Mona Lisa Fondue

Mona Lisa Fondue
Manitou Springs, Colorado

Manitou Springs is a cool little town outside of Colorado Springs--all around the town there are these statues with spring water and it's free!  All the different springs taste different too.  That in itself is super cool, but after an afternoon of Spring Testing and playing in the huge nickel arcade, and appetite can be worked up!  Thank goodness for Mona Lisa!

We decided for our date night to go all out and go to the Mona Lisa.  The building itself is awesome--an old home (most likely) which has been converted to a restaurant.  It's huge, but it's separated into littler rooms giving it a cozy feel.  It just oozes romance!  

We decided on the Dinner for Two, which included a salad course, cheese course, meat course, and CHOCOLATE!  First, I had the house salad with mango vinaigrette.  Delicious, and aptly sized considering what's coming up next...

There were 3 main cheese fondues to choose from (and about 4 specialty ones), but we kept it traditional with the Old World Cheese Fondue consisting of Emmental and Gruyere cheeses and a white wine base.  It was delicious, and was especially scrumptious with the rye bread and the apples.  At the Mona Lisa, if there's something you'd like more of...they bring it to you!  No more lamenting about running out of the "good" dippers.  Our cheese course was paired with a pinot grigio.  

After our cheese came the meat course, complete with the cute little grill.  Since we live in Colorado, we ordered the Wild Game entree because, well, why the hell not?  It came with Colorado Rainbow Trout, Buffalo, Duck Breast, Elk, and Wild Boar sausage.  There was also a little plate of veggies (roasted potatoes, onions, peppers, cheese, bread, and a pickle) that could be grilled as well.  Plus a tray of 6 dipping sauces.  My favorite was the chutney, and although I loved them all I can't for the life of me remember which is which.  The meat was tender and we were given instructions on how not to overcook them.  Our meat course was paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon.  

Our final and most anticipated course was the Chocolate course.  We ordered the Milk Chocolate and added a shot of DiSaronno.  It was amazing and paired very well with the fruit.  The mandarins were especially wonderful with the amaretto.  Each little piece of dessert was delicious on its own, and then blasted to a whole other level when dipped in the chocolate fondue.  And much to my liking, our dessert was paired with Taylor Fladgate 10 Port, which is my favorite port (save for the 20).

The Mona Lisa is, hands down, my favorite fondue place.  It's quaint, charming, and most importantly, ABSOLUTELY YUM.  With good food, good atmosphere, and good service, there's really no way to go wrong!  Manitou Springs is off the beaten path, but well worth the drive from Colorado Springs.  You may need to be rolled out to the car afterwards...it's a lot of food, but totally worth the extra time at pilates.  And, of course, there's the kiss game.  I may or may not have "accidentally" dropped a piece of fruit in the fondue to steal a kiss from my hot date!

Saddle Ridge

Saddle Ridge
Beaver Creek, Colorado

Walking into Saddle Ridge feels like you're walking out of upscale Beaver Creek and into the 1800's.  The decor is antique, and the atmosphere is...well, it's just really really awesome.  My sister, friends, and I got to go there for an employee awards dinner thingy, and I was super excited--I have been to many of Beaver Creek's fine dining restaurants, but Saddle Ridge kept eluding me!  Finally!  An excuse!  

Our dinner was pre-fixe due to the nature of the event, but still extremely delicious.  For cocktail hour, the waiters wandered amongst the guest with plates of Smoked Duck Wrapped in Bibb (with this amazing drizzle of a sauce on top), Scallops, Buffalo Carpaccio, and little grilled cheese sandwiches topped with homemade pesto.  Absolutely delicious, and the perfect size for appetizers.  The flavors were intense!  The food was upscale, but definitely not stuffy.  Plus, the grilled cheeses...holy crap.  So delish!

For our first course, we had a mixed green salad, but it was anything but boring!  The nicest surprise was the dressing--instead of being a heavy blue cheese, creamy flavor destroyer it was more of a blue cheese vinaigrette, perfectly complementing the delicate and varied flavors of the salad.  The pickled cucumber was a nice layer to add to the palate, and the toasted sesame seeds added a nutty crunch.

The second course was a surf and turf:  Beef Tenderloin with Jumbo Shrimp.  On the side were these amazingly creamy mashed potatoes with roasted veggies.  I guess whomever planned this menu knew the way to my heart!  Steak and potatoes all the way!  The steak was cooked to a wonderful medium rare and was very tasty--not dry whatsoever.  My only complaint was I couldn't order seconds!

