Eater Denver: All Posts by Grace BoyleThe Denver Restaurant, Bar, and Nightlife Bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2017-04-03T11:11:26-06:00https://denver.eater.com/authors/grace-boyle/rss2017-04-03T11:11:26-06:002017-04-03T11:11:26-06:00Teri Rippeto on Two Decades of Potager
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<img alt="Teri Ripetto and her Father, co-owners of Potager" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MF_8goqPDBxDHAZh5u_WoCg-Mh4=/98x0:792x521/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53932913/2012-08-17_12.27.30-1.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Teri Ripetto and her Father, co-owners of Potager | Teri Ripetto</figcaption>
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<p>Teri Rippeto sits with Eater and dishes on growing up in Missouri, her propensity for simplicity, the generous time off she gives her staff, favorite dishes, more.</p> <p id="X2K0uO">Teri Rippeto is a resolute, unpretentious, and straightforward restaurateur and chef. She seeks not the spotlight and marches to the beat of her own drum, one that sounds of unwavering beliefs around eating organic and local and serving food in the simplest, yet most authentic way.</p>
<p id="cSsR6J"><strong>The Early Years:</strong></p>
<p id="Fbnb5w">Teri admits she isn’t exactly sure where her commitment to a simplistic, unwavering lifestyle and seasonal food philosophy came from. She didn’t really eat good food growing up, her mom wasn’t a particularly good cook, and most of the time she ate pizza from the pizza shop her dad owned. Her entrepreneurial spirit though has been strong since the beginning. In high school, she had her own painting business and she has owned her own businesses since.</p>
<p id="HNU3pk">In her 20’s when she attended <b>California Culinary Academy </b>in San Francisco, she loved being part of California’s organic food movement in the center of the burgeoning food city. This period awakened her to food from around the world. She cites Alice Water and Jeremiah Tower of Chez Panisse and Margaret Fox of Cafe Beaujolais, as early culinary influencers of hers while she was becoming a chef on the west coast.</p>
<p id="WM0vS3">Before opening Potager in Denver, Teri had already lived in Seattle, San Francisco, and St. Thomas. Her father and her opened a restaurant in Missouri after culinary school, but they both agreed in 1997, there was a lot more potential in Denver. With no investors and capital raised solely from their own pockets, she moved to Denver to open Potager with her father as her business partner.</p>
<p id="MnmP6D"><b>"My dad put everything on the line for this restaurant and we launched with not a cent of working capital."</b></p>
<p id="dN4rOs">"We should never had made it," Teri shares but smiles slightly mischievously as she says it was probably her "dogged stubbornness" to not fail, that kept them alive.</p>
<p>In the early days, "no one came" to the restaurant for what felt like a "long time." It was five years before she was able to pay their bills. Everyday she would worry they would go out of business.</p>
<p id="afJFDz">She remembers a turning point when <i>The Denver Post</i> started to feature them. In 2008, their grassroots marketing (and really the only marketing they’ve ever done, even to this day) began by starting a Facebook page to communicate with and reach their customers.</p>
<p id="03xlpO">Although it wasn't overnight, now 20 years later, Potager is still in its original location and what many would call a culinary institution, as a well-loved cornerstone of Denver’s dining scene.</p>
<p id="4qo0PB"><strong>Cooking to Connect People: </strong></p>
<p id="BvXZFU">"I believe in connections," Teri shares. She feels its her mission in life to bring seasonal and local food to the forefront of people’s minds and set an example as a steward of the earth. She earnestly hopes her work may inspire others to do the same in their own day-to-day. For Teri, this is a way of life, it always has been for her.</p>
<p>Even from a young age Teri says she can always remember what people had to eat. She never forgets.</p>
<p>"Very early on I realized it was the memory invoked within each of us that ties together people and food." The same remains when her regulars come in. She always remembers what they ate and what it might have meant to them.</p>
<p id="c3sVDY"><b>Potager's Food: </b></p>
<p id="F2LmzD">Asking about the local and organic food scene in 1997, Teri shares that for years she would go directly to the farmers market each week and pick produce by hand. This was well before farms starting delivering to restaurants. The first two years she only went to the Boulder Farmers Market.</p>
<p id="1gWtER">She never introduced herself because she believes in creating an authentic connection and by nature she approaches her work with quiet humility. Back then, most farmers wouldn’t sell to restaurants given their demanding nature and volume, so she worked on building relationships just as a consumer who loved and supported their food.</p>
<p id="GpuEHE">Teri shares that Pachamama Farm in Longmont was the first farm to ask what she did and to learn about Potager and her vision. To this day, Teri has a working relationship with 12-15 farms that she’s constantly sourcing from that have been built on a foundation of 20 years of friendship and supporting each others' businesses. Teri admits this path isn’t easy.</p>
<p>"Unless you have the commitment," for serving local and seasonal food it won’t be done. "It’s easier to not do it."</p>
<p id="qxKLIA">Potager’s menu rotates every four weeks to reflect the most seasonal cuisine. Teri shares through her staunch commitment to local and seasonal, she approaches menu building in the inverse of many restaurants. Many chefs will build their menu, then list everything they <i>need</i> from their purveyors. Teri does the opposite. She finds the local ingredients that are available to her, then presents the list of ingredients and the menu is built off of seasonal availability - nothing else.</p>
<p id="gn7nld">When asked about her favorite way to cook, she paused to think as she stirred a frothing sauce for a dessert she was making. Then she shared, "I love to keep things simple." She prefers to find a way to showcase the food in its most natural and rustic state. She lands on skewered baby red tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and salt, then grilled as one of her favorite dishes.</p>
<p id="eaJAQQ">She refers to the saying, <b>"simplicity is complexity resolved,"</b> feeling like it describes her work and philosophy quite aptly.</p>
<p>All throughout her life, she has lived simply and cooked simply. With trends and cooking techniques, her resolve and style never swayed. She has steadily kept cooking the same way she knew how all these years.</p>
<p id="C4F60z"><b>The Staff and Service:</b></p>
