Atticus

Chapter 22 Is Alive And Well At Atticus...

In Chapter 22 of the Pulitzer Prize winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch -the namesake of our most recent blog outing - comes downstairs to find his kitchen table "loaded with enough food to bury the family." 

For those of you who never had to read this book in high school, the food found on the table was given to Finch as a gesture of gratitude for his actions.  Atticus Finch was a lawyer who defended a black man in an act of good conscience.  Because the timeframe of the book is between the years of 1933 to 1935, the black people in his neighborhood understood and admired the courage Atticus showed to help a member of the community at great risk to himself.  Therefore, they brought him food as a sign of their appreciation. 

The website for Atticus describes itself as a place you can find comfort food, good friends, warm hospitality, laughter and libations.  Well, they aren't lying.  The staff of Atticus loves their community and really tries to convince the neighborhood to come together and congregate at this local eatery.  They sponsor community dinners for a flat fee.  During these dinners, they push the tables together and offer games and good food as a way for the locals to dine together while getting to know each other.

Atticus is a farm to tavern restaurant.  All produce is grown locally by the restaurant, and it is evident by the taste of the food.  For example, we ordered the fried green tomatoes and were not disappointed.  Heirloom tomatoes were lightly fried in a delicate batter with crispy edges, and a wonderful dipping sauce.  Instead of the typical thick, fried, soggy tomato we were treated to a slightly sweet, flavorful tomato that still had its firmness in tact.  Just excellent!

Additional appetizers included the Brie Hot Pot and Crostini with thinly sliced peaches, cherries, fresh mint, ricotta cheese, and balsamic vinegar drizzle.  However, undoubtedly the most daring choice tried that evening was the charred octopus.  It was served with a leak brodo and chimichurri.  Admittedly our server, Roman, had to bribe us into ordering this appetizer.  We agreed, only after remembering that trying new things was the one main reason for starting this blog in the first place.  The octopus was actually quite nice.  The meat was dense and briny with a heady seafood aroma.  The sauce was a nice accompaniment and helped offset the saltiness of the dish.  It would probably not be something we would order on a regular basis, but it is definitely something to try once in our lives, and we are really glad we did.  Thank you, Roman for helping us be brave.

Our dinner selections included a delicious Osso Bucco served with citrus farrotto, grilled asparagus, and roasted grape tomatoes and the Atticus Burger served with crispy onions candied bacon, roasted garlic aioli, cambozola cheese and fries.  However, the most mind blowing meal of the evening was definitely the Herb Risotto.  Roasted sweet corn, Hazel Dell Mushrooms, and a splash of pure heaven.  Those of you who follow the blog know that we are big meat eaters.  It is so rare a vegetarian dish wins the prize but Atticus' Risotto is the stuff of legends.  Absolutely amazing!

Speaking of vegetarian meals, Atticus also offers gluten free and vegan meal choices so all are welcome and can have a great meal.

Moving on to dessert we tried the Bananas Foster Cheesecake - a New York style cheesecake texture with mashed bananas and chocolate sauce.  Very light and refreshing.  We also tried the Pot of Crème with Peanut Butter Fluff.  It was dark, rich, creamy, and was a beautiful ganache.

We found Atticus to be a very cozy and family friendly restaurant.  Our server, Roman, was hilarious and well informed.  He is one of those rare people in the service industry that believes everything should be fun.  He really made our night.  Be sure to request him when making your reservations.  That being said - be sure to make reservations.  Atticus is a smaller space and fills up really fast.



Because the food was amazing, the service was terrific, and the feeling of community was so strong, we awarded Atticus the coveted golden spoon.  We met some great people during our visit both staff and guests alike and wish to thank all of them for a truly wonderful evening.

---

P.S.  We debated quite a bit about adding this note.  While we do not intend to sway anyone's decision to try Atticus, we think it is only fair to disclose that after dining at this restaurant, one of us suffered a bout of tummy trouble (you know the kind that keeps you near the bathroom for 24 hours).  We have never had this happen before and we cannot be completely certain that the issue lies with our dinner; however there were few other possibilities.  Although this in no way takes away from the experience, we feel we needed to mention something about it.  MenuManiacs is sure this is not a usual occurrence; however, it happened, and we need to be open and honest about it.  That being said, we hope this does not prevent anyone from trying this wonderful restaurant.  We will be sure to make a return trip in the future ourselves.

