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Desert Rider: Dreaming in Motion explores lowrider and skateboard culture in the Southwestern U.S.

Challenging stereotypes and embodying both joy and hope, artworks featured in this exhibition express artist identity, pride and a sense of community

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) proudly welcomes Desert Rider: Dreaming in Motion, a new exhibition that will feature artworks exploring lowrider and skateboard culture in Denver and across the American Southwest.

Organized by Phoenix Art Museum, Desert Rider at the DAM will center and examine the diverse ways that artists who self-identify as Indigenous and Latinx express identity, pride and sense of community by transforming vehicles associated with the American West. These transformations challenge stereotypes and embody joy and hope. By exploring the imaginative interpretations of both automotive and skateboarding subcultures, Desert Rider centers Latinx and Indigenous artists’ perspectives that have defined the identity of the Southwest.

Desert Rider will kick off on Sunday, July 9, with an all-day free-admission event, featuring arts celebration at the museum; more information about this event will be shared at a later date. On view through Sept. 24, 2023, in the Hamilton Building’s Anschutz Gallery, Desert Rider will be included with general admission, which is free for members and all visitors 18 and under.

“We are grateful for this fruitful collaboration with our colleagues at Phoenix Art Museum, highlighting the inventive and energetic Southwest.” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. “We hope visitors will feel joy and inspiration as they experience this powerful presentation, which has been expanded to engage Colorado artists and showcase their work.”

Created and curated by Gilbert Vicario, former curator of contemporary art at Phoenix Art Museum, Desert Rider features works presented against the backdrop of civil unrest at the time and tie together ideas of history, place, resistance and empowerment. Images of customized vehicles racing through the wide-open landscapes of the U.S. Southwest became symbols not only of freedom and power, but also rebellion and nonconformity. Curated at the DAM by Victoria I. Lyall, Jan and Frederick Mayer Curator of Arts of the Ancient Americas, the Denver presentation of Desert Rider adds works by Colorado artists representing their communities in Colorado and the American Southwest.

“The themes and ideas explored in Desert Rider are universal, but uniquely presented through the viewpoints and experiences of Latinx and Indigenous artists, communities deeply connected to and impacted by the region’s complicated past and their experiences,” said Victoria I. Lyall.

“Counterculture, customization, queerness, community, survival, pride and reclamation are concepts that create powerful connections for artists and visitors alike. We are thrilled to present diverse works including several by Colorado artists including Carlos Frésquez, Juan Fuentes, Tony Ortega and Daniel Salazar.”

Desert Rider showcases large-scale installations, prints, sculptures and more by artists including Margarita Cabrera, Nanibah Chacon, Liz Cohen, Justin Favela, Douglas Miles and Cara Romero. Cruising just a few inches above the pavement, a lowrider’s candy paint, chrome rims and tuck and roll upholstery reflect its owner’s style and identity.

“These vehicles also evoke a history of community empowerment and have become symbolic of these artists’ identities. It’s about pride in the ride,” said Lyall.

Desert Rider begins by centering the “Lowrider” section on Denver artists, including a commission by photographer Juan Fuentes that celebrates the city’s four-decade history of cruising low and slow. Like other lowrider makers, Justin Favela’s large-scale car sculpture celebrates its owner’s identity as a queer Chicanx artist. Using materials associated with Mexican piñata—tissue paper and cardboard—Favela’s lowrider celebrates queer icons and pays homage to the recent shooting in Colorado Springs’ Club Q victims.

A section highlighting women and cars features women artists whose work challenges the perception that customized automobiles are a male-dominated pastime. With Stories Better Told by Others (Cindy Corrales) [Historias mejor contadas por otras (Cindy Corrales), a series of color inkjet prints with hand-painted lettering and lithographs, Liz Cohen celebrates the Lowrider Magazine cover models whose labor, personas and contributions to popularizing lowriding globally have been ignored.

