Every August 1 we celebrate Colorado Day, the date Colorado officially became the 38th state of the union in 1876. This year, the team at Big Red F Independent Restaurant Group decided to go a step further and dedicate the entire month of August to our state’s agricultural bounty.
“Colorado Day is the perfect spark to launch a full month of celebrating this amazing state, its people, producers, and the pride we feel cooking here,” said chef Sheila Lucero, the group’s culinary director.
That’s right, for 31 days total, all the Big Red F restaurants and concepts will participate, a list that includes every location of Centro Mexican Kitchen, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, The Post, West End Tavern, Wonder Press Juice, and Velvet Elk Lounge. Throughout August diners can indulge in special dishes and beverages made almost exclusively with Colorado grown and sourced products.
“As a seafood restaurant in a landlocked state, we’ve always had to be intentional about our sourcing and sustainability,” Lucero added. “Colorado Month gives us a chance to spotlight not just the fish on the plate, but the farms, ranches, and local makers who help us round out the story.”
Throughout the restaurants guests can order a range of beers and spirits made locally, and special Colorado Month menus meant to showcase ingredients found in every corner of the state. For example, Centro Mexican Kitchen offers a Colorado Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho with yellow pepper salsa and croutons. The tomatoes come from Tuxedo Farms, Munson Farms and Cure Organic Farm, and the watermelon is grown at Dionisio Farms in Pueblo
Over at the five Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar locations, diners will find Crispy Skin Alamosa Striped Bass, served with creamed Olathe corn and topped with a corn and heirloom tomato pico de gallo. The bass comes from a fish farm in Southern Colorado, and the Olathe corn and tomatoes are from Tuxedo Farms on the Western slope.
Burger lovers will want to visit The Post for the special Rock River Bison Burger, which comes with a cheese spread spiked with locally-sourced Hazel Dell mushrooms. The dish also has green chili aioli and comes on a black sesame bun. The bison meat is sourced from Rock River Ranches, the chiles hail from a co-op of farms in Pueblo, and the buns are baked at Harvest Moon Baking Company in Denver.
Sample a range of Colorado proud drinks at West End Tavern. For example, a Colorado single malt flight featuring Stranahan’s, Spirit Hound, and Boulder Spirits; the Breckenridge Distillery flight of whiskeys aged in a rum cask, sherry cask, and single barrel; and pours from a limited edition bottle of Breckenridge Distillery’s bourbon made for the restaurant. On the food side, taste the bounty of the state with the Colorado Platter, which includes smoked elk sausage, house-made giardiniera, kraut, housemade pickles, beer mustard, and toast points.
Wonder Press Juice will be serving fresh Palisade Peaches drinks. Finally, at the groups music venue Velvet Elk Lounge in Boulder, look for cocktail specials all month featuring spirits from Colorado distillers.
Big Red F also created a Colorado playlist on Spotify, which you can listen to here. Join the fun and taste why we love the Centennial State.
