For Immediate Release

Gindi Café to Host Weekly Happy Hours and Live Music at The Peloton

Boulder, Colorado (February 19, 2010)—Starting on March 12th, Gindi Café will host weekly happy hours called “On The Patio @ The Peloton” with live, acoustic music between 5:00pm-7:00pm every Friday. Located at 3601 Arapahoe #181 in Boulder, Gindi Café is part of The Peloton’s growing retail plaza.

To celebrate the café’s great location, Owner Francine Gindi will be offering two-for-one Pelotinis, which is The Peloton’s signature cocktail made up of kurant vodka, raspberry vodka, cran-rasberry juice and a touch of lime.

Gindi Cafe opened at The Peloton on July 23, 2009, and has seen strong support from the close-knit community. This ‘urban style” Brasserie serves breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and supper and has a goal “to provide good food at affordable prices.”  With a low-impact philosophy, Gindi Café is passionate about wind power, committed to recycling, and adamant about using eco-friendly products along with cage-free eggs and hormone and nitrate free meats.

The menu is a delightful mix of “espresso” egg sandwiches for a light breakfast and traditional Cuban sandwiches and made-from-scratch soups for lunch. A supper menu includes, meatloaf, house-made ketchup, ahi tuna, & herb roasted chicken to name a few. There is a full bar, that includes the café’s house vodka “ Prairie Organic”, which was recently rated “Best New Vodka” 2009 by “Food & Wine Magazine”.

Gindi Cafe is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, and closed Sunday and Monday for the winter.

For more information, a complete menu, or directions to the cafe, visit www.gindicafe.com.

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Owner Kelly Whitaker prepares to slide a pizza in to the wood-burning oven at Pizzeria Basta. ( MARK LEFFINGWELL )

“Basta” means “enough” in Italian, and appropriately so: After one spectacular evening at the month-old Pizzeria Basta in the Peloton, I’m prepared to say “enough” and declare this Boulder’s best pizza joint. With sparkling service, inspired flavor combos, and gourmet aspirations, owner/chef Kelly Whitaker uses house-made and local ingredients to score the pizza equivalent of a grand slam.

Tucked within the Peloton’s hulking condos, the venue can be tough to spot from Arapahoe, but inside I discovered a roaring fire, an immaculate open kitchen, and a cozy dining area that coasted on urban-sophisticate design without being overbearing. Imagine a tasteful modern loft dinner party with a large wood-fired pizza oven at the back, and you’re close.

Our server behaved like a genetically-engineered ideal of a waiter: friendly without being personal, knowledgeable but not pretentious, attentive without hovering. His casual demeanor concealed a deep familiarity with the restaurant’s mission, and he guided us through a tour of the evening’s varied and rotating cast of fresh and local ingredients without a single stumble.

His first suggestion was the first of many pleasant surprises. While many cheap house wines are bland and characterless, Basta’s Red ($5)–a blend of merlot, cabernet, and syrah commissioned from BookCliff Vineyards in Palisade–punched us on the nose with bold pepper and spice. It’s rare to go for the cheapest wine on the menu and never look back, but the Basta Red held its own for sipping and positively sang when paired with each of the evening’s dishes.

First came crispy crostini and crusty bread wrapped in lardo ($7)–essentially fat from the back of the pig cured in sugar and maldon salt. The decadent, savory lardo was balanced by a topping of mizuna, a Japanese leafy green similar to arugula. The mizuna was springy and fresh, almost like it had just been pulled from the ground, which went some way toward erasing the guilt we felt from the melt-in-your-mouth indulgence of the lardo. (Our waiter informed us that lardo was actually healthier than butter–a seemingly dubious fact made credible by later research. Home-rendered and cured lard is lower in saturated fat than butter and not hydrogenated like many vegetable spreads. Plus, it tastes better.)

Our salad of super-fresh baby greens, spiced walnuts, dates, bacon, and blue cheese offered nothing terribly new, but succeed on perfect execution and an excellent balance between sweet and sour in the vinaigrette.

But ultimately, a pizza place lives and dies by its pie, and Basta’s thrills. We chose that evening’s special pizza ($16, most pizzas are $11-15). Hand-pulled mozzarella — made in-house — dripped off of slices in steamy tendrils, and a sprinkling of Colorado goat cheese added a welcome tang. Hazel Dell mushrooms from Fort Collins (on special for the night) added a light richness redolent of truffles, and tender, salty prosciutto one-upped any usual greasy pepperoni. But the pizza’s biggest surprise came from caramelized halves of Brussel sprouts, which were turned from childhood nightmare vegetable into a pizza-topping triumph. My only complaint is that there weren’t more of them.

