Food & Wine Romance & Relationships Skiing & Snowboarding: Food & Wine Romance & Relationships Skiing & Snowboarding
by maribeth
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William, Kate, Snow Cats and Scrambled Eggs
To the Happy Couple!
I just woke up from a nap. I fell into a Mimosa-induced sleep later on this morning which plunged me into end-of-the-ski-season images intertwined with the royal wedding. What an adventure! I’m glad though that both are finally over. Now I can finally keep distractions to a minimum.
But what glorious diversions they have been! There’s little I can say about today’s marriage of William and Kate that has not been uttered by the innumerable commentators who have weighed in on this grand event. Sublime. Inspirational. Faiytale-like. Heartfelt. Never-to-be-forgotten.
I can, however, offer you my recipe of scrambled eggs. Yes, scrambled eggs, the perfect brunch food in case you weren’t able to prepare a proper spread during the wee hours of this morning. Inspired by les oeufs brouillés served in France on occasions big and small, the secret to these eggs is in their cooking—long and slow over extremely low heat. This worked out perfectly this morning since it mattered more to me to remain glued in front of the T.V. than to be slaving over the stove. So here goes:
-Crack eggs into a bowl and beat vigorously.
-Add whatever strikes your fancy. Today I made them with chunks of cheddar cheese and ham, fines herbes and white pepper. (Be careful of adding salt if you add something salty such as ham or smoked salmon.)
-Pour the egg mixture into a very buttery, nonstick pan that has been heated on the lowest possible heat.
-Cook the eggs, stirring occasionally. Depending on how many eggs you put in the pan, cooking time should be about a half hour. No rushing!
-Spoon onto pretty porcelain plates and sprinkle with chopped parsley or chive for added effect. Serve immediately.
Voilà! If you do these eggs right, the result should be the creamiest scrambled eggs you’ll ever taste. I served mine today with sautéed asparagus and buttered English muffins. But of course. The tea and scones were consumed as the prelude.
Here’s wishing you and the newlyweds many wonderful meals filled with life’s sweet and savory. And, of course, a lifetime full of love.
Food & Wine Podcasts Restaurants The Rockies: Food & Wine Podcasts Restaurants The Rockies
by maribeth
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Top Chef’s Kelly Liken: Making Colorado Proud
Chef Kelly Liken: Frontier Spirit Meets Eastern Know-How
I chatted with cheftestant extraordinaire, Kelly Liken, yesterday, during a Travel Fun interview. It was the day after Bravo’s Top Chef finale and Kelly was finally able to breath a sigh of relief and talk openly and candidly about her Top Chef experience. Right off she revealed to me that Bravo’s newest Top Chef, Kevin Sbraga, was her choice for winner—aside from herself of course. Throughout the interview, Kelly sounds exhilarated by her whole Top Chef experience. And why wouldn’t she? She emerged from a pool of seventeen cheftestants to make her way among the final four (and the only woman to boot!) to the penultimate episode in Singapore. Indeed she has made Colorado proud.
Back in April I had the pleasure of dining in Kelly’s namesake restaurant in Vail. I was told at the time that she was away. When she showed up on Top Chef D.C., I realized that that’s where she was, a T.V. adventure that lasted over thirty days, concluding with some ten days in Singapore. When asked what she liked most about the experience, Kelly expressed her contentment with working so closely with the other chefs, revealing to me that they actually got along quite well. As for what she liked least, it comes as no surprise that she felt sleep deprived for the better part of the month.
Click on the play button below to hear more about what Kelly has to say about her Top Chef participation and her special relationship with Colorado.
Kelly's Signature Rocky Mountain Trout
If you’re anywhere near Atlanta next Friday, September 24, consider attending the Celebrity Chef Tour, an exciting event benefiting the James Beard Foundation. Kelly will be putting on a fine meal along with Kenny Gilbert, another Top Chef contestant that also has ties to Colorado. Go to Likin’ Kelly Liken to read more about Kelly and Kelly Liken, her Vail Village restaurant.
Kelly Liken, Vail, Colorado
Food & Wine Mountain Living Shopping Telluride: Food & Wine Mountain Living Shopping Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Summer Sipping
Summer Sipping
Harvest Time at Sutcliffe Vineyards in Southwestern Colorado
I’m trying not to feel sad about summer’s end. As much as I love each season, it’s always hard to let them go—at least that’s the case for summer and winter here in Colorado. I’m already nostalgic about my summer. Yet I’m also determined to extend it, something that’s not so hard to do when the desert beckons just a short distance away. (I’m in the throes of planning a trip to Monument Valley, Grand Canyon and southern Utah for October, so I’m not putting my cotton T-shirts and flip flops away just yet.)