In “Skating on Native Land,” artists Dustin Craig, Gregg Deal and Douglas Miles use skateboards as moving canvases to reassert control over their own histories and landscapes. “Horsepower” plays on the idea of the horse in the American west. Artists Laurie Steelink and José Villalobos consider the horse from a personal perspective. Villalobos’ customized saddles evoke the gleam of lowriders while reframing the flash and flamboyance as a celebration of queerness. Steelink’s car hood altar connects her to her Indigenous identity in a patriarchal society.

Artists featured in “La Frontera” (the borderlands), use automobile imagery and irreverent humor to highlight issues of migration and femicide. Margarita Cabrera’s Agua que no has de beber dejala correr (Water That You Should Not Drink, Let It Run) calls out the devastating impact of U.S. automotive “maquiladoras,” factories based on the Mexican side of the border, where mostly female employees perform low-wage assembly work and are exposed to harmful chemicals and hazardous work conditions.

In addition to engaging with such important issues, visitors of all ages will have a chance to have fun with hands-on activities including “skating” with miniature finger
skateboards in a scaled-down skatepark, modeled after the Downtown Denver Skatepark; making customizable miniature paper lowriders that can be posed and “driven” around a model of significant lowrider spots in Denver; and exploring an interactive map of the Denver metro area highlighting points of significance specific to skateboarding and lowriders, to which visitors can add their own reactions and stories.

The intention of this interpretive space is to inspire intergenerational creativity and sharing. Furthermore, the map will aid guests in making connections between personal and community histories and experiences in Denver.

Desert Rider: Dreaming in Motion is organized by Phoenix Art Museum. It is presented with generous support from the Adolph Coors Exhibition Endowment Fund, U.S. Bank, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.

Planning Your Visit
The most up-to-date information on planning a visit to the Denver Art Museum can be found online under the Plan Your Visit tab. Use this page to find details on ticket pricing, public transit options, and access information. General admission for museum members is free every day. Youth aged 18 and under, regardless of residency, receive free general admission everyday thanks to the museum’s Free for Kids program. Free for Kids also underwrites free admission for school and youth group visits.

COVID-19 Protocols
The safety of visitors and staff remains a top priority, and the museum is continually updating its COVID-19 safety and security protocols based on advice from the CDC and federal and local guidelines. Current protocols can be found in the “Visit” section of the museum’s website: denverartmuseum.org/visit

About the Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit resource that sparks creative thinking and expression through transformative experiences with art. Its mission is to
enrich lives by sparking creative thinking and expression. Its holdings reflect the city and region—and provide invaluable ways for the community to learn about cultures from around the world. Metro residents support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a unique funding source serving hundreds of metro Denver arts, culture and scientific organizations.

For museum information, visit www.denverartmuseum.org or call 720-865-5000.

The post Denver Art Museum: Join us July 9 for the DAM Lowrider Show and Shine! appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

By Sara Lu Loflin, Executive Director for ProgressNow Colorado

Community Corner is provided by members of our community on relevant local subjects. Typically CC  is provided by organizations working to affect positive change but can also be provided by individuals but all rely on their expertise in their fields to address the topic they are contributing on.

Dr. Yadira Caraveo

Dr. Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician and current state representative, is breaking new ground in Colorado’s new Eighth Congressional District. If elected, Caraveo will be the first Latina to hold federal office from Colorado. Caraveo has spent the last 4 years representing Thornton and Northglenn in the State House. Her opponent is anti-abortion, oil and gas champion, Republican candidate Barbara Kirkmeyer (a Colorado State Senator).

The 2020 Census yielded a new congressional district for Colorado. Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District covers Adams and Weld County – from Commerce City to Greeley, Thornton to Firestone. The new district is 40% Latino. Over the last decade, the district has also become known as the center of new neighborhood fracking operations in Colorado.

The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Yadira and her three siblings grew up and attended public school in Adams County. Caraveo went on to go to college at Regis University and then to medical school at the University of Colorado. Raised by a working family, Yadira has spent her career advocating for Colorado working families. Her biography notes that, during her medical residency, she became a union representative with SEIU to advocate for better working conditions. Caraveo has spent her career working to serve working and low income families as well as organizing fellow doctors to become part of the Union of Concerned Scientists. 

