Denver has an exploding restaurant scene, and just maybe the pinnacle creation by which all else is judged is the simple taco. Well, in this case definitely not simple. From its’ start in 2015, this festival doubled in attendance this year.
VIP attendees get close the band
At Top Taco 2016, over 50 restaurants vie for the Top Taco prize in categories such as vegetarian, creative and traditional. The whole event gets even more zest as most restaurants also enter the creative cocktail contest. And, of course, there is live salsa and mariachi music going to get you in the food mood.
Coconut Ritas & Tacos
Imagine over 5,000 people on ball fields meandering through tents that are dishing out never before seen or tasted creations. Then you wash it all down with something with tequila you have never imagined. Although it didn’t win the creative cocktail competition, my favorite was the habanero infused tequila lemonade. Now that was a hot and refreshing drink at the same time.
Watermellon Margaritas
Revelers enter early for the VIP tasting, which gives them 60 minutes head start on the taco sampling with 11 exclusive restaurants. Then, for the next three hours, everyone mingles and tries the fare with one important feature. In this food festival, you get a vote. So, winners are assigned to categories by both judges and the attendees. And, the eateries try extra hard to explain the creation you are about to consume. No, there really isn’t a person who tries every taco, it’s more about what you just tried and what sounds good for the next round. And, the restaurants do an exceptional job of pairing the craft cocktail with their taco creation.
Goat tacos at Punchbowl Social
This is a stroll and dine, stroll and sample at its’ finest. And, it is definitely a tequila lovers dream, and just about every premium brand is represented and woven into some unusual combinations. Kachina produced the Controlled Burn Margarita, and my impression was it was a little more a forest fire than a controlled burn. However, downright tasty and this combination resulted in Kachina getting 3rd place in the creative cocktail category. Watermelon and lavender margaritas just to name a few.
The Kachina Controlled Burn Margarita
Now, the tacos range from the somewhat expected to you will never see that again. Restaurants include such Denver notables Punchbowl Social, Rioja, Zengo, Lena, and Biju’s Little Curry. The surprise taco was the Biju’s madras eggplant taco with feta cheese that won vegetarian with both the judges and the sampling public. Margs Taco Bistro sported a cod taco with red cabbage that didn’t win but won over many of the attendees with the crunchy fish. And of course, massive amounts of bacon and other meats.
The Lena Taco
The tacos are definitely creative, and some the restaurants don’t typically place tacos on the menu, so this was a coordinated effort to put their best culinary foot forward for the Denver dining community. Lena put their taco foot forward with an impressive combination of mushrooms, squash, plantains and strawberry slaw. Their paired Arpia cocktail combined tequila, coconut aloe, lime, and plantain. Punch Bowl Social rolled out goat tacos with a spirited margarita.
Milagro Tequila Mixing
On your next trip to Denver, you can’t go wrong with any of the restaurants or bars in the competition. And, if you want to visit some of the winners, head to Dos Santos, Los Chigones, Lena, Kachina and Machete.
Cigar smoking is gaining as a way to spend an evening with friends or have a little more fun on the golf course. A good cigar is only as smoker worthy as the condition it maintains before lighting.
The perfect humidor for James Bond?
Daniel Marshall arguably crafts the finest and unique humidors in the world. Much more than a cigar box, they are works of art that offer superior functionality and workmanship for the cigar aficionado. Cigar Aficionado magazine consistently awards Daniel Marshall the top honor in humidors.
Marshall enjoys one of his own cigars!
How Marshall got started on the road to humidor building by making a gift for his girlfriend’s grandfather. He was building a 32-foot sailboat out of teak, so there was a little extra for a custom humidor. As the story goes, the grandfather urged Marshall to take the humidor to Alfred Dunhill of London and determine their interest in carrying his humidors. The rest is humidor history as Marshall has combined sailing and humidor design into a fascinating life.