(To all this, we couldn’t resist adding Chef Whitaker’s homemade sausage; his gently spicy, exquisitely moist and tender take delights. After the lardo, I’m willing to follow Whitaker blindly into the realm of pork, wherever it may lead.)

The crust serves as any pizza’s true crucible, and Basta’s is no exception. The dough was soft and pillowy but accented by crispy, charred sections distributed evenly throughout, and light-as-a-feather but substantive. So often, even quality pizzas feel like the cook just threw a pie in the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. But here you can taste the love and the craft even in the dough, as if someone watched over your pie during the entire baking process.

Pastry Chef Brad Rossini deserves a shout-out, too. With three excellent courses down, I couldn’t resist seeing if they could pull off a fourth, and I’m happy to report they did. A better-than-average tiramisu ($6) featured a dusting of organic espresso and a delectable middle layer of cooled cream, but a ginger molded cream dessert ($6) was the standout. This panna cotta was dense enough to balance on a fork, but melted on the tongue, leaving a soft kick of ginger hovering at the back of your mouth. As a kicker, Pizzeria Basta made the best espresso I’ve had yet in Boulder, complete with a chocolatey-thick layer of crema floating on top.

Chef Whitaker learned how to make pizza in Campania, Italy, but his technical skill soars when paired with his own handmade and Colorado-farmed ingredients. In an age when “local ingredients” means “just-bought-from-Whole-Foods,” Whitaker’s dishes taste as if he’s got a garden and a pig right out back. He invites you into his kitchen to enjoy a pizza that tastes truly personal.

Contact dining critic Ted Alvarez at boulderdining@gmail.com.

Leaving grass clippings on their lawns is not the only action the Peloton Boulder is taking. After receiving ISLE’s TurfView™ Carbon Dioxide Report and an individually tailored action plan, Peloton Boulder plans to further reduce its outdoor pollution footprint by reducing water usage, air pollution and noise. Providing a healthy and a low noise community to its residents sits high on Polly Cisneros’, General Manager of the Peloton, to do list. Part of the Peloton’s Boulder living experience is enjoying the outdoor lifestyle. As a result, starting outside the window of its residents is essential. Tranquility and healthy spaces do not have to end at the doorstep and start after 50 gasoline filled miles up a mountain. Next Generation land care is the future of reconnecting individuals to their nearby landscapes so that everyday life can be filled with nature’s treasures.

The key to quick environmental progress is not only taking immediate steps, even small ones, but also inspiring other individuals and organizations to move forward. The Peloton is an ISLE Transition Certified residential community and has received an individually tailored plan that achieves ISLE Next Generation certification. Such sustainable driving organizations set the path and show that the path is not rocky it is grassy and green.

Basta or “enough” says Kelly Whitaker, chef and owner of Pizzeria Basta in Boulder. Kelly believes that the five Domestic Charcuterie & Cheese, four Salads and five Featured Pizza’s that he currently has on his menu is “enough”, because it allows him to be diligent in the sourcing of ingredients and the preparation of each dish.

Kelly has done his research and gone to great lengths to find top quality ingredients, such as the decades old starter from Naples that he uses to make the pizza dough. Or the Americano Prosciutto & Speck from La Quercia, a family-owned Salumi maker in Iowa, which practices sustainability and sources many of their meats from organic and natural suppliers. Or the “organic 11″ coffee which is used in making the tiramisu. If sourcing quality ingredients wasn’t enough, Pizzeria Basta takes it a step further by making many of their ingredients in-house, including mozzarella, pickled vegetables, and the truffled sausage that they served on their “market” pizza the night that I ate at the restaurant.

For a new restaurant, the service was very good. My visit to Pizzeria Basta was three days after their opening and I was expecting chaos, but instead found that things were running fairly smoothly. The staff was both friendly and knowledgeable and the timing of the meal was well coordinated.

Kelly’s attention to detail in the sourcing of quality ingredients and making many ingredients in-house shined through in the quality of each dish. I highly recommend saving some room for dessert. The “organic 11″ tiramisu is delicious.

Pizzeria Basta sources many of it ingredients locally, including Avery and New Belgium Beers, Bookcliff Wines, Izze, Colorado Fingerling Potatoes, Oregano and More. And Boulder Foodies will also be happy to know that they use organic and natural ingredients in many of their dishes. Except for the decades old starter, the pizza dough is 100% organic. The tea served and the coffee used in their tiramisu are also organic.