<p id="iJBDHw">Although Teri has had much of her staff with her for years, she notes that as of last summer she had a large shift with a new group of staff coming on board. Although there was immense closeness and no turnover for years, she admits fresh faces are a way to reinvigorate the excitement about seasonal food and what the restaurant is doing in their 20th year.</p>
<p id="f2AkZE">For many years, Teri trained every single staff member and was also the head chef. She trained everyone on the likes of their philosophy, farming, who they work with, and every ingredient in every dish. As she shares she armed them with "tons of information."</p>
<p id="xiiqlO">Now with a Service Manager, Bar Manager, and Head Chef they are able to help her in the front and back of the house and she lets her years of prior influence and training go through them. Up until two years ago, she cooked at the restaurant every night.</p>
<p id="5QxT7f">Teri jokes it’s probably better now she’s not the only one training or in charge, as she is just "not tolerant of people if they don’t know how to do their job."</p>
<p id="WlJ8Lz">She trusts her staff - from the dishwasher, to the hostess, to the waitstaff - to properly and authentically represent Potager. "I empower them to be authentic," because simply put, "I don’t like bullshit."</p>
<p id="EoHuQ2">Furthermore, the care and understanding involved in their business takes time. Teri believes "nobody is really useful for a year. It takes a while to know all four seasons well."</p>
<p id="jHdewZ">Citing the longevity and commitment of her staff, Teri believes it’s because they’re part of "something bigger than ourselves," at Potager. She says her philosophy is the opposite of most restaurants where their only prerogative is to be profitable. She doesn’t do parties nor are they open for lunch or brunch. They also close twice a year for vacation and everyone working in the restaurant (including herself) gets three days off, every week.</p>
<p id="ThraCj">She admits they lose a lot of money when the entire staff goes on vacation. But she believes in also having a life so everyone she works with can be happier and healthier. This is the best example she can set for her vision and being true to Potager as it’s about living in a healthy way. Every six months her and her dad talk about the vacation and the loss of profit that hits them, but it’s something she’s had since the beginning and she doesn’t want to give that up.</p>
<p id="nsHrsY"><b>Changes Since 1997 and What's Next?</b></p>
<p>When asked about what feels different from 20 years ago, Teri cites that "we weren't emailing or texting, we actually had to pick up the phone and have a conversation with one another. When someone needed to talk to me, they stopped by and we talked. I spoke to farmers two to three times a week. Both of it, not only learning about what they had or what they needed, but learning about each other and our lives..." was immensely impactful to her and built lifelong friendships. Now, speed and convenience have taken hold and it's a direction that does feel different.</p>
<p>Teri acknowledges, "there are so many people over the years that mean so much to me and the success of Potager." Overtime, that "happened in real conversations and connections. My hope is that we will continue to represent this in the world and that we will continue to have meaningful conversations."</p>
<p>The other difference? The growing food scene in Denver and the flux of restaurants Teri's watched flourish around her. Yet, she does hear as a hot new restaurant opens, people scuttle off to try it, and then they end up coming through her doors time after time. People still want something steadfast, delicious, and the same commitment to seasonality they have been eating for 20 years.</p>
<p>And without fail, that’s surely what they’ll get.</p>
https://denver.eater.com/2017/4/3/15085980/potager-20th-anniversary-denver-teri-rippetoGrace Boyle2017-02-14T10:56:13-07:002017-02-14T10:56:13-07:00Fifteen Years of Cuba Cuba: Ups, Down, and Hard Work
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<img alt="Kristy Bigelow Owner of Cuba Cuba in Denver" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TnkNHPfyHBwGW10amRUAP2FgB18=/0x405:2783x2492/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53238305/Kristy_Bigelow_Cuba_Cuba.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kristy Bigelow Owner of Cuba Cuba in Denver | Kristy Bigelow</figcaption>
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<p>Kristy Bigelow, owner of Cuba Cuba, shares what fifteen years in the restaurant business has taught her from her longtime loyal staff, to their infamous très leches, to how she ensures her food stays authentic.</p> <p id="APiHo5">Kristy Bigelow remembers July 27, 2001 very well. Through laughter, she says it was the "worst birthday of my life." It was the day she turned 28 and also the night when she opened <strong>Cuba Cuba. </strong>"I rolled up in a ball at the end of that first night saying to myself, ‘I can’t do this!’ I didn’t know what I was doing. We had a two hour wait the first night."</p>
<p id="ZMA7Mi">Despite a slight foray into waitressing, she had never owned or opened a restaurant before. But from the next day forward she said with determination, "when we reopened the following day, I never turned back."</p>
<p id="S9ryvZ">And today? They’re going on 16 years of business, continuing to prove being a mainstay in the Denver dining scene.</p>
<p id="MUnwsa"><strong>Growing Up Cuban in Miami:</strong></p>
<p id="BGdWAh">Bigelow’s mother fled from Cuba in 1959 and raised her children in Miami. With Bigelow’s generation (born in the early 70’s) she shares, "we were raised <em>so </em>Cuban [in Miami]. It was like a bubble. We were raised in the same manner as if we were<em> in</em> Cuba. I didn’t know any other way. We ate Cuban food 100% of the time at home."</p>
<p id="yyFfYF">When asked about the food she was raised on she remembers with comfort the rice, beans, plantains, yucca, bistec empanizado (breaded steak) and lechon asado (slow roasted pork). She muses that she didn’t start eating vegetables until she was 27. She remembers watching her mother push aside her vegetables, so she always did too.</p>
<p id="E3JnW4">Being raised with a very traditional Cuban mother, Bigelow said she was required to live at home all the way through college. She lived under her mother’s roof until she graduated.</p>
<p id="z7t2gI">When Bigelow turned 21, she ventured out to Breckenridge and she worked at the (still open and successful), <strong>Eric’s</strong>, as a waitress. Shortly after, she moved down to Denver in 1994 to get her masters in social work. This is when she met her husband Brian who is from Denver. Bigleow jokes, growing up she had the nickname <em>"Gringa"</em> because she always liked American boys.</p>
