Malmuth and Barnett forged their skewer partnership back in high school in the bay area.
"Our school started an organic salad bar that was all vegetarian," says Malmuth. "We wanted more meat, so we started a barbecue club."
That club caught on, and the pair perfected their recipes, entering a neighborhood contest and taking second (out of thirty) for their chicken marinated with lemon juice, lemon zest and sage. The friends parted ways for college, Malmuth earning a food and nutrition degree at Johnson & Wales while Barnett studied hospitality at Boston University.
After graduation, the duo reconvened in Denver, and that winning chicken recipe made its way onto the menu for Stick it to Me, along with Korean-style tamari and ginger-glazed beef, a Spanish ground beef and pork meatball and a veggie option made of green curry-marinated tofu. Those skewers are grilled to order and served just as they are, atop a salad or in a sandwich.
Barnett and Maluth are offering up nibbles, too. Namely, crisply fried mashed potato balls and French waffles, caramelized with butter and sugar and served with seasonal butters and jams.
The pair also emphasizes its focus on finding organic, local and sustainable ingredients.
"We're working with organic distributors," says Malmuth. "And we're getting everything as locally as possible."
Like sandwich bread, for instance, which the friends are picking up from Denver Bread Company.
"We came to Denver because we saw good opportunity out here," says Malmuth. "We thought we could offer a new outlook on how things can be served and prepared."
If all goes to plan, Stick it to Me will hit the road in mid-December.
