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Ranch Foods Direct Customer eNewsletter  

January 2012 

"There is nothing better on a cold wintry day than a properly made pot pie."  

-- Food Writer Craig Claiborne       

 

 New in 2012...
Ranch Foods Direct to host one-of-a-kind after-hours dining experience 

Local chef Kevin Campbell has earned a reputation for creating awe-inspiring meals at catered events. Later this month, he's launching a new venture: transforming the Ranch Foods Direct retail stor
e into an intimate and extraordinary dining spot  

Pop-up restaurants - temporary dining establishments that sprout in shops, factories, private homes and other unlikely or underutilized spaces - are a worldwide culinary phenomenon, and now Ranch Foods Direct is playing host to one of its own. Chef Kevin Campbell will be "popping in" to transform the Ranch Foods Direct store into an intimate dining spot starting in mid-January.
 
"It will be something totally new to Colorado Springs," the chef says. "I want it to be thought-provoking, an opportunity to really consider where food comes from, and how we handle it and prepare it."

"Think of it like this," he adds, "the chef will be in the dining room with you. I'll answer questions and participate in the conversation. This is all about building relationships and establishing a sense of community."

Groups or businesses can book parties of up to 20 at a time. Individual diners, couples or families are also encouraged to sign up.

Typical dinners will include three courses with lots of food served family style. Kevin plans to provide complimentary Colorado wines. "Come hungry - I like to feed people," he adds.

Kevin is taking reservations by phone or e-mail and plans to serve his first Ranch Foods Direct dinner on January 18. For the inaugural harvest table menu, CLICK HERE.

Serving up food for thought    
Pop-up restaurants have caught on due to the financial benefits of repurposing a space and the fun experiential nature of eating out in an unusual or unexpected atmosphere. One source of inspiration behind Kevin's new venure is Talula's Table, a gourmet food market and cheese shop  in Pennsylvania that also hosts farm-to-table dinners.

Kevin plans a "rustic" casual vibe with prices in the affordable $40 to $60 per person range, which should draw a wide-ranging clientele to experience his inventive cuisine. (For example, his take on steak-and-eggs is a deep-fried "hush puppy"-like soft-boiled egg served over a slice of decadent prime rib.)
 
Dinners will feature many Ranch Foods Direct items, and diners will have the chance to purchase the ingredients before heading home. Like Ranch Foods Direct founder Mike Callicrate, this chef possesses what is sometimes described as a "radical" commitment to locally sourced, minimally processed food.

"This is something I believe in and am passionate about," he says.

CONTACT Kevin Campbell to make a reservation or for more details about dining at Ranch Foods Direct, by phone: 719-482-8082, or email: [email protected].

to visit the gorgeous Full Circle Cuisine website and learn all about this exciting new local food experience.

Also new in 2012... 
 
Ranch Foods Direct "pay forward" cards allow you to contribute a donation to local charitable organizations every time you shop or dine at participating partner restaurants. Click on the card below for full details


 


 


"Breaking through the barriers" was the conference theme; gaining access to the marketplace was the food panel's topic.

Mike Callicrate, Ranch Foods Direct founder and the third participant on the panel
(shown right) said it's disappointing that just two national companies stand behind a policy of sourcing their food locally: Chipotle, whic
h gets the sliced steak meat for its Colorado Springs and Pueblo locations from Ranch Foods Direct, and Bon Appetit, the management company that provides food services to Colorado College.

(NOTE: If you haven't dined on-campus since CC's multi-million dollar dining hall renovation last fall, make a New Year's resolution to do it soon. It is now 30 percent more energy efficient and utilizes roof-top solar panels. All dining facilities on campus are open to the public.)

Callicrate serves on the board of directors for the Catamount Ins
titute, which organizes the annual sustainability conference. Ranch Foods Direct is a leading sponsor of the event, which in 2011 featured 40 exceptional speakers presenting a variety of educational sessions to nearly 400 attendees.

 

What you support prospers,  

what you feed grows... 

 

Support restaurants that buy local; find recommended eateries   

by viewing Ranch Foods Direct's interactive restaurant map (or use the smart-phone QR code, below.)

 

Restaurant Map Code 

 

Another year dawns... 

Free-range pigs enjoy fresh snow and bright sunshine at Callicrate Cattle Company.

 

Let Ranch Foods Direct be part of your healthy and happy New Year! 

Keep up with RFD on Facebook.

Follow owner Mike Callicrate on Twitter: @MikeCallicrate      

 

Ranch Foods Direct Natural Meat Market
2901 N. El Paso, Colorado Springs 80907
Retail Hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.  

 

(719) 473-2306 or 1-866-866-6328
Shop online: www.ranchfoodsdirect.com

 

For Home Service option, CLICK HERE.