Fried chicken fancified
There’s almost a formula to it now: Take the very bare bones of the menu of a fast food restaurant, rethink the ingredients and preparation with an eye on health and quality and add sides or dressings well beyond what fast food offers, and bam: You’re fast-casual.
That’s not to say that’s the way Yellowbelly arrived at its menu. But the fast-casual fried chicken joint is most definitely in that mold, re-imagining fried chicken as GMO-free, gluten-free, 100 percent natural and cooked from scratch. Among Yellowbelly’s sides are Brussels slaw, citrus quinoa and sautéed greens. During the recent USA Pro Challenge, Yellowbelly invited cyclists including Craig Lewis, Chad Beyer and Pat McCarty to dine at the restaurant.
And within a month, Yellowbelly will be in Boulder. The fast-casual restaurant started in Vail and will soon open a location at 2525 Arapahoe Ave., in the Village Shopping Center. The company has said on Facebook it will open in September.
Rare beer roundup
The limited-edition-beer-machine that is Avery Brewing has released a barrel-aged sour ale, Thensaurum, in 12-ounce bottles. Released Aug. 25, the rum barrel-aged beer is brewed with Brettanomyces yeast. Avery’s Andy Parker, whose title is chief barrel herder, says in a press release he was “against the concept from the start” because the “combination of flavors seemed all wrong.” But he says the beer blew him away.
In a few weeks, Boulder Beer Company will release its next seasonal, the Dragonhosen Imperial Oktoberfest, a spin on the German style that the brewery describes in a press release as a “big, malty lager.” Bottled in 22-ounce “bomber” bottles and available on limited drafts, Dragonhosen is 9 percent ABV and will be served at The Pub at Boulder Beer Company Thursday, Sept. 19, at an event that will include live polka music.
Denver’s Great Divide has announced its next limited-release beer, Peach Grand Cru. The Belgian-style ale will use Palisade peaches and weigh in at 12 percent ABV, and it’ll be sold in 750-mL bottles, typically referred to in brewing as wine bottles. Unfortunately, it won’t be available until early October, according to a press release.
Organics education
Is it really necessary for Alfalfa’s Market to hold an Organic Day? Wouldn’t that be like Boulder Weekly holding an incredible journalism day? It’s what we do already.
But the answer is yes, Alfalfa’s plans a slate of activities for its first annual Organic Day with an eye on education, entertainment and outreach to children. The store already sells 97 percent organic produce, while 85 percent of its bulk department is organic, along with 100 percent of its juice bar.
Organic Day, which will take place 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Labor Day, Sept. 2, will include a panel discussion on local organic foods with farmers and experts, eco-crafts for children, organic food samples, live music and a chance to meet calves from the Aurora Organic Dairy.
Alfalfa’s will also use the occasion to launch a month-long contest to design art for the store’s reusable bags. Alfalfa’s is located at Broadway and Arapahoe.
Cop coffee in the capital
Last year, java lovers had a chance to tour Boulder’s many coffee shops through the Caffeine Crawl, a company that organizes tours of coffee shops around a city. This year, the crawl will return to Denver, the second city to host a crawl.
The 2013 Caffeine Crawl in Denver will take place Sept. 14 at 10 coffee shops across the city, from The Market in downtown Denver to Metropolis Coffee in the Golden Triangle to Black Eye Coffee in the Highlands. A press release from the Caffeine Crawl says it is aiming for “a wide array of cutting-edge brewing methods, roast profiles and education on the industry.”
Tickets for the event are $30, and more information is available at www.caffeinecrawl.com.
Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
