The Kitchen, Boulder; The Real Deal in Local And Sustainable

My last day in Colorado I took the 4$ bus from Denver to Boulder to spend a day browsing, relaxing, and enjoying the local scene. My last dinner was spent in a wonderful little place. THE KITCHEN, chef owner/ Hugo Matheson.

all photos, tlg 08.31.08 at The Kitchen, Boulder Colorado

The Kitchen and the team there take local and sustainable to a remarkable level. The whole restaurant is 100% wind powered. The napkins made from recycled cotton, the changing menu made from meats, veggies, and local products sourced with loving care. No waste and great care to make the best choices from a to z.

This from their website;

Eco Practices-- We believe that being "green" transcends any current hype or fad. We simply believe it is the right thing to do for our community, at home and at large. We make conscientious decisions about every aspect of our operations, from the hand towels in the bathroom to the wind-power generated electricity we use. We recycle and reuse nearly 100 percent of our "discards". All of our paper products and straws are biodegradable. We give the remaining uncooked food and open bottles of wine to our staff at the end of each shift and all of our food scraps are made into compost, often returning to the farm where they were first harvested.

The staff was attentive, the food fantastic, and the atmosphere grade A.

One thing that they did which I was impressed with was they way they promoted their local providers. On a gorgeous black board right in the middle of the main dining area they listed up where they got their meat, fish and a list of local farms and companies that they source from. It created a compelling feeling of community. And I know if I lived in Boulder, as many of the diners did, I would certainly look those companies up and buy from them.


I started dinner with a cheese plate, paired with wines recommended by the chef. All American cheeses, one cow, one goat, one sheep.



And for dinner I had Duck with Grilled Peaches and Couscous. Finished off with a dark and luscious glass of port.



Returned back to Denver via the bus to pack and head home. This was a wonderful way to end my journey. If you ever get to Boulder, be sure to check out The Kitchen.

You can read more about it here.

and this great piece done in Sunset magazine Yum.

There's more...

Vice Presidential BBQ

photos, tlg, Denver Convention 2008

A food note from Denver.

One of the places we grabbed a quick bite as Boney's BBQ Smokehouse. We were too late for the ribs since the delegates had eaten them practically out of house and home. But they had great pulled pork sandwiches and I had the spicy sausage link (above). It was hot. hot. hot.

Joe Biden ate here this week and the papers covered it-- so Boney's went from local shack to overnight convention hit. By Friday lunch they were even out of baked beans. They were having fun. And the real down home sweet tea was just what we needed after all that fire and spice.

Little local places like this fit into our GNB Real Deal Dialog.
What are the best local shacks in your neck -a- the woods?

There's more...

In Praise of Being a Localvore

lovely farm and nature paintings/etchings by Art Hansen

Locovore/localvore (both spellings found)
the practice of eating food that is grown locally in order to support small business, build community and reduce greenhouse gases as local food does not require shipping across countries and continents.

We've talked about this kind of stuff before-- but it is a topic that I never tier of. Fancy diets, big companies trying to turn organic, eating more vegetables and less meat, all have been proposed to be kinder to the earth and our bodies. Many of these things intimidate most people who are in a hurry- and don't want to think that much about their food.

Turns out the easiest way to eat healthy and clean up the planet is to do our purchasing from companies who make what grows and lives close to home. The time of the small farmer and of homegrown garden is coming again. (amazing how things come back into fashion) Our ancestors did this out of necessity and common sense. Seems like those two motivators are ALSO coming back into fashion.

Eating local is easy, and if you changed even 20% of your purchasing power over to supporting local food growers the impact would be enormous. PLUS it tastes better and is generally better for you. Winning all around.

First steps to being a localvore-

*Find a farmer's market or csa in your area
*Plant something yourself- bucket tomatoes, a kitchen window herb garden, a fruit tree for your yard... something.
*Share your bounty with others- trade tomatoes with a friend who grows great eggplant, that sort of thing... mini co-ops!
*Look through your phone book in your area for small businesses producing food. You'll be surprised at how many entrepreneurs are in the food growing and creating business.
*Buy from smaller local groceries, and read your labels. When you go out to eat, choose mom and pop restaurants, bakeries etc. not chains- and ask where stuff comes from.

These steps are all simple and fun. By purchasing locally you will generally eat a more seasonal and earth friendly diet. PLUS like I said, it is all Much More delicious!

Eating is one of the most intimate things we do. And we all do it so it is also a great common denomimator. (I know all your internet traditions) Learning to really appreciate and enjoy what you eat brings a tremendous richness to life.

Tell your localvore story here;
Who makes what delicious treat in your area?
What is your area's seasonal bounty?
What is the best local eating joint in your town?
Do you have a farmers market? Have you visited a farm in the last 5 years?

Share please; I am starving to hear your stories!

Great reading/resource list about all things Localvore here.
Local Locator resources here.

There's more...