Today I just returned from Denver, CO. It was my first time there; got to see my brother Jason, who is in The Army. I also got to see one of my best friends, Quincy, who turned 24 today.
The time I spent in "The Mile High City" was incredible. One of the first great experiences was John Elway's steakhouse named Elway's. Little did I know, John Elway pretty much owns Denver. Hell, he owns a lot of Colorado. The guy is a business tycoon. And his restaurant is amazing. The smoked buffalo quesadillas are delightful as is the fresh guacamole and chips. Of all things, I was a fan of the drinks... of course.
The selection of whisky and bourbon has more depth than I have knowledge. Same goes for the selection of beer; a subject I'll gloss over later.
I explored Elway's signature cocktails. My very favorite thing was the Lemon Basil Margarita. Fresh, a touch sweet, and very refreshing, especially after a long day of traveling. A close second to the twist on this classic drink was the Blackberry Smash. It's sweet too but darker in flavor. It has a transparency that activates all parts of your tastebuds. Elway's was great.
For a good, more affordable dinner Blue Sushi is wonderful. That's where we ate dinner after the million dollar appetizers and drinks at Elways. And it's a pretty awesome place to dine even if you're with friends who don't care for raw seafood. Also, there are really cool presentations with lava rocks and other random stuff I've never seen done with food.
Not a bank breaker, good portions, a lot of zen, blue decor.
-------------------
Hangover Break
DenBisCo (Denver Biscuit Company) is possibly the most bread I have seen at one meal. Motown Music going, biscuits, gravy, eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, self-serve coffee, and more biscuits. I am not big on bread, but this place was filling and curing, especially after a night of imbibing. Loved it. It's a Denver must.
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I got the privilege of going to a few breweries during the short time I spent in Denver. Among my favorite was River North Brewery. I ran into some UM alums, which was cool (and apparently a normal occurrence in Denver for anyone who went to a big school). It's pretty much a bar attached to an indoor beer garden. The space is very open and made for standing and talking and drinking tons of beer. You don't have to squeeze through tons of drunken idiots spilling drinks on you. I wish I could tell you all the beer there was, but there is A LOT to choose from. Everything ranging from standard brew types to more adventurous creations. By far one of my favorite places.
While on the subject of big schools and alumni, I also visited a bar called Whiskey Bar. It's a big hangout for Mizzou graduates. This phenomenon of alumni bars was really surprising and pleasant. Denver is a city full of people who aren't from there. So no matter where you are from, you can find a home away from home. Whiskey Bar was cool. Standard bar. Lots of whiskey and televisions.
-------------------------
Healthy Break
Red Rocks is a Denver staple for people who appreciate nature, love music, and enjoy hiking.
The last food/drink establishment of note was The Kitchen. It's a new Denver restaurant. The decor is clean, open, and slightly industrial with the exposed brick, metal ceiling beams, and wooden floors (they may be wood laminate... this place is very "conscious"). The staff is very young but attentive and helpful. From start to finish, the food was tasty. I had a steak with kale greens tossed in braised lentils. I almost finished it all. It was a lot of food and I eat at an annoyingly slow pace. For desert there was a caramel toffee pudding concoction. I don't even know what all was in it but it was served warm and it was addictive. My only qualm was that the restaurant didn't carry some of the standard spirits that you would find at most places such as Woodford Reserve or Beefeater. But I guess the trade off is that they have a lot of locally distilled spirits, which in the restaurant's defense were very good.
Well, this blog has been long enough. I had a lot of fun in Denver. I would seriously consider living there. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) was on my plane ride home. Random.
Oh, and Stranahan's Whiskey (distilled in Colorado) is awesome.
Here's an ever-ambiguous article about the distinction between Whiskey and Whisky: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/whiskey-versus-whisky/
The time I spent in "The Mile High City" was incredible. One of the first great experiences was John Elway's steakhouse named Elway's. Little did I know, John Elway pretty much owns Denver. Hell, he owns a lot of Colorado. The guy is a business tycoon. And his restaurant is amazing. The smoked buffalo quesadillas are delightful as is the fresh guacamole and chips. Of all things, I was a fan of the drinks... of course.
