This month’s charitable focus is for a wonderful family that has suffered a great tragedy. I worked with both Joslyn and Ian at Little Goat and Duck Duck Goat in Chicago. Like me they found love in the restaurant and grew a small family. Due to complications during child birth Joslyn lost her life bringing their second daughter into the world. Ian is now tasked with raising two beautiful girls without his loving wife. If you are able, please donate to help with their medical costs and to support the girls as they grow up without their mother.
Fundraiser for The Reed Family
Summering Small
Every year, pre-pandemic, there has been a BIG summer trip in my sights. A beacon that guides me through the winter gray-blues, through the spring push and into the ease of late sunsets and more frequent Fridays off. The summer trip has usually been something requiring that I save money, book hotels in advance, plan train rides, browse ample restaurant options – the whole shebang. That ritual came to a screeching halt, along with normal everyday life on March 15th 2020. We hadn’t planned a huge trip for that summer yet because we had been planning the arrival of our smallest teammate, Frances, in early April. The intention was to visit family around the country and show off our new bundle, while accepting the much-needed help that came with it.
Fast forward two and half years and we still have not planned an extravagant summer vacation. Life works like that as you grow older. Your “vacation fund” turns in to down payment for Montessori school and you set your sights on the next summer. Although this summer did not involve wielding a passport to enter a new experience in a far-off place, it did create some lifelong memories, here at home. We were very strategic in our move to Colorado. When we left Chicago, one of the best cities in the world, we were in search of a home that offered adventure within a short drive from our front door. We wanted nature and open space but we also wanted a phenomenal dining scene, a smaller population but not a lonely remote feeling, politics that aligned with our views (that being a newer discovery), a stable school system and family close by. On our second try for that dream location, Colorado stood out like a lighthouse in stormy seas. Our list of places to visit within this state is very long and that excites me. For this summer we kept it close to Boulder. It has been a decade since I’ve lived in Boulder and so much has changed yet so much has remained the same.
The farm stand I frequented for Palisades Peaches is still on the corner of 75th and Valmont but Avery Brewery is no longer a dark dingy wooden building across from the golf course. It’s a behemoth modern establishment out by Twin Lakes. The beer is still good - Ellie’s Brown Ale remains at the top of my favorites list. Brainard Lake is a winding drive through the foothills and sits just above Ward, the tiny strange little hippie town. I kid you not - two men, most likely on some sort of psychedelics, were “dueling” in knights’ garb in the street as we drove through at 8:30 am. The lake isn’t a hidden gem anymore. It requires a day pass and there are paved parking lots, bathrooms and grills and picnic tables. The nature however is still perfect. Unknowingly we sheltered from some hail under a huge pine tree, just 20 yards from 2 moose grazing in the forest. On any random day of the week just looking outside is motivation enough to climb Chautauqua after a full workday at a desk. My Monday evening walk was greeted by the howl of coyotes, and I walked just a bit faster, while craning to catch a glimpse.
Boulder is wonderful and special and often receives the “You live in actual Boulder?” response. The dining scene could use a few more options and we plan to contribute someday but the standout restaurants here are world class. Frasca Food & Wine is always taking the top spot on national lists for it’s perfect service, incredible wine selections and beautiful food. We choose Pizzeria Locale, their kid sister, any chance we get. We’ve had dumplings at Zoe Ma Ma and Mason’s, happy hour at Centro and Bitter Bar, a few too many Margaritas at Rayback Collective, some incredible seasonal dishes at Oak at Fourteenth. We had shockingly good traditional European-style sours at Primitive in Longmont. I just had the pleasure of dining at new James Beard Award recipient Annette in Denver and it was so perfect it inspired a few items on the menu for this mailer. Burnt Cucumber Vinaigrette?? Are kidding me?! YUM. Speaking of Denver – that’s a whole other list to work on. There are some downright impressive establishments, just 35 minutes from home. Boulder isn’t technically a suburb of Denver, as it’s been here just about as long, but it is close enough to benefit from the “big city” vibes that Denver gives off.
It's been a joy rather than a drag to spend summer at home. We did skip town over the 4th of July to visit my mom and stepdad in their idyllic little town of Mosier Oregon, in the Columbia River Valley. The week in Mosier is an entire newsletter, even just to spotlight the vineyards surrounding their home. Our visit inspired several dinners at our home, including the pizzas on this menu. We have an Ooni oven, given to us as a housewarming gift and if you’re looking for a simple yet dynamic culinary investment this is highly recommended. We’ve used the compact wood burning oven for pizzas, focaccia, whole roasted fish and for this mailer – dessert. Though everything can be made in a regular kitchen oven as well. I hope you feel inspired to discover some wonder in your own locale. People have worked hard to establish businesses and keep the doors open during the pandemic and we owe it to them to be curious and excited by what is in our own backyards.
The Menu: