Tidbites | Smooch-able

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Smooch-able

You can kiss Cefiore Yogurt goodbye.

Not to worry, frozen yogurt fans, the store on 1926 14th St. is simply leaving the Cefiore franchise and rebranding as Smooch Frozen Yogurt and Mochi.

Owners Michelle and Christopher Luu decided to leave the franchise after two years, after they began formulating new products and flavors outside of the franchise agreement.

The majority of the store, minus new signs and minor enhancements, will remain the same, but by going independent, Smooch hopes to be able to incorporate more local dairies and farms.

Cefiore closed Feb. 11 and reopened as Smooch on Feb. 14.

Not so local after all

Boulder County has long been known for its focus on sustainability, but studies indicate that of the nearly $700 million Boulder County residents spend each year on food, less than 1 percent of that goes for food grown within the county.

Transition Colorado commissioned economist and author Michael Shuman to develop a comprehensive assessment of the economic prospects for localizing the Boulder food system, and to make specific recommendations to turn that 1 percent into 25 percent in coming years.

The study should be completed by late 2011, with a final report and public forum on the findings. The major goal is to create a significant economic development strategy for the region based on the production, processing and distribution of locally grown food.

Shuman has experience as director of research and economic development for the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, authored The Small-Mart Revolution, and recently completed a similar study in the 16-county Northeast Ohio region. In that study, he found that 25 percent food relocalization would create 27,000 new jobs and propel $4.2 billion in additional output.

Shuman will be a keynote speaker at the Our Local Economy in Transition conference being held Feb. 25–27 in Boulder. He speaks at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Millenium Harvest House.

Grab a fork at new Lyons restaurant

Lyons Fork Restaurant is holding its grand opening from Feb. 17 to Feb. 26.

Located at 450 Main St. in Lyons, Lyons Fork is “a food-centric, beer-driven, margarita-adoring little haunt,” according to its website, www.lyonsfork.com.

With dinner served from 5 to 9 p.m., brunch on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Lyons Fork offers plenty of opportunities to get a taste of the new restaurant.

They’ll also be holding events to celebrate their opening. There will be a “beer vs. wine” dinner on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m., and a cheese and beer pairing on Sunday, Feb. 20, from 2 to 5 p.m. Also on Feb. 20, the restaurant will hold the first of its Sunday Evening Music Series, featuring Joe Kukla and happy hour drink prices. On Feb. 26, to celebrate the end of their grand opening week, they’ll host an after-party with music by Lyons’ own Terry Kishiyama.

For more information, or to make reservations, call 303-775-9489.

Beerdrinker of the Year

Wynkoop Brewery will host a special beer dinner on Friday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. The dinner will be hosted by the three 2011 Beerdrinker of the Year finalists and 2010 champ Bill Howell.

These four beer lovers helped design the menu and chose the beer pairings. They will discuss the pairings (and reveal a hint of their beeriness) at dinner.

Diners can make reservations by e-mailing banquets@wynkoop.com, or by calling 303-297-9999. The meal is $40, plus tax and tip.

The following day at 2 p.m., Wynkoop will announce the National Finals for the 2011 Beerdrinker of the Year crown in its Mercantile Room.

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