Almost more than anything else, I often identify my seasons with the food and wine I’ve savored during that time. (Indeed I am a gourmand.) And this summer more than before, I find myself associating certain wines with certain events. In some cases the wine was most memorable; in other cases it was the event. In all cases, both seemed to have a synergistic effect that has prompted me to remember both the event and the wine all the more intensely. My reminiscing of summer sipping goes as follows:
Sunset Concert Series
Encantado: A Mouthful of Summer All Year Long
Like many cities across America, almost every mountain town holds a weekly summer concert where locals and visitors alike can enjoy great music—from bluegrass to rock—against the backdrop of spectacular mountain scenery. In Telluride, our Sunset Concert Series takes place annually in Mountain Village all of July and August on Wednesday nights from six to eight p.m. People cart in their lawn chairs, spread out a picnic and enjoy the alpenglow, serenaded by all kinds of fun music. I wasn’t much on preparing a picnic this year and instead ordered up fine European pizzas from the nearby Italian restaurant. I did bring some delightful wines though including Concannon’s Righteously Rosé that I picked up at a local wine shop. What a way to kick off the first concert and what a find! Modestly priced at just over $10., this wine ranked as high as some of my most memorable rosés de Provence. This set me off on a Concannon spree which included most notably a creamy, buttery Chardonnay from Livermore Valley, just the sort of oaky California Chard that’s perfect year-round. At least for me anyway. Summer means rosé, so of course I celebrated the last Sunset Concert of the year with Encantado, a beautiful, salmon-colored nectar. This delicious rosé from California left me singing its praises while the sky also turned an exquisite peachy-pink as the sun set over the mountains.
Pine Ridge: A Sure Bet
The Tour de France
How I love to watch the Tour de France. And it’s sometimes more fun to take in the big mountain stages with friends. I brought a bottle of Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier over to a friend’s place for one of the Pyrenées stages. We all marveled at this delicious wine that combines the honeyed fruit of Chenin Blanc with the light floral aromas and fruit notes of Viognier. It served as both an impressive gift and the perfect accompaniment to a mid-summer’s repast of cheese, salad and assorted hors d’oeuvres. My friend smiled approvingly at my choice of wine, reminding me that Pine Ridge, a Napa Valley Winery, is a much-appreciated sponsor of the Telluride Film Festival, a crowd that consistently shows good taste. Upon hearing this, I picked up two more bottles of Pine Ridge whites to enjoy throughout the rest of the Tour: a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc. What a Champs-Elysées finish!
Dinners at Home
I love enjoying a nice meal at home whether I’m sharing it with a friend (usually my hunny) or relishing one on my couch before I pull out my laptop to write. The French in me makes sure that I always serve up something tasty, a relatively easy feat in summer when fruits and vegetables delight the palate with full and luscious flavor. Monsoon season besieged us with a spate of chilly evenings, welcome relief nonetheless from some super hot days. And suddenly we had more good reasons to drink red wine! One remarkable dinner at home consisted of a plate of pasta buried beneath a thick mantle of homemade Bolognese sauce (made from ground buffalo). A Colorado wine, a superb Cabernet Sauvignon, from Sutcliffe Vineyards, accompanied it magnificently. Located in southwestern Colorado, this vineyard consistently produces memorable wines that embody all the sunshine and might of the Rocky Mountains. Good news: You can book a stay at the vineyard and make it your base for visiting renowned sites such as Mesa Verde in the region. Or, you can just kick back and gaze out over the vines.
A Picnic with Friends
Octavin Home Wine Bar
In Colorado, people are big on potlucks, a totally new concept to me up until I arrived here nearly nine years ago. In France, people take turns giving dinner parties. It’s rare that they join together to offer up the components of a meal—such a disorganized approach to assembling a feast is almost unthinkable to the French. When I don’t have time to cook, I’ll usually bring a couple of bottles of wine. I found a terrific “bottle” that ended up being the talk of the party. Have you ever heard of Octavin Home Wine Bar? Have you ever seen wine in a cardboard box? Well these eight-sided nifty cardboard packages stand out amongst the ranks of boxed wines. (I got thirsty, however, trying to pull out the spout. But then again, I never was very mechanical.) The Octavin I came across contained a crisp, Sauvignon Blanc from Silver Birch World Wines in Marlborough, New Zealand. Its attractive turquoise-blue box made an impression from the get-go. (Better yet, I learned afterward that Octavin’s innovative packaging prevents oxidation. This means that you can enjoy a glass, as fresh and flavorful as the first served, up to six weeks after opening it. Also, Octavin contains the equivalent of four bottles of wine yet you usually end up paying the price of just three. Wow!)
