At Tables recently, I enjoyed a plate of beef carpaccio (pictured) topped with tart kumquats and crunchy, bitter arugula. The flavor-and-texture combination was stunning, but it was the beef itself that really got my attention. The thinly sliced meat was distinctly flavorful—there was a hint of richness, a touch of sweet, and each tender bite practically dissolved on contact.

Talking to the server, I learned that the beef comes from Laramie Cattle Company, which raises pasture-fed Black Angus on the historic Rooney Ranch in Morrison west of Denver. The beef's flavor comes not only from the cattle's natural grass diet, but also from the beer mash—a combination of hops, barley, and wheat from local breweries—they eat.

Best of all: The beef is available through website order to consumers. Packages include various combinations of steaks, roasts, ribs, and ground beef.

Laramie Cattle Company, 730 17th St., Ste. 840, 303-573-5007

Tables, 2267 Kearney St., 303-388-0299