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was okay. Not our favorite, but we’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.

Choctoberfest 2015

Something Chocolate This Way Comes

September 19th was a busy day in MenuManiacs land.  Not only did we have our September lunch at Bushi Cubano Café, but we also attended the 2nd Annual Choctoberfest at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield, Colorado.  We were surprised by the number of local chocolatiers from our lovely state, and thought we would tell you about some of our favorites. 

But first, a chocolate bust of number 18 and quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Peyton Manning.

OK, everybody still with me?  Ladies, have you recovered from the shock of a handsome dude made of chocolate?  Good.  Let's soldier on.  Oh, and also, note the all chocolate golden retriever in the background. 

We love some good toffee.  Melted Sweets makes their delicious toffee by hand and they are also based right here in the Aurora, Colorado.  They offer several varieties of toffee including white, milk, and dark chocolate.  The toffee has a great crunch followed by melty creaminess as you chew.  Still waiting to for the right store front opportunity, this adorable couple can be found at select farmers markets in both Broomfield and Littleton.  You can also order their products online as well.  Be sure to check out their website and like them on Facebook!


The lovely ladies of Chic Chocolate offer fine dark and milk chocolate bars in refined sophisticated flavors with sassy names like Drama Queen and Women Who Wine.  We snagged a little piece of each at the fest.  All of their creations can be purchased online or by calling their 800 number on their web site.  P.S.  Dudes are welcome to order as well.  Just sayin'.

Finally, a Scottish culinary creation we can support!  Stewart's "Much ADough About Muffin" LLC makes this amazing sweet treat called Tablet.  Before you say, "Tablet?"  Let us explain.  The awesome guy in the kilt at the booth explained to us that it has been named Tablet for years and years.  Possibly centuries.

Can we just say, "They can take our lives, but they will never take our Tablet!"  This stuff is amazing!  It is like brown sugar and butter, crumbly yet creamy, and comes in plain (understatement), chocolate topped, pecan topped, or bourbon.  Seriously, let that sink in...Bourbon.

They also sell toffee as well.  It has an almost smoky taste to it and is extremely smooth and soft.  It is more the consistency of caramel.  According to their website, they sell a traditional Scottish shortbread, scones, and crumpets. To be honest, we are not sure if they had their shortbread at Choctoberfest because we were so enamored with their Tablet samples.  They pride themselves on small batch recipes and also do custom cakes.  We love Tablet.  There, we've said it and feel better for it.

Satchi Fudge is an award winning company that makes an amazingly creamy, silky fudge.  We tried several samples and each was amazing. The Dark and Silky confection was just that, intense dark chocolate with a smooth texture and just enough sweetness to balance the natural bitterness of the chocolate. They sell fudge in the traditional "bar" form but also in jars which makes it easy to warm up and pour over ice cream, use as a dip for strawberries, or just eat with a spoon.  Do yourselves a favor and visit their site and like them on Facebook.

Who couldn't use just a little therapy from time to time?  The Chocolate Therapist is ready to fill your prescription for the proverbial chocolate fix stat.  They offer a wide variety of products from bars to cocoa nibs.  The Chocolate Therapist hosts chocolate and wine pairings at their Littleton store and we can't wait to schedule our first outing there.  For those of you that can't make it their store, never fear!  You can purchase their 16 piece pairing collections online and have it shipped to your home.  In addition to the wine pairing collection, we also spotted a BEER pairing collection proving that chocolate really can go with anything.

There were over 70 vendors at Choctoberfest this year and these were just a few of our favorites. There are many more exciting companies out there to explore.  We are very excited.  Let us know if you like this type of post as it isn't our typical focus.  We had a lot of fun and we hope this encourages you to get out there, find an expo or festival near you, and learn about great local businesses.

Buchi Cafe Cubano

Espresso Yourself

Wikipedia informs us that Café Cubano (also known as Cuban coffee, Cuban espresso, cafecito, Cuban pull, or Cuban shot) is a type of espresso that originated in Cuba after espresso machines were first imported there from Italy.  A Cafe Cubano is regarded as a mid-afternoon standard in places like Cuba, Miami, and Key West.

