A 21st Birthday Celebration Tour

Turning 21 is an exciting time, and it was a lot of fun to bring a group of college friends around town on a private birthday tour celebration for a taste of great food, libations, and delectable desserts.

We started at Tahona Tequila Bistro for a flight of tequilas- blanco, reposado, and añejo, as well as a taste of a coin-style margarita made with the three different tequilas.

We then walked to Aji for some Latin American appetizers: ceviche, blue corn dusted calamari, an empanada, and a mojito.

Our third stop was The Pinyon for fried chicken (of course), trotters on a house-made english muffin (The Pinyon is the only place in town serving trotters, by the way), and some 48-hour brisket.  We sampled a couple beer cocktails while watching the esteemed chefs prepare each course.

Finally, we went to OAK at Fourteenth for a cocktail by Boulder’s illustrious Bryan Dayton, paired with a sample of their desserts.

As a tour guide, I must say that birthday tours are exceptionally fun. The group doesn’t just sit at one restaurant for a few hours- we progressively eat our way through town on a culinary exploration with friends.  Happy 21st!  I hope Local Table Tours made it memorable.

OAK at Fourteenth

It has been many, many months, but OAK at Fourteenth has finally reopened, returning to Boulder one of the best dining experiences available, period.  As a hungry local, I’ve had the sensory pleasure of sitting at a table, the bar, and the chef’s bar on a somewhat regular basis and it is often difficult for me to leave because I’m enjoying myself so immensely.

Chef owner Steve Redzikowski and libations expert and owner Bryan Dayton orchestrate a food and drink symphony that is each time equally perfect yet uniquely different. Pictures may say thousands of words, and they’ll hopefully tempt you to be treated to an almost fantastical culinary experience.

Check out these larger photos of Bryan Dayton playing with an ice ball he set on fire as he perfected the ice “cube” for a cocktail at our table.

OAK at Fourteenth- 303.444.3622

1400 Pearl Street, Boulder CO, 80302

Photos courtesy of Giovanni Castillo.

Valentine Fizz

On a recent dining tour, Greg, the esteemed beverage manager at OAK at Fourteenth, made a unique new cocktail for us called a Valentine Fizz (it is February, after all).

You’re definitely going to have to get over to OAK for this cocktail because, even if you have all of these ingredients at home, it’s nice to have an expert do all of that shaking!

OAK’s just sweet enough and too complex to really describe Valentine Fizz has: Gin, Campari, Rose Water, Egg White, Lemon, Cream, and Peychaud’s Bitters, sweetly drawn in the shape of a heart.

And the sweetest detail of all- when we finished our cocktails, the heart shape remained at the bottom of the glass.

ROOT: Not just plain old rootbeer

Some bars in Boulder are starting to serve ROOT, a pre-prohibition style spirit that is sure to please anyone who likes the flavor of root beer.  In fact, root beer, a prohibition non-alcoholic beverage, got its start from Root Tea, an alcoholic spirit.  The folks at Art in the Age say it best, so I’ll quote:

“Here at Art in the Age, we thought it would be interesting and fun to turn back the clock and recreate a true pre-temperance alcoholic Root Tea. We’ve even made it certified organic, since back then, everything was organic. This is the opposite of corporate culture. It’s a genuine experience rooted in history and our own landscape. It is a truly interesting and contemplative quaff. Certainly like nothing else we have ever tasted before. It is NOT Root Beer flavored vodka or a sickly sweet liqueur.”

I recently got to taste ROOT in 10 or 11 different cocktails at Colorado’s First ROOT Cocktail Competition and realized just how versatile this spirit actually is.  If you enjoy the flavor or root beer, I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to like this spirit.  it is available in Liquor Mart if you’re adventurous and enjoy dabbling in mixology at home.

If not, you can ask for a cocktail at Oak at Fourteenth, The Bitter Bar, or Mateo. tell them Megan from Local Table Tours sent you.

Oak at Fourteenth

One of my favorite restaurants in Boulder is Oak at Fourteenth.  I’m not just saying that because they are a featured stop on Local Table Tours.  I’m saying that because… well, because of a number of reasons.

First, the Fried Pickles.  I’m serious.  I could eat fried pickled from Oak every day for the rest of my life.  The panko battered pickles are perfectly fried, subtly crunchy, and paired with a Green Goddess Aioli that complements the pickled taste of pickles.

I recently enjoyed a number of small plates on their midday menu, which, by the way, is a great reason to love Oak- they are open for midday food, which is somewhat of a rarity among restaurants of their acclaim in Boulder.  I snacked on some pickles, Wood Oven Roasted Cauliflower, and my meat loving friends split the Meatballs (which were then talked about all afternoon as the “best” meatballs they’d ever eaten).

As everything was so fantastic, we held on to the menu and placed some more orders.

I could have eaten the Crispy Rock Shrimp all day…

And I think the biggest mistake I made was sharing the Yellow Fin Tuna Tataki with friends.  I mean that!  This is worth trying.  It comes on a bed of cucumbers and is so light, fresh, and delicious.

But, what I find coolest about Oak at Fourteenth is that you can tell a man in a vest what type of spirits you prefer and he can create something unique with flavor profiles you enjoy.

I am a big fan of rye and like to taste new cocktail creations beyond the sazerac.  New cocktail creations is what you’ll get at Oak.  Besides their pre-prohibition-era cocktail menu, the beverage manager, Greg, is talented enough to ask you a few questions about your tastes and get to work creating something unique for you.  I have never had the same cocktail twice while at Oak.

Greg knows I enjoy rye, and though I can’t remember what he used to create my cocktail (there was port, I remember) he chose local Denver-based small batch Leopold Brothers Maryland Style Rye Whiskey.  I love supporting local restaurants when I dine as well as when I bring small groups on culinary walking tours, and I especially enjoy seeing the restaurants support other local businesses as well.

Oak at Fourteenth is very easy to find: 1400 Pearl Street, Boulder 303.444.3622