<p id="nlfnQz">Homesick for her culture and the food she grew up with, she began scouring Denver for Cuban or Caribbean food. In 1994, there was really "nothing" to speak of at the time which started her search and hunger for good Cuban food.</p>
<p id="w41lRq">She remembers <b>La Azteca, a small Mexican restaurant in Aurora</b>. The owner’s wife was from Cuba so once a week they would serve Cuban food off the menu. Bigelow would always plead with them to open a Cuban restaurant but they never ended up doing it. This is when Bigelow began toying with the "crazy" idea of opening her own restaurant.</p>
<p id="mKqWHM">As a family therapist, she realized she wasn’t as fulfilled as she hoped she would be. This dissatisfaction fueled her desire to start doing something she really loved and consider her Cuban restaurant idea.</p>
<p id="7irKRF">When she got married in 1999 she was<i> still</i><em> </em>talking about opening a Cuban restaurant. With her husband’s final push to take the leap she decided to go back to waiting tables while she was still a therapist to try and get back in the groove of being in a restaurant.</p>
<p id="okru48"><strong>The Beginning Days:</strong></p>
<p id="o3kF21">Bigelow had written her business plan and purchased the house in Golden Triangle but she still had no cook lined up.</p>
<p id="N6EECL">"Six months before I open, I get a call from my brother Gui, who ran into our half-brother, <b>Enrique</b>, that I hadn’t spoken to in years. He was 22 at the time and was a line cook in Miami. He had never run a kitchen on his own, but was a talented cook working with good restaurants in Miami. I didn’t even know he worked in restaurants since it has been so long since I’ve seen him. He came to visit and agreed to open the restaurant with me as head chef. He was the original Cuba Cuba chef and was with me for eight years. When he left, he trained our now current chef Carlos Nava, who in total, has been with us for 13 years."</p>
<p>Chef Nava started as their dishwasher in 2002. "My brother never hired anyone from culinary schools. He liked to see someone work their way to the top."</p>
<p id="3UTond">Bigelow enjoys looking back at her and her brother; two young 20-something siblings opening a restaurant, both for the first time. Fast forward to present day, <strong>Enrique Socarras </strong>is an iconic, well-known chef in the Denver area who was part of The Denver FIVE and has been at the helm of other local greats such as Centro Latin Kitchen in Boulder and Revelry Kitchen in Denver.</p>
<p id="3sVDZ9"><strong>The "Cubanization": </strong></p>
<p id="dKRjmb">Upon opening, Cuba Cuba was the only Cuban restaurant in Denver and they were also one of the few boutique restaurants in the area.</p>
<p id="9LuHhF">When it came to food education it was and is a still a big emphasis for Bigelow. Internally, Bigelow also takes a lot of deep care with her staff. She lovingly calls it the "Cubanization" of her staff and it’s part of her training program. A server won’t hit the floor until they’ve had a personal session with her. She tells them the history, she goes over the menu "top to bottom" and even outlines what Cubans might actually ask for from ingredients to specific dishes.</p>
<p id="5gkzFb">"I like them [the staff] to be educated, so they’re as Cuban as they can be," she shares.</p>
<p id="iwRSyT">This personal touch goes a long way. Bigelow proudly shares that a large portion of her staff have been with her for years. Robyn who started as a bartender 14 years ago, now manages Cuba Cuba. Her bartender Andre has been with her for 12 years. Another bartender, Lauren has been with her for six years. Bigelow rattled off name after name that had been with her for years. It’s no wonder Bigelow hand picks all of her staff. As she calls it, they’re all her "familia".</p>
<p id="7ua13w">"My husband wants me to create a training manual" to help with all the onboarding. Bigelow disagrees. "I don’t want to write it out on paper. There’s a naturalness about how it should be. I still struggle with cloning myself. It’s hard to not have my hands on molding every single one, at every single moment."</p>
<p id="8VkVop">Bigelow describes her emphasis and personality as "culture oriented." She covers front of the house and although she doesn’t boast being a great chef, she at least does all the tasting and confirmation for authenticity.</p>
<p id="XsYHoF">Even 15 years in, last week she was tasting rice to confirm they had the exact right rice at one of her shops because of its importance to Cuban food.</p>
<p>Bigelow's desire to have her culture be truly felt is obvious. She focuses on it all the time from having the right alcohol, music, the ambiance and even the pictures on the wall. She wants people to feel transported.</p>
<p id="qhk3ff"><strong>The Food: </strong></p>
<p id="0YaFbr">Initially, she had to really push to find the right authentic ingredients. Her mom used to mail her Cuban cracker meal. She likes her Cuban bread from Miami (nothing else will cut it) so it’s sent from Miami in logs, she rises it in Denver, then cooks it.</p>
<p id="QvIJ8u">Nowadays, getting access to the right food from Miami and Cuba is a lot easier.</p>
<p id="zelQOc">Her most requested and popular dishes are the plantains, their seafood paella, and her creamy tres leches cake ("number one dessert of all time," as she says).</p>
<p id="jmqvWp">Bigelow’s personal favorite? The <b>roasted pork sandwich</b> and Cuban sandwich which can of course be found at any of her sandwicherias.</p>
<p id="Jn6XTY">When someone is looking for a truly Cuban dish she points them to the well loved <em>vaca frita</em> - mojo marinated flank steak, seared crispy with sautéed onions, white rice, black beans, and maduros (sweet plantains, fried once). She also suggest their <em>picadillo al caballo</em> (ground beef plate) that comes with sofrito, raisins, potatoes and olives stewed in a light tomato creole sauce, white rice, fried egg and maduros.</p>
<p id="HzvGEy"><strong>Present Day: </strong></p>
<p id="iOgWtr">Fast forward to 2017, Bigelow has expanded quite a bit. She has four sandwicherias around Denver: Glendale, Denver Tech Center, Highlands Ranch, and Northfield. Not to mention, the original Cuba Cuba is still going strong.</p>
<p id="9Qyp3R">As far as the Sandwicherias success, she shares that The Denver Tech Center location does the best for lunch and catering. She sees the overall biggest number at Glendale because it has a full bar.</p>
<p id="DYIWT9">All this success isn’t without immense hard work. Bigelow insists on "pumping" all of her restaurants "full of love" and she admits it’s hard because she can’t be in multiple locations at once. Now after giving it her all for 15+ years, she also has a staff she can fall back on when she wants to spend time with her two daughters, son, and husband. She jokes even when she goes to Miami for a month in the Summer to be with her family, she's excited to be back and get back involved with everything.</p>
