Food News: Aug. 2016

Sweet corn season

It’s farmers market season! There are so many delicious treats in season right now. Fill your shopping bags with carrots, kale, dill, beets, peppers, peaches, shallots, tomatoes, raspberries and more, including Colorado’s tasty sweet corn. Visit Miller Farms from Platteville at the Longmont Farmers Market. “The coolest thing about our sweet corn, particularly at the Longmont market, is that it’s picked that morning,” farm owner Joe Miller told the Colorado Hometown Weekly. The Longmont Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings, or you can get fresh sweet corn from Boulder’s Munson Farms at the Boulder Farmers Market (among many other tasty treats) Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings.

Flagstaff House wins (another) Grand Award

Flagstaff House Restaurant won the Grand Award from Wine Spectator Magazine for its 18,000-bottle cellar. The Boulder-based restaurant has won the prestigious award every year since 1983 and is one of only three restaurants in the world to have continued carrying this title for so long. Wine Spectator touts Burgundy, Bordeaux and California wines as the biggest strengths for the high-end eatery.

Colorado scores big at U.S. Open Beer Championship

Speaking of award-winning beverages, the U.S. Open Beer Championship was held in July, and breweries from all over the world sent in more than 5,000 different brews to compete in 90 different styles for the Open Beer Championship. There were two breweries from Lafayette that took home gold medals at this year’s awards, including Post Brewing Company’s Howdy Beer and the Imperial Porter from Liquid Mechanics. Several other Colorado breweries took home medals, including City Star, Crow Hop Brewing, Denver Beer Co., Oskar Blues, Bootstrap Brewing and New Belgium.

Big changes for Noodles & Company

In national news, the CEO and Chairman of the Colorado-based national chain Noodles & Company, Kevin Reddy, has stepped down. “After many years with this great company, I have decided that it is the right time in my career to pursue new personal and financial opportunities,” Reddy said in a press release, following more than a decade of service. Dave Boennighausen, the CFO for Noodles & Company has stepped in as interim CEO. It was Reddy’s leadership that led the popular fast-casual chain to more than 500 locations nationwide; though recently the chain has seen harder times, including the closing of 16 stores and a credit card breach in May.