In 2018, Caraveo ran for the Colorado State House, to represent the community where she grew up and where she now practices medicine. Throughout her four years in the Colorado legislature, Yadira has not shied away from taking on hard fights. She has sponsored  legislation to lower the price of health care, keep fracking out of residential neighborhoods and away from schools, limit and reduce air pollution to protect our kids, expand access to preschool and paid family medical leave, and prevent evictions during the COVID 19 pandemic. 

Caraveo’s opponent, Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer of Weld County, is in many respects the polar opposite of Rep. Caraveo’s thoughtful and community-anchored leadership. As Weld County Commissioner, Kirkmeyer fought to ban Plan B and led an extreme campaign for several Colorado counties to secede from the state and form the new state of “North Colorado.” Further, Kirkmeyer’s servile devotion to the oil and gas industry is a long-standing theme of her career in office. Kirkmeyer fiercely opposed Caraveo’s  SB19-181 (which changed the mission of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to “prioritize public health and safety,”). In 2018, Kirkmeyer told the New York Times “if you don’t like it, you shouldn’t move in next to it,” over the new 2018 placement of a 24-well fracking site just 828 feet from a school soccer field at Bella Romero Academy. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kirkmeyer fought public health measures put in place to reduce the spread of the virus in the pandemic’s early phase before vaccines and effective treatments were available. Kirkmeyer has proudly campaigned on being a “no exceptions” opponent of abortion rights and opposed the historic 2022 Reproductive Health Equity Act, codifying abortion rights into state statute. Most recently, Kirkmeyer was caught by local media attempting to scrub her website of all references to the issue.

While Kirkmeyer has spent her time in office working to ease the way for the oil and gas industry, charter and religious schools, and bans on abortion and reproductive health, Yadira Caraveo has not lost sight of the community she serves in seeking to represent the Eighth Congressional District. In fact, constituents in the district had this to say of Caraveo:

“Yadira has been my children’s pediatrician for years, including through my son’s two life threatening hospitalizations. I trust her with the most important thing in my life: my children. She understands the challenges that working families face every day, and she is empathetic, thoughtful. An evidence based approach is exactly what we need in Congress.” – Suzie Brundage, Thornton resident.

“Yadira is a champion for protecting the health and safety of children. She was one of the first among other concerned scientists and doctors to raise concerns about the placement of fracking wells so close to schools and residential areas. She knew that cumulative exposure to dangerous leaks of airborne chemicals like benzene posed a serious risk to small children if they were exposed. She spoke out on their behalf.” – Therese Gilbert, Greeley resident. 

“Caraveo has remained part of this community and is a proven champion for women and working families. We need someone who is unafraid to stand up to big special interests like oil and gas, while staying in touch with the district she represents. We need someone who is pragmatic and unafraid to stand up to big special interests like oil and gas, while staying in touch with the district she represents.” – Stacy Lambright, Thornton resident.

Former State Representative Joe Salazar of Thornton had this to say: “Caraveo has remained part of this community and is a champion for women and working families. In the short period Rep. Caraveo has been an elected official, she has demonstrated her desire to represent and help all communities. In the ungodly long period Barbara Kirkmeyer has been an elected official, her focus has been to demonize people and communities she disagrees with. CD-8 deserves someone who fights for all of us. Yadira is the clear, smart, rational choice for our communities.”

In a district created to be the most politically balanced and competitive in the nation, Caraveo is a perfect candidate where Kirkmeyer is a shockingly inappropriate throwback to a far-right agenda that Colorado voters have repeatedly rejected at the polls. At a time when abortion and reproductive rights, democracy and fundamental freedoms are under attack, and at a time when working families need a champion, Yadira Caraveo is the compassionate, community-centered fighter that Colorado needs.

The post The 8th Congressional District: Can a pediatrician beat an anti-abortion extremist to become the first Latina elected to Congress from Colorado? | Community Corner appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Official press photo. Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz

Nuevo Flamenco act Rodrigo y Gabriela is a study in dichotomies — the Latin-steeped band got its start in Dublin, considers themselves heavy metal artists, and manages to crossover into any audience put in front of them. They’re a testament to how virtuosity blended with sheer, unadulterated passion becomes inescapably infectious to anyone lucky enough to see them live! Here, the duo — currently touring across the nation — talks about winning a Grammy, covering Metallica, and why they eschew the term “nuevo flamenco.”

