I certainly got groovy for Earth Day this year (and 4/20 weekend, of course) by celebrating Mother Earth and Mary Jane at the first Supper Club of 2023 with Groovy Gravy – a members-only collective founded by Stephen Woolf to pair craft cannabis with curated experiences across food, art, music, and culture.
Infamous around the Mile High City for his quite exclusive and very heady events, from “Secret Stash” genetic popups to “Cocktails in the Clocktower” pairings, these Supper Club dinners are a regular staple in the Groovy Gravy lineup. Each seasonal dinner highlights a different local hash maker and chef with various artists and performers from around the Denver area.
This particular Supper Club was held at Explore Glass Gallery and featured two-time James Beard nominee Chef Jose Avila, Owner and Head Chef of La Diabla and El Borrego – recently voted one of America’s 50 best new restaurants by Bon Appétit Magazine. Chef Avila specializes in traditional farm-to-table cuisine with a contemporary twist inspired by his Mexico City roots and grandmother’s cooking.
The hash was handled by Kenny of Single Source Colorado, a local legend operating as an extractor in the industry since 2012. He’s been recognized for his solventless products and won awards from prestigious competitions around the world, like Chalice and Legends of Hashish.
This Supper Club’s menu was a highly curated “trip around Mexico,” starting with a Mezcal shot. Infused with cannabis flower from the Single Source Garden, it was served with a slice of ripe blood orange and followed by a jar of Sour Diesel cold cure rosin. Heavy on the lime in both scent and taste, a glob was the tart cool down I needed after sipping on the ultra-smoky Mezcal. The first appetizer of chulupita de papada de cerdo reminded me of a pork croquette, topped with fresh cactus leaf and served with an avocado crema for bright acidity that played off the Sour D.
The second course was a pairing of Lemon Heads cold cure rosin that Kenny described as “A low yielder but terpy, terpy, terpy.” She had a rank lemon peel scent, which paired perfectly with the more subtle Japanese yuzu citrus in the carne apache – an ostrich and wagyu tartare accompanied by blue and black corn tostadas and microgreens.
This dish was so light and fresh after the heavier chulupita appetizer, and moving into the third course, I was excited to try the Papaya Cake rosin batter. Kenny described this particular pheno as being earthy, limey, and slightly cakey on the exhale – much more Wedding Cake than Papaya. This is something totally different than most papaya strains I’ve tried, which usually end up being really heavy on the fruit terp.
She was definitely unique with that cakey funky finish, which complemented the complexity of the entree well – infladita de jaiba, a crab salad topped with a sauce made from Mexican chicatana ants. Chef Avila explained how these ants are only harvested once per year after the first rain of the season. They added an earthy component to the buttery crab that definitely elevated the dish and enhanced the nutty flavor profile of the hash.
Next, it was time for a palette cleanser in the form of a lime sorbet that was absolutely to die for and totally on par with the overall lime terp theme of the evening. I loved how this vibrant, tangy, and slightly sour flavor carried throughout the flavors of the entire meal, from the cocktails to the cuisine to the cannabis.
The fourth course may have been my favorite, starting out with a classic Mexican Paloma made with Mezcal, grapefruit, pink peppercorn, and bubbles. The chamorro de cerdo pork was so tender and smothered in a slightly spicy black mole sauce, cooled down by a hibiscus rice that brought a gorgeous pink hue to the plate and went with the floral notes of the cocktail. A chorizo-stuffed plantain was a savory surprise that complemented the rosin pairing of Slap N Tickle cold cure. With a light and herbaceous sweetness up front followed by a GMO-heavy finish, it transformed from sweet to savory – just like the flavor profile of the dish.
Finally, it was time for dessert, and the fact that this course was paired with fresh-pressed Grape Pie rosin was just the cherry on top of things. A traditional tamalito de chocolate was served with helado de piñon, a pine nut ice cream with a pastel pink hue. I loved how the dessert was more earthy and nutty than rich and decadent, which was on par with the rest of the meal and a great way to balance the artificial sweetness of the Grape Pie.
She brought some straight grape candy terps to the table with a slight gassy note on the backend that was the perfect finish to a fire night of globs and gourmet grub! If you want to get in on the next Supper Club, you can follow along at @itsgroovygravy or sign up for first access to event info at itsgroovygravy.com.
Feature photo credit: Erin Woolf @erinbwoolf
Follow on social media:
Writer: @katadellic
Photographer: @erinbwoolf
Event Host: @itsgroovygravy
Chef: @atomicmexican
Hash Maker: @kennnywallly of @singlesourcecolorado
Event Space: @exporeglassgallery
