Travel,Wine and Cuisine by Christopher J Davies

District Meats chef Jeff Russell with Charlie Palmer                                                                                                                                                                          Celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer has been in the news lately. Less than a month ago he opened his delicious new concept District Meats in Denver's Lodo District. That restaurant is getting rave reviews from Denver foodies. It recently opened up lunch service and Chef Palmer seems poised to be testing the waters for opening other District Meats ...

Spam and Champagne! Not your typical pairing but it works! A funny thing happened during our recent road trip to Minnesota...we discovered the Spam Museum! Yes, just like there's a website for just about everything, there's a museum for Spam! Hormel Industries, the makers of Spam have a wonderful museum in Austin, Minnesota just off Interstate 90. Admission is free. New Spam Flavors You get to watch a great movie that covers the history of this world-famous mystery meat in a can. The museum is well worth the stop. Plus you can get to purchase new Spam logo items and new Spam flavors (including Hot & Spicy and Pepper) that are not yet available in the stores. We brought samples of The Hot & Spicy Spam, which is seasoned with Tabasco sauce. I am not a fan of Spam, but this was delicious in a grilled cheese sandwich. GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH WITH HOT & SPICY SPAM -Open Can, remove Spam with fork -Slice into 6 even portions -Brown in skillet at m...

New Book: Get Fired Up Paula Deen's Sons Jamie and Bobby are a grilling dynamic duo. They just released a wonderful new cookbook, "Get Fired Up,” that features 125 mouthwatering, easy-to-follow recipes for creating tasty dishes that the home cook can master without hours of preparation. Southern favorites include Glazed Barbecue Shrimp, Grilled Crab Cake Sammies, and Fire-Roasted Clams and Mussels. The photography in this book is mouthwatering. 224 pages, hardcover $25. www.randomhouse.com/book/38582/the-deen-bros-get-fired-up-by-jamie-deen-bobby-deen-and-melissa-clark#blurb_tabs The Deen's Top BBQ Tips Worth Following: Jamie Deen Q: What are the three rules of grilling? 1. Flip once.  2. Less seasoning is more.  3. Pay attention to the heat. Q:  What are three common grilling mistakes? 1. Pressing the meat.  2. Cutting too soon once it comes off the grill. 3. Over cooking. Bobby Deen Q: What are the three rules of grilling? 1. Allow the mea...

Cover of First Issue: Denver Magazine Denver Magazine (2008 to 2011) Magazine's are like restaurants. To start one you must have a great idea,  a lot of passion and capital. I know this first hand, having worked for deep pocketed Petersen Publishing in Manhattan (Motor Trend, Guns & Ammo, Photographic, to name a few) as well as co-founding and publishing my own magazine Wine Country International® . Just like restaurants, only 2 out of 8 magazines survive beyond 2 years. I was deeply saddened to learn that Denver Magazine had shuttered it's publication yesterday. I know it's founder & Publisher, Michael Ledwitz pretty well. He is a bright guy with tons of passion and energy. During the past year, he managed to fine tune the publication into a high quality magazine that I looked forward to reading every month. Circulation was reported to be at 50,000 copies per month which is pretty formidable in today's publishing world. It was announced yesterday, t...

Capital Grille, Denver For those who read my blog, it is no secret that I am a big fan of the Capital Grille restaurants. I first experienced Capital Grille's Tyson Corner restaurant, when I was a national sales manager with a generous expense account. It was love at first bite! Lately, I have been impressed with Capital Grille's over the top wine programs. The latest edition to their cellar is a second annual release of their Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2007 created by Thomas Peffer, a world-class winemaker from Atalon Vineyards in Napa Valley. Mr. Peffer created the wine with guidance from The Capital Grille’s George Miliotes, one of only 170 Master Sommeliers in the world. The grapes used were from specially selected vineyards in Napa Valley whose high elevation and unique microclimate result in the perfect conditions for creamy, boldly textured flavors. Blended solely for The Capital Grille, fewer than 1,000 cases of this unique wine will be produced. The com...

Chef Justin Miller explains cooking & sourcing Sweet Bread SALUTING GUSTAV ESCOFFIER. THE BROADMOOR WAY! By Christopher J. Davies I have a secret. You know how everyone says they are going on a diet after New Years Eve? We'll mine gets official delayed until after the Broadmoor's Salute To Escoffier Event in late January, or early February. This event has been classified by some as a food orgy. It is really a homage to the master of French Cuisine and French Wine. Their 9th Annual event was held February 4 to 6, 2011. It was a sold-out event full of foodies, wine and food writers and trade folk. John Blazon MS with Chef Bertrand Bouquin Lobster Carpaccio The event was different than past years, the Friday night welcome reception was somewhat trimmed down, not surprising as most guests do not arrive until Saturday. But the Wine Luncheon at The Mobil 5 Star Penrose Room, featuring luxury boutique wines from Stonestreet Wines, a Kendal-Jackson brand, set the ...