View from Horsetooth Rock

The first thing I noticed: the inside has a grand feeling to it – very open and spacious without being empty.  The decor is simple and beautiful.  Everything is clean cut, but not hardened, austere, or sterile. People were seated by the bar near the entrance and chatting cheerfully with the bartender.

And the menu…oh, the menu! Not only does it accommodate to vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free folk, but everything…meat and non-meat dishes, drinks, dessert…made my mouth water.  Decisions, decisions.

I started with a tall can of Strongbow Cider (only $3.50!!) and my charming dinner companion, Keith, got their Southern-style mint julep (not quite as sugary sweet as the much known Kentucky Derby signature).  We shared the the caprese-inspired Duo Bruschetta on Udi’s bread…to tide us over. Holy moly was that good, with the balsamic vinegar sauce a perfect viscosity and sweetness (without overbearing acidity).

As part of our main courses, we both got side salads of “The 415:” organic romaine, house-made croutons, garlic lemon dressing, and shaved parmesan.  Perfectly light, and still very favorable, as to not spoil our appetites.

For the big shebang, Keith ordered the Grilled Ribeye, which was absolutely perfectly cooked (no extra sauce needed!) and served asparagus and the most delicious potato gratin I have ever tasted….that’s right, I stole a few bites here and there.

Keith devouring the infamous potato gratin

I ordered the Shrimp & Grits, with “grits” being polenta…but still… all of the flavors – the shrimp, the grits, both combined – were exquisite.

Shrimp & Grits

For dessert, we ordered not one, but TWO, cupcakes, one being gluten-free (or were both gluten-free)… and both being divine.

Needless to add, I recommend Restaurant 415 – good for families, friends, and couples, and very reasonably priced.  And with the weather getting warmer, sitting out on their patio will be an extra bonus.

Been to Restaurant 415? Let us know your thoughts.

One of the kilts (Tom Gleason) with Marie Haas

Folks trickled down to the fountain in Old Town Square and around 5:35pm, we headed over…as a big mass…to mob Green Logic. Between 5:30pm and 6:30pm, Green Logic brought in $800 worth of purchases! Earlier that day, 11am-5:30pm, they only brought in $150.  So great job mobbers!!!

Barb Banz manning the door.

I hadn’t been in there for a couple of months and I was thrilled to be back.  That store has so many cool things, and such a variety of them! And the fact that they sell green and sustainably made products made me feel good about my purchases.  I got a small squishy globe for my new baby cousin, Emmett, and a gift for my mamma for her upcoming birthday (I can’t reveal what it is in the case that she is reading this post right now).

This plaid mob, a little more than the last two, I noticed a lot of people catching up, networking, meeting other people.  It was so great! The community connection is so important.

Kristina Cash - Be Local's New Outreach & Fundraising Coordinator

Making our $10 cash (or more!) purchases

Then a bunch of us made our way literally two doors down to Luscious Nectar for some delicious beverages and tapas (FYI, they make quite the variety of appetizers, burritos, and pizza).

Yummy! Recommendation: mojito + grapefruit margarita. Sweet deliciousness.

Hope to see you at the next Plaid Mob: Tuesday April 17th.  We can’t tell you where it is yet, but we CAN tell you that it will involve biking…

Keep an eye out this summer at the various outdoor farmers’ markets around town for some of the vendors that have been at the Winter Farmers’ Markets throughout the “off” season.  Many of these farmers and producers work extra hard to make direct sales possibly, and one of the best things we all can do as consumers is to find them and support them!  I especially liked the blue cornmeal and cumin bread from Ingrained that I bought this past Saturday.  It didn’t make it into Sunday, as I had a little snack after the market…

AND we had a special guest tonight: the crew from Fox Channel 31.  They covered the story and even interviewed me.  Yup, moi.  Pretty fun. I was a little nervous but I think it went really well.  They even caught me while wearing a Mardi Gras boa… of course. Check it out.

The Best Face Painter crew with "Hot Guys with Baby Animals"...I bet it's a good read.

And the numbers are in. Between 5:30pm and 6:30, Old Firehouse Books brought in $650!!! Last Tuesday, they brought in $153 during the same time.  That’s over 4 times as much plaid-loving cash! Great work everyone!

Old Firehouse Books ladies. So wonderful!

Everyone who participated in Plaid Mob got a Plaid Mob stamp.  Besides being honored with that branding, that stamp got them $1 off beer at Pateros Creek Brewing.  Not a bad deal, eh?  Support a local business and then save $$ at another local business too?! Man, I love Fort Collins.

Keith Richardson & Marie Haas enjoying a celebratory drink at Pateros Creek Brewing.

Pateros Creek ladies

Won't you be my neighbor?

