Last week I was invited to attend a patio party at the Blackbelly Market in Boulder. It was a celebration of their new, dual patios. The front patio is right by the entrance and allows for full-service dining. Then the back patio is street-side and is for bar service only. There are large community tables and a long bar top with umbrellas. While checking out the back patio we got to taste from their new food and summer cocktail menus!
We started out with some drinks. I went for the Ginger Collins with Bombay sapphire, ginger, lemon, and soda. It was very refreshing and perfect as the sun was beating down strongly at the time. My guest started with the white wine which was a sauvignon blanc from Chais Saint Laurent. It was slightly fruity and very enjoyable for the hot day as well.
An assortment of food was spread out on the table: house made charcuterie, marinated olives, BBQ pork sliders, snap peas, and fritters. The fritters were tasso ham and masa and were delicious! The array of charcuterie were tasty. The marinated olives and sugar snap peas were a nice accompaniment to the meat. The sugar snap peas were dressed with lemon and mint which was a very yummy combination.
The other cocktail on the private party menu was the mojito which had havana club rum, mint, lime, and soda. It was very refreshing but did not taste much like a mojito. The added carbonation enhanced the drink but I thought it needed more mint.
Unexpectedly, I found the house made corndogs outstanding! It brought me back to my childhood yet these fried dough wrapped sausages were on a more sophisticated level 😀 They were a perfect size too and would be a fun addition to a house party (have them cater your next party?? 🙂 )
The BBQ pork sliders were not my favorite but I liked the other sliders they brought out. It was a slice of sausage and a pickle. I enjoyed these with the 8 Second Kolsch by Elevation Beer Company. Their draft list is decent with about 6 beers on tap and mostly local. This kolsch is a definite favorite in the summer! One other sampler that was coming around was the grilled dry aged beef with chimichurri. I wish I would have had enough room for a second bite because I did not feel I got a good taste of it but it looked amazing.
We finished with tasting the red and rosé wine. The red was a malbec by Amalaya and the rosé was a Grenache/Syrah from Jolie Folie. I do not drink rosé wines often but I found this one very enjoyable. It was more on the drier side which I like 🙂
The back patio was a nice setting. The only thing is busy Arapahoe Avenue and the Wendy’s across the street is part of your view. I think they are working to make it more secluded. We suggested having trees surround it.
By day they are a grab and go market for breakfast and lunch (weekdays only) and at night they open for nice dining. I really like that they are catering to many markets.
Blackbelly began as a catering business by Chef Hosea Rosenberg and then quickly thereafter the Blackbelly farm was established in eastern Boulder county. They started by just raising sheep and pigs and have now expanded to have chickens and ducks. The farm also has a greenhouse for growing organic vegetables. Anything they can’t source themselves, they get from local Colorado farms.
Disclaimer: I was invited into this restaurant and the food and drinks were complimentary. All opinions are my own.
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Thanks for the review. Always looking for some good places in Boulder and those corndogs looked great.
Yes, they are so yummy!
GREAT Review – I am drooling now – thanks so much for sharing :)Bamboo would be an option too – grows quickly and adds seclusion.
I have to tell you . . . Mr. Craves and I took a home brewing class and made an Amber beer. We got to taste it yesterday before we bottled it. I cannot wait to really crack open a bottle and settle in for a lazy afternoon – have to wait a few weeks though to let the beer condition in the bottles. So much FUN!!! I am working on a post about the experience.
Ooh bamboo would be cool!
That is so awesome! Yummy! I wish I could try! 🙂 I look forward to reading about it!