Restaurant Show on Saturday, October 17, 2009

This week's PLAYBACK
Part 1:


Part 2:


NEXT WEEK WE ARE AT SMASHBURGER AT 2690 w. 104TH—AT FEDERAL
JOIN US THERE FOR LUNCH AND FROM 1-3 WHILE WE ARE ON AIR.

And TUNE IN Channel 7 on Wednesday at 11 for some of the restaurant winners of the A-list.

Read all our dinners on Gabby nights on the homepage.

We were at the new India’s in Tiffany Plaza—across from the Fresh Fish CO.
It is gorgeous, and the food is totally to die for!!!
My guests were Chris Kapoor from India’s along with Patricia Perry of Highlands Garden Café and Mickey Smith, the wine guy from Mayberry and hubby of owner of WineJester.
And Mickey’s real name-Wormack Edward Smith the third

The buffet lunch at India’s is the best anywhere-fresh, fabulous and all the best dishes are there.
Remember the Gabby dinner!!!!! And also Christmas dinner-we are there for both.

And the dinner at Annie’s Café is Monday!!! Meet us there—call and make a reservation to join us---and watch the Broncos win and enjoy fabulous food and fun—be casual!!!

The questions of the day
How many pounds of tandoori chicken do they sell in a week-350
How old is Pat Perry-60

New Dinner

Friday, May 28, 2010
Zocalito, Aspen
420 E. Hyman
970-920-1991
7.30

Zocalito is so incredible (Latin American, Spanish with the most fabulous cooking, ingredients and flavors ever) that we are having a Gabby dinner-the night before our dinner at Montagna at The Little Nell. If you are planning on being in Aspen on Friday, you must join us!!!! Never will you enjoy anything more---the dinner with tax, tip and wine, or mojitos, beer, margaritas is $38 per person. The biggest bargain ever and the best---very different from Montagna, but a must for a perfect weekend.

I must once again discuss the wines of Morocco---and the coming attraction of the wines of Israel. The latter will not be available until next year but are outrageous. The Moroccan wines are available in Denver---and a must for all. We tasted S de Siroua, Cuvee Premiere du President, Medallion, and CB Initiales. The prices are extremely affordable, the tastes amazing.

I am doing a full write up for November on our webpage but must share part of our visits to amazing spots in Aspen. We started at Matsuhisa for shochu and sashimi, fabulous and now Shawn is presenting tonics—to cure ailments while happily enjoying a drink.

Dinner at Elevation was incredible. We adored it and had a ball. There are off season specials, and the place is a favorite of locals---and me!!! We had mushroom soup to die for, great mussels, duck and arugula salad, chicken “faux” gras, and scallops for appetizers and all were so wonderful. Then we had perfect caramelized black cod with risotto, duck breast with steamed dumplings, lamb Moroccan style, and a side of spaetzle. Dessert was “sleepless in Aspen” –chocolate ganache cake with red bull caramel sauce. The wines were wonderful, service perfect. It should be a must on your list.

Then we had dinner at Zocalito—the most fun, incredible, amazing spot. It is Latin American, Spanish with touches of all-everything is very fresh. Mike goes to Mexico to bring home several different peppers and each dish shows the creativity. Start with tapas—way big enough for sharing—cheese wrapped in spinach with the best corn salsa, ceviche to die for, the best mussels ever with achiote, posole, chile rellenos, steak with cactus and mole in a portobello mushroom cup, chicken with chorizo in a banana leaf. Every dish is a taste treat. Dessert was caramel, banana crepes with ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauce. The wines are divine as were the margaritas, service and all. It was so good we are having a dinner there on the Friday night before the Gabby dinner at Montagna in May. Look under dinners for details.

Il Mulino, the beyond incredible Italian restaurant from New York and other spots will finally open the end of the month. It is spectacular to see, and better for food and service. It is the ultimate dining experience. We were invited to have a test lunch---and it was the best ever. We had the antipasto plate with mozzarella, roasted pepper, prosciutto, tomato and basil and caper berry. Then the gnocchi were heavenly-the best ever with Bolognese. The next course-yes lunch-was veal Marsala with mushrooms and finally the best tiramisu.

We started at Matsuhisa for shochu and sashimi.
We also attended the John Denver Reunion Concert and it was fabulous and our own Jim Salestrom was there.

The Residences of Little Nell was the hotel that is the best I have ever seen. It is condos, rentals, and some hotel rooms and beyond one’s imagination in elegance, caring-and of course still casual as it is Aspen. It was awesome, the biggest treat with every amenity imaginable, super service, and just plain amazing.

