Tidbites | Week of March 20, 2014

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Jax Fish House will soon be open in Kansas.

BEST THINGS TO PUT IN YOUR MOUTH 

Have you voted for the Best of Boulder yet? If not, you better head over to www.BoulderWeekly.com and cast your ballot, otherwise your second favorite Thai/Indian/ gluten-free/late-night/pizza/ burrito/etc restaurant might take top honors instead of your actual pick for Best Of. Gadzooks! If that happens, you’ll end up the laughing stock of Boulder foodie circles everywhere, wandering the streets in despair and denying the math like Karl Rove on election night. You don’t want that. Go. Vote. Now.

JAX-PANSION 

Still here? Okay. Well, then you should probably know that the Boulder-based and Colorado-centric Big Red F restaurant chain will soon be breaking free of the Big Red C and expanding — or invading if you prefer — into neighboring Kansas with their signature joint, Jax Fish House.

The Kansas City Star is reporting that Big Red F will be opening a new 5,200 square-foot Jax Fish House (its fifth) in Kansas City come August. And since the menu and format is working like gangbusters here in Colorado, where it’s been written up time and time again, not much is likely to change.

Big Red F is also reportedly looking to possible expansions to Chicago and St. Louis.

But that ain’t all that’s going down at Jax.

This week is its second annual High West Oyster Fest, wherein the region’s leading fishmongers will be all about oysters.

“Watch shuckers from across the country work their magic and see oyster eaters contend for top prizes,” says a press release. “Jax favorites including The ‘Sea Dog, peel ‘n eat shrimp, gumbo, jambalaya and BRF Post Brewing Company award-winning brewer Bryan Selders’ specially-brewed Emersum Oyster Stout will be available for purchase.”

There will be music, raffles, contests for both oyster shucking and oyster eating and more.

The event runs from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, March 20 at the Boulder Theater. Tickets are $25 for general admission, or $74 for VIP early admission, which also comes with complimentary champaign and — you guessed it — oysters.

Get more info at www.jaxfishhouse.com.

SHOW US YOUR RIFFS 

Riffs Urban Fare is hosting its first wine dinner on Wednesday, March 26.

“Four courses of Chef Platt’s artfully crafted cuisine will be paired with a diverse selection of Salentein Wines from Mendoza, Argentina,” said a press release. “Additionally, our favorite sommelier, Sarah Moore, will be in attendance to provide our guests with a brief overview of Salentein’s one-of-a-kind Argentine wines.”

The menu includes seabass ceviche paired with torrontes, smoketinged salmon paired with pinot noir, twice-cooked pork paired with a malbec and a grilled hangersteak with chimichurri, duckfat fingerlings and smoked tomatoes paired with a cab sauv.

Tickets are $60 per person and only 15 seats are available. Reservations can be made by calling 303-440-6699.

Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com