Seven Cups & Marczyk's Shine on Gourmet Culinary

Amazing! In a word, the tour on Saturday was amazing. As one guest on the tour said, "I've been to all of these stores before but I've never experienced like I did today - it was great."

We had two new additions to our tour this month; Seven Cups Tea House at Jewell and Pearl and Marczyk's Market at 17th & Clarkson.

Greg Fellman of Seven Cups Chinese Tea House hosted us as we tasted six different teas from all over China. We tasted white teas, green teas and black teas from all over China. What a wonderful experience to enjoy a Chinese tea tasting on a gorgeous Denver day.

We also went to Marczyk's Market - if you haven't been there - GO! And ask how to make the steak tar tar - unbelievable, really, it was so good. That was just one of the treats we enjoyed. Jimmy, resident butcher at Marczyk's showed us how to break down a whole segment of their dry aged beef to beautiful rib eyes. Truly it was like being a kid in a candy store, but, it was a grown up foodie in a foodie "candy" store. Pete Marczyk personally gave us a tour around his truly beautiful store - I just wish he would put one in Littleton. If I had to say one theme I walked away from Marczyk's it would be quality ingredients and products without all of the extraneous nonsense stuff manufacturer's feel necessary to put in our food.

The best part of the tour on Saturday were the people; from the guests that joined us to the wonderfully passionate people who participated on the tour - Deanna at the Red Trolley, Kate at Savory Spice, William of Wen Chocolates, Greg at Seven Cups, Rob at The Truffle Cheese Shop and Pete Marczyk's at Marczyk's Market and our guest chef this month Diane Brown and our ever present Alan Hill of http://www.alanhillphoto.com/.

Join us, we'd love to share our culinary connections with you. Our next event is April 18th - Ethnic Market - sure to be another amazing event.

iL Posto - The Best Gnocchi You'll Ever Have

Walking into the small space that is IL Posto you are immediately fixed on the intensity and gracefulness of the line cooks working diligently over the hot stoves. As you enjoy your complimentary glass of Lambrusco to start your meal and look over the chalk board that is the menu you are immediately seduced by the charm of Andrea Frizzi’s (that's chef Frizzi making his amazing gnocchi) restaurant. Based on the cuisine of Northern Italy Il Posto has an ever changing menu that features local organic produce and meats and seafood that is flown in daily.

I can certainly attest to the freshness of the seafood. I started my meal with scallops that were beautifully plumb and exquisitely cooked. At IL Posto the chef’s hand make their pasta dough and cut it just before service, a labor of love. I had the lemon tagliatelle with capers, tomatoes, mizuna and calamari. The dough has lemon zest in it that makes it sing with acidity and gives it an interesting texture. Also good was the red wine and marjoram braised short ribs with kabocha squash and sunflower sprouts. And probably the best gnocchi I've ever had; light, fluffy, flavorful torpedo's of potato love. To end the meal have the bombalini. The chefs have perfected the frying of these beautiful doughnuts. Served with an anise crème anglaise you will love these hot pockets of steaming dough rolled in sugar.

The best part of my meal was watching the ballet in the kitchen - the chef’s hands as they plated each dish and the intensity of their focus on putting a plate together that not only tasted good but that was visually appealing as well.

Sit at the bar at IL Posto and see for yourself how entertaining it is to eat good food and watch it being prepared in front of you.

iL Posto's Bombalini