CHEF'S CORNER  

The Roaring Fork Valley went straight from winter to summer and we had to get our herb garden planted quickly.  My wife, Bonnie, along with Sara (our resident gardener/server), and I quickly sourced herbs from various nurseries in the area.  My wife hooked up a new drip system and in less than a few days we had our own herb garden. We now have 3 kind of basil to choose from and 3 kinds of mint (Mojitos!), in addition to various other herbs.  It is quite a treat to walk out the front door and grab the herbs we are going to need for service that night.

Finally it seems as though summer is here to stay (yesterday being the first official day of the summer).  We had expanded our patio when we first began last summer, but we were not able to use it because we were waiting on a liquor permit.  April and May came, and finally, we thought, we will get to use the patio, and our guests will get to enjoy the sunshine while they dine.  The weather was so poor we had only 3 nights of patio seating in 2 months.  Now that summer is here to stay it is wonderful to see the patio full of people enjoying themselves after waiting so long.

We are finally getting around to changing our food and drink menus.  We started our new dinner menu last Friday night, and while we were careful not to change customer favorites, we introduced some new items that are all about summer produce.  I am most excited about the Gnocchi- dumplings that we hand roll then serve with house smoked trout, corn, capers, and green olives.  This dish, to me exemplifies Italian food served in the Rockies.  Mountain fish, corn (perhaps Colorado’s greatest produce) and handmade pasta – a simple, light dish perfext for the summer.  Also, our chicken breast, which is stuffed with Colorado goat cheese, then marinated in sage from our garden, is grilled and served with farro-a barley like grain from Umbria, Italy.  This dish is  also a perfect example of summer Italian food in Colorado.

This Friday we will introduce our new cocktail/wine/ beer menu.  I have not quite finished with that yet – although a few things I am very excited about our the Watermelon Margerita, Sparkling Lemoncello ( a mixture of house made Lemoncello and Prosecco, and San Felice Vermintino, a wine that is produced off the southern coast of Tuscany and has citrusy lime flavors with a touch of minerals. All of these are all about summer!

Sean “Oakenfold” and Tom are headed back this Friday, the 24th, for the third DJ night.  We have done this twice before, and it a has been unbelievably fun.  Sean and Tom are  two different styles that complement each other extremely well.  This will be the first DJ night of the summer, so it will be nice to be able to dance inside and enjoy refreshing beverages outside on the patio.

Come join us for a late dinner and then stick around for the party- a unique experience for El Jebel.