The selection of whisky and bourbon has more depth than I have knowledge. Same goes for the selection of beer; a subject I'll gloss over later.
I explored Elway's signature cocktails. My very favorite thing was the Lemon Basil Margarita. Fresh, a touch sweet, and very refreshing, especially after a long day of traveling. A close second to the twist on this classic drink was the Blackberry Smash. It's sweet too but darker in flavor. It has a transparency that activates all parts of your tastebuds. Elway's was great.
For a good, more affordable dinner Blue Sushi is wonderful. That's where we ate dinner after the million dollar appetizers and drinks at Elways. And it's a pretty awesome place to dine even if you're with friends who don't care for raw seafood. Also, there are really cool presentations with lava rocks and other random stuff I've never seen done with food.
Not a bank breaker, good portions, a lot of zen, blue decor.
-------------------
Hangover Break
DenBisCo (Denver Biscuit Company) is possibly the most bread I have seen at one meal. Motown Music going, biscuits, gravy, eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, self-serve coffee, and more biscuits. I am not big on bread, but this place was filling and curing, especially after a night of imbibing. Loved it. It's a Denver must.
-------------------
I got the privilege of going to a few breweries during the short time I spent in Denver. Among my favorite was River North Brewery. I ran into some UM alums, which was cool (and apparently a normal occurrence in Denver for anyone who went to a big school). It's pretty much a bar attached to an indoor beer garden. The space is very open and made for standing and talking and drinking tons of beer. You don't have to squeeze through tons of drunken idiots spilling drinks on you. I wish I could tell you all the beer there was, but there is A LOT to choose from. Everything ranging from standard brew types to more adventurous creations. By far one of my favorite places.
While on the subject of big schools and alumni, I also visited a bar called Whiskey Bar. It's a big hangout for Mizzou graduates. This phenomenon of alumni bars was really surprising and pleasant. Denver is a city full of people who aren't from there. So no matter where you are from, you can find a home away from home. Whiskey Bar was cool. Standard bar. Lots of whiskey and televisions.
-------------------------
Healthy Break
Red Rocks is a Denver staple for people who appreciate nature, love music, and enjoy hiking.
How can you hate that? There are miles on miles of hiking opportunities in the park. I couldn't do any this go around because of my knee injury. But just seeing it was spectacular. Musically, Red Rocks may be one of the most famous amphitheaters in the world. It's been around since 1908, I believe. The Beatles, Widespread Panic, Jimi Hendrix, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Stevie Ray Vaughan... They've all performed there. But what do I know? The history of this amphitheater is rich beyond what I can write here. You have to see it (and hear it) to believe it. There is a museum that features many aspects of this widely appealing wonder. Among those features are past performances of great artists just in case you're not visiting during concert season.
------------------------The last food/drink establishment of note was The Kitchen. It's a new Denver restaurant. The decor is clean, open, and slightly industrial with the exposed brick, metal ceiling beams, and wooden floors (they may be wood laminate... this place is very "conscious"). The staff is very young but attentive and helpful. From start to finish, the food was tasty. I had a steak with kale greens tossed in braised lentils. I almost finished it all. It was a lot of food and I eat at an annoyingly slow pace. For desert there was a caramel toffee pudding concoction. I don't even know what all was in it but it was served warm and it was addictive. My only qualm was that the restaurant didn't carry some of the standard spirits that you would find at most places such as Woodford Reserve or Beefeater. But I guess the trade off is that they have a lot of locally distilled spirits, which in the restaurant's defense were very good.
Well, this blog has been long enough. I had a lot of fun in Denver. I would seriously consider living there. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) was on my plane ride home. Random.
Oh, and Stranahan's Whiskey (distilled in Colorado) is awesome.
Here's an ever-ambiguous article about the distinction between Whiskey and Whisky: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/whiskey-versus-whisky/
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