I meet S (the Boulder Som-in-Training) at Duo, the Highlands neighborhood eatery. The chef here, John Broening, was in charge of the Primtivo kitchen for four years. He's consistently excellent - and his Duo menu this season is reminiscent of his Primitivo menus, a bit stripped down and less consciously European (John spent a year cooking in Paris, among other exotic locales).
I walk in a few minutes before S - the bar and dining room are divided by a wall of suspended windowpanes, all rickety and old and with paint peeling, hung haphazardly to imply separation but keeping the space open and airy. John is off tonight (Monday) but as I look at the plates coming up at the window of the semi-open kitchen, they have his trademark bright simplicity and presentation. Four guys seated at the bar are all having the same thing: a grilled pork chop, which all say is: "great, sooo good." By the time we're seated and order, the kitchen is out of this daily special.
S shows up, we're shown to a table next to the sandblasted brick wall. We start with Risotto Fritters for her and Poached Leeks for me. The fritters are beautifully prepared, deliciously briny and salty from gouda and shrimp mixed in with the rice. The leeks are accompanied by bacon and shaved fennel - what dish is not made better by the addition of bacon? Of course, I mean this rhetorically - please don't inundate the comments mailbox with gleeful variants of "ice cream!" or something to that effect. The roasted leeks have that sweet oniony flavor, nicely set off by the smokiness of the bacon and the licorice of anise. A porcini vinaigrette braces everything together. Nice.
We both select the flatiron steak for a main course - this has the slightly liverish and mineral quality that I associate with really good beef. The meat is perfectly caramelized on the outside and the accompanying ragout of cippolini onions and bacon (ahem) is fantastic. I wish there were a bit more of the wilted greens - the two bites of this seemed anemic in relation to the rest of the dish. A celery root and potato gratin was excellent and creamy, the flavors of the celery, potato and cheese melding into a satisfying almost-gooiness. Very nice.
We finish off with a sweet that I neglect to write down (again). S is grilling me on her Som course flashcards - there's a lot for her to learn. By no means do I have all or even most of the answers - humbling, especially on the technical side. It gives me an idea of the knowledge that a structured wine education imparts.
2001 Stefano Inama, "Bradisismo" IGT Veneto
Stefano is one of the funniest and most intelligent people I know making wine - his passions and refusal to compromise come through in both his person and wines. Bradisismo is 70/20/10% Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère/Merlot and is an expressive example of wines from the Colli Berici, a series of hills to the south of the city of Vicenza. This one is chock-full of ripe berries and plums, a meaty and mineral midpalate, and vanilla from the oak ageing. Stefano makes this one pretty much ready to drink soon after release, and the 2001 is showing beautifully. Loads of meaty well-extracted fruit on the finish, with soft ripe tannins. This is definitely a new-world styled wine - the influences of garagiste Bordeaux and California cult cabs is evident, without being so self-consciously over-the-top. (3.5+nb)
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