Postcards from Alba Restaurant and Wine Bar May is always a great month at Alba. Graduation and Mother's Day bring a lot of excitement in the first week. Then we open the patio and get our flowers planted and the fountain flowing. We have our Babbo Dinner on Wednesday the 5th and a great wine dinner on the 19th. We're planting our herb garden next to the patio, and great seasonal organic produce is becoming available from local growers. We've added new menu items, wines, and cocktails, and Mezzo Mondays (half-price wines every Monday night) continue throughout the month. We hope to see you soon. Here's a link to the Alba website

Alex's Babbo Dinner - Wednesday, May 5 Alex spent eleven months at Mario Batali’s flagship restaurant, Babbo, in 2003. He says of the experience, “It was one of the more exciting cooking experiences of my career. These are some of my favorite dishes from Babbo. From the crostini, which earned me my nickname (Chickpea Guy) to the best squid ink pasta this side of Gibraltar, to the saffron panna cotta. This dinner will provide a cross section of the cuisine of one of America’s preeminent Italian chefs.” Please note: Mario Batali and Babbo are not connected with the presentation of this dinner. This is an evening inspired by Alex's experiences at Babbo and the dishes he learned to make there. The Menu: Crostino di Ceci Chick peas marinated with olives and balsamico Neci con Funghi Misti Chestnut flour crepe, with roasted mushrooms, Parmigiano, balsamico, and radicchio Black Tagliatelle Squid ink pasta, with parsnips and pancetta Lamb Chops Scotaditto Grilled lamb chops, sun chokes and mint, cumin yogurt Saffron Panna Cotta Saffron infused cream gelatin Cost: $45 per person Optional wine pairing: $35 For reservations call 303-938-8800 or reserve online at www.albaboulder.com

May Wine Dinner - A Taste of Trentino Alto Adige Wednesday, May 19 Trentino Alto Adige, laid out along Italy’s northeastern border with Austria, is a breathtaking land of saw-toothed ridges and snow-capped peaks, alpine meadows and glittering waterfalls, popular ski resorts and immaculate medieval towns. The cooking of the region shares the traditions of both Germany and northern Italy. The region produces many distinguished wines, and the J. Hofstätter winery is one of its most esteemed and celebrated estates. ANTIPASTO Lumache Fritti con Cuscus alle Noci Fried escargots, couscous with nuts, and hazelnut emulsion J. Hofstätter Pinot Grigio 2008 ¤ ¤ ¤ PRIMO Troffi con Speck Spaetzle with speck and cabbage J. Hofstätter Pinot Nero 2008 ¤ ¤ ¤ SECONDO Capriolo in Umido Baby goat stew with red wine and polenta J. Hofstätter Lagrein 2008 Optional Wine: J. Hofstätter Lagrein “Steinraffler” 2004 ¤ ¤ ¤ DOLCE Liwanzen al Ribe Pancakes with red currant jam Marco Negri Moscato d’Asti 2007 $55 per person With optional wine: add $10 For Reservations call 303.938.8800 or reserve online www.albaboulder.com

Alex Has an Article in the Next Gastronomica We're very excited to report that Alex has written an article for the prestigious culinary publication Gastronomica, describing his evolution as a chef. The May issue should be available sometime around the middle of this month. Gastronomica is a beautiful hard-bound magazine which publishes four issues each year. It's described as "The pleasures and aesthetics of food combined with the latest in food studies, food, culture, and society." We'll have a copy of the May issue in our library if you can't find the magazine and would like to read the article. To learn more about Gastronomica, here's a link to their website

All Organic Produce at Alba We've established relationships with local growers so that we can now offer organic produce in all our dishes. We also grow many of our herbs (organically, of course) in the garden next to our patio.

Alba Closed Saturday, May 15 We'll be hosting a private party on May 15, so the restaurant will be closed for regular dinner service. If you're having a special event, you can reserve the dining room, the patio, or both for the afternoon or evening. We host luncheons, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, corporate functions, and many other events throughout the year. Alex and Matthew are happy to work with you to choose the perfect menu and wines. We also offer Chautauqua Dining Hall as a wonderful venue for any type of party. Please let us know if we can help you plan your next event.