The Hollywood sign from Griffith Park

Attempting to find the local flair of LA, I looked on the BALLE website to find a local organization like Be Local Northern Colorado, but it appeared that such an entity was reserved for the Bay Area.  But alas! I was pleasantly surprised.

Eat Local, Buy Local - in chique Santa Monica

As I was walking along the Santa Monica with some friends, I was struck by a little sign hanging on a lamp post. Eat Local – from Buy Local Santa Monica. YES!!!! So cool.  Seeing that sign PLUS actually being able to eat at local restaurants and shop at local stores made me a very happy girl.

Although it is mid-February, there is plenty of fresh produce available from our talented farmers in Northern Colorado.  Spinach, lettuces, herbs, radishes, and mushrooms filled the canvas bags of many locavores ready for spring.  Skillfully stored root crops, tasty breads, and pastured meats for those lingering winter nights, and locally made salsas, sauces,  and sweets to top it all off!

The kiddos took advantage of the Best Face Painter while mom and dad were out shopping for that special Valentine’s gift from one of the area’s skilled craftspeople.  A wide array of jewelry, crafts, fiber products, soaps, and lotions from the market will end up being perfect gifts for your sweethearts!

I love when I run into friends down at the market that are there to shop and to socialize.  Community is what’s most important, after all.  If we all make  a conscience effort to promote and support our local farmers and craftspeople we will end up building something that is bigger than all of us: a thriving local food system and community marketplace!

Plant a garden, shop at the farmers’ markets, become a CSA member, and always, always, remember to dance!

Happy Valentine’s Day Fort Collins!

Whatever your level of “localness,” we still hope to see you at the Farmers’ Markets.

Now my job mostly relates to connecting local businesses to each other, and connecting community members to those local businesses.  Food can definitely be a part of that.  In fact, a bunch of our members are local farms and CSAs (community supported agriculture).  But connecting farms to schools? Thinking about that connection could really bridge a gap in the paradigm…just the kind of shift we’ve been looking for.

Changing the food in our school system to feed our kids healthy, organic (when possible), nutrient-rich foods seems logical…well, at least to me.  But how do we go about that change? There are leaders in this community and around Colorado (and the country!) who are not only working towards change, they’re seeing it and experiencing it.  Rick Hughes, Nutrition Services in Colorado Springs, and Jeremy West, Nutrition Services in Greeley are two of those leaders.

Hughes and West have transformed their school districts’ food systems.  They have made it a priority to source from local farms and that has translated into healthier meals WHILE supporting the local economy.  Pretty amazing stuff.

Rick Hughes (left) and Jeremy West (right, seated)

Another group of leaders that is working to put local healthy food in the Poudre School District is SNAC: School Nutrition Action Committee.  Two amazing women that I met in the group are Kristina Cash and Deirdre Sullivan.  They have a fire that is igniting something viciously important here in Fort Collins.  I hope to learn more from these women soon, so stay tuned.

“People don’t care until they understand why they should care.” I’m not sure if that’s an original quote from Rick Hughes, but when he said it Friday, something clicked. It’s not just about showing people or telling people or even attempting to convince them that local is important, that healthy is important.  It’s about helping them understand how it all affects them, and their children and their families.

Kristina Cash & Meghan Williams role playing

We have all been in the situation where we hear something or see something that is powerful and/or disturbing and for an instant, it makes us want to change, usually for the “better.” But that instant feeling can be short-lived unless we couple that original feeling with empowerment and a feeling of assistance. We are all in this together.  And as we say here at Be Local: Together We Thrive.  

Colleen, Michael Baute, Hill Grimmett, & Kristina Cash

Emma, Michael, & Hill

Make sure to comment if this sounds at all familiar.

A bunch of us met at the fountain in Old Town Square, listening to my newly completed Plaid Mob playlist (just a bunch of my favorite upbeat songs….like Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T.) and dancing around to stay warm.

Michael Short (DBA) & Cindy Roberts (Be Local)

Right around 5:35pm, we took our music and strutted down the street, taking the long route to the Fort Collins Food Coop. Boom box on shoulder, we made our way…..excited, enthusiastic, hands slightly numb from the cold but not giving a hoot about it.

The music continued as we mobbed the Food Coop – such a great shopping experience!!!! Thanks FOOD COOP for being so awesome.

See you in February for our next Plaid Mob…3rd Tuesday (of every month)…Feb. 21st.  Location? Check back one week prior to Plaid Mob.

The lovely Food Coop crew

Nora Prazan: stoked about her local veggies

Ingrained's Callie Koch gave out delicious samples of her English Muffins

Yummy, fresh & local veggies

David Chan & Emma Smaldino (moi! Be Local): lovin' it local

My purchases (including Loco Bueno's hot green chili)

Enjoying our discounted drinks from Coopersmith's...chatting, relaxing....life is sweet.

AND…. we made the front cover of the Business Page in the Coloradoan. Great work guys!