Black Cat: Happy Fathers Day!!!

Happy fathers day!!!!

Greek yogurt pudding with levage gelee, pistachios and mint

House smoked salmon with farm greens, pistachios, and citron aioli

Foie gras torchon with black truffle, english peas, shaved daikon, and tat soi

Hazel Del mushroom dumpling with kombu broth and braised cabbage

Colorado striped bass with quinoa tabouleh, crispy lardo, and thyme beurre blanc

Colorado leg of lamb with gremolata, merguez, goat cheese polenta and sauteed fennel

Key lime panna cotta with rhubarb gelee, chocolate pudding, candied citrus peel and kiwi

Flourless chocolate cake with champagne poached apricots, vanilla chantilly, and apricot napoleon

Happy Fathers Day! It is fathers day and I decided to take my dad out to the Black Cat, his favorite restaurant in our town of Boulder. Black Cat is a farm to table restaurant, every thing comes from there farm. They change the menu every day based on the food they get from the farm. First we got an amuse bouch, Greek yogurt pudding with levage gelee, pistachios and mint. The pudding on the bottom was creamy and velvety. It had tints of sweetness but still maintained its tart yogurt flavor. The thin layer of gelee on top was flavored with an herb called levage. The herb gelee and the slivers of mint in the top made the dish very herbaceous and fresh. Over all it was one of the best amuse bouches I have ever had. Next we had House smoked salmon with farm greens, pistachios, and citron aioli. The greens on the plate were super fresh and they tasted fresh. The smoked salmon was... you know smoked salmon how can you go wrong with it. The aioli added a very nice burst of acidity which really rounded out the entire dish. Our next starter was Foie gras torchon with black truffle, english peas, shaved daikon, and tat soi. The foie gras had fresh black truffle grated over the top. The foie gras was creamy and very delectable. I could have eaten six of them. The vegetables were all great elements that cut through the richness of the foie. Our finale starter was a Hazel Del mushroom dumpling with kombu broth and braised cabbage. This dish was a very good choice. Sitting atop a mound of tender cabbage and flavorful kombu broth was a delecate Dumpling filled with earthy sauteed local mushrooms. When you broke the fragile dumpling skin the broth just engulfed everything creating harmony and an amazing dish. Now on to main dishes, the first offering was Colorado striped bass with quinoa tabouleh, crispy lardo, and thyme beurre blanc. This dish was very nice. The bass was cooked perfectly and the flesh was very tender but I wanted the skin to be crisper. The lardo was crispy on the outside and then melt in your mouth. The beurre blanc added nice fat but the real star was the quinoa. It was amazing. It was nutty and had herb flavors and a very nice touch of acidity. It reminded me of the wheat berries I had at The Pinyon only it was a bit better. Next we had Colorado leg of lamb with gremolata, merguez, goat cheese polenta and sauteed fennel. The lamb leg was super tender, perfectly cooked and the gremolata added a great amount of flavor. The merguez was very good. It had lots of great spice in it. The polenta was creamy, silky and just plane amazing. Both entrees were served with roasted farm vegetables. But enough about savory food, lets go to dessert. The first dessert was Key lime panna cotta with rhubarb gelee, chocolate pudding, candied citrus peel and kiwi. The panna cotta itself was very creamy. A good panna cotta is, when it is set, supposed to wobble like a woman's breast, this one was well made. The only thing is that I wish it had been more limey. All the elements around were great. Next was Flourless chocolate cake with champagne poached apricots, vanilla chantilly, and apricot napoleon. This dessert I could have eaten ten of. The cake was moist and very rich. The richness was cut the acidic apricots poached in champagne. The best part of the dish was an apricot napoleon with almonds. It was amazing. Over all this was a fantastic meal. Great Job Black Cat!!!

The Pinyon

Compressed watermelon with pickled watermelon rind, greek yogurt, chervil, and padron pepper

Cured salmon belly with pickled cranberries, mint oil, diced apples and shallot

Crispy soft-shell crab BLT

Milk braised rabbit, with wheat berries, english peas, colorado bing cherries, tarragon and chervil

Shaved ham with heirloom blue grits, apricot confit, and pickled scape

Bourbon glazed donuts

Ah, The Pinyon, restaurant of my good friend Theo Adly. This dinner was a complementary dinner in honor of the winning Jr. Flatiron Chef team. My friends and I were greeted warmly and seated with menus. As we sat down Theo looked over at us and said " Take the menus away, I'm feeding them". We knew we were in for a treat and a treat he gave us. Our first course was Compressed watermelon with pickled watermelon rind, greek yogurt, chervil, and padron pepper. This dish was very refreshing and hit every taste bud in your mouth. The sweet almost transparent compressed watermelon was very juicy and sweet. The pickled watermelon rind was sour and very crisp and its flavor and texture worked in perfect contrast with the compressed watermelon. The yogurt added tang and a very nice fattiness that helped cut all the juiciness. The padrone pepper added a small bit of heat in the back of your mouth, which I think made the dish. Our next dish was Cured salmon belly with pickled cranberries, mint oil, diced apples and shallot. The salmon was absolutely amazing, it tasted of the salty thing it was cured in but still had an intense salmon flavor. The cranberries were very sour but the sweet apple cut the sourness. The mint oil added an extra level of fat and flavor to the dish which really elevated it to a knew level. Next was a fantastic Crispy soft-shell crab BLT. On the plate was this cute little salad of tomatoes and lettuce with a piece bacon, and then next to it a huge crispy fried half soft-shell crab. The coating on the crab was very flavorful and all the BLT flavors complemented the crab very well. Next we had Milk braised rabbit, with wheat berries, english peas, colorado bing cherries, tarragon and chervil. This was a very great dish, the rabbit was super tender and nicely flavored. The wheat berries were very herby and acidic. The peas and cherries added the great sweetness that was needed to cut acidity of the wheat berries. The radish was very earthy and was the perfect garnish. Our final savory dish was Shaved ham with heirloom blue grits, apricot confit, and pickled scape. This dish was my favorite of the evening. The ham was just slices of juicy, fatty, salty, goodness. The grits were one of the greatest things I have ever put in my mouth. The were creamy and rich and full of flavor. The apricot confit was very sweet but in the back of my mouth it almost tasted savory. The scape was a nice acidic touch to finish off the dish. And finally a plate of Bourbon glazed donuts finished off our meal. A plate of plump, piping hot balls of goodness. The glaze was fantastic. All I have to say is thank you Theo. It was an amazing meal!

Looking for young chefs!!!

I am organizing another Jr. Flatiron Chef competition. If you are a young chef in the Boulder area and you wish compete please contact me at littlemanchips@gmail.com.