Last night, local chefs around Boulder gathered at the Rembrandt Yard for BIFF’s first ever CineCHEF. Chefs from Boulder’s favorite restaurants including Riffs, Centro, The Kitchen, Arugula, Salt and more were in attendance. The chefs created film-inspired plates for attendees to enjoy, and at the end of the event, all attendees voted on their favorite dish. Guests were entertained with music provided by former Lumineers’ guitarist Maxwell Hughes.
Chef John Platt of Riffs was inspired by “A River Runs Through It“ and made smoked trout. Tasters loved the smokiness of the dish and the way Chef Platt finished off the bite-sized trout with a blowtorch.
Chef Kelly Kingsford of the Brasserie Ten Ten created lamb sliders with harissa and a cucumber mint garnish and a “sexed up” wagyu beef burger adorned with black truffle cheese and mushrooms. Kingsford entitled her dish “Royale with Cheese,” with reference to “Pulp Fiction.”
A couple who goes out to dinner frequently on Pearl Street commented, “We love these restaurants, and we always get the same thing because it’s our favorite. It’s so nice to see the chefs doing something different and try it.”
Alec Schuler, the proprietor of Arugula restaurant, made a seared pork belly with pickled carrot, and a decadent yet earthy kale-feta-hazelnut pesto. Schuler’s favorites movie is “Trading Places” from 1983. He was inspired to create this dish based on Eddie Murphy’s comment about the price of pork belly going down. “I tried to make the best one-bite dish out of pork belly that I possibly could,” Schuler said.
Bradford Heap of Salt created a salmon tartare inspired by “A Fish Called Wanda.” He chose this film because he found that it acts as a “parallel universe of working in a restaurant” and “invokes the sense of humor that has always saved me in the restaurant industry.”
Centro’s line for perrones, or street tacos, was endless during the entire event. Chef Dave Query was inspired by the film “Amores Perros.”
This event is sure to return next year, as the chefs enjoyed showcasing their talent and connecting with the movie themes, while foodies were able to try over ten delicious small plates.