And that brings us to September's blog pick and FINALLY our first Cuban restaurant, Buchi Café Cubano.  This cozy restaurant located northwest of downtown Denver in the Sunnyside neighborhood right at the intersection of 38th and Clay seems to be thriving after seven years in business.  They have a very nice patio with a beautiful golden cover if you prefer to sit outside and food is available to eat in house or you can get it to go to enjoy at home.  The owner is originally from Key West and wanted to bring authentic Cuban cuisine to the Denver area.

Buchi is open for breakfast and lunch from 8am to 3pm from Sunday to Wednesday and 8am to 9pm from Thursday to Saturday.  They offer a happy hour where classic Mojito's and other cocktails are available for $5 each.  Speaking of Mojito's, they are our new favorite thing.  This was our first traditionally made Mojito, and it was freshly made with raw sugar, fresh mint leaves, fresh lime juice, sparkling water and rum.  What a difference fresh ingredients makes!  We will never, NEVER drink a Mojito made from a mix again.  This drink was light, refreshing, and incredible.  However, as our wonderful server, Dion stated, "These will sneak up on you.  It doesn't taste strong but you'll feel it by the time you are done."  That is very true.  Thank you Dion for the words of wisdom!  That being said, it is worth a trip to Buchi to just try the Mojito itself.

Buchi and Café Con Leche

Buchi Café Cubano is named after a Cuban espresso called the Buchi, seen here on the left, and is available as a single or double shot.  Obviously, we decided to try it since it was the restaurant's namesake.  The lesson learned about Cuban coffee is this...the Cuban people do not play around with caffeine.  Decaf is not an option and "skinny" coffee drinks are not allowed as the menu plainly states.  When you first see the shot of espresso served in a shot glass, you are a little confused.  The size of the drink is difficult to comprehend after being trained to order Grande, Venti, or gallon sizes of coffee from other java joints.  You soon realize that in about 10 - 15 minutes you will resemble a poodle on speed...in a good way, of course.   Let's just say, you will get a lot done and quickly.  Actually, the Buchi is sweetened with organic raw sugar so although it is strong, it is very tasty.  We also tried the Café Con Leche which is basically the Cuban version of a latte and is available with a single or double shot of espresso with steamed milk and sweetened with the same sugar as the Buchi.  All their coffee was very good, not bitter or burnt like the kind other establishments serve.

We tried a couple appetizers during our visit.   Empanadas are basically fried dough stuffed with spicy sauce, chicken, and black beans and served with a smooth chimichurri sauce.  We also tried the Platanos Maduros or pan fried plantains.  Plantains are a type of banana although not as sweet and fried on each side to create a crunchy, carmelized shell. Both were excellent.

Pan con Lechon

Cuban Mix

Pork plays a big role in Cuban food.  We are thinking that it is due to the fact that Cuba is such a small island and therefore does not have a lot of room for cattle to graze.  Pigs require less space and will eat basically whatever you feed them.  Therefore, pork sandwiches abound at Buchi.  They are served on Cuban bread and pressed in a pannini press.  We tried the Cuban Mix consisting of Cuban roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, onions and mustard.  The Pan con Lechon which is a Cuban roast pork sandwich with grilled onions, and also the La Bodega made up of Turkey, Swiss cheese, avocado, tomato and key lime mayonnaise.  All the sandwiches were delicious; however, we really enjoyed the Pan con Lechon due to the delicious flavor of the pork.

For dessert, we tried the Pasteles, a Cuban guava turnover.  Very flakey and light.

La Bodega

We really liked the fact that although spices, seasonings and sauces were utilized, they didn't take away from the flavor of the meat at all.  The food is very straightforward but really delicious.  The best part about our Buchi Café Cubano experience was the fact that the delicious food served there is so inexpensive!!!  The most expensive item on the menu was $8.95.  People, do you know how difficult it is to find that kind of pricing in Denver, Colorado?!

Pasteles - Guava filled turnover

Our server Dion was fantastic! He answered every question we had and was very knowledgeable and informed.  He was constantly smiling and we found him very entertaining.  If you decide to eat at this restaurant request Dion and tell him MenuManiacs sent you.