My Birthday
O.K., so now you know. I like my wine to have a little cache, especially when it comes to the packaging and label. It just makes it fun. I learned this summer—I think on a Today Show episode—that the oh-so fabulous Biltmore estate produces wine. With a facade of equal grandeur of the most renowned châteaux of the Loire, my curiosity piqued. Then I discovered that a Frenchman, a certain Bernard Delille, works at the Biltmore as winemaster. Mon dieu! Say no more. I procured a bottle of their bubbly (their Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs Méthode Champenoise – Brut, to be exact) and popped it on my b-day at the end of August. Délicieux, nice and dry and slightly floral with notes of lemon and apricot. Now I just have to find my way to this incomparable establishment in North Carolina sometime soon. Vive l’influence française en Amérique!
The Biltmore Winery
Summer Harvest
I had earmarked a bottle of Sutcliffe Chardonnay to accompany one of my best meals of the summer, composed of chanterelle fettucine, sweet Olathe corn, a tomato and mozzarella salad and a peach/raspberry combo. (We have some of the best mushrooms, corn and peaches in Colorado.) At the market I spotted a bunch of fresh clams in the fish case, a rarity in our remote mountain town. With a guarantee they were fresher than fresh, I snatched them up, steamed them and uncorked my bottle of Sutcliffe Chard the night before my summer harvest dinner. The rich, full-bodied taste of this wine perfectly accompanied my briny clams dipped in melted butter. I felt in heaven at more than 9,500 feet. Fortunately I’m not much of a lush, so there was enough left over to go with my last special meal of the summer. (Thankfully I shared it with just one other person and my leftover wine worked out since we served gin and tonics beforehand.) It’s hard not to finish off a good bottle of wine, but you always have to think about getting up in the morning.
So there’s my summer for you. I surely missed some special nectars and memories in the above account, but you get the gist of it. I certainly had fun. This weekend Telluride will be going off with the Blues & Brews Festival. I only plan to attend the last day and as the festival suggests, I’ll be happy with the hops at that event. It doesn’t look like I’ll be imbibing in any more memorable wines before the close of the summer.
Thank goodness I have fall and all those jammy reds, fruity Beaujolais and dry pinots to look forward to in my sipping program. One thing’s for sure though: I know I’ll carry on with some light and bright summer whites as well as some dry rosés because they’ll continue to go well with many of the foods I enjoy.
Plus I’m determined to keep that summer mode going, at least a good ways into autumn.
This just in: The 17th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival will be putting on a free Sunset Blues Concert, featuring Matt Schofield and Gold Kings, in Telluride Mountain Village tomorrow, Thursday, September 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. Dang! I better round up a nice bottle of wine.
Art & Culture Food & Wine Podcasts Telluride: Art & Culture Food & Wine Podcasts Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
1 comment
Kenny Gilbert: Always a Top Chef
Chef Kenny Gilbert
Wow, did you watch Bravo’s Top Chef last night? Our Telluride favorite, Chef Kenny Gilbert, was voted off the show in a flash in the pan, all due to some kind of flub with beet and goat cheese dishes. I think that was it—it all happened so fast, I couldn’t keep track. I hate this part of Top Chef—how one bad dish can blow your whole chance. I wish they’d find a way of scoring cumulatively, especially since Kenny certainly shined throughout every episode. The other cheftestants even referred to him as The Black Lightening. At least the judges commended him in his final episode for his leadership abilities. It comes as no surprise when you hear about some of his philosophies. Scroll down to his Book Pick at Top Chefs to gain more insight into his approach.
I interviewed Kenny just about a year ago when he was still Executive Chef of a leading hotel here in Telluride. Click on the play button below to hear him chat about how he became a chef and what’s most important to him in the kitchen.