We went to India’s Pearl and it is fabulous-the food is incredible, the wine and beer list great, service beyond perfect and fun to see all the people-and lots of kids loving it!!!
We started with poppadums and a new dish-samosas topped with chicken peas and sauce. It was so very good. Then we had chicken tika, ginger honey duck, chicken in curry, eggplant, basmati rice, plain and garlic naan, and mango kulfi-and of course chai tea. Every flavor and bite was so terrific. What a treat it is.

We went to the new Lobby restaurant-in the Paris Hotel-where Buenos Aires Grill and La Coupole were. It looks the same but no tablecloths, etc. it is an upscale bar with upscale bar food. We had drinks (very nice prices), great service and a bit of everything. We started with stuffed mushrooms, chicken wings with Thai sauce (delicious), and apple salad to start. Then we had the chicken club, the steak, the pork, and the fish. The sweet potato fries were great. We also had the mashed and regular fries. We passed dessert. The prices are affordable, wine prices as well. The service was super and very friendly. And of course, the patio is beautiful in the garden area.

TV was terrific with BRUNCH—cannot believe brunch could look –and taste—so fabulous—really could and it did. Table 6, Strings, Shells and Sauce, Root Down, and Bistro One were incredible. Look at some of the pics under TV Appearance on the home page.

Lunch at Steuben’s was great-we had the Cubano, grilled cheese and mashed potatoes and fries, and salmon salad, and barbecued brisket sandwich---every one was great!!! Service is is super and the place rocks.

The Denver 5 had a “partio party” and each chef prepared great appetizers and there was wine and special chocolate from Norman Love Chocolate-it was great—at Elway’s Cherry Creek and so terrific.

We had dinner at Strings at the bar—my favorite with Kris. We had the pea soup and then chicken with an egg and linguini with clams. Dessert was the new pumpkin cheesecake with pistachio gelato. Everything was wonderful.

The Faces event at Roth was fabulous. The chefs were amazing with great food-really great food and wonderful wines from the Vineyard to go with. Roth made it all happen and they were fantastic-the cook offs were the best-and Natural Grocers, Vitamin Cottage provided the food for the cook offs. Everything was super—Streeter McClure was a great host and it was a treat to “play” with him all evening. Again, thanks for a great job to all who make these super events happen.

We went to TAG for lunch and it was terrific. We did have great service-and fabulous food. We had the tuna tacos with guacamole, the corn soup, and the best chicken salad with cashews and ginger dressing. Lots of fun for lunch at Tag!

We had the biggest treat as we were lucky enough to go to Fruition for dinner. It is beyond perfect in every detail—service, wine, food, prices, every detail is amazing. The place is full-and then reseated and no one misses a beat. We had the wonderful breads and the house salad, the beet salad and the soup for appetizers. Then several of us had the sole-the best ever—then the steak, and the sea bass. Each was heavenly and perfect. Desserts were the lemon tart and the apple tart a la mode. Wow are we lucky to have Fruition in Denver.

Mickey brought some great wines—one in a box-cuvee de Pena that is available at the Wine Jester at 43rd and Tennyson. John called to get the name.

The House is a great new place across from the Wine Jester where we had a super meal—last week’s scoop-and Chris, one of the owners called
The doggy parade with or without costume is next Sunday-the 25th- from noon to 4. be there or be square with your furry friend. And brunch starts on November 1.

Mark called about Bacco Trattoria on C-470 and Kipling—he raves and wanted to know if it was related to Mamma Mia Trattoria on 88th W. of Wadsworth where we had been and were talking about-and doing a dinner. Both chefs worked for Parisi—not related and the restaurants are both great-at opposite ends of town.

Sid went to the new Pasquini’s on Quebec and Arapahoe and said it was great.
He is going to Bistro One tonight-we had a great meal and they were on TV with me last wed. waiting for a rundown of his meal.

Hedy went to Bacco Trattoria too and talked about Brio in Park Meadows-not Cherry Creek and we talked about a group dinner-Shells and Sauce on 12th and Elizabeth is the place for great food, super prices and portions and fun for her group.

Jackie wants the new Pasquini’s too.

Rae needed a place for 8 for lunch and coffee or tea and sweets-I suggested Capital Tea at 1450 S. Broadway—it has it all.

Elam went to Sunnyside Café at 8800 S. Colorado for breakfast-loved it and blueberry pancakes—
Strings has them at Sunday brunch if you are in this part of town.

Thanks for listening and calling

Gabby