<p id="qTqqKd">When asked about her special moments, she loves when she has people come to her restaurant and they start crying (particularly those from Miami or Cuba) because they are truly transported and feel at home. She noted even last week she was personally working the register at her Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria in Highlands Ranch and a Cuban couldn’t thank her enough.</p>
<p id="srzRWc">When asked how she juggles it all she shares, "<b>A lot of help. I surround myself with a good team. </b>My team and I all share the same philosophy in how we run our shops. I want it to be run where everyone feels good about where they work."</p>
<p>Finally? Perhaps the most important piece to their longevity?</p>
<p>"They all have the same kind of respect for the food that I do."</p>
https://denver.eater.com/2017/2/14/14594020/cuba-cuba-anniversary-history-kristy-bigelowGrace Boyle2016-12-27T08:40:20-07:002016-12-27T08:40:20-07:00The Ultimate Guide to Celebrating New Year's Eve In Boulder
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<p>Ring in 2017 with these special events and dinners in Boulder</p> <p>Looking for something special to do to ring in 2017? We've compiled 13 of the best New Year's Eve bashes in Boulder, listed in no particular order From a roaring 20's party, to decadent multi-course meals that end in champagne toasts, to large vats of paella shared table-side, to live music and salsa lessons, we've go you covered. And happy New Year!</p>
<p>If you are in Denver, check out these <a href="http://denver.eater.com/maps/the-ultimate-guide-to-new-years-eve-in-denver-2016">55 options </a>for everything from brunch to midnight toasts and everything in between.</p>
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https://denver.eater.com/maps/best-new-years-eve-boulderGrace Boyle2016-11-14T10:35:32-07:002016-11-14T10:35:32-07:00Goose Sorensen Celebrates 15 Years at Solera
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<img alt="Chef/Owner Goose Sorensen of Solera" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n780p_jvywNnSIGwpchmRw1yjd4=/0x0:3128x2346/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51769649/Goose_Sorensen.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chef/Owner Goose Sorensen of Solera | Grace Boyle</figcaption>
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<p>Chef/owner Sorensen muses on lawsuits, East Colfax, soup, and his journey of 15 years in the restaurant business </p> <p id="ridVl7"><strong>Goose Sorensen </strong>has always stayed true to his humble Wyoming roots. He’s the kind of stand-up guy that would selflessly do anything for his friends. He dutifully takes care of the entire scope of his restaurant, owning everything from electrical to plumbing to wine buying to cooking on the line. And perhaps most impressive of all, he doesn’t give up, even in the face of harsh circumstances.</p>
<p id="TI2wWg">Eater sat with Sorensen to uncover his early culinary days that began in a frat house to his storied and tumultuous loss with a partner that stole from him and his restaurant, to his favorite food to cook, to colored stories on East Colfax, to what has made Solera successful, despite massive setbacks for 15 years.</p>
<p id="ug6DwK"><strong>The Early Days:</strong></p>
<p id="KryR4p">His start in the culinary world began at his fraternity at University of Wyoming in Laramie. He was in school to be a game warden, but his frat’s chef quit, and he took over the job of cooking for 80 people. He eventually stopped going to class and became their full-time cook. The Governor of Wyoming tried his food at an event and told him, "This food is really good!" Sorensen recalls it was the first time anyone really told him something that he did was impressive.</p>
<p id="ZTUsNC">At the age of 20, he decided to move to Denver to pursue his culinary dream. He laughs about those early days where he lived in a buddy’s basement and his bed was on a dirt floor.</p>
<p id="8mWDQD">He joined Colorado Institute of Art’s two year culinary program and got a job at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. He was part of the opening crew there and stayed for a year as their potato fryer.</p>
<p id="TS0aAk">In his last year of culinary school, Corky Douglas spotted him sitting at a bar and struck up a conversation with him over his "King Ropes" hat, an homage to his Wyoming western roots. He encouraged Sorensen to apply for a cook’s position at his restaurant, <strong>Tante Louise</strong>. Sorensen became his sauté cook and he learned the subtlety of French cooking alongside working with fresh herbs and produce - something that at the time, he had never done.</p>
<p id="27gXu3">During his last semester of culinary school he walked into <strong>Mel Master</strong>’s kitchen at his famed, <strong>Mel’s Bar and Grill </strong>to look for a job.<strong> </strong>Within five minutes he was hired and pulling his knives out of his truck to jump on the line. He said they would "bang out 350 covers at lunch," and he loved the fast paced environment. Sorensen recalls his time with Master as not only the start of a lifelong friendship, but also someone who really encouraged and believed in him.</p>
<p id="LGSOUi">Mel knew Sorensen could "cook circles" around the other guys so just weeks later, Master opened <strong>Starfish</strong>, an elegant seafood restaurant in Cherry Creek, where Sorensen became the executive chef.</p>
<p id="rkaZZi">Sorensen jokes, "I was only a sous chef for two weeks of my life. I was 22 at the time [and was at Starfish for two years]. <strong>I haven’t had a boss since."</strong></p>
<p id="5QEKxi">Starfish received many awards and achieved great success. Sorensen moved into running the restaurant, but that’s when his first partner began stealing from him and the expenses became too costly, so he headed back to the open land of Wyoming for a break.</p>
<p id="SFdWLk">Sorensen has a deep love for fly fishing. To pursue that, he went to the Saratoga Inn, a small, picturesque resort where he served as a chef and fly fishing guide alongside his brother who was their General Manager at the time.</p>
<p id="U983mm">During this period he got the opportunity to stage in New York at <strong>Aquavit,</strong> where owner/chef Marcus Samuelsson offered him a line-cook job. Back in Wyoming, as he was getting ready to move to New York, he woke up on September 11th, 2001 and his plans were derailed. With uncertainty for what was next, he decided to pack his bags and move back to Denver.</p>