French Davis: Tell us about this tour — how it came together, what it’s like after the last two years regarding COVID restrictions, etc.
Rodrigo y Gabriela: We just wanted to close the year in the states, and just finished our first European tour post covid and felt incredible, hope this short run is something we all can enjoy.

FD:  Mettavolution dropped right in Spring of 2019 and won you a much-deserved Grammy for best instrumental album. What was the experience like to win a Grammy? What did it mean to you?
RG: It is an incredible achievement because of the nature of the duo to be recognized in such a way. We are grateful; we never have done music in order to get awards but it definitely gave our egos some kind of conditioned happiness! Last year we were nominated for best cover version for Metallica’s “Struggle Within” and we didn’t win it! And for a minute our egos were “sad,” but then you realize that it’s just a game for musicians, winning or not winning a Grammy doesn’t make you a better or worse musician, it’s great either way — it’s great if you win it or if you don’t, now we’ve been on both sides. Life is good and easier when you put no resistance to anything and accept the things the way they are. 

FD: You recorded a fantastic cover of Metallica’s “The Struggle Within” for The Metallica Blacklist album that dropped last fall. Why that particular song — did you choose that one or was it assigned to you? And how did the arrangement process come together for you?
RG: Metallica asked us specifically for that, in fact they gave us that song exclusively (no other band covered it) and was the only song covered only by one band. We did what we always do when we cover songs, we try to be as faithful to the original and let the acoustic sound do the trick.

Photo credit: John Posada

FD: It’s interesting to see a nuevo flamenco duo have such a universal cross-over appeal. Your music seems to resonate with everyone who hears it. Why do you think that is?
RG: Flamenco is great and it’s almost ritualistic. It has its own very special technique and rhythms to play and it’s incredibly challenging and specific. We never even attempted to do so. We were used to hearing those questions 20 years ago while living in Ireland. It’s understandable people confused two Mexicans playing nylon string guitars (not flamenco guitars, which are very specifically made), but real extraordinary flamenco players normally are from Spain, it’s in their blood, you have to grow within that culture if you want to understand it thoroughly. Our good friend Vicente Amigo is probably Paco de Lucia’s successor, and if you want to listen to real flamenco, then you have to go that road. Nuevo flamenco is a label I think was invented or assigned to people who loved flamenco and kind of got the technique nailed but made it easier for the listener, a lot of Rumba sound etc. Paco de Lucía really disliked that term, because it had nothing to do with real flamenco. We’re far from flamenco and nuevo flamenco. We come from a metal background and play instrumental acoustic and sometimes, like on the Mettavolution album, electric guitars! 

FD: As we crawl — albeit slowly — out of the pandemic, how do you think the last two years have impacted the industry? What are some things you’ve learned as you’ve navigated this turbulent period?
RG: It has created more chances of exposure specially for the younger bands that don’t want to tour that much and are more inclined to get more followers on their social media platforms and grow their careers that way.

For the old-school bands like us we are just so happy to be able to tour again and hopefully don’t have to see this kind of thing ever again, although it’ll probably happen again at some point, hopefully not soon though.

FD: Colorado’s known for having a strong and eclectic music scene, and you’ve played here a number of times. What is it about playing here that keeps you coming back?
RG: Colorado has always been a top state for us to play, I don’t know why! People are very open and wild, just like our music  

FD: What’s next? What projects do you have planned after this tour?
RG: Early 2023: a new album! And hopefully lots of touring?!

Rodrigo y Gabriella plays Chautauqua Auditorium Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $58+ at Chautauqua.com.

