I spent the holiday weekend in Colorado with my family, where last night we enjoyed an incredible meal at the super sustainably-oriented restaurant, The Kitchen. This place caters to the increasingly common "locavore" -- a creature whose dining choices are dictated by proximity.
Two exposed brick walls feature giant chalkboards with the names of all the farms and local purveyors who've supplied The Kitchen with their vibrantly fresh ingredients. Local cheesemakers, vegetable farmers, bread bakers -- even a pekoe tea grower -- pepper the board. And at the bottom, we learn that The Kitchen is 100% wind-powered and they recycle their used oils for biodiesel. The space mostly offers standard 4-top tables, but down the center of the room runs a long community table that can be shared by several parties.
I'd stop there, having told you how green and community-minded this place is, but I know the foodies out there will indulge me if I continue to describe the food itself. In the spirit of moderation, the menu doesn't overwhelm diners with excessive options. It's a carefully considered list of half a dozen appetizers and as many entrées (the wine list, on the other hand, is nearly as long as the Worldchanging book). They've paired free-range, organic, grass-fed and wild meats and fish with seasonal ingredients like butternut squash, spicy winter greens, parsnips and pears.
There were six of us dining together, which meant we were able to sample a majority of the menu. Everything was divine, but the favorites were absolutely the tomato soup, the porcini mash, and the gnocchi with winter squash. And while The Kitchen is not budget dining, they do share their secrets freely with the public. A generous collection of their recipes can be found at their website. Of course, sometimes learning secrets just reveals the obvious -- the tomato soup turns out to be ridiculously simple, and like most things, butter and cream are the culprits in making it so delicious.
Probably the most appealing extra offering at The Kitchen is their regular Monday Community Night, when they open up the dining room to their Boulder neighbors and serve five courses family-style for $35 -- a great way to build community and show people how incredible local, sustainable eating can be.
