Epicurean Encounters: PMG Wine Bistro, Boulder, Colorado

On the endorsement of some newfound foodie friends, we visited PMG Wine Bistro in Boulder for happy hour. PMG is an acronym for the French phrase, "pour ma gueule", meaning "for my trap", which refers to the wines a winemaker would stash to drink with family and friends. True to its name, we witnessed several wine vendors during our visit.
Located off Pearl Street next to Sushi Tora, the space is open and bright with lots of windows. The dining area isn't very big, but the spacious bar and adjacent high tops provide plentiful space to meet up with friends for happy hour. In addition to a white and red wine, a beer and a couple cocktails were offered during happy hour which runs from 4 to 6pm. I chose the happy hour white wine and Don got the red. Both were served in cardboard containers and reminded me of Yellowtail. For my second glass, I decided to order a French Chinon Rose, which was very good and worth the $3 upgrade.
Our server was a convivial and knowledgeable young lady. On her recommendation, we tried the Chickpea Panelles. Ground chickpea is made into a flour which turned out golden cushions of this popular Sicilian street food. Rather than the traditional way and eaten as a sandwich, it was served with with Greek yogurt and honey. This kept the dish light on a hot summer day. It's simplicity was surprisingly pure and delightful.
Another well executed dish was the Summer Squash Salad. Gorgeous yellow ribbons of summer squash were simply tossed with a hint of house made anchovy dressing and garnished with toasted almonds and shaved pecorino cheese. Every bite was a burst of freshness and a celebration of summer.
The fried zucchini starter featured shaved zucchini deep fried with crispy batter and garnished with grated cheese, a drizzle of honey, and a pinch of chili. Although tasty, it was not as impressive as some of the other starters.
A more rib sticking plate of Lydia's pate really reminds one of a French country kitchen. Apparently, Lydia was the original maker of their pate, but she has since ventured forth and passed on her fine tuned recipe to her apprentice. Two grilled crostini heaped with generous mounds of chicken pate is sure to satisfy the hungriest guest. The pate was well seasoned with a creamy mouthfeel.
The house cured ham came with thicker than expected slices of ham, white cheddar, house pickled veggies, and whole seed mustard. I appreciate the attention to detail that the chef took to shape the mustard into quenelles (little footballs). The carrots and cucumbers were not overly tart and provided a nice contrast to the rich meat.
We were told to hurry back for dinner to sample the entrees including the house staple cast iron crispy chicken, which is so popular that they must always have it on the menu. Otherwise, it is nice to see that they change the menu regularly, even on a daily basis based on local sources.