Strananhan's Whiskey - that's spelled with an H

Stranahan's Colorado whiskey is my drink of the moment. It makes most other Whiskey pale in comparison. It has become more widely available over the last year so no matter where you are I say go get a bottle. I like it on the rocks with a splash of water. It really seems to open up the flavors and trust me with this one you want to really get all up in there and taste the complexities. I also like this whiskey with a good cigar, the truth is I like any whiskey with a good cigar but this one is something special. I know they say you can taste vanilla and leather but this aint no bondage/candle party so I’m not sure about all that mumbo jumbo it’s just fricken good and I like it a lot. Don’t get me wrong I do drink responsibly but when something tastes this good it’s hard to stop before you’re Tea Baggin’ the Koi pond. Cheers - Shannon

India's Castle

There's just something about Indian food. The aroma when you walk in the door. The blend of spices and sauces that is unlike any other cuisine.

Shannon and I went to India's Castle off of Arapahoe and I25 for lunch last week. Neither one of us love buffets, but decided to do it anyway. I've been eating smaller portions lately, but this day I had 2 BIG plates because everything was soooo good. The rice was cooked perfectly (harder than it seems), the sauces were delicious, the Naan was fluffy and tender, but the kicker for me was the Tandoori chicken. The meat was so tender and the flavor knocked me out! I went to Penzey's this weekend and picked up some Tandoori seasoning so I can make some Indian chicken wings sometime in the future (with Shannon's guidance).

The atmosphere is fine and the Indian music was interesting. I loved it when they played some Eminem after their more traditional choices. Not sure what that was about?! But all the waitstaff is great and I would definitely recommend it.

They also take part in the Tap Project. By donating $1 or more for the tap water you get for free, you are contributing to UNICEF's project to bring clean drinking water to children all over the world.

I can't wait to go back there and order something special off the menu. -- Drew

Oshima Ramen House

Ok, here we go. This place is, well a little different to say the least. It's pretty good. I love ramen and it's not like Denver has much or any others to choose from. The owner is a crack up if you talk to him. The place is cluttered and not the cleanest. They have flyers on the wall from years ago. Like I said the food is pretty good. Hey it is what it is. Buck up and grow a pair and don't wine about the service and you might have a good dinning experience. If not I don't really think the owner gives a crap. This place is a trip and I will go back. You just gotta try it to understand what I'm talking about.

Yia Yias in Denver Tech Center

Yia Yia's is one hundred percent top notch foodie approved. The first time I ever ate at Yia Yia's I said "it's good". That was a couple of years ago. Well, recently I have eaten lunch there a couple of times and it is a whole different animal now. Chef Aaron Whitcomb is making this place something special. Now I would classify it as GREAT. A true foodie spot able to compete with the best of them. You have got to try this place if you consider yourself a fine food lover. The wait staff was knowledgeable as well as totally attentive to our every need. When your server knows everything about a dish and is really excited about that dish it goes a long way with me. The Beef Carpaccio was perfect with that unmistakable essence of truffle oil. We also had the Duck Confit which was one of the most decadent dishes I have had in a while. It was good enough to qualify for a Shannonism (one of those things that is so good that a word that doesn't even exist just pops into my head) and that word is "Re-DUCK-ulous". I thought the duck was my favorite until I tried the Short Rib Ravioli. This one has got to be shared by me and tried by all. I can't even think of the words to describe how good this dish was. This dish totally and completely encompasses everything that Fall should taste like to me. The sauce was sage brown butter and toasted Hazel Nuts. Aaron is an amazing chef and needs to be mentioned with the best chefs in Denver, the dude is knockin' it out da park. This qualifies as a serious "Grub Chub" which is our equivalent of two thumbs up. Thanks - Shannon

Braised Short Rib Ravioli

                               You have got to try it to believe how good this is

re- DUCK-ulous

                      Crispy Duck Confit with herp salad, hazel nuts and cherries

Toronto - CN Tower

PAN ROASTED WILD BLACK COD

       W/ Wilted Swiss chard, preserved orange, fennel pollen, black olive vinaigrette
 
 
I always joke the the best way to ruin fish is to cook it. This was amazing. What a great dinning experience this was. The CN Tower in Toronto is a unique and exquisite dinning experience. The view was breathtaking and so where some of the prices. $275 for a Kobe steak US for a bit much, I thought. The over all experience was worth it however. They had a geat wine list too. Shannon
 

Maui

My wife and I went to Maui for our 10 year anniversary. Out of the 1,000 or so photos we took (we? only when I could wrestle the camera from her! just kidding), we managed to eat and photograph some really delicious food as well.

