(Disclosure:: I would get a tiny percentage if you bought this book through the link. What's 4% of $3.00? Lucrative!!!)
Sad news in the restaurant world:
Sam'l P. Arnold, restaurateur, food historian, raconteur and promoter of all things Western, died Thursday (June 8) in Phoenix. He would have been 80 on June 28....One of his proudest moments was hosting a Summit of the Eight dinner in 1997 for the visiting heads of state, including President Bill Clinton. The other was teaching Julia Child to open a bottle of champagne with a tomahawk, a feat she would later repeat on a late-night show.
I've eaten at The Fort a few times, and it was excellent both times. Though famous for its exotic game dishes, a faddish "tourist trap" it wasn't.
Sam Arnold, from what I've read about him over the years, was a real character, and quite an innovator in the world of food. Passionate and knowledgeable about every ingredient that went into The Fort's menu, I'm glad to see that the restaurant will live on.
I own the cookbook I linked to above, and enjoy the recipes, along with the colorful stories that accompany them. His style of cooking has been an influence on mine, particularly on dishes such as the Traditional New Mexico Pork Chile I posted about here last year. The way he celebrated simple, well-executed recipes was particularly inspirational.
Check out The Fort if you're in the Denver area. If you listen carefully, you might still hear Sam's cry of "Waugh!" that he was famous for.
wow what a place that is! every time in denver i make it a point
to hit the fort for dinner. the quail is sooooo good...
waugh for sure!
There's other places famous for game I can think of-- the Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas, for example; but although the Fort is decidedly upscale, it never seems fussy to me. That's a real credit to Sam, I think.