<p id="QTpXE8">He found himself in the unruly neighborhood of East Colfax, at a restaurant that started as JP’s (their tagline from an old photo Sorensen has reads: <em>beans, beef, and booze</em>). Next the space was Firefly Cafe for years, and then Ambrosia which had many challenges and needed a major overhaul. Sorensen recalls the opportunity to take the space and make it his own, "fell into his lap," and he couldn’t say no. He initially took the Executive Chef position and later bought the restaurant with a partner and friend from his days at Starfish. Unbeknownst to him, this decision led to years of strife, loss, and setbacks.</p>
<p id="lXZyZk">Kicking off the 50/50 partnership, Sorensen and his partner completely redid the building and named the restaurant Solera. Sorensen oversaw the back of the house and food, and his partner oversaw front of the house and operations.</p>
<p id="6JiKhf">Sorensen’s brother who was bartending for him at the time, was the one who initially felt something was off with his partner. As Sorensen starting digging around, he uncovered issues. At the same time, his partner approached him and said he would be leaving in a month, but he was gone the next day and completely disappeared without a trace.</p>
<p id="4dDtLK">His partner took $40,000 worth of wine, $10,000 in cash, and he hadn’t paid rent on the restaurant in two years. The next day the IRS showed up and soon after, their lawyers sued Sorensen for $108,000.</p>
<p id="DgDirj">Sorensen found himself with <strong>five lawsuits against him </strong>and as he lamented, "not a pot to piss in." He learned the hard way that his partner has been embezzling money and stealing from him since the beginning.</p>
<p id="i7rQZB">This was only three years into Solera. For the next five years, the sheriff would perpetually show up at the restaurant serving him lawsuit papers or putting a lock on the door and his "parents retirement was over a barrel," in their attempts to help him.</p>
<p id="tFgw31">When asked why he didn’t just give up, Sorensen gravely shared, "I am from Wyoming.<strong> I am a person who doesn’t screw people over. </strong>I am a man of integrity."</p>
<p id="8tDHib">Still, times were tough. Every morning he would think to himself, "I don’t think we will be open next week." He shares, "It was a constant battle to keep the front doors open."</p>
<p id="naQw7Q">He was always negotiating with bills, dealing with bounced checks, rerouting and opening banking accounts, and slowly but surely working on paying everyone back. He remembers meeting with 70 banks during this time to refinance and get money to pay everything back.</p>
<p id="TP51Iy"><strong>Sorensen admits to parking five blocks away so no collectors would see his car at the restaurant.</strong> His staff would whistle when a rep came to the front door and he would run out the back door and hide on the roof when he didn’t have money for them that day.</p>
<p id="y7Zh3R">In a desperate attempt to keep things going, he gathered everyone that he owed money to and hosted them for lunch at Solera.</p>
<p id="PXMoZP">He was honest with them and said, "Here is what I owe. Will you help me? Will you work with me?" He vowed to pay every single penny back.</p>
<p id="2vXzHh">They all agreed to work with him despite his lack of accounting knowledge or tenured ownership background. To this day, they still want to do business with him because they know he pays his bills and is a man of his word.</p>
<p id="lx3g3R">Sorensen said he learned to lean into friends, family, and his loyal restaurant patrons for help during this dark time. He even had a regular customer help him pay back his lawyer debt.</p>
<p id="XxP30H">This time taught him that <strong>"there was no giving up. </strong>I’m not a giving up person. I have always made ends meet. It teaches you to be humble and appreciate help from friends along the way."</p>
<p id="UQiS7y">Sorensen can now see the silver lining and how resourceful this experience made him.</p>
<p id="SieFPg">"It’s taught me how to dry wall, do electrical, plumbing, and pretty much anything. Now I can also write a bad ass wine list." There’s nothing he doesn’t do himself. He even plows his own sidewalk and parking lot with his four wheeler that he stows in a neighbors garage behind the restaurant.</p>
<p id="ehakLA">Given his background, it’s important to Sorensen to be a supportive resource to his friends. He’s the guy everyone calls if something is broken with their restaurant. For those looking to get into the restaurant business, he’ll dutifully review their contract and terms.</p>
<p id="VelGzw">Fast forward to 2016, Sorensen learned the hard way, but he is the sole owner of Solera and he vows that he will never have a partner again. He’s very close to being debt free, he owns the building, and Solera celebrated 15 years of successful business in October.</p>
<p id="9onHfX"><strong>East Colfax - The Neighborhood: </strong></p>
<p id="IIuyLR">Sorensen admits East Colfax has undergone a lot of improved changes. He used to <strong>carry grizzly bear spray </strong>with him and had many a break-in at the restaurant. He remembers hosting a wine lunch with the Mondavi family and many wine influencers at Solera and to his dismay, he saw three prostitutes working the corner, outside his front window. This wasn’t uncommon.</p>
<p id="6Gchxv">He’s also realistic about the area, "I mean, I’m next to a Popeye's - it’s the bane of my existence."</p>
<p id="vuHywu">Over the course of 15 years, times have changed. He loves seeing the growth of the neighborhood and he sees himself as a steward of the community.</p>
<p id="N4Qrq6">"I’ve loved the progress in the neighborhood. There’s great energy here and I love the small, tight-knit community." Sorensen himself even lives nearby. The neighborhood even recently won a bid for $500,000 to do street and light improvements in the area through the Colfax Business Improvement District.</p>
<p id="s0QF2T"><strong>Solera’s Success:</strong></p>
<p id="AvBEti">Sorensen is grateful for his regulars who continually show up and make Solera what it has become. He credits the warm atmosphere, consistency, and not being too "chichi" as to why locals return year after year.</p>
<p id="sGRWV5">"Solera is like my house basically. We care. It’s cozy," says Sorensen. "There’s heart and soul to the restaurant."</p>
<p id="209dj1">When he started Solera, he saw a lot of French and Italian restaurants in Denver, but no Spanish influence. Since he loved Spain’s people and cuisine, he went for it.</p>
<p id="Ax9nYw">"The food is simple. They’re farmers and people who work the earth and use the best ingredients they possibly can." Sorensen said it all reminded him from where he came from. Not to mention, "They’ve been doing farm to table for hundreds of years."</p>
<p id="igjwsk">Although he focuses on changing his menu with regularity and his guys in the kitchen play around and have creative freedom, there are a few standbys.</p>