Kelly comes to Boulder after receiving his Restaurant Management degree from Colorado State University, studying abroad at Hotel Institute Montreux in Switzerland, working in Naples, Italy and cooking at two Michelin Star restaurants in Los Angeles. With his background, dedication to serving quality food, and the use of organic and local ingredients, Pizzeria Basta should do well in Boulder.

Best Bites: Den Deli

When Den Deli–Toshi and Yasu Kizaki’s Japanese deli and noodle bar–opened on South Pearl Street in late November, it was an immediate hit. The brothers, who have already proven themselves with the adjacent Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, now offer a dialed-down experience that’s conducive to either dining in or taking out. The glass cases offer packaged sushi (the same great stuff you can get across the street), sandwiches, salads–don’t miss the roasted beet and pear–and Japanese selections. Two best bets: The kinpira gobo, a soy-sauce-laced tangle of matchstick carrots and burdock root, and the addictive sautéed eggplant with miso. There’s also a noodle station ladling up big, brothy bowls of ramen and udon (the tempura-shrimp udon is especially tasty) and a seafood case stocked with at-home sushi makings: top-notch fish, roe, sea urchin, wasabi, and yuzu. 1501 S. Pearl St., 303-733-2503 –Amanda M. Faison

The Buzz: Rooster & Moon Coffee Pub

Every neighborhood needs a good coffeeshop–sometimes two or three. And as of late November, the Golden Triangle’s Dazbog and Metropolis Coffee have found competition in the new Rooster & Moon Coffee Pub on Bannock Street. The tucked-away shop specializes in organic java (Allegro) and tea (Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea Co.) and serves baked goods from City Bakery, as well as made-to-order salads and sandwiches (try the robust hot caprese or the hearty Addison, stacked with roast turkey, Swiss cheese, honey mustard, lettuce, tomato, and a drizzle of virgin olive oil).Bonus: Ample electrical outlets aside, the modern and sleek space doubles as a bar. 955 Bannock St., 303-993-2622 –AMF

The Pantry: Wen Chocolates’ Preserves

Many of us know Wen Chocolates as the go-to spot for decadent treats (like the wonderfully complex violette truffles). But did you know owner William Poole also makes and sells preserves? We treasure the seasonal jar of clove-tinged pear, candied ginger, and gingerbread spices, which can be eaten with cheese, spread on sandwiches, or paired with grilled pork. Be sure to try some of the new flavors: cherry, fig, and chutney; blueberry, Merlot, and star anise; and a citrus-chocked preserve with grapefruit, lemon, and orange. Bonus: Check out Poole’s recipe for prosciutto-wrapped pears, which ran in 5280’s January issue. (His preserves would pair beautifully with this appetizer). 1541 Platte St., 303-477-5765 –AMF

Go Now: Pizzeria Basta

With dough made from a 50-year-old starter and charcuterie and cheeses crafted in-house, Pizzeria Basta is not your everyday pizza joint. Indeed, chef-owner Kelly Whitaker’s food is more like fine dining on a charred crust. Basta (which means “enough” in Italian) is focused on the simplicity of ingredients. You’ll taste that commitment in the innovative menu: wood-fired pizzas with ingredients such as rapini, fennel pollen, chiles, and house-made sausage; crostini draped with warm slices of lardo, fresh mizuna, and a sprinkling of Maldon salt; and the delicate Burrata, served with sautéed leeks and house-cured pancetta. 3601 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-997-8775 –Carol W. Maybach

Sips: Absinthe at À Côté Bar

Absinthe, the green spirit favored by Parisian artists and writers in the last century, has made a comeback. If you’re new to the licorice-flavored sip, head to À Côté Bar à Absinthe and order a shot of either the Grand or Libertine. Here, bartenders follow the traditional ritual: a leaf-shaped slotted spoon is placed over a glass and then topped with a sugar cube, which is lit on fire and blown out by the drinker. Next, an absinthe fountain slowly drips ice-cold water onto the sugar cube, displacing the absinthe in the glass below and creating a cloudy opalescence known as louche. When the clouds reach the top line of the absinthe, pick up the glass, toast your partner, and enjoy. Tidbit:Although hugely popular 100 years ago, absinthe was banned in the United States (and several other countries) for its addictive qualities and alleged ability to make people psychotic. The drink has since been proven to be no more harmful than regular spirits, and the ban was lifted in the U.S. in 2007. 2239 W. 30th Ave., 303-477-1111 –Shari Caudron

Kathryn Eastley parks her bike at the Colorado Athletic Club at the Twenty Ninth Street mall on Wednesday. The city of Boulder is proposing a requirement that would increase the amount of bicycle parking at future commercial or large residential developments. ( MARTY CAIVANO )

After several recent studies have shown that Boulder residents are commuting more than ever via bicycle, city officials are working on a plan to change the requirements for how much, and what type of, bicycle parking is required for future developments.

