Please help the people of Haiti

A major earthquake centered just 10 miles from Port-au-Prince has devastated the country. Recent estimates indicate that at least three million people have been affected by the earthquake. This is a disaster of unprecedented proportions, and all of our help is needed right away.

You may know that Pat Laudisio has dedicated herself to helping the people of Haiti over the past 15 years. I turned to her to find where our relief is most needed, and where it would have the greatest effect. She provided me with several options, all instrumental in aiding the people of Haiti through this tragedy.

Please, look into one of the following organizations, and pledge your support in any way you can.

Episcopal Relief & Development is providing critical support in the aftermath of this disaster.

The Colorado Haiti Project (CHP) is a state-wide non-profit organization founded in 1989 to extend aid to the poorest of the poor in a rural area called Petit Trou de Nippes. Although this area was not as gravely hit by the quake, its effects are being felt all throughout

Partners In Health was founded in 1987 to deliver health care to the people of Haiti.

Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.

"Sometimes I think I will never really be able to understand anything about Haiti ... it can be overwhelming...

What keeps me going back is being in a relationship with Haitian people and discovering more and more about a very "rich" culture ..

... the enthusiasm of my American friends who are also getting to know Haiti a little better helps .... spending time in Haiti helps ... but most of all, having Haitian friends makes it well worth the effort to stay involved."

Pat Laudisio
Colorado Haiti Project
December 1999

Thank you for your help and support.

The Italian Table...

Cibo, Vino, Amici... Food, Wine, Friends

It's not just a tag line, it is why we are in this business, why we enjoy what we do so very much.

A gorgeous October afternoon may easily find the staff, along with family and friends, enjoying a delicious Italian meal on the patio. The deceptively strong afternoon sun basking from beyond the beautiful Flatirons, a luscious Barolo complementing the beauty of the afternoon. Mediterranean mussels, so plump and juicy, a piece of tender pork and a spinach salad.

In these times, or any others, it is so important to to cherish the wonders of life. Forget about all of the hassles. Remember what is important, and why we endure the hardships: to celebrate these moments. Moments with friends, moments with nature.

Moments with a fine wine, and a splendid cheese.

Join us at the Italian Table!

Eat Healthy...Eat Italian

I think we can all agree on the fact that we love Italian food. You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t. Americans have embraced Italian cuisine almost as much, if not more than Italians. It has permeated our culture and our restaurants. In so doing, it has in many ways been transformed into something American, however not necessarily in a good way. Chain restaurants have been serving ‘American Italian’ food which is distinctly not Italian at all. ‘Red’ sauce, ‘Italian’ dressing, bread crumbs, garlic bread and ‘Italian’ seasoning have become staples of American Italian cuisine, but these items are not representative of the traditional Italian lifestyle. These items are often loaded with additives that would not be found in Italy.

Italian preparation is traditionally simple. The overwhelming characteristic is freshness. Antonio Laudisio will tell you the beauty is in the simplicity. “Our job is to reveal the natural flavor of the ingredients” he says. These natural flavors are what drive traditional Italian cuisine, and some of them are loaded with health benefits you may not be aware of.

According to sixwise.com, the 6 healthiest components of Italian cuisine are: Tomatoes, Oregano, Garlic, Olives and Olive Oil, Artichokes and Basil. Sixwise.com explores the health benefits of each of these ingredients (http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/05/17/the_6_healthiest_staple_foods_in_italian_cuisine.htm). To sum, tomatoes are vitamin rich and high in lycopene, a cancer fighting agent. Oregano is rich in antioxidants. Garlic has many documented health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Olives are one of the oldest foods known to man, and olive oil is associated with fighting heart disease and colon cancer. Artichokes are an excellent source of magnesium, folic acid, fiber and vitamin C. Basil is known to ward off bacteria, and is an excellent source of iron, calcium and vitamin A.

Along with these health-promoting ingredients, fresh vegetables are another staple of Italian cuisine, one we are proud to represent here in Laudisio. Our chefs use only the freshest ingredients available.

Laudisio is very proud to adhere to the traditional Italian philosophy of simplicity, allowing the ingredients to speak for themselves, without being overwhelmed. These practices are easy to implement in your home as well. Olive oil, fresh herbs, fresh vegetables; these are the staples that will ensure a delicious, healthy Italian meal.

So relax, and indulge yourself with the peace of mind that traditional Italian fare is actually good for you!

Laudisio Celebrates Julia...

Julia Child, America's first celebrity chef, changed the way we think about food in this country. Her skills in the kitchen were matched only by her wit, making her one of the most recognizable and respected legends of culinary history.