<p id="L6GBUg">They’re most famous for the calamari. When sharing this fact, he almost rolls his eyes, it’s something he did at Starfish 20 years ago, but people can’t get enough of it and he admits, "okay, okay, it’s good." His chefs make a bet each night on the first order, and it’s always calamari. He says people would go up in arms if he took it off the menu. It starts with a simple syrup of rice wine vinegar and chilies, and the calamari is dredged in cracker meal and flour, then fried. It’s then pan tossed with fresh mint, cilantro, spicy, roasted peanuts and cayenne peppers.</p>
<p id="ObHGng">He also sells a lot of their paella and their famed side dish, the truffle mac and cheese that has been on the menu for years.</p>
<p id="ZPPWlw">Sorensen is also proud of being a boy from Wyoming who can put together a decent wine list that’s filled with Spanish influence and 120 bottles strong. He hosts wine classes every Saturday for his staff, to ensure they’re educated and kept honest on what they’re providing customers.</p>
<p id="rJga08">He credits his staff for sticking with him and being such a part of the restaurant’s success, as well. His chef, Nick, has been with him for seven years and he’s just 26-years-old. He also had a bar manager with him for 11 years. They’re like family to him. All those years of strife, where he paid them before himself, pays off.</p>
<p id="0Ab1vJ"><strong>Looking Forward: </strong></p>
<p id="Qz33XP">These days, things are a bit more regulated for Sorensen. He still cooks on the line in his kitchen every Friday and Saturday night and although he ensures he still touches every part of the restaurant, he’s allowing himself to also look back and be proud of what he has accomplished in the last 15 years.</p>
<p id="mvnGeN">He has seen a lot come and go in Denver and is glad Solera has maintained all these years. Sorensen laughs knowing he’s in a unique category, "If I had a dime for every restaurant that closed in Denver, in the 15 years since we have been open, I would be rich."</p>
<p id="uajlv9">In his spare time he loves to tend to his garden. He rents out his neighbors backyard -behind Solera - where he plants and grows tomatoes, radishes, squash, eggplant, and herbs like mint and cilantro to help fuel his dishes. He plows the lot with his four wheeler and remembers the solace he felt in his garden during his tumultuous years. Next year he plans to put an irrigation system on the roof and grow tomatoes on the roof.</p>
<p id="nZB059">He spends time on charities and giving back to organization’s such as Brent’s Place and Colorado Youth at Risk. He puts his heart into every endeavor, and these opportunities to give back are no exception to his code of ethics.</p>
<p id="8NQ1kL">When he cooks at home Sorensen admits his favorite is to cook soup. He loves snowy days where he can hunker down and make curry butternut squash soup or a seafood chowder.</p>
<p id="RmCqOY">One of his fondest food traditions is cooking for his entire extended family in Wyoming on Christmas Eve. He joked initially it was to get out of going to church because he had so much food prep, but now it’s become a true production where he cooks steak and brings caviar and oysters from his restaurant. He makes a table side ceasar salad and his brother does the serving with him. He said typically 25 relatives show up and then he hosts a 70-80 person Christmas dinner the next day.</p>
<p id="gyNFPC">Currently, he’s collaborating with his longtime friend and Denver restaurant veteran, <strong>Jesse Morreale</strong> as the consulting chef for the soon-to-be open, <strong>Thunderbird Imperial Lounge.</strong> The restaurant is owned by Larimer Group and Sorensen is helping consult with the menu, food, and kitchen. He’s happy to be able to help as Solera is running smoothly now and he’s excited to see the opening which he believes should be within the next 2-3 weeks.</p>
<p id="fPr8SZ">In the end, Sorensen’s just glad he’s made it out alive and has something to show of it. He knows he didn’t get here alone and his humble and giving nature is a direct reflection of that.</p>
<p id="iFx3HO">"I’m not a prideful person, so I have to let myself be proud of what I’ve done," shares Sorensen. "After massive amounts of debt and negativity in my life, I’m now proud of what I’ve got."</p>
https://denver.eater.com/2016/11/14/13564636/solera-goose-sorensen-15-yearsGrace Boyle2016-11-03T08:36:52-06:002016-11-03T08:36:52-06:00The Most Innovative Ideas From the Forward-Thinking FoodBytes!
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<figcaption>Judges Choice Award winner: MadAgriculture’s Phil Taylor Pitching at FoodBytes! Boulder | Grace Boyle</figcaption>
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<p>Food trends and winners from the Boulder event </p> <p id="2ypiJR"><strong>Rabobank</strong>, the 100-year-old Dutch bank that focuses on food and agribusiness created <strong>FoodBytes!</strong> in 2015 in San Francisco. FoodBytes! is a food and ag pitch competition and networking event that brings together food, food tech, and ag-tech entrepreneurs and startups alongside investors, industry thought leaders, and media.</p>
<p id="57anM0">Rabobank’s emphasis is "banking for food" and through launching FoodBytes! they aim to provide the accessibility to a powerful network, generate more knowledge in the space, and create financial means for burgeoning food startups.</p>
<p id="5VbkhP">This was the first FoodBytes to be hosted in Boulder and it was held at University of Colorado at Folsom Fields’ Byron R. White Club on October 26th. This was FoodBytes’ fifth event which boasted 350 registrants.</p>
<p id="j8DlYD">Currently in their second year of business, FoodBytes! plans to expand internationally and their next event is in Sydney on November 3rd, 2016.</p>
<p id="k7JEFS"><strong>The Selection Process for Applicants:</strong></p>
<p id="rQyoKZ">In a private Eater interview with <strong>Manuel Gonzalez Guzman</strong>, Rabobank’s North America Head of Start-Up Innovation and Founder of FoodBytes!, Manuel shared that their application process looks at two core components. The first being: is the business scalable and showing growth? The second: what is the business’ social impact?</p>
<p id="iawqhR">Manuel echoed that, "the top 25 food companies in the world only drive three percent of category growth," so he believes in the range of smaller startups that are working on innovation from the ground up, to help drive GDP growth.</p>
<p id="XvyNZM">After applicants come in, a panel of Rabobank experts and 90 researchers around the world look by sector and rank and select the top 10. Manuel said the top three to five rise to the top quickly, then they delegate for a day of decision-making, on the final remaining.</p>
<p id="jQ1abI">There were <strong>over 150 applicants from 17 countries for Boulder FoodBytes! </strong>and just 10 finalists from around the world were invited to pitch their business in a five minute segment. Another 10 runner-ups were also invited to pitch their company for 60 seconds. The 20 companies get the opportunity to pitch their business to a room full of industry insiders and thought leaders who are all working to transform the world of food.</p>
