The tables were set, the guests had arrived, and the smell of ganja was wafting in the air. From the onset I knew this was unlike any gourmet dinner I’d ever attended. It didn’t take long after my initial buzz kicked in that I became acutely aware how what was happening here on this evening was extremely special. The ambiance, the food, and the venue had all been carefully curated to compliment the premium cannabis being openly sampled and served.
Allow me to introduce you to Cultivated Cuisine, a 7-course farm-to-table dinner event I only wish took place more often. The premise is simple; harvest delectably fresh food straight from the farm and pair it with premium Steamboat mountain-grown cannabis. Sure, I’d heard of wine dinners where sommeliers talk fermented grapes, vineyards, and vintages. But the overriding vibe I felt at Billo’s most recently crafted dinner went well beyond my wildest imagination.
Here we were, a group of 20 strangers at the beginning of the meal now passing joints around the table and taking puffs from the extraordinary Stundenglass gravity hookah. I couldn’t help but look around at my tablemates and outwardly giggle at the fabulous moments we were collectively sharing. Having started the evening as timid onlookers who weren’t quite sure what to expect, we were now a tight community of cannabis enthusiasts peacefully sharing our love for the plant. Previous stigmas surrounding the enjoyment of herb were shed almost immediately as the focus turned towards an open celebration of legal consumption.
The products introduced throughout the night’s culinary exploration included items such as THC-infused mocktails, dabs of cannabis concentrate, pot edibles, pre-rolled joints, and locally grown flower. There were more weed options available than I previously knew existed and yet absolutely no pressure to ingest anything I didn’t want to try. One of my key takeaways from this experience was how nurturing and genuinely welcoming the cannabis culture and its people can be when it’s developed with intention. My tablemates for the night ranged in both age and background but we found common ground in our shared interest to learn more about the benefits of this incredible plant.
We talked about the various strain flavor profiles, cultivation techniques, and plant genetics between bites of the most unbelievably delicious food I’d ever tasted. This was not your stereotypical stoner food. The night’s “munchies” consisted of items like braised Colorado bison, Do Chua Kohlrabi Ribbons with hamachi and herbs, ajo blanco, local yak noodles, and scratch-made chocolate bonbons. Judging from sheer delicacies on my plate I half expected a red carpet entrance and paparazzi peeping out from behind the aspen glade to my right. I’ve never felt so pampered, glamorous, and supremely comfortable as I did on this evening.
The budtenders from the Billo dispensary alongside the Elk Stone Farm staff and supporting vendors from Dialed In and Keef provided a level of service on par with any Zagat rated restaurant you could name. A solo artist was playing live music for our entertainment while a staff of servers brought chef-prepared nourishment meticulously plated and presented at the perfect digestive pace. By the time dessert arrived I was thoroughly satiated and couldn’t imagine my belly or mind being more supremely content. This was the most artfully assembled evening I can recall ever being a part of, and I hardly wanted the night to end.
As our private shuttle driver began welcoming us to board for our blissful ride home, I couldn’t help but offer hugs to my newfound friends with whom a shared and lasting memory was now firmly rooted in my brain. When my head finally hit the pillow, I drifted into the most peaceful sleep of my life only to wake with a fundamental shift in how I now viewed the act of getting high. The cannabis plant has been treated as the enemy for long enough, I say. Steamboat and the world need more events like this one! If only others could experience Cultivated Cuisine in the same way I did. If that were the case then I would find it hard to believe that anyone would continue to discriminate against the beneficial qualities that this precious flower has to offer us.