Nibbles: Fill Stockings in Good Taste

After checking our list, I’ve determined that some of you have been naughty, and that’s not nice. You’ve dawdled or agonized, until the last minute to find presents, hostess gifts and stocking stuffers.

Luckily, everyone on your list has at least one thing in common: They eat and have food and drink predilections you can help satisfy. Why wrap gifts in good taste when you can give presents that taste good?

Rocky Mountain Breakfast
Wake ‘em up with a pound of dark-roasted Kilowatt blend from Unseen Bean Coffee, a package of Lucile’s Creole Café Biscuit Mix and a jar of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, and a tub of delightful Epicurean Honey Pecan Butter. theunseenbean.com; luciles.com; epicureanbutter.squarespace.com

A Chocoholic Dream
Sweeten a disposition with truffles and dark chocolate-robed, candied lemon slices from Seth Ellis Chocolatier, a bottle of Ravenous Original Balsamic Vinaigrette with Dark Chocolate and a jar of Sundance Café Fudge Sauce. sethellischocolatier.com; ravenouschocolate.com; sundance-lodge.com

For the Inner Child
Please the kids and the grown-up kids with a combination of Ryder’s red varietal popcorn, a growler of Mountain Sun Brewery’s excellent Magic Root Beer (non-alcoholic) and a tube of Ice Box Bakery chocolate chip cookie dough. boulderpopcorn.com; mountainsunpub.com; iceboxbakery.com

Mile High Tea Time
Bring calm into a tea sipper’s life with a new tea kettle packaged with Cooper Tea Co.’s (Louisville) Zen in Black tea blend, a gift certificate to the authentic British-style Wildflowers Tea Room (Broomfield), a bottle of zesty Bhakti Chai tea concentrate, and a bottle of Madhava (Lyons) Wildflower Honey. coopertea.com; guest-house.com; bhaktichai.com; madhavahoney.com

Off the Menu
Foodies love gift cards but they’re a tad impersonal. Combine it with a copy of The Fawn Brook Inn Cookbook (Allenspark) or Jax Fish House Book of Fish, and a jar of the craveable Frasca Red Pepper Jelly. fawnbrookinn.com; jaxfishhousedenver.com; frascafoodandwine.com

{ eatery update }
 
CULINARY CALENDAR?
The Longmont Winter Farmers’ Market 9am–4pm at the Boulder County Fairgrounds features winter veggies, cheese and flowers. See boulderfarmers.org. …The Denver Urban Homesteading Market has debuted a year-round farmers and local foods market open 9am–2pm Saturdays at 200 Santa Fe Dr. Offerings include Colorado goat cheese, honey, apple cider, beef, granola, sauerkraut, organic chicken and numerous baked goods. See denverurbanhomesteading.com. …If you have got any upcoming foodie events, a culinary complaint or pie question, let me know at: [email protected].  

COMING SOON
Circle, a new restaurant/bar from Abos’ Pizza founder Steve Abo at 1035 Pearl St., Boulder, where Seven Eurobar was formerly located. …An Australian pub at 1724 Broadway next to Central Park. I worked in the first restaurant in that building, Yocum’s Studio Restaurant. That’s where I learned how to make Hollandaise sauce, prime rib and soups. Later that site was home to La Estrellita, a Chinese eatery, Alexander’s & Levorio’s Creekside Cafe and The Library Pub. …Boulder’s loss will be Broomfield’s gain as Herb’s Meats, a longtime and loyal purveyor of local foods and fresh meats, moves to 1000 Depot Hill Road, Unit A, from Basemar Center in January. …Keep an eye out for The Green Gringo, a new chef-operated food truck offering street favorites such as slow-cooked pork tacos, chile rubbed beef brisket sandwiches sweet potato fries and warm doughnuts. Find out where it will be at twitter.com/thegreengringo.

ON THE MENU
The best things I’ve tasted at North Metro area eateries in the past 30 days or so include the Nutella spread and fresh strawberry whole wheat dessert flatbread with a powdered sugar dusting at Modmarket, 1600 28th St., Boulder; the fruit-packed not-too-sweet cherry pie from Niwot’s My Mom’s Pie (available at the Niwot Market); the iconic rotisserie turkey Cobb salad with bacon and Gorgonzola at Salt, 1047 Pearl St., Boulder; the juicy, toasted prime rib sub at Big Dog Deli, 300 Nickel St., Broomfield; the classic Croque Monsieur sandwich at Brasserie Ten Ten, 1011 Walnut St., Boulder; and the comfortable mashed-potato filled pierogi with garlic cream sauce at Eggcredibles Café in the Days Inn, 5397 S. Boulder Rd. in Boulder.

NEWS
5280 magazine’s list of 10 Best New Restaurants 2009 includes Bradford Heap’s Salt (in the former Tom’s Tavern space) and Alex Schuyler’s Arugula (in the original Laudisio’s location). …Happy anniversary to Marie’s Café in Boulder for 30 years of breakfast, lunch and kolachi, and Louisville’s Blue Parrot has been plating thick-cut spaghetti for 90 years. …The Nov. 28 Wall Street Journal heaped praise on local restaurants Flagstaff House, Frasca, Salt, Black Cat and The Kitchen. The article declared Boulder “the best small city for great meals we know of in this country.”
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READER MAIL
“We are always looking for good, local brunch buffets. Besides Cinzetti’s in Northglenn and the Greenbriar Inn, do you have any suggestions?”

Certainly. Among the other regular (non-holiday) buffet brunches to consider are those at Chautauqua Dining Hall and Jill’s at the St. Julien in Boulder, Simm’s Steakhouse (Lakewood), Meritage at the Omni (Broomfield) and Ellyngton’s at the Brown Palace. Also, visit yellowscene.com to get a glimpse of the September Breakfast, Brunch and Bakeries issue.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“Heaped on the floor were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters…immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch.”
—A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens.

“How long does getting thin take?’ asked Pooh anxiously.” —From Winnie-the-Pooh