The Kitchen - Boulder

by Nicole Morrish
(Boulder)

Nothing tickles your heart, or at least my heart, like eating at an exceptional restaurant with no pretense or pomp. The atmosphere is casual with wood floors and chalkboards along the walls, listing the daily specials and credits of the many local farmers and ranchers supported by the Kitchen. The Chefs at the Kitchen have created a community atmosphere that only seems to grow while becoming tighter over the years.

The Kitchen opened in 2004. The chefs and owners, Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk brought to Boulder international experience and big city quality on the tables. But the real gem of the place is the environmental consciousness that abounds in all facets of the restaurant. The Kitchen reuses and recycles nearly 100 percent of the "discards" and their paper products are all biodegradable. Cooking oils from the kitchen are recycled into bio-diesel and all the electricity comes from Wind Power.

It is apparent in the cuisine that the Kitchen takes its food as seriously as it takes the environment. Lovelies such as the Pan Roasted Duck Breast with mushroom couscous, green beans and plum jus tempt your salivary glands even before the more pre-dominate senses take over. The French Fries are not to be missed guaranteed to be the best fries you have ever eaten. Local farm, Monroe farm supply the kitchen with the melon for the traditional appetizer of honeydew and la quercia prosciutto, traditional but by no means boring, a perfect balance of sweet and salty. The times that I have been lucky enough to enjoy the fare here, the cooking has been flawless and timely. Kudos to the wait staff as well. All seem to be very knowledgeable and have a passion for food-it comes through in the service.

This is only a sampling of this season's menu; you may acquire more mouth-watering temptations by going on-line to http://www.thekitchencafe.com.

The menus change seasonally and the freshest stars at the time are usually highlighted with precise and powerful flavors that lift the main ingredient to pedestal levels.

Prices range from $19.00-$28.00 for an entree at dinner. You will not break the bank by enjoying a fabulous dinner and most importantly you come away from the experience feeling like you too helped contribute something positive to the planet, simply be supporting the chefs and staff of the Kitchen.