The Emich sisters back in downtown Boulder with new restaurant & community commitment
The sense of restoring balance in the Boulder restaurant realm came to me when some friends and I went to Shine on Tuesday. That happened to be Mardi Gras (yes, I wore my beads), and Shine happens to be located in the space that thrree or four or five concepts ago was Red Fish, a Louisiana-style restaurant, micro-brewery and pool hall. Another aspect of the balance restoration is that the Emich triplets (Jill, Jessica and Jennifer), who operated Trilogy right next door, have opened Shine.
The Emichs, whol now describe themselves on their website as ”the Blissful sisters” are committed to good food, creativity and community. They describe this restaurant in the idealistic Boulder mode thusly: “Shine is a place for us all to nourish ourselves through food, community, dance, education and celebration. It is hub for us all to share our gifts, to explore, and to have fun doing it. It truly is a place where we can all Shine.”
A large tree painting covers a lot of wallspace, enhancing the woodsy touches of beetle-kill pine and bare tabletops.
Gone are the big beer brewing apparatus that was passed from brewpub owner to brewpub owner. Wainscotting is of beetle-kill pine. There’s a community table and a bright and cheerful tree motif adorns one wall. The bar is up against the other wall. There’s a coommunity table up front, but in truth, the whole place has a comfy community feel. the Emichs might have been out of the biz for three years, but they haven’t lost their touch in the hospitality end of the food end of this new venture. “New American” food — shorthand for an eclectic mix of interesting combinations of enduring and resdiscovered flavors, attractive plating. Since this isw Boulder, Shine offers myriad options for omnivores carnivores, partial vegetarians, full-on vegetarians, vegans and those with food intolerances. But the ingredients are organic or at least natural — and taste prevails. Our congenial little group ordered mostly from the small but vareied happy hour menu, and the accommodating waitress gave us all separate checks — even one for the glad who had only herb tea.
Freeform scoop of tasty trout salad with a tuille on top and oblong slices of cucumber on the side for dippling. or spreading
Mashed cauliflower for those who prefer to avoid potatoes, and a trio of shrimp skewers behind the dippring sauce ramekin.
Slider of grass-fed beef burger topped with cheese and caramelized onion, with soup to round out an early meal.
Ramekin of pureed sweet potatoes with thick slices of delicious, thick-crusted bread.
Price check: At happy hour, small plates, $2.50-$6.25.
Actually, those were chicken skewers, not shrimp. They might look like shrimp because they were, well, pretty scrawny. Not what I expected for $7. I wasn’t thrilled with that choice. And the wine pours were a little skimpy too. But everything else was great. Great ambiance.
I wonder whether Shine’s portions are more generous on the regular dinner menu rather than at happy hour. I liked the ambiance too — and I like doing my bit to help the triplets’ business thrive.
I had a very similar experience there at happy hour; loved the bread with yam “butter” and especially the “probiotic fermented vegetable plate,” which is basically four delicious slaws (the caraway was my favorite). Great atmosphere. The chicken skewers, though, were comically small for $7; not sure how they can justify that price for four half-dollar sized chunks of chicken. Overall, I’m looking forward to returning.