are changing the cherry-picking market's way of doing business by providing the utmost fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown microgreens vegetables, direct to the less fortunate community members who otherwise won't have access to a healthy same-day harvest.

The new normal of urban farming:

We are committed to reducing the current farming practices which have adverse environmental impacts, such as wasteful use of freshwater, high use of fossil fuels, and contamination of the soil. One of the greatest movements in smart agriculture has been the growing popularity of locally sourced and sustainable food. In particular, indoor environmentally controlled urban farming can fill current and future food needs while reducing adverse environmental impacts and other challenges associated with traditional farming methods. With our PURE growing method, we don’t need to add any harmful chemicals, fertilizers, or pesticides. Pure pH-balanced water along with natural Coco Coir and special LED grow lights are all we need in order to produce our outstanding microgreens!

Microgreens Benefits

We grow several varieties of nutrient-dense microgreens that have been proven by research to have countless potential health benefits:

Boosts your immune system, Reduces chronic disease risk, Helps with weight loss, Lowers inflammation & Improves gut health

Easy to use!

In fact, if you want to taste real food and feel really healthy, I recommend you add them to virtually every single meal (You and your taste buds can thank me later!)

Emmy and Kyle
Off Beet Farm

Off Beet Farm is run in collaboration by two friends, Emmy and Kyle. We grow diversified veggies and flowers without using harmful chemicals on our land. As queer farmers, we have chosen to embrace that facet of our identities as central to the farm itself. It feels important to have representation and pride in agriculture as much as any other field, especially as we are watching lgbtq+ folks being targeted throughout the country. Everybody eats, and food is a great way to build community and bring folks together, regardless of how we identify! One of my favorite things that is coming up in the field right now is something that often gets composted - beet greens! They are so incredibly rich in flavor that they don't need much to make them shine. I like to sauté them with olive oil and garlic, only a few minutes until they become tender. Then squeeze a little lemon on top, sprinkle some salt, and enjoy! Put them on pasta, or eat them on their own.

Farmers: the OG Farm to Table Chefs  

Photo credit: Mackenzie Selkhe

Krisan Christensen
Wild Wellspring Farm

I just love eating all the lingering bits left in the field after a winter of harvests, and especially look forward to supporting the beginning of the season with all the farmers at Boulder County Farmers Market, grateful to enjoy the fresh harvests grown by fellow farmers.

- Krisan

Eric Skokan
Black Cat Boulder

Spring:

Like the name of the season, the temperature bounces up and down.  That is a challenge for the farmer. But also the plants.   Not many of the plants thrive on the constant fluctuations.  The dishes we create and plants we grow are geared towards our trampoline like season.

- Eric

Beef Pot Au Feu: Poached Beef, Cauliflower & watercress in a Ginger-Shrimp Broth

Talking cues from Chinese cuisine. I've combined meet & seafood to create a bite that resonates with deep flavor. The cauliflower adds a tender crunch and the watercress adds a spice note similar to wasabi. I look for richly marbled cut of beef such a short ribs, shake, chuck and neck for this dish, as they yield a velvety smooth texture after cooking.

Serve 5

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 pounds beef chuck or 3 pounds bone-in neck
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 tablespoon sliced ginger
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 2 quarts beef stock
• one 5-inch piece dried comb seaweed
• 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped 
• 2 tablespoon dried shrimp 
• seasalt
• 12 baby onion, trimmed
• 12 baby carrots, trimmed
• 4 spring onions, cut into 2-inch lengths 
• tablespoon rice vinegar 
• cup Watercress leaves
• tablespoon sesame oil

Instructions:

• In a medium pot over high heat, blanch the cauliflower in boiling salted water until tender. refresh under running water or ice. Set aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed brasing pan over high heat, cook beef in the oil until browned, about 10 minutes. Toss in the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 4 minutes more. Add the stock, seaweed, lemongrass and dried shrimp.
• Season the broth with salt. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer until the beef is very tender, about 6 hours. After browning, a slow cooker may also be used to cook the beef.
• Transfer the beef to a platter and using a fine sieve, strain the brith into a clean, large pot, Return the pot to low heat and add the baby onions, carrots and beef. Poach until vegetable are just tender. Add cauliflower and the spring onions. Season the broth with salt and add the rice vinegar. 
• In a small bowl, dress the watercress with the sesame oil. Season with salt and toss.
• Divide the beef and vegetable among four large bowls. Top each with the. hot broth and watercress and serve immediately.

