Eats & Sweets
The daily lines of folks waiting to get cones with sprinkles make it clear that Eats & Sweets is a favorite local scoop shop. Step inside, as I finally did recently, and you discover a comfy menu of savory and sweet treats. The small Lafayette destination has a patio next to a public plaza with art and plenty of seating.
Scratch-made soups are always available. On a blustery cold day, I sipped a good tomato basil soup next to a Denver quiche with ham, cheese and veggies. When I returned, it was a creamy New England chowder thick with clams and spuds paired with a griddle-pressed hot pastrami sandwich on 21-grain bread with Swiss, sauerkraut, pickles and mustard.
Besides Boulder-made Glacier ice cream in cones and sundaes, the small shop’s bakery cranks out an impressive array of sweets including a massive chocolate peanut butter bar, macaron, lemon bars and New York-style cheesecake. We sampled an upgrade on the common ice cream sandwich featuring moist, dense banana bread slices squeezing a couple of inches of chocolate crunch ice cream.
I was impressed by the tall, butter-crusted mini-pie full of fresh pear slices in light spice and sugar. Ask for it to be warmed in the regular oven and by all means, make it a la mode.
Another Roadfood Attraction: New Saigon Bakery & Deli
Thirty years ago, New Saigon Restaurant on Federal Boulevard in Denver helped introduce the Front Range to Vietnamese cuisine, from pho sided with bean sprouts, sliced jalapeno and lime, to crunchy duck salad and roll-your-own spring rolls.
The next generation of owners added the New Saigon Bakery & Deli next door, offering a world of Vietnamese prepared foods, snacks and sandwiches including street food specialties like sticky-rice pudding with boba. The must-try bakery item is a 30-layer mille-crepe cake.
I grabbed a banh mi sandwich on chewy freshly-baked baguette buttered and layered with marinated grilled pork, pickled daikon radish and carrots, garlic aioli, cilantro and jalapeño. For dessert: creamy cold and caffeinated Vietnamese coffee.
Food Hacks: Jar Whipped Cream
Guests at spring and summer gatherings always smile and ask: “Can I help with anything?” Surprise them by looking them in the eye and saying: “Yes, please make the whipped cream for the strawberry shortcake.” Before they can object, hand them a jar filled with heavy cream and ask them to shake it good.
Here’s how it works: When someone shakes the jar—say, an overenergetic 8-year-old—air is injected into the cream, eventually whipping it. To make a couple of cups of whipped cream, fill a pre-chilled Mason jar with one cup of chilled heavy or whipping cream plus about four tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Shake it for about two minutes and then check to see how stiff the cream is. If it’s too loose, keep shaking. Taste it. You’ll wish you had made twice as much. If you overdo it, call it butter, serve it with warm bread and start over on the whipped cream.
Culinary Calendar: Spring Food Fun
After a couple of quiet years, the 2022 spring schedule of food and drink events is rapidly filling in. Plan ahead for: A Celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Through Food, April 16, History Colorado Center, Denver, historycolorado.org … The Big Stir Festival celebrating women in the food, drink and hospitality industry hosted by Les Dames d’Escoffier Colorado Chapter, April 23, Tivoli Turnhalle, Denver, thebigstirfestival.com … Chicken pot pie class, April 29, Ginger and Baker restaurant, market and cooking school in Fort Collins, gingerandbaker.com … The free Art of Food Fest, May 14, on Fourth Avenue, between Main and Coffman streets, Longmont. … Ya Ya Sisters High Tea, May 15, Ya Ya Farm and Orchard, Longmont, yayafarmandorchard.com. … Send information on up upcoming local food and beverage events, festivals, tastings and classes to: [email protected]