The post Spotlight on Rodrigo y Gabriela appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Openings/Closings

Tiffin’s, a vegetarian Indian restaurant opened at 416 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder, specializing in vegetarian proteins that go beyond tofu. While a date has not yet been set, Oak at Fourteenth hopes to reopen early this fall, after a fire earlier this year required a complete remodel of the space. Magnolia Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Lafayette closed and has reopened under new ownership as 95a Bistro and Sushi. Cured cheese shop opened at 1825 Pearl St. in Boulder, offering cheese, meats, some produce and specialty items. The Super Mini Walnut Café opened at 2770 Arapahoe Rd., Suite 116, in the Atlas Valley shopping center in Lafayette. Riff’s Urban Fare is slated to open this month at 1115 Pearl St. in Boulder serving small plates of seasonal, international dishes.

News

Lucky’s Market in Boulder added its own organic farm and now offers produce “organically grown 3 miles away.” Bon Appetit named the wine list at Pizzeria Locale one of its top-five one-page wine lists.

Best of the Month

Tasty Waldorf-style chicken salad sandwich and fries at Off Campus Cafe in Lafayette. Melt-in-your-mouth beef and lamb kebabs with roasted eggplant and a pickled lemon margarita at Pickled Lemon in Boulder. An astonishingly beautiful squash blossom galette from Terroir. Linguini with pesto, corn and green beans at Salt that tasted like summer on a plate. Tostada with nectarine and smoky bacon at Tahona—a fascinating taste sensation. Roast pork loin with pickled “tongues of fire” beans and green tomatoes at The Pinyon that made us want to lick the plate. Strawberry margarita cake and the amazing vegan, gluten-free Boulder Chocolate cake from Kim and Jake’s Cakes. A fresh, nut-crusted filet of trout with house-made farmer’s cheese and peaches on bed of fresh greens at Zucca in Louisville.

Events

On Sept. 25, Bloom at Flatiron Crossing will host cooking demonstrations paired with a three-course meal. Call 720.887.2800 for reservations. Centro Latin Kitchen hosts its Hatch Green Chile Festival & Cookoff on Sept. 11 featuring street food, restaurant specials and fresh roasted chiles. The annual “Feast In The Fields” in conjunction with the Colorado Mountain Winefest takes place Sept. 16 in Palisade with chef Eric Skokan at the helm. Sponsored by the Aar River Gallery, the Historic Westminster Orchard Festival Bake-Off will take place Oct. 8 from 10am–6pm. The second annual Boulder Country Dinner, presented by 12Seasons, will be held Oct. 1 in Niwot. Call 303.667.3768 or email 12Seasons@comcast.net for information and reservations. Flagstaff House celebrates its 40th anniversary on Oct. 16 with an anniversary gala. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation. Tickets are $125 and reservations are available
at 303.442.4640.

The post Eatery News September 2011 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Photo by Brandy Simmons

Sure, as Coloradans we love our beer. But come summer, it’s time to spice things up a little (and we aren’t talking about a chile ale). Mixology is super hot these days—and local restaurants and bars are bringing in the big guns to show their mixing muscles. From homemade bitters and grenadine to competitions, local mixologists are shaking, stirring and pouring their way into the hearts of local imbibers. We asked a few of our favorites to stir up something perfect for a summer day.

Orange Blossom Mojito

Why? Because there’s nothing better than iced tea on a hot day. Well, except maybe iced tea with rum!

From The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, 1770 13th St., Boulder

OB Simple Syrup Ingredients

–Equal pour of water and sugar (6 cups of water, 6 cups of sugar)
–2 tbsp. of *green lemonade tea.
–Zest of an orange

Add sugar to boiling water. When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and steep the tea (*The teahouse has green lemonade tea (their blend) but any lemon flavored green tea will do) in the simple syrup for 4 minutes. Remove and then steep the orange zest in the simple syrup for another 4 minutes. Let cool.

OB Mojito Ingredients

–1 ¼ oz. white rum
–½ lime
–13 leaves of mint
–½ oz. OB simple syrup
–1 oz. of soda water

Muddle the mint and lime together with simple syrup. Then add rum. Add ice and shake well. Pour in glass and top off with soda water.

Bacon Infused Bloody Mary

Why? Bacon is in right now. So, you should take advantage of this trend—even in booze…especially in booze—before it fades.

