Epicurean Encounters: Restaurant Review: Blackbelly Market, Boulder

Hosea Rosenberg, winner of Top Chefs Season 5, recently opened his restaurant, Blackbelly Market in east Boulder. The place was packed on the Tuesday night after opening week. We did not have reservations but were seated immediately for drinks. We promptly ordered the Original Old Fashioned from the hospitable but swamped host while we perused the space and the menu. Another server brought warm, crusty, and flavorful bread (from Grateful bread) and butter. Decorated in neutrals, white, black, and grey, the industrial space was open and inviting. I learned from my chef instructors that only the best restaurants have an open kitchen. You can observe Blackbelly's lean but efficient staff on the line.
The restaurant is based on the trendy farm to table theme with much sourcing from their Blackbelly farm. We had just polished off a tub of popcorn at the movies, so the charcuterie board and small plates menu were appealing. We settled on a 5 selection charcuterie board with 3 meats and 2 cheeses. I made pork rillettes in culinary school, so I decided to forgo the house made duck rillette, much to my chagrin, as it was the only house made charcuterie item at the time. However, the speck, bresaola, and coppa that we chose were moist and flavorful. The two cheeses, one a goat from Holland was creamy but not as soft as chèvre, and the blue cheese from Vermont was surprisingly pleasant and unstinky. All arrived on a chilled granite slab.
My friend and classmate from culinary school who is externing here recommended the beet salad. Don and I both love beets, so we wanted to sample Blackbelly's version. It did not disappoint. Well cooked cubes of chioggia, red, and golden beets sat atop a bed of farro verde. It was dressed with a citrusy vinaigrette and garnished with crunchy pistachios. Encouraged by the enthusiastic host, we ordered the Colorado wagyu beef tartare. Since it's rare, only the best quality beef should be used, and that was our experience here. The beautifully presented tartare topped with a tiny raw quail egg was fresh, bright red, and melted in your mouth. The toasted bread with lovely grill marks provided the contrasting crunch.
Although we were satisfactorily satiated at this point, we succumbed to the tempting dessert selection. Again, we went with Jesse's recommendation as he has been spot on thus far. Our only complaint with the chocolate pudding with salted caramel and creme fraiche was that it was too small! Creamy, smooth, and not too sweet, it left us wanting more. We will definitely make a reservation and try the large plates.
In conclusion, I predict this neophyte restaurant will soon be a Boulder destination. One area of improvement I'd recommend is to train all the staff regarding the menu items. The server who brought our charcuterie board, however adorable, could not enlighten us on which was the speck and which was the coppa. Once they smooth out the kinks, the service should be on par with the food.