As you could imagine, 34 years of making humidors have lead to some interesting clients connecting cigar aficionados and celebrities. Marlon Brando used two of Marshall’s largest humidors to keep the humidity out to protect his scripts on his island in Tahiti. “Four of our biggest humidors we made into Sterling Silver Flatware Chests for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s Wedding” Marshall noted. When it came to cigars, comedian George Burns never joked about cigars. He liked his DM Humidor so much he wrote he would have to start smoking better cigars. Marshall is modest about his list of clients, but many heads of state prominently display his humidors in their office.
Marshall and Will Smith
Marshall’s humidors are surging as there is a renewed interest in American craftsmanship versus offshore manufacturing. Since first starting in 1982, Marshall is the leader in humidor design and innovation. While humidors have been the primary business, customer request in 1996 resulted in divergence into cigar manufacture. With a fanatical dedication to the endeavor, Marshall engaged cigar legends Manuel Quesdad and Nestor Plasenica to work on the collections. The three legacy brands are all pre-2007 and have over 56 Cigar Aficionado Ratings for these collections. In the cigar world, that is like winning the Olympics. Moreover, his Gold Leaf cigar is unique in all the world. The Daniel Marshall Red Label cigar combines the finest quality, 5-year aged tobaccos from two of Nicaragua’s premier growing regions Esteli and the Jalapa Valley.
The Red Label in 24kt makes a great celebration smoke!
A humidor is all about keeping the cigar at a proper and consistent humidity. Marshall notes this should be at 65-70% humidity. One note is that his humidors are so well built, they do not need the “seasoning” other humidors need to soak up moisture until ready for usage.
Marshall notes that “over humidification is a killer to a cigar, also variances of humidity with a broad range of humidity with spikes and valleys that shock a cigar and damage it physically and perfect it to sleep, rest and age, so the taste is affected as well.”
Under humidification can cause wrappers to come off, cigars to fall apart as you light it and to burn too hot. So, how the cigar is cared for before the smoke is of great importance. In golf, Marshall notes the cigar should be kept in the humidor, and then taken to the course in a tube or plastic bag.
DM working on a humidor for Arnold Schwartzenager
From top to bottom, his humidors are exceptionally consistent because of the attention to detail, materials (woods, adhesives & finishes) used and even the hardware used. Hold and view one of his humidors, and it is easy to see the craftsmanship Marshall puts into every one. This is not a storage box for cigars; it is a small work of art.
Balvenie Whiskey barrel staves made into humidor
Once you have a good humidor, how you work with it improves the aging and storage of cigars as well as their usage on the golf course. Never use tap water, only distilled water, and check the humidity at least once per week, especially in dry climates. Marshall has also found the humidity control packs to work well, especially for smaller humidors and during travel.
On the road, it is important to keep the cigars in their ideal element before smoking. Rather than design a special humidor, Marshall determined most people travel with 8-20 cigars, so he designed his desktop humidor also to function as a relatively lightweight travel humidor. “I would recommend that cigars in tubes are a secondary alternative to not traveling with a small humidor” Marshall stated.
In the world of humidors, there is likely no equal to Daniel Marshall.
Food festivals with a specific focus are fun events, and in Memphis this is smoky eats. The World Championship BBQ Competition, part of Memphis In May, brings together teams from all over the world for the event.
The general admission ticket gets you into the grounds, but not into the competition booths. You get in the door, can stroll around, and can purchase food and drinks. The 220 plus teams have their tents and cooking facilities closed for team members, sponsors, and friends. A VIP ticket, which was $595 for the 2016 event, which gets you more access, is another option.
Rib Snortin’ Fun
Everything in this event seems to get a trophy. There is a booth competition, a Miss Piggy Idol tribute and of course various food categories. Team names like Swine & Dine, Boardello’s, Aporkalyspe Now, Dang She’s Swine, and Pigs in Space tell you there is even more pork-based revelry if you can get into a booth. Teams from around the world compete, with teams from Denmark and Canada. Most of the booths are ornate spectacles in theme-based decoration and layout.
