It was Wednesday night at Biker Jim's brick-and-mortar, Jim Pittenger's new salty, meaty sausage-slinging emporium that, for one night, had been transformed into a guerrilla restaurant -- a pop-up -- as part of a new Sundance Channel television show called LudoBites America. The show, which will begin airing this summer, is the vision of vagabond Los Angeles-based celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre, who, along with his wife, Kristine, roam from state to state, city to city, to turn existing restaurants into something entirely different from what they really are -- a hot dog joint, for example, that suddenly morphs into a buffalo stampede.
Reservations to the dinners are extremely difficult to come by -- and scalpers have been known to list tickets on Ebay for far, far more than their face value worth. Last year, in LA, OpenTable.com slowed to a turtle's pace when too many people tried to snatch up reservations all at once.
But at Biker Jim's, there were no reservations: Instead, there were two seatings, on a first-come, first-served basis, and those who had the fortitude to make the trip downtown were treated to an incredibly fun night roaming with chefs and other industry peeps, foodniks and curiosity-seekers, all of whom were treated to Lefebvre's theatrical kitchen outbursts, followed by the chef's wide, wicked grins, along with his boldly flavored, beautifully executed plates of bison, done every which way.
He had some help in the kitchen, thanks to local chefs James Mazzio and Daniel Asher (Root Down) -- and even Jim -- but the show belonged to Ludo, who, at the end of the night, rewarded both the front and back of the house with a buffalo-centric, family-style staff meal that even the biggest food snobs would have envied.
We, of course, were there to capture all the glorious food and eye candy. Herewith, the culmination of our efforts.
Each guest was handed a menu as they walked through the door -- a board that included a half dozen starters and entrees and one dessert. Buffalo tartare with parsley roots from Eric Skokan's Black Cat Farms in Niwot, Asian pears and a peanut vinaigrette. Ribbons of carrots and baby carrots, again from Black Cat Farms, with a "carrot cake" coulis. Red beet gazpacho with goat cheese sorbet and edible flowers. Ludo plating the buffalo tartare. The staff was treated to buffalo ribeyes once the space had cleared of guests. Buffalo ribeye au poivre with pickled shallots and white asparagus; the sauce was bolstered by Stranahan's whiskey and the punch of green and pink peppercorns. Buffalo tenderloin with seared, sauteed spinach from Black Cat Farms, a pool of Parmesan cream and puff pastry. Ludo prepping in the kitchen, with the kitchen staff looking on, watching his every move. Buffalo brisket pot-au-feu with root vegetables. Order! Fire! And with the first customer in the door, Ludo plates his first dish. Salted caramel-vanilla ice cream with pink grapefruit gelée, chocolate sauce and Macadamia nuts. The welcome sign, signed by Ludo himself. Kristine, a lawyer, former Playboy model and contestant on The Apprentice, Ludo's wife and Colorado's first Hooters calendar girl, brought in local Hooters girls to work the floor. Ludovic and his wife, Kristine, toasting the staff at the end of an amazing night.