Mark Kretz, General Manager of Laudisio, life-long lover of food and wine, had the distinct pleasure of dining with Julia Child back in the 80's. He sat down with Julia and Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse. Alice and her restaurant are know for championing locally grown, fresh ingredients.

Mark Kretz recalls this about the dinner with the two pioneering ladies: "Julia Child's passion for the culinary arts was overwhelming," says Kretz. "At that point the local, organic movements were not yet widely followed, though Julia spoke of them as if they were the future. Tears welled in her eyes as she described ingredients and dishes which were dear to her."

In honor of the great Julia Child, and the immensely popular film Julia & Julia, we would like to welcome you to join us in enjoying one of her signature dishes.

Julia's boeuf bourguignon, a slow braised culinary delight, is inherently French. Laudisio is, in case you haven't noticed, an Italian restaurant. These facts only make this a more appealing challenge to Chef Isaac, who jumps at the chance to work outside of the box.

While we cannot claim to reproduce the mastery of Mrs. Child's famous work, we hope you will enjoy our version of it. What we would like to convey is her everlasting passion, her love of culinary arts.

We will be offering our version of this classic dish throughout Happy Hour this weekend. If you haven't yet seen the amazing film paying homage to Julia Child, come on in for this great dish on your way to the theater!

Paella en el Patio

We just can't seem to keep Antonio Laudisio from doing what he loves, and does best: Cooking for you! Try as we may to keep him out of the kitchen (ok, admittedly we would love to have him in the kitchen every shift, but that just doesn't fly with a 70 year old) we still can't keep him from cooking all over town!

Have you been to the farmers markets lately? You'll usually see Antonio tossing a pie, or cooking a polenta in the oven. He's even been know to put the customers to work!
No lie, this was overheard at a recent farmers market:

Customer: Do you have any mushrooms for the pizza?
Antonio: No. Go get me some! Go to Hazel Dell and tell them it's for me!

Did the customer oblige? Of course he did, and got his pizza with fresh Hazel Dell mushrooms!

Have you seen Antonio cooking outside in the 29th Street mall for 29th St. Live? The first month or so was cursed with less than ideal weather. Did that stop Antonio? I'm pretty sure I saw him dancing around in the rain in between pizza orders a few weeks ago!


So what's he doing for fun now? Bringing a bit of Spain to our little corner of Italy here on the mall. Antonio is cooking his Paella right in front of the restaurant, for all to see (and smell!). This past friday was a huge success, with the majority of guests in attendance trying the Paella Valencia in $5 Happy Hour portions. Of course, a number of guests were thinking about dinner, and asked about ordering full dinner plates of Paella, which we of course provided them. There was a bit of a mad rush serving, since by the time it was ready there were dozens of mouths watering in anticipation, but our servers did a great job and everyone was fed happily!

We're taking a week to regroup (and let Antonio visit with family for the week) and will be back on the patio with the Paella pan on Friday, July 17th.

Oh yeah, Antonio has a brand new HUGE Paella pan. It's sitting in the entranceway of the restaurant. He really, really wants to use it, but it's about twice as big as the one he normally uses, so that means we need twice as many hungry mouths to feed! So come to Happy Hour and support Antonio in his quest to break out the giant Paella pan!

By the way, Happy Hour is everyday from 3 to 7:30. That's right. 7:30. Because we know that no one really gets out of work by 5!

Happy Hour

What's all the 'buzz' about? (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun!)
Everyone's talking about the Laudisio happy hour. Why? Because we did something totally crazy!
We listened to our customers!
You told us that happy hour needed to be later, and longer. You said it is unfair and unrealistic to run happy hour until 6. We get it!
The 9-5 work day is a fantasy! By the time you are actually out the door at the end of your day, you're lucky if you can even make it to a happy hour, let alone have time for a drink!
So, our answer? Happy hour 'till 7:30! EVERY NIGHT!
Why? Because, unfortunately, the Monday to Friday work-week is also a thing of fantasy!
So here you go, Boulder. Our personal thank you, for working your a** off, and not living in a fantasy world!

Molecular Gastronomy

.a scientific discipline involving the study of physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking.

It pertains to the mechanisms behind the transformation of ingredients in cooking and the social, artistic and technical components of culinary and gastronomic phenomena in general (from a scientific point of view).

So what does this have to do with Laudisio?

Two words: Chocolate Caviar!

Pastry Chef Paul Mack is experimenting with all sorts of new approaches to food science. Different cooking methods have very diverse effects on food textures, flavors and appearance, and many of these are on display in our new spring dessert menu!

Spring Dessert Menu