<p id="TUIriu">The winners receive legal, branding, and recruitment consultation as well as another chance to pitch their business on Wall Street through an event hosted through Rabobank.</p>
<p id="8hLXr4">From an Airbnb-inspired approach to commercial kitchen space, to affordable real-time sensors that track perishable food from farm to grocer, to the world’s first and only insect based Bolognese sauce - the finalists at Boulder’s FoodBytes! were filled with innovation and inventiveness.</p>
<p id="2ggsBf"><strong>Food Trends: </strong></p>
<p id="3XvJ9H">In terms of food trends, Manuel sees the following as hot topics. He believes the food startups that aim to solve the below mentioned problems are needed more than ever.</p>
<ul>
<li id="3J6Jf3">Alternative Proteins (e.g. plant, cellular, etc.) </li>
<li id="ewKrpd">Traceability</li>
<li id="3SgcA4">Food Safety</li>
<li id="2n9s0q">Solving labor problems in agriculture</li>
<li id="aOkOdP">Food waste</li>
<li id="ZyfykD">Water</li>
</ul>
<p id="vzlpuM">Manuel believes amongst these growing trends that solving waste and water are perhaps the most impactful facing our food economic world.</p>
<p id="e1fJdl">When asked if there’s concern for the future of food, Manuel says because he sees such innovators trying to solve these problems everyday, his work actually makes him optimistic for our future because of the bright minds he gets to work with daily.</p>
<p id="qJs7gA"><strong>Boulder FoodBytes! Winners: </strong></p>
<p id="0vYSbl">Three recipients receive awards at each FoodBytes!</p>
<p id="DVIOkV">The Judges Choice Award<strong> </strong>went to <strong>Mad Agriculture</strong>, a Boulder-based company that harnesses the nutrient recycling abilities of insects to turn food waste into a protein rich feed supplement which lessens the dependence on unsustainable ingredients such as fishmeal and soy.</p>
<p id="rVWlAY">The People’s Choice Award went to Denver-based <strong>The Honest Stand</strong>. This award was crowdsourced from FoodBytes attendees. The Honest Stand is a gourmet food company that uses whole foods that are non-genetically modified to produce products that are vegan, gluten-free, paleo, soy free, yeast free, and cholesterol free.</p>
<p id="xwc67w">The third winner is their Highly Commended Award which goes to one of the 10, 60-second pitch runner-ups. <strong>FarmRaiser</strong> out of Maryland, won with their spin on the traditional bake sale that partners with local farmers and artisans to bring healthy, local food offerings to communities and students.</p>
<p id="nuO7ZJ">Manuel shares, "In our industry, growth is spurred from innovation. I truly believe that the visionary companies here at FoodBytes! Boulder are the solution-seekers who will positively transform the food and agriculture sector over the coming years."</p>
https://denver.eater.com/2016/11/3/13458820/boulder-foodbytes-winners-food-trendsGrace Boyle2016-10-20T10:53:49-06:002016-10-20T10:53:49-06:00The Guide to Drinking in Boulder
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<figcaption>The Bitter Bar | Facebook</figcaption>
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<p>Saloons to cocktail lounges, these are Boulder's best bars</p> <p>Boulder may be known for its farm-to-table fare, Ralphie the Buffalo and Colorado University, but there are also many a watering hole for one to enjoy all around the small city set in the shadow of the Flatirons. From a 93-year-old bar to an underground pool hall, a cocktail lounge, and a prohibition-era speakeasy that boasts the first legal, liquor license in Boulder, we've put together 12 of the best bars in Boulder just in time for you to hunker down with a drink, for the winter season.</p>
<p><span>Whether you're looking for high end cocktails, wine, or a pitcher of cheap beer, there's a little something for everyone to kick back and enjoy </span>libations<span> at these Boulder favorites.</span></p>
<p><i>Note: The businesses listed here are organized in alphabetical order. If we missed your favorite, you have options: Leave a comment on the post or send us a tip</i><a href="http://www.eater.com/contact?community_id=494#tip"> down the tipline</a><i>, explaining why a certain establishment deserves to be part of this list. </i></p>
https://denver.eater.com/maps/best-bars-boulderGrace Boyle2016-10-17T10:06:50-06:002016-10-17T10:06:50-06:00Two Spoons Closes in Boulder, Fior di Latte Takes Over
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<figcaption>Two Spoons Shutters | Photo: Andra Zeppelin</figcaption>
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<p>Two Spoons closes its doors, while Fior di Latte plans to expand into the space</p> <p>After nine years in business, ice cream shop <b>Two Spoons</b>, owned by Spruce Confections, has closed its doors. A notice was posted on the storefront at <b>1021 Pearl Street</b> <span>after closing earlier in October.</span></p>
<p><span>The message on the door reads:</span></p>
<p>"Thank you Boulder for 9 excellent years as your local scratch gelato/ice cream/soup shop! We are consolidating our efforts and focusing on wholesale. See our pints at Whole Foods. good news: Another amazing gelato shop from the folks at Fior di Latte will be taking over this space!! Thanks again and come see us at Spruce Confections -- our bakery cafe a few blocks West. Sincerely, David and the Two Spoons gang."</p>
<p><b>Fior di Latte</b> co-owner <b>Bryce Licht </b>confirmed the expansion. The gelato shop will stay in the current location at 1433 Pearl Street, four blocks east, but will take the opportunity to expand and launch this second location. Production will move to the Two Spoons location because it has a much larger kitchen than their current, and it's more equipped to meet their daily production needs to support their rapid growth.</p>
<p>Licht shares further plans for the second location: "in the new space, we'll offer the same great gelato, made fresh everyday, but with some tweaks and improvements to the presentation, menu, and service, based on our experience thus far."</p>
<p>Fior di Latte starts construction on the space next week and aims to have the second space up and running before Thanksgiving.</p>
https://denver.eater.com/2016/10/17/13261580/two-spoons-closes-fior-di-latte-second-locationGrace Boyle2016-10-07T12:36:08-06:002016-10-07T12:36:08-06:00Zoës Kitchen Made-From-Scratch Mediterranean Opens Outpost in Boulder
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<p>Zoës continues their Front Range expansion with the opening of its Boulder location on October 13th at the 29th Street Mall.</p> <p><span><b>Zoës Kitchen</b></span><span>, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain headquartered in Texas will open another Front Range location in <b>Boulder's 29th Street Mall</b> on October 13. Located at 1695 29th Street, Suite 1248, the menu is inspired by chef, </span><span>Zoë Cassimus, </span><span>and her Greek family recipes.</span></p>