Roberto Mezza
Emerald Gardens and East Denver Food Hub

A note on Spring in Colorado: 
Springtime in Colorado brings a renewed sense of excitement to our farming community. As the snow melts and the days grow longer, we eagerly anticipate the arrival of fresh, vibrant produce. Our partnership with East Denver Food Hub allows us to showcase some of the best local vegetables and microgreens in season, making for simple yet flavorful dishes that celebrate healthy soils and our beautiful stat

- Roberto

Spring Quinoa Salad with Emerald Gardens Microgreens

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup chopped asparagus (locally sourced from East Denver Food Hub)
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (also from East Denver Food Hub)
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 2 cups mixed microgreens (from our farm, Emerald Gardens)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Cook the quinoa according to package instructions and let it cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and microgreens.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Christian Toohey
Toohey & Sons Organic

This is my favorite approach to quick, delicious pasta dishes that epitomize Spring.

- Christian

Use your favorite springtime greens: 

Spinach comes in first, then radish greens, rapini (broccoli raab), turnip greens, or even green garlic! Later on in the season you can use heartier greens like Tuscan kale or spigariello.

Heat olive oil in a pan, rough chop the greens, add to hot oil for about a minute and then add a few chopped cloves of garlic and a tiny pinch of chili flakes (being careful not to burn the garlic). Next add a pinch of salt and a splash of something tangy or acidic, like balsamic vinegar, champagne vinegar, a little white wine or even some capers to make the flavors “pop,” then sauté briefly until greens are wilted but not fully cooked-down. Serve immediately over pasta. The idea is to use enough olive oil that it lightly coats the noodles when tossed. A traditional variation is to sauté some crumbled Italian sausage first and add it to the greens at the end, but the dish is delicious either way.

*** My very favorite version replaces the greens and chopped garlic with green garlic (immature garlic stalks in the early spring, which look like green onions). This rich, warm, mild garlic flavor is the best, and I can’t wait until the green garlic is ready in May!

Big Red F: Food & Drink Travel Guide | Ireland

Our longtime friends-who-are-family, the Tierney’s, took an epic pilgrimage to Ireland last fall to celebrate papa-bear Terry’s big birthday in the land of his ancestors. A little travel advice inspired by their trip follows…

Brazen Head
If you’re a die-hard fan of that authentic hardy Irish meal -and I mean the real stick-to-your-ribs type of stuff- saunter on over to the oldest pub in Ireland; The Brazen Head. Established in 1198 and in the heart of Dublin, this pub has been serving alcohol before official licensing laws were even introduced and offers traditional Irish music to boot!

Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery
If you are lookin’ to be toured but aren’t down to clown with the long Guinness Storehouse lines, then a whiskey tour and tasting at Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery just might be the ticket. This distillery historically stands apart from the rest as it resides on the grounds of an 800-year-old church and cemetery, making for a history-rich tasting indeed. 

Galway Food Tours:

Have you heard? Galway is the up-and-coming food-loving melting pot of the culinary world. I was shocked too. Go no further than the Galway Food Tours website for an authentic taste of this city’s delicious offerings. A personal tour guide will walk you down the hidden cobbled streets of Galway’s budding Westend to what might appear to be a hole-in-the-wall house. Step inside and discover a night that takes you from one gourmet experience to the next. Top the night off with a chance to taste one of the rarest pot-stilled Irish whiskeys, Glendalough’s Grand Cru Burgandy Cask Finish, at a pub only the locals know about, Mr. Walsh. 

F CLUB PODCAST

F CLUB EPISODE 10: DQ CHATS WITH DOUG EMERSON OF UNIVERSITY BICYCLES

In this episode of the F Club Podcast, Dave Query (DQ) chats with Doug Emerson, founder of University Bicycles.

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F CLUB EPISODE 7: DQ CHATS WITH JUAN PADRÓ

Dave Query sits down with restaurateur Juan Padró of the Culinary Creative group.

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BLOG

PERSONAL PEACE

This time of Covid has been remarkably incredible on a grip of levels. 21 months of the word Corona meaning something other than Mexican beer. All the challenges and trials […]

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KINDNESS. IT’S A LIFESTYLE.

Kindness. Kindless. Kind. Ness. Less. There are so many words to describe the mental state of our beings right now — they flow like cold beer from a freshly pumped […]

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