Developers must currently provide at least 10 percent of the number of required vehicle parking spaces as off-street bicycle parking. But there is no policy that defines whether those bike racks should be designed for short-term or long-term use.

GO Boulder, which supports alternative transportation in the city, is drafting new regulations that would define the difference between long-term and short-term bicycle parking, set guidelines for when and where each type is used and possibly recommend a higher number of required bicycle parking.

The changes would only affect new commercial and some new multi-family residential projects.

A city study completed this fall found that the number of people using bicycles to get to the downtown area increased 14 percent in just one year, and is up 46 percent since 2007.

“We are seeing a higher percentage of people who are commuting by bike,” said Marni Ratzel, the bicycle and pedestrian planner for GO Boulder.

That study also found that there’s a growing shortage of bike racks. The biggest need for additional bicycle parking was found to be near the Farmers’ Market on 13th Street between Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard, and at the east and west ends of the Pearl Street Mall.

But equally important as the number of bike racks, Ratzel said, is the type of storage being provided.

“I think people are mostly providing short-term parking,” she said.

The problem with that, she said, is that employees who bike to work often leave their rides tied down for eight hours a day or longer, leaving them more exposed to theft and the elements.

GO Boulder’s definition of short-term parking includes spaces that are readily accessible at the public-access level of a development, usually within 50 feet of a building’s main entrance.

Long-term racks would offer more secure, weather-protected storage for commuters, residents and visitors who are often at one location for several hours.

At University Bicycles, a shop that provides perhaps the most on-street and in-store bicycle parking available in downtown Boulder, some said the long-term racks would be a welcome addition.

Jesse Nie, 20, said he rides his bike almost every day to work at the shop. While the store has provided racks outside and inside for customers, and a rack out back just for employees, he said Boulder seems like a place that should already be offering long-term storage to the public.

“I think there’s definitely the opportunity to have some like that at least on every street,” he said. “It sounds like it should already be in place.”

Ratzel, the transportation planner, said a good example of long-term bike parking that works well is at The Peloton development, 1685 38th St.

The developers of that project chose to include storage rooms on site used exclusively for bicycle parking. Residents are given keys to access the rooms, which have lockable racks inside.

“That’s a best-practices example,” Ratzel said.

Another change being considered by the city is to allow some developers to install bike parking in the public right-of-way. Potentially, the regulations would change to allow bike parking along public sidewalks when projects are built right up to the property line.

The current regulations also exempt certain zoning districts from providing any bicycle parking. Ratzel said that, too, could change.

“There are certainly residential zones in the city that are exempt from (having to provide) bike parking,” she said. “But if you’re a daycare in that zone, shouldn’t you be providing bike parking?”

GO Boulder will likely reveal its final recommendations in February when it takes them to the Transportation Advisory Board for a public hearing. From there, the recommendations would make their way to the Boulder Planning Board, and finally to the City Council.

Boulder City Councilwoman Crystal Gray said she would like to see any rules requiring developers to include more bicycle parking work in conjunction with reduced vehicle-parking requirements.

While the public will have the opportunity to give feedback throughout the process, GO Boulder will also consider feedback from a survey posted on its Web site before it finishes the recommendations.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Heath Urie at 303-473-1328 or urieh@dailycamera.com.

The Senate’s bill also created a $6,500 credit for those who buy a home after owning one for the last five years. That measure would apply to contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30. The current credit defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who has not owned a residence within the past three years.

The Senate bill would raise the adjusted gross income cap to $125,000 for single filers and $225,000 for joint filers. The amount of the credit currently begins to phase out for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000, or $150,000 for joint filers.

“It’s gonna put people back to work, the home builders, put people in the real estate business,” said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. “The kind of jobs that can make a difference.”

