Try this week: Black Cat dinner for two, drinks to-go

Try this week: Black Cat Dinner for two, to-go

It’s easy to be skeptical of good news nowadays, but we have one bit of it for you: The local restaurants that have switched to takeout/delivery services are still producing world-class fare, and the experience of enjoying at your own pace at home is, well, kind of great. Take Black Cat’s Big Bang-for-your-buck dinner for two. For $75, select from a menu of expertly prepared dishes made from ingredients culled from Black Cat’s sprawling Boulder County farm operations. We’re talking crispy arancini with a creamy, goat’s cheese and rice filling served alongside greens and shaved prosciutto to start. Then, heaping portions of vibrantly spiced yellow curry hot pot and/or the mulefoot pork loin with spicy, smoky guajillo salsa, polenta and braised greens. Top it off with an apple pistachio financier or flourless chocolate torte — or get one of each. Big flavors boom throughout the meal, and each bite feels like a little bit of a welcome escape.

Black Cat Dinner for two. $75. 1964 13th St., Boulder, 303-444-5500, blackcatboulder.com.

A silver lining amid all the shutdowns is the new ability for restaurants, breweries and other food establishments to offer drinks to-go. In response to this development, a number of local spots are offering unique make-at-home cocktails in addition to premade drinks, beers, wines, spirits and more. Here’s a rundown of a few of them, but check out boulderweekly.com/cuisine/restaurant-listings for a regularly updated list of spots offering takeout/delivery food and drinks.

Blackbelly (Boulder): Digital love: a.d. laws ‘blackbelly select’ bourbon, rum, amaro, creme de cassis; pour over ice at home. (Two cocktails per order $10) 

Community (Lafayette): 2 in 1 Gin Rummy: Sage gin, pear juice, cherry juice, ginger beer ($10)

Corrida (Boulder): Mezcal pineapple margarita: (six servings for $40)

Longmont Public House (Longmont): Mixed 6-pack: Mix of craft beer, ciders and spiked seltzers; put a note in your order if you want to lean one way or the other. ($8)

OAK at fourteenth (Boulder): OAK Vodka Martini: KetelOne Vodka, Lillet Rose, Cocktail Punk Morning Grapefruit bitters, Vaya con Dios Mezcal, Aperol, sweet vermouth and honey (Four cocktails for $40, eight cocktails for $80)

Rosetta Hall: Margaritas, Pineapple Daiquiris, Aperol Spritz, Palomas, Negronis and a lot more: (Everything comes in batches of 4 for $20 including a small bag of ice and garnishes.)

Sugarbeet (Longmont): Blackberry Bramble: Sno Vodka, amaretto, blackberries, lemon and chocolate bitters ($10)

Teocalli Cocina (Lafayette): El Minero: Fresno and jalapeno infused tequila, pineapple juice, fresh lime and saffron bitters ($9)

Waterloo (Louisville): Rocky Mountain Lemonade: Leopold Bros. Rocky Mtn. Blackberry Whiskey and house-made lemonade ($8)

West End Tavern (Boulder): Mountain Manhattan: Breckenridge Bourbon, sweet vermouth and angostura bitters ($10-$20)