December 2, 2009

Best of 2009: Restaurant Moment

I’m married to a foodie. There are many restaurant moments that come right out of my kitchen.

Also? I live in a town recently profiled in the WSJ and called “the best small city for great meals”.

So when I say it’s hard to pick the best restaurant experience of the year, I really mean it. I’m extremely fortunate to live in a place with such amazing food because I know what it’s like to live in a place where those choices don’t exist. (Hello, Wyoming…I’m looking at you…)

However, when thinking about my best restaurant meal of 2009, my thoughts leave the Boulder scene and head west. Not to the foodie capital of San Francisco, but to a certain dinner I had in Sin City. Yes, Las Vegas.

Seriously.

It’s hard for me to believe as well. My family went on many a summer vacation to Vegas and all-you-can-eat buffets were seared into my memory. It was always more about quantity than quality. Cheap food just seemed to go hand in hand with Vegas.

But, something happened on my last trip there.

Maybe it’s the fact that it was my first time with a celebrity chef?

toddenglishontopchef

Photo credit: Reality TV Magazine

Or that I was slap-happy after a long weekend working the booth at Blog World?

booth

Photo credit: Grace

Maybe it was my dinner companion? (Hello, Grace, I’m looking at you…) Or the fact that we had been reassured, on our way to dinner, by a young man going the opposite direction on the escalator, that “we looked good”?

graceandme

Photo credit: Grace

Whatever the reason, the meal that I had at Todd English’s Olives restaurant was to die for.

Okay, perhaps this had a little something to do with it?

martini

Photo credit: Grace

I did not know until that meal that free range chicken really does taste better. And don’t even get me started on the hand-rolled butternut squash tortelli. Did I mention the olives? Because there were lots of olives.

There was only one thing better than dinner. No, not the banana tiramisu, although it was phenomenal. The conversation, laughs and bonding that went on between Grace and I. Big hands and small hands “literally”, as Grace would say, came together that night. Between the tasty food and the delicious subjects of discourse, this was definitely my best restaurant moment of 2009.

See?

Gen X and Gen Y can get along.

As long as good food is involved.

  • I just need to say, the author of that article was slightly off in their population estimates. Calling Boulder a town of 300,000 (umm they are only slightly off by like 200,000) LOL!

    I have an Olives Table cookbook, probably not the same as having the food prepared for you. Actually I know it's not. Sounds fabulous.
  • They must have been counting the college kids, the homeless and all the folks living in Broomfield. Or Boulder simply seems larger than we really are?

    The cookbook is not the same as having the food prepared for you...it's cheaper. :)
  • Tara are you showing a sensitive side in this post! : )
    In all honesty, as a foodie, I really enjoyed reading it to be honest and a little sad I wasn't there this year
    xo-Jacq
  • Jacqueline, I'm not sure...but are you being honest?

    And in all honesty on my part, I honestly missed having you in Vegas this year. Grace dragged me to the clubz.
  • awesome. it's been a long time since I've had a killer restaurant experience.

    Boulder definitely has a variety of high-quality eats.,.. especially continental / European... but not as much AUTHENTIC Asian stuff staffed by native foodies. What blows my taste buds is stuff like crazy screaming Chinese restaurants with weird fish tanks that you're not sure if they're for decoration or kitchen supply, Thai curry that Thai people would dig, non-Punjabi Indian food (there's so much more than just naan & tandoori chicken!), or a 100% authentico Sushi place that doesn't know the meaning of "califonia rolls" or cream cheese.

    But hey... it's Boulder. it's white people land, and the white people food is rock solid.
  • Brett, you must get yourself into Sushi Tora, the only place to eat sushi in Boulder. They make their own soy sauce! It's fabulous and not a cream sauce (what is that anyway!) in the place. A true delight.

    Take a trip to Broomfield for Pho!
  • I agree with you Brett. It would be nice to have some international cuisine that wasn't watered down. But in terms of "white people food", we could have it much worse. Ever been to South Dakota?
  • I love you! I was laughing out loud at this post, you're right on missy.

    I'm happy your best meal of the year was shared with these little hands. Generations unite! Mmm, I want that martini again.
  • Oh pookie...I look forward to using food as a means of building bridges between our generations for years to come.

    You shall always remain my little gnocchi.
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