For the economical wonderful food, Mojito, and coffee (we still haven't slept, and it's been 48 hours)  we award Buchi Café Cubano a fork.  We will definitely be back!  Thank you all and as they say in Cuba...

No deje de probar Buchi Cafe Cubano . ¡Son sorprendentes!

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was okay. Not our favorite, but we’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.

The Inglenook

Every little Inglenook and Cranny

Finally!  We picked a restaurant that was not in downtown Denver!  Not only were we able to branch out and travel north of Denver to beautiful Loveland, Colorado but we were also able to share the experience with a group of Maniacs who live in Northern Colorado.  Thank you Carolynn, Karen, Rhawnie, Kerry, Heather, Jennifer, and Kim for joining us at The Inglenook.  You guys are awesome!

The Inglenook is located on Cleveland Avenue in downtown Loveland.  It can be easily spotted by a pair of adorable awnings that cover the outdoor patio proudly displaying the word "bistro".  It is locally owned which is something we love to hear, and we had the privilege of speaking to the owner of the restaurant, Rod .  He described the food as made from scratch, new American cuisine.

We asked Rod how he came up with the name Inglenook.  He explained to us that when it came time to name the restaurant, he gathered his family together and told them they could pick the name only if they followed a few rules.  Those rules were the following:  it could not be a proper name,  it could not be a word ending in the letter "S", and it could not named after a type of food.  This way, he could change the cuisine and menu whenever he wanted without restriction.  That makes perfect sense to us.

The restaurant is a smaller, intimate space with low lighting and beautiful, relaxing colors on the walls.  Upbeat, international type music plays in the background at a reasonable level allowing patrons to hold a conversation without yelling at each other.

In true MenuManiacs style, our party quickly grew from 6 to 9 unexpectedly causing the staff to move us around to a larger table by the bar.  We were not upset by this.  Cosmopolitans, shots of whiskey, and several glasses of Malbec made their way to our table to get the dinner started.  In addition to being the owner, Rod seems to do double duty as the bartender and we have to admit, the man makes a mean Cosmo!  Good job, buddy.

Appetizers were ordered with wild abandon.  Crab Cakes, Artichoke Dip, Shrimp and Mushrooms.  Undoubtedly the favorite pre-meal warm up was the olive tapenade and nita crisps.  Several people at the table were decidedly non olive but even they had to admit it was delicious.  A lovely blend of salty olives and a slight dash of citrus.  Fantastic!

Thai Spinach Salad

Several salads were ordered as well.  The Iceberg Wedge, The Thai Spinach, and House Salads were all wonderful; however, the most interesting and flavorful portion of the salad course was the Orange Jalapeno Salad Dressing which was very unexpected but delightful.

Seafood Newburg

The Inglenook has a nicevaried menu as far as main courses go.  Lobster Ravioli, Bistro Steak, Roasted Duck, Seafood Newburg, Pecan Encrusted Salmon, Beef Short Ribs and Inglenook Crispy Baked Chicken were all brought to the table to be fought over like it was a cabbage patch doll in the eighties.  (Look it up if you don't know what that means.  I'll wait.)...................OK.  We liked the Seafood Newburg the best because it had a beautiful, rich, creamy sauce that was out of this world.

Roasted Duck

Pecan Encrusted Salmon

Bistro Steak

Lemon Sorbet

Dessert consisted of Chocolate Caramel Cake, Lemon Sorbet, Bread Pudding, and Crème Brulee which wasn't on the menu but was a special of the night.  Those of you who have been reading our blog religiously know just how much we love, love, love crème Brulee.  After saying that, the favorite dessert for the night was their lemon sorbet.  Light and refreshing after a large meal.

Our server, Rachel was wonderful and handled all of us with grace and professionalism.  She didn't skip a beat when our group had to parade in a single line all the way through the restaurant to our larger table.  It says a lot when somebody can handle those spur of the moment changes without losing their cool.  Rachel, you were wonderful.  Thank you so much for a beautiful evening.

We closed the place down, people.  We really enjoyed the evening and are happy to say that there really are excellent restaurants that exist outside the Denver area.  The Inglenook is definitely worth a drive to Loveland to spend an evening exploring what this adorable Colorado restaurant has to offer.