<p><span>Zoës Kitchen entered the Colorado market with the opening of its Littleton restaurant in March 2016, and have since expanded to Westminster, Fort Collins, and LoDo. Boulder is the fifth </span><span>Zoës</span><span> restaurant opening this year in Colorado.</span></p>
<p>The Boulder location features the Mediterranean-inspired dishes including the likes of hummus, salads, kabobs, piadinas, a kids menu, and they offer catering. They also plan to offer beer and wine, and will have an indoor fireplace.</p>
<p>The space is 2,625 square-feet and seats 84 inside and 12 outside on their patio.</p>
<p>As part of their opening promotion, they're offering <a style="line-height: 1.24;" href="https://www.facebook.com/ZoesKitchen/app/1143761255677462/">Zoës</a><a style="line-height: 1.24;" href="https://www.facebook.com/ZoesKitchen/app/1143761255677462/"> for a year and 1,000 entrees, on Facebook.</a></p>
<p><span>The restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.</span></p>
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<li> <font face="Whitney A, Whitney B, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#3b3b3b"><span>VIA: <a href="http://denver.eater.com/2016/3/10/11189334/zoes-kitchen-littleton">Fast Casual Zoes Kitchen Brings its Mediterranean Fare to Littleton</a>, </span></font><a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://denver.eater.com/2016/8/9/12416920/Zoes-Kitchen-union-station">Union Station Gets Fast-Casual Mediterranean Eatery Next Week</a> </li>
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https://denver.eater.com/2016/10/7/13175674/zoes-kitchen-mediterranean-boulderGrace Boyle2016-03-10T11:01:57-07:002016-03-10T11:01:57-07:00Fast Casual Zoës Kitchen Brings its Mediterranean Fare to Littleton
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<figcaption>Zoës Kitchen | Facebook</figcaption>
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<p>This is the first of several Colorado locations planned by the Texas-based chain </p> <p><b>Zoës Kitchen</b>, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain headquartered in Texas will open its first Colorado location at 8501 West Bowles Avenue in Littleton's <b>Southwest Plaza Mall</b> o<span>n March 22.</span></p>
<p>The 21 year old business brainchild of chef <b>Zoë Cassimus</b><span> has more than 170 locations in 15 states across the country. Th</span><span>e menu is inspired by the chef's Greek family recipes.</span></p>
<p><span></span><span>Guests will find made-from-scratch dishes including hummus, salads, kabobs, piadinas, soups, pitas, and desserts like Ya-Ya's hand-made chocolate cake. There are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options and catering and a "fresh take" section of to-go items is also available for guests. </span></p>
<p><span>The Littleton location is a 2400 square-foot space with room for 78 inside and 34 on the patio. It will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. </span><span>Additional locations are coming to Westminster in Bradburn Village in April, Fort Collins in June, Union Station in August, and Boulder in November.</span></p>
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https://denver.eater.com/2016/3/10/11189334/zoes-kitchen-littletonGrace Boyle2016-02-03T14:21:30-07:002016-02-03T14:21:30-07:00Scotts on Alpine Opens in Boulder
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<p>The space that housed Radda and most recently, <a href="http://denver.eater.com/2014/5/12/6226197/ella-a-fine-diner-will-replace-radda-in-boulder">Ella</a>, is under new ownership as Scotts on Alpine.</p> <p><strong>Scotts on Alpine</strong> is now open in Boulder, housed in the space previously occupied by Radda and most recently Ella at 1264 Alpine Avenue. Owned by <strong>Doug Scott</strong>, the neighborhood eatery has been a longtime dream of the previous Whole Foods chef who has been in the restaurant and food business for over thirty years.</p>
<p>The space is special to Scott. Back when his daughter was born across the street at Boulder Community Hospital, it was a cold winter night and he ventured across the street by himself to celebrate with a glass of champagne. At the time, it was <strong>Market Grille </strong>and ever since, he's been inquiring about the space with each owner, always with a vision to own it. Now years later, it has come to fruition.</p>
<p>Aesthetically, Scott left the bar in the center of the restaurant as a focal point but changed the see-through shelving bar back flanked by translucent light, to showcase the liquor. They repainted the walls a steel grey, reupholstered the booths, added new flooring, improved the acoustics in the space with acoustic panels made of shredded trees, and added new retro lighting fixtures and hanging chandeliers. Two large paintings from Scott's treasured personal collection line the Western wall from a Santa Fe, New Mexico artist, Scott Anderson, and each table features fresh flowers.</p>
<p>The kitchen is led by executive chef, <strong>Kodi Kassel, </strong>a Denver native who is a graduate of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Kassel has worked for Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group, Flagstaff House, and most recently, at the Whole Foods Pearl Street store, where she met Scott.</p>
<p>Kassel and Scott plan to rotate <a href="http://scottsonalpine.com/index.php/scotts-menus-2/dinner-menu-winter-2015-2016/">the menu</a> four times throughout the year, to focus on seasonality. Although local isn't their only influence, they plan to serve the best food that's organic when possible, with inventive recipes with the likes of housemade French onion soup, sea scallops with lemon risotto, pork tenderloin with huckleberry ancho, ciopinno Italian seafood stew, and more. The food is described as "contemporary melting-pot American," and the menu is organized by appetizers, house-made pizzas in their wood fired oven, soups, greens, entrees, pastas, and desserts.</p>
<p>The daily happy hour boasts dishes for $10 or less, 20% off bottles of wine, and beer, wine, and cocktail specials.</p>
<p>The beverage program, led by <strong>Tabatha Klocke</strong>, brings a throwback reference they described as "your father's liquor cabinet" with classic cocktails featured like Sazeracs or Manhattans. Klocke has been in the industry for 19 years and has worked at 4580 and Centro Latin Kitchen and Restaurant, among others.</p>
<p>Scotts on Alpine is open 3:30 to 10 p.m., every day but Sunday, for happy hour and dinner. Brunch will follow in the spring.</p>
https://denver.eater.com/2016/2/3/10900160/scotts-on-alpine-boulder-openGrace Boyle