Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar

On September 11, 2015September 11, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado2 Comments

We’d been to Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar when we visited Fort Collins a while back, so when we found them in Boulder, we were quick to pay them another visit. They have the most incredible happy hour with oysters for a $1.50 each as well as a variety of other options. There are a total of five restaurants with locations in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Glendale in Colorado and the fifth in Kansas City. The goal of Jax Fish House is to serve fresh seafood to land locked communities and they fly in their seafood fresh everyday. One of the things we really like about Jax is their commitment to sustainable seafood sources as well as sourcing their food from local farmers. We really appreciate the farm to table and, in this case, sea to table approach that provides the freshest ingredients that are in season at the time.

We started with a dozen oysters, of course, which were wonderful. Obviously we enjoyed some wine with our meal, but we believe in enjoying a wine of your preference versus worrying about a specific pairing, so red or white wine works well with seafood for us. After the oysters, we enjoyed a small plate with spicy tuna on crispy rice, which had wonderful flavor. Peel and eat shrimp was next on the agenda followed by another dozen oysters (yes, we were hungry). Finally, we had the special for the night, which was shrimp and grits with Tabasco butter with a scrumptious fried egg with a runny yoke.

After dinner, Chef Alex Krill came out to ensure that we were satisfied with our meal and we talked about their commitment to source food from local farmers. We also talked about his recent trip to Thailand and how we both appreciated getting inspiration from local flavors of the places we visit, the more exotic, the better. Every member of the staff on all of our visits were extremely friendly and proud of the restaurant in which they worked. We were back the next night for more oysters, but getting a seat at happy hour isn’t always an easy thing, but we were lucky enough to get a seat at the bar once again. We prefer eating at the bar as we typically share plates and enjoy the attentive service that we usually get when sitting at the bar. We also had some calamari as well as a second dozen oysters once again. If you’re in a location that has a Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar, we highly recommend that you pay them a visit, especially during happy hour.

Sausage Alfredo with Rainbow Pasta

On September 10, 2015September 10, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

We were in Boulder over the weekend and found a little store with authentic European curiosities. While we were in the Italian section, we found a rainbow pasta that we decided that we just had to buy. When we got home, we decided that we would do an Alfredo sauce with some sweet Italian sausage that we picked up from the local butcher. Not only was it a pretty plate, but it was definitely yummy as well!

Ingredients

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Cloves Garlic – minced
4 oz Crimini Mushrooms
2 cups Cream (Half and Half)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese – finely grated
1 package Rainbow Pasta
Dash of Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Remove the sausage from the casing, if necessary, and crumble. Add the olive oil to a sauté pan and heat to medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the butter and the mushrooms. After the mushrooms become a little soft, add the garlic. Once the mushrooms are completely cooked, add the cream, salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once the sauce has thickened, add the cheese and stir until fully melted. Drain the pasta and put the sauce over the pasta to serve.

Alfredo Sauce with Mushrooms and Sweet Italian Sausage

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Roasted Vegetables

On August 19, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Oven Roasted Vegetables

One of our favorite steak restaurants, Cowboy Star, has a butcher shop on site where they sell the same aged meats that they serve in the dining room. We had been to the farmer’s market in the morning and had gathered up a nice variety of vegetables, so we decided to pick up a nice, thick rib eye steak and bring it home to grill. We grilled the steak to a perfect medium rare, added some brandied mushrooms, roasted the fresh vegetables and paired it with a wonderful Pinot Noir wine. See the recipes and cooking instructions below.

Grilled Rib Eye Steak

Ingredients

Prime Rib Eye Steak – 1 1/2 inches thick
1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1 tsp Fresh Thyme
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and garlic in a small bowl and then rub both sides of the steak with the seasoned oil. Salt and pepper both sides of the steak and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes while it marinates. Place the steak over direct heat on a grill that has been heated to medium-high heat. Cook for seven to eight minutes per side for medium rare.

Sautéed Brandy Mushrooms

Ingredients

8 to 10 Button Mushrooms, sliced
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup Brandy

Instructions

In a sauté pan or small frying pan, heat the pan to a medium-high heat with the butter and brandy until the liquid begins to sizzle. Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and nicely caramelized.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

2 Medium Zucchinis
4 Medium Carrots
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Zest
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
1 1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme
1 1/2 tsp Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp Fresh Pineapple Sage, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the vegetables into 4 inch strips of equal thickness and place into a large plastic bag. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, pineapple sage, and salt and pepper to the bag. Seal the bag and shake vigorously until the vegetables are thoroughly coated. Heat an oven to 450 degrees and bake the vegetables for 20 to 30 minutes or until caramelized.