I had chatted with Kenny on the occasion of the Telluride Festival of the Arts: A Visual & Culinary Arts Festival that takes place annually in our lovely mountain town. This year it happens August 13-15. Yes, that means it begins tomorrow, so try to take in at least one event over this fun weekend.
As for me, I’m headed on a rafting trip. But I’ll keep all my favorite top chefs in mind, particularly since Kelly Liken is still in the running and I think she’s looking mighty fine.
Food & Wine Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Shopping Spas The Rockies: Food & Wine Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Shopping Spas The Rockies
by maribeth
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Our Ouray
Two (Unknown) Lovers Hot Tubbing It in Ouray
Named for the chief of the Ute Indians, the little town of Ouray (pronounced your-ay) has become one of my favorite getaway destinations in the Rocky Mountains. One might argue that this is because it’s only an hour’s drive from Telluride, but its appeal extends far beyond its proximity to my place of residence. And I’ve hardly partaken in the two activities most associated with Ouray: ice climbing and jeeping.
I’m drawn to Ouray for its striking natural beauty and the delightful mix of Rocky mountain charm and elegance that most of the town’s establishments exude. It’s not unheard of to spot a couple of five-pointed bucks crossing Main Street in the middle of the afternoon. Here the mountains plummet into this National Historic District claiming the unpaved backstreets as its foothills, the main street as its valley floor. The views are so striking in this boxed canyon that Ouray is often referred to as The Little Switzerland of America, a moniker that you can hardly dispute as you gaze up to the jagged peaks that almost entirely encircle this old mining town where tourism is now king.
My boyfriend, Steve, and I have made it a tradition of sorts to spend a short weekend here at the onset of summer, two years in a row that we’ve both been beguiled by the authentic character of this old mountain town. No fast foods and not a single stoplight either. Instead Ouray claims bragging rights to a quaint collection of B & Bs and down-home lodges, a jumble of fun shops and restaurants, world-renowned hot springs and a gorgeous hotel that is itself worth the trip.
The Bodacious Beaumont
O.K., by now you know I love luxury hotels. Well, I’ve found my bliss at the beautiful Beaumont Hotel & Spa. Even if you just stop by for a drink on the patio, this hotel is a must in Ouray, a must-see in the Rockies. The Beaumont is a destination hotel that’s worth going out of your way to experience. And yes it is likely you’ll have to negotiate your schedule and maybe even some scary mountain roads to find your way to this remote part of Colorado. But do go. Once here you’ll experience the full glory of the golden days of mining when grand hotels were erected in remote little towns in order to properly receive the high rolling businessmen of the day. Built in 1886 during Ouray’s heyday, the Beaumont reopened in 2003 after having undergone a five million-dollar renovation lovingly carried out by Dan and Mary King. The hotel emerged from a near state of ruin as every detail—from its grand staircase to its flourish of ornate wallpapers—was restored, or exactly replicated, to its original Victorian splendor. In the hotel’s Tundra Restaurant you’ll be greatly impressed by the beauty of the dining room as well as the food and wine offerings. (The owner, Dan King, was a former wine merchant.) Dining in this dimly lighted, dark wood paneled space beneath high ceilings makes me feel as though I’ve landed in an old Scottish castle.
Yes, I do love the Old World and also anything Old World-ish in America as long as its exceedingly well done. Bulow’s Bistro, also in the Beaumont, is one such example. Its tiled floor, wrought iron accents, café tables and blackboard writings make me feel as though I’ve just landed in a French bistrot. Here, too, you can expect a remarkable choice of wines. It’s so reassuring to know that my French fix is only an hour away.
Outdoor activities reign supreme in Ouray but in truth, I’ve always just spent my time strolling around town, poking into shops and checking out a few of the natural spectacular attractions such as waterfalls, the hot springs, and the peaks, known as The Amphitheater, that encircle town.
The Utes were drawn to healing sources for both therapeutic and spiritual reasons, so it comes as no surprise that these springs were greatly revered by this tribe of native Americans. Descendants of Chief Ouray, the leader of the Utes, still frequent the original source where these springs flow from the base of the mountain into the Vapor Cave of The Wiesbaden, a lodge where a bathhouse once operated as early as 1879. Here Steve and I most like to loll in the Lorelei, a private outdoor soaking pool that assures you relaxation, rejuvenation and a near-sacred moment shared with your sweetie in steamy waters. Best to reserve in advance.
