See also: Brunch at Lola Is a LoHi Tradition
That's not Buffalo Bill's only connection to Lola: When he took his Wild West show to New York in the 1880s, he created a pop-up place that was the first Mexican restaurant to open in New York City. Our own Gustavo Arellano, author of Ask a Mexican, unearthed that tantalizing tidbit while researching his book Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, and next week he'll be at Lola, a very different kind of Mexican restaurant, to talk about that discovery at what's being billed as Buffalo Bill's Dinner, "an evening inspired by Buffalo Bill, Colorado's culinary and agriculture history, and Mexican heritage."The menu replicates the one Buffalo Bill served at his restaurant outside of Madison Square Garden, with several twists. The enchilada, for example, is made with Spring Kite Farm potatoes and onions and salsa guajillo; the chile relleno features Lugene's queso fresco, rutabaga, turnips and pimento cheese; the tamale (a big hit in NYC 130 years ago) is made with heirloom corn masa, heritage chicken and chile colorado; the chili con carne boasts 5-D Ranch beef; and the churros are made with Heartland Mill flour and served with chocolate cream and vanilla ice cream. Lola chef Kevin Grossi has pulled together the meal, with help from Michael Baute at Spring Kite Farm. And since this is taking place at Lola, there will be plenty of mezcal and tequila, of course.
Both Friesen and Arellano will speak at the event; knowing both, we're sure the talks will be as tasty as the food. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13 (just three days after the 98th anniversary of his death); tickets are $50. Get yours at 720-570-8686, or go here to find out more.
Here are two of the Buffalo Bill stories that our Mexican found:
Madison Square gets a Mexican Restaurant
Buffalo Bill and New York's First Mexican Restaurant
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