Beef, it’s what’s for dinner every night at Panzano restaurant inside the Hotel Monaco, thanks to car czar John Medved and his wife, Debbie.
The car couple started Bear Mountain Ranch in 1997 to raise Angus and Scottish Highlands cattle. They have an exclusive agreement to sell steers to Panzano executive chef Elise Wiggins, who uses nearly the entire animal in daily specials, staff meals, lavender soap and candles.
“There are enough different kinds of steaks that I can run a steak done in a different way every day, and use up parts of the steer,” said Wiggins, right. “The ethnic staff we have at Panzano are using the more interesting parts. These are people who grew up — because they’re Hispanic in most cases — cooking hearts and kidneys and speciality items.”
On Saturday, Wiggins held a tour, cooking class and lunch at Bear Mountain Ranch for roughly 40 people. The animal facilities on the ranch were designed by Dr. Temple Grandin, a professor of animal husbandry at Colorado State University and a renowned autistic author and consultant who uses her autism to help make decisions on animal-welfare issues.
Once mature, the cattle meet their demise at a slaughterhouse in Elizabeth and are brought to Tonali’s Meats in Westminster for dry aging and processing.
“I use ground beef for bolognese sauce and a burger on our lunch menu,” Wiggins said. “I make soap and candles — which I give to regular customers — out of the rendered fat.”
The Bear Mountain steer program is just one of Wiggins’ many efforts in her mission toward using local and sustainable food at Panzano.
In it to win it.
Celebrity Nick Lachey, co-founder of , will visit a auction winner at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Westminster before sorting and packaging food at Denver’s Food Bank of the Rockies.
Denver is Lachey’s 14th stop on an 11-day tour of the U.S., which began in his hometown of Cincinnati. He is raising awareness on hunger by volunteering at various soup kitchens and food banks.
There is such a thing as a free dinner.
Their team lost Friday, but six ThunderRidge High School 15-year-old girls were winners at a pre-homecoming-game dinner at Maggiano’s in the Denver Tech Center.
The darling decked-out girls were rewarded for apparently having good table manners and being polite because the couple sitting next to them picked up the girls’ $160 dinner tab.
“Thank you to the couple who does see the good in teenage girls!” Katy Powell‘s mom, Amy Thomsen, wrote in an e-mail.
The seen.
Del Frisco’s must be a good sport. Colorado Rockies outfielder Seth Smith celebrating a birthday at Del’s on Saturday; former Denver Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith and, at a separate table, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and wife Annabel, dining during a pre-game dinner Saturday. Also, Bronco Andra Davis and his wife, Monique, dining on steak and lobster Friday.
Eavesdropping.
A man at the CSU library:
“Never criticize yourself for something you haven’t done yet.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@ .