One of Several Private Tubs at the Box Canyon Lodge
From here, I recommend going back to your room, especially if it’s one of the spacious condo-types we once experienced at Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs. Or just flop into a seat at the Main Street Theater to watch the multi-media presentation San Juan Odyssey. (O.K., maybe you could head out for a libation or a bite to eat as well.) Narrated by C.W. McCall (of “Convoy” fame) with music by Aaron Copeland and The London Symphony Orchestra, this panoramic presentation takes you into the rugged peaks, the gentle valleys and the high mountain passes of the San Juan Mountains. You traverse some of the most spectacular terrain of the United States during this thirty-five minute show, embracing nature in all its gentleness and cruelty—from blooming wildflowers to charging avalanches—that so mark this part of the Rockies.
“If it’s there, you’ve got to climb it,” seems to be the motto of visitors and residents alike of this uncompromising land for the past century and a half. Whether you’re hiking, on a horse or jeeping, people tackle these awe-inspiring peaks with fierce determination and drive. I was grateful that the San Juan Odyssey transported me to some of the most reputed sites of the region: Yankee Boy Basin, Imogene and Engineer Pass, Mt. Abrams, all places I hope to venture to some day in person. But in the meantime, I’m perfectly content to experience them from the comfort of my theater seat after a relaxing soak.
Not surprisingly, the presentation—and perhaps the whole town—had the opposite effect on Steve. Our usual one-hour drive home turned into a four-hour expedition as Steve pulled off onto Last Dollar Road at the top of Dallas Divide. We rumbled past the broken down farm which appears in the opening scene of “True Grit” and forged forward onto the less-trammeled part of this old dirt road. Jostled and shaken in his beat-up Jeep, Steve and I felt like two rancheros out on the trail as “San Antonio Rose” blared from the CD player. I made sure Steve kept his eyes on the road but we both still marveled at magnificent mountain views from elevations as high as 10,000 feet.
We stopped just long enough to take pictures before approaching our descent into another heavenly mountain town, our beautiful Telluride. Now let’s be clear about the renowned back roads—most old mining roads—of the San Juans. We weren’t on Black Bear Road, the infamous course which begins at the summit of Red Mountain (just outside Ouray), passes by Bridal Veil Falls (the highest waterfall in Colorado), ending just beyond in Telluride. Thank goodness it wasn’t this one-way road where more than one traveler has met his demise. It was plenty challenging for me, however, just enough to give me a taste of the amazing high country exploration available in this part of the Rockies.
We vowed to go back and do more four wheeling along the area’s famous alpine loop in the fall. Fortunately I feel confident that such an excursion will include stops at my favorite watering holes and rest stops in Ouray, mostly because Steve’s grown attached to them as well. It’s nice to have more than one magical mountain town to call your own.
Beaumont Hotel & Spa, 505 Main Street, 888-447-3255 and 970-325-7000, 970-325-7050 (Bulow’s Bistro), 970-325-7040 (Tundra Restaurant), BeaumontHotel.com
The Wiesbaden Hot Springs Spa and Lodgings, Corner of 6th Avenue & 5th Street, 970-325-4347, WiesbadenHotSprings.com
Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs, 45 Third Avenue, 800-327-5080 or 970-325-4981, BoxCanyonOuray.com
San Juan Odyssey, 630 Main Street, 970-325-4940; best to call for show times.
Other Ouray Favorites
Ouray Hot Springs Pool, 970-325-7073
Mouse’s Chocolates & Coffee, 520 Main Street, 970-325-7285, MousesChocolates.com
Rockin P Ranch, 512 Main Street, 970-325-0434, RockinPRanch.com
Buckskin Booksellers, 505 Main Street, 970-325-4044, BuckskinBooksellers.com; open 365 days a year!
Best to check opening days and hours with most Ouray establishments since business is very seasonal.
Fun and Funky Shopping in Ouray
Food & Wine French Life Shopping Telluride: Food & Wine French Life Shopping Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Holidays and Every Day: Quality Not Quantity
Holidays and Every Day: Quality Not Quantity
Telluride’s Black Gold: Telluride Truffle Chocolate Truffle Sauce
I wish I had a dollar—or even a euro—for every time someone asked me how French women stay so thin. The most obvious answer is that they eat quality, not quantity. They also walk a lot, feel a certain societal pressure to remain slim and, of course, tend to be jazzed up on caffeine and alas, in many cases, cigarettes. If you’ve ever had a less-than satisfying meal, you know that that provokes cravings of something else. You’ll have that something else. And if you’re still not satiated, you’ll seek another something else. Typically people keep on eating until they consume something that tastes really good to them. I think this is a recurring theme in America.