Pig Blvd Entices The Taste Buds
The festival uses Wednesday for set up, where teams often invite friends and families to the booths and tents. Thursday starts the cooking with corporate groups getting entertained for lunch and dinner.
Friday, it gets smoking as competition begins for sauces, sides, exotic meats, combinations, and the best booth. Saturday is the main competition day with whole hog, ribs and shoulder as the featured items. Only one item can be entered by each team, so all the resources and culinary creativity go into that one entry. Judging is first set by blind taste boxes to line up the top contestants, whose booths are then visited by the judges.
Pig in The Barn
Winning one year rarely ensures a repeat crown the next. Brad Orrison, of The Shed in Mississippi, was the grand champion in 2015 and Kingsford award winner in 2016. However, his whole hog in 2016 didn’t make it to the finals. Booths like The Shed have constant activity from the team, sponsors like Vision Grills (used to cook everything except the whole hog), and even other chefs. It might be serious competition, but southern hospitality rules competitor relations.
The whole hog starts early on Saturday and is considered the pinnacle category. Most of these pit masters have some slick rig that actually a giant BBQ for the 22-23 hours where the hog gets slow cooked. In the case of The Shed, it is an old Willis Jeep with the inside replaced with a giant BBQ.
Malcolm Reed of Killer Hogs is an architect by training, but his first love is BBQ. He parlayed his win in 2006 into traveling with his rig over 20 times per year. He sees himself as a BBQ educator, and has his own line of rubs, sauces, and other products.
Orrison and his sister, Brooke, took a different route to grilling stardom. His family was in the grocery business, where he learned the meat industry from the inside. With his win in 2015, Orrison and Brooke have a line of sauces and a bevy of television shows to their credit.
This year, top whole hog honors went to Myron Mixon of Jacks Old South, who has won three previous times. Mixon is a whirlwind of country charm, cooking skills and business savvy that had lead to his own line of just about everything.
River Inn on Mud Island
Memphis has some smaller hotels that blend interesting features and locales with southern hospitality. If you want the ultimate in a European boutique hotel with impeccable service, look no further than the River Inn of Harbor Town on Mud Island. The premier rooms here are the Natchez and Admiral Suites, on the 4th floor, with both a spacious bedroom and parlor.
Memphis is different than other towns in the dining connected with specialty hotels are surprisingly good. The River Inn has 28 rooms, but has three great restaurants. Tug’s is casual food that gets a southern twist, while the Terrace rooftop bar has creative cocktails and a full menu as well as a great river view. Roll up your sleeves for a seriously good meal at Paulette’s, their French-inspired restaurant. Signature elevations include the Filet Paulette (cracked pepper and butter-pepper cream sauce) and the ginger-crusted salmon.
View from The Twilight at The Madison Hotel
The Madison Hotel has a great musical scene motif as there are notes, record jackets and guitars here and there that get you into a positive vibe. Rooms can best be described as funky musical inspiration and downright fun. 83 is the musically-inspired restaurant in the Madison, and the unique bar setting bangs out the musical theme with food that plays like an encore set. Once again, hotel food is far beyond the norm with Chicken & Waffles, where the waffles are made with mac & cheese.
If all that meat at the BBQ festival gets you ready for wild side pursuits, consider the Big Cypress Lodge inside the former NBA pyramid. Each of the rooms is like a hunting lodge with country comfort. The Bass Pro superstore is also inside the pyramid, so you never lack for diversions. The Lookout, perched at the top of the pyramid offers a great view of the Mississippi and has a unique bar and restaurant.
The real attraction in Memphis is how dining has transformed and been upgraded in the past two years. This is now the foodie gateway to the south. BBQ is a claim to fame for Memphis, yet other restaurants are creating their own deserved buzz.
The BBQ is so competitive in Memphis; just about any selection will be a good one. Begin with The Rendezvous, started in 1948, as they are the originator of the dry rubbed meats, which then allows you to add the sauce of your taste. As the only place in Memphis to serve Lambs’ ribs, this southern American gem is still going strong because of the original recipes in a fun and historical atmosphere.