To all our Maniacs that came out to share this experience with us, Rod, Rachel, and staff of The Inglenook, we thank you for a fantastic meal and exceptional evening.  You are all perfection.  We proudly give the Inglenook a fork.

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was okay. Not our favorite, but we’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.

Tocabe - Greenwood Village

Tocabe 2

One Year Later....

Like the song says, "Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?"  Well, in our world, the answer is always, LET'S GO EAT!

Hey guys, we did it.  Today's restaurant was a celebration of MenuManiac's one year anniversary.  A year really does fly by when you are doing something you love.  In fact, the year went by so fast that admittedly we almost forgot about the anniversary!  However, when it came time to choose the restaurant for our celebration, we didn't even have to think about it.  We would go back to the restaurant that started it all, Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery. 

Although this is technically a repeat for us, it was like a brand new experience.  During the last year, Tocabe has opened a second location in Greenwood Village and we couldn't be happier for them.

The new restaurant is just as wonderful as the original location.  In many ways it is identical; however, there are enough differences between the two to make this visit just as new and exciting as our original trip was a year ago. 

Tocabe 2 carried over many of the decorative touches from the original restaurant.  For example, the textured wallpaper that represents the prairie grass covering the lands inhabited by the Osage tribe, the same colors decorate the walls, and the food line and great service is all the same.  They still offer bison ribs, fried bread tacos, and medicine wheel nachos, all with your choice of ground beef, chicken, ground bison with sage, or shredded buffalo.  All the wonderful salsa's are there including our favorite hominy and cranberry salsa. You must try the hominy salsa, it sounds weird but it is awesome! 

The biggest difference is the absence of the stuffed frybread taco and the addition of the grilled bannock taco.  Bannock is a type of grilled bread and is served on the side instead of beneath the taco ingredients itself.  They also have a bad hunter salad which includes Arcadia salad mix and up to five choices of seasonal toppings including nuts, grains, beans, vegetables, and house made dressings - our favorite being the maple vinaigrette.  The maple syrup used in this salad dressing comes from a Native tribe in Minnesota.  But never fear, the stuffed frybread taco is still available at Tocabe's original location.

On this visit, the side served with the bison ribs was squash and potatoes which were sprinkled with brown sugar.  This was incredible.  Simple yet flavorful, like most of our favorite things.

For dessert, we ordered frybread sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar as well as an order of frybread nuggets dusted with powdered sugar.  Both were fresh out of the oven and just phenomenal.  We recommend ordering a side of Wojapi sauce to dip the frybread in.  It is a mixture of fresh blueberries and strawberries. 

John, one of the owners, came by our table.  He spent a lot of time with us explaining the philosophy of the restaurant and letting us know of upcoming projects and ideas they have regarding Tocabe.  As you may remember from our first blog entry a year ago, Tocabe was brought to our attention after watching Diners, Drive In's, and Dives.  During our first visit to the original location on West 44th in Denver, we were impressed by the way they use local ingredients and how they strive to keep the culture and Native influence alive through their food and restaurants.  In true Tocabe style, John impressed us even further by informing us that they have been working in conjunction with the USDA to create DVD's demonstrating how to make meals from the ingredients found in the commodity packages for people living on reservations.  He also informed us that the motto regarding their restaurant's procurement of ingredients is, "Native first and local second."  We absolutely love and respect this idea.  He also reiterated the fact that all items on the menu, with the exception of the chipotle sauce, is made fresh in house and is preservative free.  In addition, he informed us about their future plans.  Tocabe is looking to expand and open more locations (Northern Colorado, John.  Northern Colorado!).  They have intentions to work with Fiddler's Green to help promote both the concerts and their food by coming up with a way to cater to the crowd as they are on their way to the venue.

Tocabe is still the most unique restaurant we have visited since starting this blog.  It continues to surprise and delight us with both wonderful food and wonderful service to their community, heritage, and culture.

Of course we awarded Tocabe, John, and the entire staff of Tocabe the coveted Golden Spoon.

Please review our original blog entry from a year ago as well.  We want to thank all our Maniacs for their continued support.  We look forward to year two and hope to have many group events and outings for many years to come!

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was okay. Not our favorite, but we’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.