TASTE OF THE WEEK: Saddlebags @ The Buff Restaurant
Since 1995, The Buff Restaurant has been one of Boulder’s iconic breakfast and brunch spots, but it had been a while since my last visit.
Perused over a cup of good Ozo Coffee, The Buff’s menu features the traditional skillets, benedicts, tacos, and specialties ranging from an omelet filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, capers, and dill and topped with Hollandaise, to gluten- and dairy-free fried chicken and French toast with real maple syrup.
The Saddlebags, two plate-sized pancakes with chopped bacon or sausage mixed in, along with over-easy eggs, butter, and syrup, called my name. It’s that McGriddle-y a.m. fusion of sweet, smoky, savory, salty, and carb-y flavors that does it. Note: You can order a half Saddlebag with one pancake and one egg.
Weekends at The Buff are jammed since the eatery pours 99 cent mimosas, bloody Marys and Tequila Sunrises—limit three per entrée.
The family-owned Buff Restaurant originally opened nearby in the Golden Buff Lodge. The current location was formerly the Original Pancake House and before that, a Black Eyed Pea.
What to do with too many potatoes
It’s one of those aha! moments in a food lover’s life when they taste fresh local potatoes for the first time. It’s like realizing there are breads other than white and mushrooms other than button.
A good crop of spuds is coming in at farmers markets and farm stands. The following fun recipe from the Colorado Potato people works best if you use mashing potatoes like Russets, fingerlings, and Yukon Golds.
Creamy Colorado Potato Fudge
3 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup warm mashed, unseasoned Colorado potatoes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Melt chocolate and butter on top of a double boiler. Remove from heat. Add potatoes, salt, and vanilla. Mix well. Blend in sugar and mix thoroughly. Add nuts and knead until smooth. Press into a buttered 8-inch square pan. Cool in the refrigerator before cutting.
Be sure to have guests taste the fudge before revealing the secret ingredient.
Culinary calendar
Three of the area’s oldest family farm stands are collaborating on the first-ever Boulder County Farm Stand Fall Tour, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. It’s a prime chance to grab fresh produce, eggs and more on a country roads tour from Boulder’s Cure Organic Farm to Ollin Farms in Longmont and Hygiene’s Aspen Moon Farm. Be sure to tell the farmers you’re a stand tourist and get more tomatoes than you think you can eat. You won’t regret it.
• Cure Organic Farm, 7416 Valmont Road, Boulder, noon-5 p.m. daily
• Ollin Farms, 8627 N. 95th Street, Longmont,11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday
• Aspen Moon Farm, 7927 Hygiene Road, Hygiene, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.
Get your reservations—especially weekend ones—ASAP for First Bite Boulder’s Restaurant Week. The event is back once again October 8 to 17 with unique dining opportunities at participating eateries including Ash’Kara, Brasserie Boulder, Centro, Chimera, Dagabi, Dry Storage, Fringe, Japango, Sugarbeet, Empire Lounge, and Zucca. Reservations and menus: firstbiteboulder.com . . . Ribs, brisket, sausage and sides are on parade September 17-19 at the Denver BBQ Festival at Empower Field. Info: denverbbqfest.com