Enter the BBQ time warp right to the future of BBQ with Central BBQ. Started by two of the chefs in the BBQ competition, they have a winning formula as evidenced by three locations, and soon to be a fourth. They marinade all the premium meats for 24 hours, then slow smoke with a dry rub. The ribs are the house specialty, yet be surprised with the BBQ bologna sandwich and banana pudding.
French-inspired cuisine with a southern twist is embodied in Felicia Suzanne’s. This dynamo of creative excellence has been going strong for 15 years in the same location. The gulf oysters of love and buttermilk fried chicken livers over grits are incredible starters. Two of the main courses of renown are duck three ways and shrimp & grits with a creole zing. The restaurant has their own patio/courtyard area that hosts tacos and tunes two nights per week. Chefs who give back and get involved are in better balance with their concepts, and Felicia is a tireless promoter of the restaurant scene in Memphis. Her community involvement and leadership resulted in her being recently named businessperson of the year for Memphis.
Chef Felicia plates for chef’s table dinners
If you have to get fueled early in the day, then a trek to Staks in Midtown will wrangle in the kcal. The interior is retro modern and enables you to relax until you have the nitrous oxide infused cold coffee firing the booster rockets. Go interplanetary with a diverse menu which features shrimp and grits, a moon size breakfast burger and apple cinnamon pancakes.
In this land of southern inspiration is Andrew Michaels Italian Kitchen, a combination of two chefs and three restaurants in Midtown. The Italian Kitchen, Porcellinos and Hog & Hominy round out diverse themes. What is unique about all three is they are equally good; none fits the restaurant stepchild role. Porcellinos Craft Butcher provides meats to purveyors and the public as well as small plates. Hog & Hominy serves Italian fare with a southern twist. At the Italian Kitchen, you get that modern taste of Italy with some pop and pizzazz with dishes like the ocean trout with cauliflower, turnips, Swiss chard, potatoes, brown butter, and hazelnuts.
Nestled away on Monroe Street in downtown, the quiet entrance to McEwen’s is a gateway to quality dining in a ritzy atmosphere. Lunch features unique sandwiches such as the seasoned lamb wrap and some grilled entrees. Dinner escalates another culinary step with up a notch in diversity with the BBQ duck enchiladas and the sea bass with mushroom risotto.
If you want more of Memphis to take home and infuse into your dishes, Memphis Flavor has assembled an excellent array of food items, rubs, and sauces. They picked what they considered the notable and worthy, and those products are on the website, and with just a few clicks FedEx delivers to kick it up a notch.
One truly unique attraction is the Mississippi River Museum on Mud Island. You can stroll a scale model of the river from start to finish. 18 different galleries include the geological and agricultural history of the area for the past 10,000 years.
Mirimichi #11
Golf is fun and lush in Memphis because of topography and natural vegetation. Mirimichi, formerly owned by Justin Timberlake, is a stunning design where each hole is its’ own lesson in golf harmony with the topography. New ownership is adding extensive tree planting and vegetation features. Golf that follows the undulating contour of the land, forest and water features makes this visually exciting and challenging golf.
Stonebridge is a former country club course that has improved so much in the last three years it just hosted a U.S. Open qualifier. The holes dart up and down hills and through woodlands, with plenty of twists and turns with each hole.
The TPC Southwind gets the big attention as the site for the FedEx/St. Jude on the PGA tour. When you arrive, you are greeted by an expansive clubhouse, practice area and set of restaurants. Number 11 to the island green is a favorite for tour spectators as it is difficult to hit and even harder to putt. TPC looks like straightforward golf, but like most golf in the Memphis area, there are sloping uphill’s to tiered greens that make it all you want it to be based on tee selection.
If lugging the sticks through the airport doesn’t sound like fun, and it isn’t, get them shipped with Golf Overnight. They use FedEx to ship your clubs anywhere with your specific timing to your course or hotel. They feature packing options so you don’t need a club bag, and have high consumer satisfaction. All done with an online form for click-and-ship.