From Aji Latin American Restaurant, 1601 Pearl St., Boulder

Bacon Vodka

Macerate six pieces of bacon in one bottle of vodka for one week. Filtering it is the tricky part: It has to be strained through a coffee filter at least three times to get all the residual fat out of it.

Aji Bloody Mary Mix

–¼ cup horseradish
–1 cup Worcestershire
–¼ cup lemon juice
–1 tbs. black pepper
–½ tbs. each red and green aji sauce
–1 tbs. Dijon mustard
–½ tbs. celery salt

Mix all ingredients together. When you are ready to serve, add:

–¼ cup tomato paste
–½ bunch cilantro, chopped fine
–½ gallon V8 juice

Rim a pint glass with chili salt (dried Aji pepper, paprika, kosher salt). Fill pint glass with ice and add a five-count of bacon infused vodka. Add the mix to fill.

The Bright And Sunny

Why? The Dark and Stormy meets the Mojito to create a lovely little summertime sipper: The Bright and Sunny.

From Evan Faber, beverage director at Salt, 1047 Pearl St., Boulder

Ingredients

–1½ oz. Dancing Pines Cask Rum (from Loveland)
–¾ oz. lime juice
–½ oz. simple syrup (or a sugar cube and a light splash of water)
–5-6 basil leaves
–Ginger beer

Preparation: Place basil in the palm of your hand and give them a sharp smack to wake them up. Add the basil and lime juice into a mixing glass. Lightly press basil leaves with a muddler about six times to release basil’s flavor. Add simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar) and Dancing Pines Cask Rum. Shake. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice (If you can, double strain through a tea strainer to remove the finer bits). Top with 4 oz. of ginger beer. Place a single basil leaf in the palm of your hand and give it a good smack, then garnish the glass with it and a straw. Optional: Muddle in a couple slices of fresh ginger to give it an extra kick!

Our Favorite Summer Cocktails

The newly crafted watermelon spritzer on the blossoming patio of Colterra, Niwot.

A giant margarita (try the pomegranate) at Richard’s On Third, Longmont.

The Elderflower cocktail featuring the cucumber-infused Hendrick’s gin and St. Germain at Magnolia, Lafayette.

The Aviation, a subtly complex classic cocktail, at the Bitter Bar, Boulder. Sit at the bar and watch their mad mixology skills.

The tequila-lover’s El Diablo at Café Aion, Boulder.

The post Summer Cocktails appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The Rhythm is Gonna Get You

This is not your grandma’s ballet. Ballet Nouveau Colorado is wrapping up its season with perhaps the most exciting show to date. Rarities and Oddities features the world premieres of new works by four choreographers across multiple disciplines. Live music will underscore performances featuring female brawn, shadow puppets and pandas. Yep, pandas, universally accepted as the most awesome of the bear family. At the Performing Arts Complex at Pinnacle Charter School, Denver, April 22–24. For info, check out bncdance.com or call 303.466.5685.

Viva Chile Verde

It seems like many state governments in the west and southwest distance themselves from their rich history of Latino cultural pride, but some municipalities are more progressive. Take, for example, Denver’s annual Cinco de Mayo celebration—a bonanza of amazing food, music, arts and commerce, all with a decidedly Chicano focus. And the best part? The fourth annual Green Chili Cook-off, which is quite possibly the best thing about Mexican food in Colorado. At Civic Center Park, 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., May 7, 10am.

Life is Art

The artistic process might be one of the most misunderstood facets of creativity. It’s likely the most individually specific factor—one man’s methods may be another’s madness and vice-versa. That’s what makes the East Boulder County Artists’ studio tour unique. For 12 years, EBCA has pulled back the curtain for two weekends, allowing visitor access to artists’ studios. This year, 39 artists will provide an intimate look into a vast array of media. Various locals, April 30­–May 1 and May 7–8. Visit ebcacolorado.org.

Blue But Not Sad

The Fox Theatre and Boulder Theater are starting a new tradition with their first Boulder Roots and Blues Summit. For three days and nights in May, both venues will host local and national acts highlighting the best in blues and roots. The inaugural lineup includes Lucinda Williams, Leon Russell, Davy Knowles and Lionel Young. Shows start early at Boulder Theater, then kick into high gear for late night action at the Fox. May 13–May 15. Check out bouldertheater.com or foxtheatre.com.