I—like the French—prefer to eat well from the get go.
This is a big weekend we’re in the throes of, one loaded with greasy barbecue, mayonaise-enriched salads, lots of beer, gin and tonics, chips, brownies, gooey sheet cakes, you name it. Here in Telluride, we have one of the best Fourth of July celebrations in the country. It begins with an old-fashioned parade, followed by the Fireman’s picnic and a spectacular show of fireworks at dark. I’m already thinking ahead to my special treat: a hot fudge sundae from Telluride Truffle, topped with real whipped cream.
Yes, this is the first summer that Telluride Truffle is able to serve up delectable goodies from its own stunning sweet shop located in the heart of town. Patty Denny, owner and chocolatier extraordinaire of Telluride Truffle, opened this jewel box boutique at the end of last year in the historic Nugget Building (which once housed the first bank robbed by Butch Cassidy). Visitors and locals alike have been thrilled. You can stop in here for a box of truffles, a bag of cookies, a piece of cake, or a chocolate sundae to be enjoyed at home or sur place. Good news: you only need to delight in a small amount at any given time since the quality is so fine. I love this little touch of Paree in T-ride!
You can luxuriate in most of the Telluride Truffle products in your own home by ordering from their online boutique. Type in promo code BonjourFD2015 in the Redeem Coupon Box to receive your 10% discount as a BonjourColorado.com reader. You must try the Telluride Truffle Chocolate Truffle Sauce, but remember that a little goes a long way. Promise me you’ll spoon it over superior quality ice cream.
You know where I’ll be on the 4th—I hope your holiday is sweet and sparkly as well
Click on the play button below to hear Patty talk about chocolate and Telluride Truffle.
Telluride Truffle’s Mountain-Inspired Treats
Food & Wine Restaurants The Rockies: Food & Wine Restaurants The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Likin’ Kelly Liken
Likin’ Kelly Liken
Kelly and Her Gourmet Snacks at the Vail Farmers' Market
I make a practice of finding out the names of top restaurants in every city and town I visit, thoughtful research I begin before I leave home and then complete at the end of my stay. From big to small, formal to casual, I love to compile a short list of the three or four recommendations most often provided. Usually I poll at least a half a dozen reliable sources—from locals to hotel managers—and pay close attention to the few names repeated with the greatest measure of enthusiasm. In Vail, Kelly Liken appeared on everyone’s list.
I enjoyed a fabulous dinner this spring at the namesake restaurant of this young chef and am sure that together with my friend and dinner companion, we regaled in one of the finest culinary experiences in the whole Vail Valley. Although Kelly was out of town at the time, to me she seemed to have all the makings of a top chef. Little did I know that she had already been pegged as a Top Chef contestant on the Bravo TV network at that time.
Rick, her charming husband, made sure that every aspect of our meal and wine tasting flowed smoothly. Clearly they make a dynamic team of food professionals; I loved the Americanized twist on the old French classic of the husband heading up the kitchen while madame works the floor. No wonder it appears that Kelly has so much hutzpah on Top Chef. You can taste it in her inventive dishes composed of the freshest and finest ingredients available to this tony Rocky Mountain town. I knew as soon as I entered the Chinese red decor of Kelly Liken that I’d be titillated by dishes full of flavor and panache. We left the restaurant with a jar of Kelly Liken homemade peach (from Palisades, Colorado, renowned for this juicy fruit) jam, delicately laced with ginger in our hands. Every time I sample this wondrous spread, I taste all the boldness of flavor and well-measured finesse of Kelly Liken’s inspired cuisine.
Kelly and Rick: Quite the Pair
It was fun to tune into Top Chef this week, a show I’ve heard much about but had never watched in its entirety. I was rooting for Kelly and another chef, Kenny Gilbert, who I came to know here in Telluride. I winced every time one of these two favorites found themselves up against the criticism and back-stabbing that seems to be such a big part of this show. How brutal! I would guess that some of the chefs wanted to wield their knives on something (or someone!) more than an onion.
Kelly’s back in Vail now but mum’s the word about her Top Chef standing. The fun continues on the air and at her restaurant, however, with a Top Chef Cocktail Party every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Hmmmm, I wonder if her wry smile belies her final Top Chef status. (The show has been taped after all.)
