Restaurant Show on Saturday, February 20, 2010

This week's PLAYBACK
Part 1:


Part 2:


Here’s the Scoop from the Gabby Gourmet Restaurant Show on Saturday, February 20, 2010.

We were at Marco’s Coal Fired Pizza on 21st and Larimer for a remote—and brunch!!! There are brunch specials and we are giving away gift certificates for Restaurant Week that starts tonight. John Imbergamo and Rich Grant were there as guests along with Mark Dym----Marco!!!

We talked all about Restaurant Week which starts tonight and goes through March 5.
Mark Dym-Marco’s is participating with a great menu.
And he is doing a special event on March 9—call for details. 303-296-7000.

Brian Laird of Barolo Grill stopped by. They are booked for restaurant week but you can see if you can snag a spot at the bar.

The questions of the day-how many restaurants were in year 1—we are now in year 6-84-now there are 281—5280 card for Interstate!!!!

How many meals were served last year during the weeks-298, 200-the certificate was for O’s at the Westin.

How many restaurants still have availability on Tuesday on Open Table—104 for a gift certificate to Marco’s.

We gave away a certificate to Katie Mullens—to a diner—Amanda was the winner.

Another certificate was given away to India’s Pearl.
So many great gifts-and great places to dine.

The first of the Valentine’s celebrations was at Elway’s Downtown with friends. People were celebrating early and the staff was so prepared with red roses for all the ladies, perfect service and of course, divine food. Even as you enter the hotel, the staff greets you and you are treated as very special. The wine was wonderful along with baskets of bread and rolls. We all started with salads—Caesar and wedge with yummy bacon. Entrees were a smash burger, salmon, chicken, and prime strip steaks. All arrive as ordered, cooked perfectly. Then we had the best au gratin potatoes, fries, Brussels sprouts hash, and mac and cheese. We wended with the ding dong and homemade dark chocolate gelato. It was a wonderful experience.

Valentine’s Dinner was at Strings and it was great. The place looked beautiful and it was very fun with happy diners. We had wonderful breadsticks and warm rolls and there were several choices for each course. 3 of us had the white asparagus with prosciutto and the other had the foie gras and they were marvelous. Gnocchi with lamb, lobster ravioli, and the other pasta were wonderful with the second course. Lobster tail, duck, lamb chops, and beef tenderloin were the next course and all were excellent. Bananas foster and a fabulous chocolate tart with raspberries-and all with chocolate hearts ended the feast.

We had a meeting at my house and I ordered lunches from the new Apple Spice Junction on 9th and Broadway. Ordered in advance—3 days-I was a bit worried-no reason to worry there as they were deliver on time with the nicest delivery person. The boxes are fixed beautifully with your sandwich, choice of side, pickles and a cookie, all at reasonable prices. We had the pastrami, the curried chicken salad, the cashew chicken, and the egg salad. Sides of pasta and potato salad were our choices too. We just finished our lunches—they were great and I am reordering for my next meeting here.
I ALREADY REORDERED FOR MY NEXT MEETING ON THURS.

We went to Parallel Seventeen and had a great dinner, super service, and fabulous food. We had the tuna tacos, the pork buns, the lamb imperial rolls, the vermicelli salad, the scallops, and the duck 3 ways—we had way too much food but it was super wonderful- a favorite neighborhood spot.

First night of Birthday celebrations-Root Down and it was incredible-food, service, ambience,-this place just rocks at all times. We had fries, bread, beet salad, carrot soup, gnocchi-beyond incredible, and risotto to start-then we had sweet potato falafel, more soups, chili chicken, artichokes, and game hen for entrees-we were very full if you could not tell. There were several of us—and we were all very happy!!! It was divine.

Don’t forget the new Park Tavern for great breakfast, lunch and dinners!!!!

The birthday was wild!!! There was a surprise cocktail party for me at Strings-and I REALLY MEAN SURPRISE—had no idea but several friends came by to help me celebrate.
And 2 CAKES!!!! Michael Bortz made the amazing chocolate bombe-so great and gorgeous and
D-Bar Desserts made the greatest looking cake I have ever seen-a pig of course-surrounded by pig-tails cupcakes-awesome.


Strings appetizers were fabulous and our dinner was sensational. Do not even know what the family had as I was on cloud nine.
And Kris at the bar—well-she made it all happen. What a great person.
THANK YOU ONE AND ALL FOR EVERYTHING!!!!! I WILL NOT FORGET THIS BIRTHDAY.

And on TV on Wednesday, the restaurants for Restaurant Week were amazing-Encore, 240 Union, Mel’s Bar & Grill, Jing and La Fondue/le chateau. And then at the end, Bertha gave me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers on air. Guess you can color me spoiled.

We went to Mel’s Bar & Grill for fried chicken and waffles-with maple syrup, foie gras butter, and sweet potato puree-it was very good-and very rich!!! We all had Caesar salads, and one had the roast chicken. Dessert was a delicious frozen semi fredo. This will be on the 5280 menu too. Service is lovely and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights there is a great pianist who entertains.

The Art Institute Culinary School is doing some fun things for us—an alum Ian Kunter is doing an ice carving—Aesthetic Arts—it is gonna be outrageous and a luge for some of the drinks. The school is letting us have 6 students for service!!!! And then we had lunch in Assignments and it was great. We had the gumbo-yumbo—the chicken on foccacia with pesto and fries, and the rest had the pasta with chicken and vegetables. All were great-super service and great fun. ASSIGNMENTS IS IN RESTAURANT WEEK-THEY JUST JOINED.

SO DID SALT IN BOULDER-DID NOT KNOW THAT!!!

Terri had a great time last year and this year she is going to the Keg and Elway’s Cherry Creek.

We had a great call about the super new Park Tavern.

Brooke is interested in the lasagna at Marco’s for Restaurant Week-and it is on Shells and Sauce menu too.

Amanda who won Katie Mullens was telling us about her reservations for this year-Root Down, Venue, Del Frisco—wow!!!

We had many calls with questions about Restaurant Week and several menus read and questions asked

If you are not going to a place where you had a reservation, PLEASE CANCEL.

We were way out of time.
Thanks for listening and calling.
Have fun this week-and next
And call and write me about your experiences PLEASE.
Love to post them

Gabby