Photo by Liz Copan / Summit Daily News archives
Don’t know what to do this weekend? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Pull up a seat to the counter, and I’ll tell you about everything that’s hot and happening.
August is just about halfway through, and I still sometimes think it’s July. The weather still feels summery, but I can also tell fall is right around the corner with cooler evenings. Yet before the seasons shift, August has plenty to celebrate.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared August to be National Catfish Month.
I usually try to take advantage of local delicacies, and while I don’t know of many catfish opportunities in Summit County, there are a surprising amount of options for good seafood in general. It might seem blasphemous for someone who grew up on the East Coast to recognize that a landlocked state can have decent fish vendors and restaurants, but it’s true.
One only needs to look to farmers markets to find the cream of the crop. Eagle Smoked Salmon carries Norwegian salmon as well as trout or salmon pate and lox weekly in Dillon. Another option is Kaleb’s Katch, which can be found at more regional famers markets such as the ones in Edwards and Eagle, or they can deliver your choice of Alaskan seafood straight to your door.
For actual catfish, however, The Lost Cajun restaurant in Frisco and Breckenridge should be on the top of your list. In addition to oysters and shrimp, The Lost Cajun has a catfish plate, catfish po boys and its signature cat-touffeé, which is three strips of fried catfish topped with crawfish etouffeé over a bed of rice.
More high-quality seafood can be had at South Ridge Seafood Grill in Breckenridge. Menu items include crab, scallops, oysters on the half-shell, ahi poke and lobster. For something a little less fancy, but just as delicious, grab a plate of line-caught, wild Alaskan cod from the On the Hook food truck.
Starting at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 13, On the Hook will be cooking in the parking lot of Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply, 1241 Blue River Parkway, Silverthorne. The mobile eatery that travels around the West and Midwest serves its fish with beer-battered fries as well as house-made tartar sauce and sriracha mayo.
I, however, am partial to sushi. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of establishments with The Blue Fish, Mountain Flying Fish, Bangkok Happy Bowl and Wasabi Japanese Restaurant being just a few of the local choices. I’ve been working my way through the menu of Nozawa Sushi lately, and I highly recommend the deep-fried Crispy Roll that is made with crab, avocado and cream cheese. The jalapeno-topped Dillon Roll or eel-stuffed Shredder are also tasty.
Those seeking an adventure should make the trek to Hooked in Beaver Creek. There, one can eat rolls that contain unique ingredients such as barbecue trout and beef tataki. The star, however, is the fresh, whole fish custom prepared to order. Want it cooked? Want it turned into ceviche? No problem.
Another one of my favorite sushi bars is Kemosabe Sushi in Frisco. Grab the baked Mount Vesuvius, crunchy Monster Spider Roll and the aptly named Mrs. Perfect Roll, and you won’t be disappointed.
August also happens to be National Peach Month. Perhaps some of those aforementioned restaurants will have a seasonal peach dessert focusing on the Palisade harvest. Order up.
Thanks to the lack of original shows in the summer and the pandemic causing delays in shooting schedules I find myself watching television I wouldn’t normally watch. I never really cared for the standard version of ABC’s “Family Feud” that has people trying to guess the results of a survey, yet the addition of recognizable celebrities playing for charity makes it more worthwhile.
Sometimes trying to answer what 100 people said can be a bit of a puzzle. However, the Steve Harvey-hosted program now in its seventh season is more about laughs than a stumping trivia games. It may not be the highest form of entertainment, but sometimes our brain just needs a break.
Where else could you find Paul Reubens, Drew Carey, Joe Manganiello, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jackée Harry and Drew Carey compete against David Arquette and a group of wrestlers trying to find the most common responses to a question about making bubbles?
Jefferson Geiger is the arts and entertainment editor for the Summit Daily News and managing editor for Explore Summit. Email him at jgeiger@summitdaily.com.