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What to Eat at Checkers’ Four Tonight

Chef Allison's herb crusted rack of lamb
Chef Allison’s herb crusted rack of lamb

Checkers, Downtown’s fine dining legend where Thomas Keller cooked before moving on to a little place called French Laundry, has leapt into modern times, giving the dining room, lounge, and patio a new look, as well as hiring a Michael Mina-vet, executive chef Todd Allison. Allison is tapping local ranches for his meat and dallying in farmer’s markets for a menu that re-melds California recipes with French techniques. This evening marks a perfect opportunity to see what’s new, as Checkers gets in on the cocktail craze with its own mixology event called Four.

Four small plates will be paired with four wines from Rodney Strong, who despite the name, leaves no evidence we can find of working in adult films in the Valley. Everything costs between four and six bucks, with four hours to dine and drink wine or creative cocktails, starting at, yep, four o’clock today. The event will occur every Thursday, and if Four connects, could lead Checkers to a rebirth of cool. The menu and wines for tonight are below.

Checkers’ Four
535 S. Grand Ave.
Downtown in The Hilton
Thursdays, 4-8 p.m.
Reservations not required

Small Plates Menu

Grilled local calamari Greek salad - artichoke, olive, roasted peppers in a garlic aioli
Golden chanterelle risotto and parmigiano reggiano
Colorado lamb shank cannelloni with a French onion consommé
Black mission fig, shaved la quercia prosciutto, mache salad

Paired with the following wines by sponsored spirit Rodney Strong Vineyards (Sonoma County):

Rodney Strong Vineyards “ Charlotte ’s Home” Sauvignon Blanc 2008
RSV “Chalk Hill” Chardonnay 2007
RSV ” Russina River Valley ” Pinot Noir 2008
RSV “Alexander Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

What to Eat at Checkers’ Four Tonight