Postcard from Denver

A while back we hit up Denver and were pretty surprised about how young and hip that town can be.  Every which way you look you'll see a converted warehouse that's now a funky loft, and compared to D.C. prices it's a steal.  Below are some things to eat on your next trip to the Mile High City--we stayed in LoDo, and that's where all these places are!

Lime is a local chain that looked pretty fun, so on our first night we figured it would be a good quick bite.  The freshly made chips were pretty addictive, so be careful not to fill up.  The Southwest Eggrolls were lightly fried and filled with beans, corn, etc.  My salad with shredded beef was good but relatively uneventful, and J had the margarita chicken with beans and rice.  The portions were pretty huge, as was that bowl of chips.  Yikes!

For J's birthday we had reservations at Rioja. Named after a region in Spain, this place doesn't actually specialize in Spanish food--surprise! We enjoyed a half pasta with peas and morels--it was perfect for the season. Peas scream springtime, and we'd been enjoying their presence in our pasta dishes lately. Next, the chorizo flatbread and pickled melon with fresh basil--great flavors and textures, and not too bready (a legitimate fear). Lamb medallions w/tricolored lentils--AMAZING. My exact notes are "Unbelievable. Best ever. Crust/crunch outside, perfectly cooked middle. So tender. So smoky." OK, so now I'm sort of hungry. I loved the pan-roasted halibut with Romesco sauce--it was sitting on asparagus and artichokes, all things green and happy. The chilled smores pot de creme with graham cracker sticks was like a childhood camping trip gone chic. For his birthday, J enjoyed free dessert with a candle and a card signed by the staff. Maybe the real joy was perusing the tea list. The after dinner mints were homemade sugar-coated mint leaves.

Coors Field has a lot to offer you--beers like Blue Moon round out the typical ballfield choices, and "Infield Greens" serves up salads to go with your Rockie Dog (all-beef foot long). And if you want hot chocolate with whipped cream, just ask one of the wandering vendors. YUM.

Last but CERTAINLY not least, we waited a very very very long time to enjoy brunch at Snooze.  I read that it was a must, and besides the fact that it was Mother's Day, it was still a shock to see moms and kids and babies and elderly folks OUTSIDE on this drizzle morning in a huge line.  Where I come from we make reservations for Mother's Day to avoid this kind of mess.  Or make her breakfast in bed.  Something like that!

The 3-egg omelet with spinach, salsa (which they forgot), and chicken sausage was really tasty--the sausage wasn't chunky, it was almost ground up.  The toast seemed grilled, not toasted, which was a huge plus.  Even though I'm a fan of a fruit-filled, chunky jam/preserve/spread, the strawberry jam here was thin but delicious.  Even J dipped his bread in it, and he's not so jammy.  His corned beef hash was AMAZING--super thin and fresh, more shredded than chunky/piecey.  It was almost sweet, and according to him, it tops Good Enough To Eat--CRAZINESS.   On the drink side, the hot chocolate at Snooze isn't too rich--instead, it has a pleasing cinnamon thing going on.

OK, and you cannot and will not (promise?) go to Snooze without getting a pancake.  If you think pancakes are dessert (hi!) and would rather have eggs, then make a friend split ONE with you--you can order single pancakes (they are still huge btw) on the "Ahh...la carte" menu.  We had the caramel cinnamon swirl pancake.  It was thick yet fluffy and light, almost spongy, but in a good way.  It had a little bounce!  This things was the thickest pancake I've ever seen.  It had pecans, cinnamon butter, white chocolate chips...it was insane, and also majorly delicious.  The decor was funky, with round tables and benches, cool lights, and bright colors.  And have I asked you yet, how freakin' cute is that coffee mug?  Seriously???