The extension will cost $10.8 billion over 10 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Through mid-September, 1.4 million tax returns had qualified for the credit, according to the IRS. Some portion of those returns, which the IRS couldn’t specify, represents buyers who took advantage of an earlier version of the tax credit, which was only worth $7,500 and has to be repaid over time.

By the end of November, the credit will have been used by 1.8 million homebuyers, at least 355,000 of whom would not have bought a house without the tax break, according to estimates by the National Association of Realtors.

“The data on the present home buyer tax credit show that the credit has had its intended impact — sales have jumped in recent months to a projected 5.1 million for the year and housing inventory has been trimmed, thus stabilizing home prices noticeably,” said Ron Phipps, the association’s first vice president, in Senate testimony last month.

The credit, however, has also posed many problems. Critics say it’s a waste of money because most of those claiming the credit would have bought homes anyway.

It’s also been the target of fraud. Some 74,000 people claimed more than $500 million in credits even though they may not be first-time homeowners, according to Treasury officials. And more than 580 children, including some as young as 4-years-old, have claimed the credit.

“Some key controls were missing to prevent an individual from erroneously or fraudulently claiming the Credit and receiving an erroneous refund of up to $8,000,” said J. Russell George, Treasury inspector general for tax administration, before a House subcommittee last month.

CNN Radio Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report.

Associated Press
updated 3:56 p.m. MT, Wed., Oct . 28, 2009

WASHINGTON – Senators agreed Wednesday to extend a popular tax credit for first-time homebuyers and to offer a reduced credit to some repeat buyers.

The tax credit provides up to $8,000 to first-time homebuyers but is set to expire at the end of November.

Senators agreed to extend the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years, said Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

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The tax credits would be available to homebuyers who sign sales agreements by the end of April. They would have until the end of June to close on their new homes, said a congressional aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the deal.

Senators were still negotiating the expansion of a separate tax credit that lets money-losing businesses get refunds for taxes paid in previous years, providing them with an immediate source of cash.

Senators in both political parties were hoping to add both tax provisions to a bill that would give people running out of unemployment insurance benefits up to 20 more weeks of federal aid. The Senate could vote on the overall bill as early as Thursday, but lawmakers were still haggling over several unrelated amendments Wednesday evening.

Popular bills like the one to extend unemployment benefits often attract amendments that would have a difficult time passing on their own.

Republicans were demanding that they be given a chance to offer amendments to restrict federal aid to the beleaguered community activist group ACORN and on requiring that people receiving unemployment insurance be processed through E-Verify, an Internet-based system that employers use to check on the immigration status of new hires.

Majority Democrats have refused to add the amendments.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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As the Executive Chairman of CityView, one of the nation’s premier urban real estate investment firms, Mr. Cisneros spoke about “Smart Capital for Smart Growth” particularly in urban real estate, in-city housing, and metropolitan infrastructure this morning at the ULI event.

During his visit, Mr. Cisneros addressed the rebound in the Colorado real estate market and the state of the housing market in general. He emphasized the positive timing for first-time homebuyers and those looking to consolidate and downsize during these current conditions, touching on the impact of the pending expiration of the $8,000 tax incentive on home-buying decisions.

Mr. Cisneros was joined for lunch by a number of Peloton homeowners and members of the media. The resounding topic of discussion among everyone was the issue of affordable housing and economic recovery. He provided some great insight and further suggested that once again, housing will continue to lead the nation’s economic recovery as it has in previous recessionary cycles.

Later, Mr. Cisneros met with Mayor Hickenlooper on a conference call, where the Mayor spoke about Colorado’s major investment in public transportation across the Front Range and the current housing climate. Mr. Cisneros went on to speak about the need for more affordable housing for the working class and suggested that we take a good hard look at continuing the tax credit program for first time homebuyers.

Mr. Cisneros concluded his visit with a tour of The Peloton, where he met and spoke with residents of the community. The Peloton (ThePeloton.com) was a fitting venue for these discussions as a community that represents CityView’s goal of “Smart Capital for Smart Growth” in Boulder. With 28 sales since June, The Peloton can attest to increased consumer confidence surrounding the market’s upswing. The new-urban community is located near the University of Colorado, the vibrant 29th Street Entertainment District and the future site of Boulder’s Transit Village. The afternoon events were held in the Peloton’s 22,000 sq. ft. community center located at 3555 Arapahoe Avenue.

For additional information please contact, Forrest Beanum, 310-804-2591 – Press Secretary for former U.S. HUD Secretary, Henry Cisneros.

SOURCE CityView