You've probably heard how expensive food is in Maui. It's definitely true, but most places don't make much, if any, profit on food. In Maui Revealed (indispensible book!) the author tells of a restaurant that takes in $7 million/year in revenue. The year previous was the FIRST year they had a profit, of only $100,000. Why is it so expensive? It's the most isolated place on Earth, more than 2,500 miles from ANYTHING. -- Drew

The Plantation House

Panko crusted crab stuffed Ahi roll

Heirloom cherry tomatoes, local goat cheese
and balsamic vinegar



Mahi Mahi prepared with shrimp, asparagus, sugar peas
& orzo, finished with golden raisins & toasted pine nuts  

Pistachio-crusted Mahi Mahi, on Maui onions, local tomatoes,
upcountry spinach, with couscous & olive oil

 Bananas foster (yes, we were full!!!, but it was gooooood)

Fire Rock Pale Ale

Even better at 10:30 in the morning!

Flatbread Pizza in Paia

Um...this was a snack. No, we didn't have a
problem finishing it!

Mai Tai and a Big Swell IPA (from Maui Brewing Co.)

Maui Brewing Company

Me...wanting to take a swim!

Me and a Father Damien Abbey Belgian Ale

The wife's Mana Wheat  -- coolest logo EVER?

mmmmm...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer

The "Adult Grilled Cheese"

Hawaiian slider

It's finally here. The Thrilla on the Grilla in Castle Pines.

This is it. This Saturday we will crown the best wings around. The Thrilla on the Grilla is finally becoming a reality. This has been a dream of mine for a long time and without the help of Erin and kirk Seabold and Drew Schneider I would never have been able to even dream of pulling something like this off. We have some great teams and vendors. I would like to thank Grand Lake Brewery for their sponsorship and for making some of the best beer in the country plus being some of the nicest people I have ever come in contact with. I would also like to thank my wife Darcy for being so awesome. Thank you to the teams who are coming out to compete. I feel very lucky to have met each one of you and look forward to having Grand Lake beer with you all. So let's have some fun and good sportsmanship.

Thank you all,
Shannon

Breakfast

My wife has been on a huevo rancheros kick since she had it at The Fat Cat Cafe in Grand Lake. By the way, The Fat Cat is the only place we go for breakfast in Grand Lake. Every dish is consistently good and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. And if you're nice to Sally (who is wonderful) she might share some of her traditional homemade English scones with you. You'll be lucky if she does!

Anyway, it inspired me to make my own version with whatever leftovers I had. This version has 2 corn tortillas filled with refried beans, cheese, taco-seasoned ground beef, topped with a 3 egg omelette, more cheese and enchilada sauce. Yum! -- Drew

Ming Tsai

I've always been interested in cooking more Asian style cuisine, so I thought of Ming Tsai's East Meets West and got the cookbook. I've cooked a few things out of it so far and here are 2 lessons learned so far...1. Just about anything you try of Ming's will be good and 2. If it's a "spicy" dish, cut the heat AT LEAST in half. I've cut it in half and it's still on fire. I can't imagine cooking his spicy dishes at full force. I think my head would explode! Here is my latest from his book. -- Drew

5 Herb Vinaigarette

Fried Goat Cheese Salad (with the vinaigarette above)

Spicy Mango Salsa

Seared  Cod with Mango Salsa

(pan wasn't hot enough for the fish...rookie error!!)

Crave Real Food in Castle Rock

Nutty Professor

peanut butter (yes, peanut butter), bacon, jalapenos and onion

 

Velvet Elvis

Peanut Butter, Bananas, and Bacon! Just the way the King would have ordered it.

Crave Real Food in Castle Rock is the real deal. Without question one of the most memorable meals I have ever had. It’s close to the theater so I would imagine a lot of folks are planning to go here, then a movie. That may sound like a great idea but you will have to cancel the movie and head straight for confession. This place is naughty good. I’m talkin’ complete and utter indulgence. Jeff the Chef/Owner is like a Mad Scientist behind the counter. This guy is AWESOME!! He definitely grabbed the “Abbey Normal” brain in the jar for this one. As you can see from the pictures above things got out of hand. When I coined the phrase “Grub Chub” this is what I was referring to. Thank god the teacher didn’t ask me to get up and work out a problem on the chalkboard during this noshfest, because I was sportin’ a pretty serious Food Woody. I almost hesitate to let you all know how good this place is because I always want to be able to get a table but when something is this good, I gotta share. They give you a card that is a check list of all their burgers, great idea but I’m going to have a hard time ordering anything other than The Nutty Prof. We were there last Friday evening during the heaviest rain storm I have ever seen. It was like Armageddon outside and I had no idea that while I was making sweet nasty love to this burger my backyard was filling with water and about to flood our beautifully finished basement. As I was down on my knees trying to reconnect the sump pump in 3 feet of water two feet from an electrical outlet I’m thinking “Damn that was a good burger and shake” Seriously GO GET YA SUM - Shannon