Kelly’s Summer Harvest Menu is of equal interest to me since it’s sure to represent the finest of Colorado. Every Sunday, Kelly sources and forages the finest goods at the Vail Farmers’ Market and constructs her Sunday evening menu around these offerings. Best to reserve well in advance since this meal, enhanced by a live jazz ensemble that begins at 8:30 p.m., is surely one of the hottest summer events in Vail. You can pick up some of Kelly’s gourmet snacks at this Vail Farmers’ Market, situated in the heart of Vail Village. Maybe you can buy some Kelly Liken ginger peach jam as well.
Kelly Liken, 12 Vail Road, Suite 100, 970-479-0175, KellyLiken.com
Note: Be sure to check your local listings for the Wednesday night airing of Top Chef on Bravo. In Telluride, for example, it’s on later than in Vail.
My Sticky Bun Indulgence at Kelly Liken
Art & Culture Food & Wine Hotels & Lodging Telluride The Rockies Travel: Art & Culture Food & Wine Hotels & Lodging Telluride The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Come to Colorado for Cowboys and Way More
Come to Colorado for Cowboys and Way More
T-ride's Town Park: the Quintessential Summer Festival Setting
Summer has popped here in Colorado propelling the season into a solid start. I wrote over a month ago in a previous post about how I attended two major tourism industry events last fall: one for France, one for Colorado. The mood at both gatherings was one of cautious optimism, although I’m sure the French nervosité about their tourism outlook was partly masked by the generous amounts of wine served throughout their program. It seems as though travel to these two fabulous destinations is shaping up nicely, perhaps even better than the travel industry experts might have hoped last fall.
I had a chance to schmooze with many of the movers and shakers from the Colorado travel world at the annual conference of the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) last November which took place at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, our Rocky Mountain state’s premiere property. As with French Affairs ’09, I only attended the social events of this meeting, get-togethers—both casual and high-brow (yes, even in Colorado)—that allowed many opportunities for networking and idea sharing among some of the top hoteliers in the state. I had just returned from the French travel industry event in New York City, so my desire to draw comparisons was sharper than ever. (If you’ve read this blog some, you know that France and Colorado are often my two frames of references, odd as that may seem!) Resulting verdict: the Coloradans’ professionalism—along with the food and wine they serve at their travel industry events—rivals the level of excellence associated with French hospitality.
Better yet, the notion of friendly service seemed to be emphasized even more at the CHLA event. Perhaps that was largely due to the fact that Karyn Ruth White, motivational comedian/author, kicked off the conference with a stand up routine, entitled Laughing in the Face of Stress for Service Professionals. She delivered a very funny, very real look at the pressures, demands and frustrations that come with working in the customer service field. Karyn Ruth emphasizes the importance of “humortunities,” opportunities for injecting humor into stressful and unpleasant situations. We shuffled off to the Wild, Wild West reception, chuckling about the often craziness of travel and how we—as both travelers and travel professionals—would fare better if we approached certain happenings and encounters with more levity.
I think I’ll try some of Karyn Ruth’s recommendations on the French next time I travel to Paris or the provinces. There must be a clever way of laughing off “Ce n’est pas possible, madame.” Listen to the podcast of an interview I did with Karyn Ruth for lots of laughs.
Here in Telluride, we’re in full festival mode. Like most of the other Rocky Mountain towns, festivals dominate our summer scene. But in T-ride, we’re king of the festivals, many of which have been taking place for well over three decades. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival drew near record-breaking numbers last weekend, ringing in the beginning of summer with four days of extraordinary music, good fun and irrepressible sunshine. This weekend it’s Telluride Wine Festival’s turn, then the Plein Air Festivals in Telluride and Aspen are up. And the happy beat goes on—as throughout most of Colorado—all the way until the end of September.
No wonder so many people come here to vacation in the summer. And you might have thought we’re just all about cowboys, hikers and hippies. Thankfully we have them, too, but we also have a culture and sophistication that rivals most European destinations.
This is actually a good part of the reason I live here.
Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association, ColoradoLodging.com; contact them to receive your complimentary copy of the Summer Vacation Planner.
Thank you to Merrick Chase, from Telluride Photography, for the photos that accompany this story. You can purchase images of Colorado and more from Merrick’s site, TelluridePhotography.net.
A Sultry Summer Scene in Colorado