French’s Five

If you’re looking for something for Mom, why not shop locally from the comfort of home?

All of these merchants sell to the area:

1. Off the Cuff

This silver cuff bracelet says, “My kids still think I’m pretty.” etsy.me/cuffbracelet $95

2. Tough Cookie

This Oreo Cookie necklace says, “My kids love me, but think I’m chubby.” etsy.me/oreonecklace $9.50

3. Funny Face

This Audrey Hepburn pendant says, “My kids think I’m older than I am.” etsy.me/audreypendant $6.95

4. Have Butterflies

This real butterfly wing charm says, “My kids don’t know I’m Lepidopterophobic.” etsy.me/wingcharm $70

5. All Ears

This pair of Pocky earrings says, “I’m way hipper than your mom.” etsy.me/pockyearrings $8

The post Editor’s Picks: April 2011 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

“This is my old stomping grounds!” my friend shouted to me as I slid into the seat opposite her at Centro Latin Kitchen. “I used to get drunk here all the time when it was the Samba Room. And I broke my tailbone across the street at Bart’s CD Cellar.”

Struggling to be heard over the hustle and bustle of the busy Latin eatery and bar, the two of us reminisced about the days when the west end of the mall was completely dead and how much it’s changed and evolved. It’s become an area that’s chic and urban, complimentary and supplementary to the mall that once overshadowed it.

Centro isn’t a big place, with small tables fitted into a long, narrow dining room and a very cool bar, the back side of which opens onto the patio when the weather is nice. Unfortunately for us, it was stormy out, leaving the bar closed off and the room loud and stuffy.

We were intrigued by the menu, a stimulating play on Latin favorites with unusual ingredients. Our attentive server brought our drinks and appetizers: a salsa sampler that came with a sweet and spicy habanero salsa, a smoky chipotle and a fairly watery chile verde as well as an order of ceviche. The salsas were bright, fresh and flavorful. We had fun trying them in different combinations as our server suggested, but I was a little put off by the price tag (it worked out to about a dollar a tablespoon). The ceviche seemed a much better bargain with large chunks of expertly marinated fish coated in something akin to a cilantro pesto and partnered with green olives. The olives at first gave me pause, but they worked, and I resolved to trust chef Ian Clark.

A good thing, too. My friend snickered that we were lucky we aren’t picky eaters as she pointed out a line on the menu explaining that all the ingredients were essential to each dish and insinuating that special orders would be frowned upon. She ordered the chicken and goat cheese enchiladas and I decided on the duck carnitas tacos.

The enchiladas were a little dry; having spent a few formative food years in New Mexico, I expect my enchiladas to be swimming in sauce barely contained by the confines of the plate. But the spices, chicken and cheese were a great combination, and we loved the black beans that accompanied the dish. The duck tacos were brilliant, reminding me happily of Mexico City-style street tacos I enjoyed while living in LA. Two perfect corn tortillas topped with a pile of shredded duck carnitas, lightly dressed shredded cabbage that gave it a dose of crunch, a few crumbles of smooth cheese and some luridly pink pickled onion. The sweet and sour and spicy flavors melded beautifully until I was wishing I hadn’t eaten quite so much ceviche and saved myself for the main course.

My trust in Centro’s chef was not misplaced; the food was excellent, creative and fresh.

And while our service was attentive and friendly, I found the atmosphere left a lot to be desired. My friend and I ended up at a coffee shop down the street to finish our evening because we were tired of shouting over the din of the loud music and noisy crowd. Maybe if it had been a different kind of evening we might have enjoyed some drinks and small plates at the bar before heading out to go dancing or to our next step on the pub crawl, but as it was, it was a challenge even holding a conversation without shouting.

Good thing we had great food to occupy our mouths.

Centro Latin Kitchen & Refreshment Palace
Three Stars
950 Pearl Street, Boulder
303.442.7771
centrolatinkitchen.com
Bottom line: Exciting food; overexcited atmosphere.

The post Refreshing Flavors appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.