But Hick's proponents were hungry for something else, too -- namely barbecue (and all the requisite sides), which was provided in abundance by Occasions by Sandy, a local caterer that utilized a bumper crop of Colorado products to feed the mouths of the ravenous masses.
Herewith, what the new governor (and his adherents) feasted on at the Fillmore.
Rocky Mountain appetizer display: Black bean hummus, ginger butternut squash puree and Aztec salsa -- or Dick Lamm, Roy Romer and Bill Owens, all former Colorado governors who were in attendance at last night's party -- as was Bill Ritter. Beef short rib empanadas that flew off the trays faster than John Hickenlooper talks -- which is fast, very fast. Chipotle and Caramelized Onion barbecue sauces, made locally in Cripple Creek by John Lynch, the chef of Cripple Creek Barbecue, whose "little company with a big conscience" bottles all-natural sauces with no high-fructose corn syrup, the liquid that makes up the majority of Tom Tancredo's brain. Maple-roasted sweet potato salad that was sweet, but not as sweet as Hick's speech. Yeah, that's really a Mandarin orange salad -- a tailgate party staple, picnic calamity and throwback to the days when Hick was barely old enough to vote. If you want the recipe, you can find it in the Colorado Cache cookbook. That, people, is a winter slaw, which was no match for the freezing cold temps last night that rendered the sidewalks ice rinks. Luckily, Hick bypassed all that with a ride in a wagon led by two regal horses. Green chile-skillet corn bread with Madhava honey butter. In keeping local, the bread was baked at Baker's Way, and the Rocky Mountain Gold Honey was sourced from Madhava, in Lyons. Green chile-studded macaroni and cheese, because, well, why not? If it's good enough for the guv, it's good enough for you. Proof that this was a night for the Democrats: Vegetarian tamales busting at the seams with Haystack Mountain Farms goat cheese. Proof that the "Beef: It's What's for Dinner" campaign is alive and well, and that Stranahan's Whiskey, despite being sold to an East Coast liquor distributor, is still the whiskey favored by Coloradans: Stranahan's Whiskey beef brisket, the meat of which was donated by San Luis Valley-based McNeil Ranch and other Colorado suppliers. It was saucy, like Hick. Hand-pulled Grant Family Farms pork swathed in a chipotle and blood-orange sauce that was as spicy as we predict Hick's tenure as governor will be. No surprise that all the beers last night -- bottled and draft -- were from Colorado brewers.Follow @CafeWestword on Twitter
