Let’s say some of your New Year’s resolutions are to eat healthier, and also to try more new restaurants. You can achieve both at “Tuesday Tastings” at the Lower48 Kitchen, which just had its one-year anniversary and is .
The restaurant, which celebrates the diversity of regional American cuisine from the lower 48 states, is offering a three-course menu for $36 every Tuesday, starting on Jan. 6.
Owners Mario Nocifera and chef Alex Figura, who met while working at
Frasca in Boulder, have created a general theme for the month of January — full-flavored but low-fat meals — with a specific theme for each week.
The first is, appropriately, resolution. Using ingredients and cooking techniques showcased in the regular menu, this tasting sets the pace for sticking to your plan.
On Jan. 13, the focus is smoked meats and vegetables, and on Jan. 20, it’s all about pickling and fermenting — which also happens to be one of the food trends experts are predicting for 2015. The idea is to see how pickled and fermented fruits, veggies, meat and fish can elevate a dish.
And on Jan. 27, the egg is the superstar, with Figura — who has worked at such stellar spots as the three-star Michelin restaurant El Celler de Can Roca in Spain — demonstrating how spectacular the venerable egg can taste.
With these special prices, the meals are also budget-friendly, which dovetails with any money-saving resolutions you might have made.
Lower48 Kitchen, 2020 Lawrence St. For reservations, call 303-942-0262.
Top-notch java
is finishing the year with a bang — it is the only Colorado roaster to make the list of by Coffee Review, a leading java guide.
The Boulder company’s award-winning coffee, tied for 29th place.
Coffee Review, which has published nearly 4,000 reviews of coffees and espressos, described this medium-light roast in the most tempting terms: “exotically pungent, deep, intricate” with a rich mix of flavors — “strawberry, mint, dark chocolate, banana, musky flowers, and a faint hint of brandy in aroma and cup.”
That makes you want to run right out and buy some.
The Colorado roaster, founded by Tamas Christman in 2011, made the list with top companies from the United States, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
The beans for Dragonfly’s Pacamara Reserve Los Congos come from the Los Congos farm in Nicaragua. Run by the Paguaga family, the farm has been among the country’s top coffee producers for several generations.
“We found the Los Congos Pacamara after a long search of tasting more than 40 coffees from the region and other areas in Nicaragua,” said Christman.
“I have a strong affinity for the Arabica cultivar ‘Pacamara’ (bean) which is a hybrid between ‘Pacas’ and ‘Margogipe’ and can exhibit a rather unusual flavor and aromatic profile.”
Or, in the words of Coffee Review: “Chocolate in particular carries into a sweet, resonant finish.”
The only place you can buy this coffee,
$18 for 12 ounces, is online at and they’re offering free shipping through the end of the month on orders over $50.
Some of their other top-ranked coffees can be found at places like Marczyk’s in Denver and Alfalfa’s Market and Lucky’s Market in Boulder. You can also grab a cup of Dragonfly to drink at Que’s Espresso in Boulder and Longmont, and The Trident Cafe & Booksellers in Boulder.
Dragonfly Coffee Roasters, 1501 Lee Hill Drive #22, Boulder. 303- 579-2154. dragonfly coffeeroasters.com.
Ladies love their bacon
Of the following three food items, which would you say women are most excited about — kale, bacon or cupcakes?
If you guessed cupcakes, or even kale, you’re way wrong.
According to the latest issue of Food & Wine, bacon is the overwhelming favorite (61.8 percent) followed by kale (22.1 percent) and then cupcakes (16 percent.)
And in Denver, bacon-loving women get really lucky this month because the Bourbon & Bacon Fest takes place on Jan. 24 at the McNichols Civic Center Building.
Savory bacons from regional and local producers will be paired with such bourbons and whiskies as Buffalo Trace, Fireball and 1792. Tasty samples will also be offered by such area restaurants as The Kachina and Sunnyside Burgers.
And Gigi’s Cupcakes is also participating, purveyors of such rare porky delights as the Canadian Maple Cupcake — a maple-bacon cupcake topped with maple buttercream frosting and sprinkled with a dash of bacon crumbles. (If you run that through Food & Wine’s statistics about most exciting foods to women, that’s two out of three.)
There’s no word yet on how ticket sales break down into genders, but VIP tickets are already sold out.
General-admission tickets for the 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. tastings cost $45 and are still available for purchase at getmyperks.com by adults 21 and over.
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083, coconnor@denverpost.com or twitter.com/coconnordp