Our finale for the evening was the Chocolate Cheesecake and Raspberry Cannoli.  Even though the cheesecake was dark chocolate, it wasn't overwhelmingly bitter nor too heavy--the consistency of the cake was creamy and slightly fluffy in texture.  Very nice.  The raspberry cream in the cannoli paired perfectly!  The crunch of the shell added a fantastic crunch factor to the otherwise creamy dessert.  Again, wish I could get two!

I hope one day soon I can head up to Saddle Ridge and enjoy more of what their talented chefs have to offer.  Saddle Ridge is a bit out of my day-to-day budget, so I'll just have to find myself a sugar daddy!  Or maybe just persuade the boyfriend to take me there for an anniversary I can make up--men aren't good with dates anyway, might as well use it to my advantage!

Wildflower Cafe

Wildflower Cafe
Clearwater, Florida

Hidden in Clearwater, away from the beaches and downtown, there’s a cute little cafe tucked under some oak trees.  When you first enter Wildflower Cafe, it’s impossible not to say “Holy crap, this place is adorable!”  I had to promise my boyfriend he wouldn’t lose any Man Points for eating there (and bribed him with steak and beer for lunch).

And then the smells hit you—fresh baked pastries, quiche, soups, bacon.  It’s a smorgasbord for your sinuses!

Wildflower Cafe does breakfast, lunch, Sunday brunch, dinner catering, and teatime.  Yes, teatime.  Again, adorable.  But don’t let the cuteness get in your way.  Wildflower Cafe has some of the best breakfasts in the south, and lunch is amazing!

I don’t have any photos of breakfast, but trust me, they’d make you salivate.  I normally get a Wildflower Triple, which satisfies my sweet/salty inner dilemma.  It comes with creamy scrambled eggs, bacon (or fruit if you’d prefer/are kosher), and two small homemade Belgian waffles.  Also delicious are the breakfast burritos (with a tropical fruit salsa) and the quiche of the day.

For lunch, you can’t beat the Island Breeze Turkey Sandwich.  The mango chutney is sweet and chunky, with the golden raisins playing off the chutney to emphasize the sweetness.  But it’s not overpoweringly sweet—the turkey and provolone balance it out wonderfully, and the pecans and carrots give it an extra crunch.  The quiches are also available at lunch, as well as the soups (which change daily).  The food at Wildflower is light, yet filling.  You won’t leave hungry, yet you won’t feel like you need to be rolled out of there either.

Perhaps the best part of Wildflower Cafe is their sweet tea.  Being a lady from the south, I’m thoroughly addicted to the stuff.  Their raspberry sweet tea is amazing.  The tea itself is strong, which is important because otherwise it’ll taste like sugar water.  The raspberry syrup doesn’t taste or have the consistency of  cough syrup, and is made by another Clearwater company.  And they serve it with a sprig of fresh mint, which gives the drink a brightness often missed in sweet tea.  Like I said, I’m thoroughly addicted.  I even get one to go when I’m there.

Good food, great drinks.  Can’t beat that.

Rimini

Rimini Gelato
Beaver Creek, Colorado

Rimini is known for their housemade gelato, but don't skip by it in the dead of winter!

Their breakfast sandwiches are incredible--they cook the eggs on the crepe maker and it gives them a light and fluffy texture which juxtaposes well with cheese and a meat of your choice.  I'm partial to the prosciutto and mozzarella on focaccia.

They make all their pastries themselves, and they're all delicious--it's hard enough baking at high altitude, let alone making awesome baked goods at high altitude.  Their selection varies daliy and normally includes croissants, breads, cupcakes, cookies, and pastries.  Yay sweets!

And, of course, their star--gelato!  Their gelato is made every morning and is just as beautiful as it is tasty.  I've never been much of an ice cream eater, but I can't help but treat myself to their gelato.  It's creamy and the flavors are so intense--you can tell they only use the best ingredients.

If it's snowing outside, a fresh coffee or hot chocolate can heal your soul.  On a hot summers day, nothing cools you off faster than a scoop of gelato.  And they make birthday cakes too!  Done and done.

Frenchy's Restaurants

Frenchy’s Restaurants
Clearwater Beach, Florida

I just got back from a trip to Florida, and had to visit Frenchy’s again.  It’s my favorite restaurant on Clearwater Beach, and a trip there is not complete without some good ole seafood.

We took my cousins there and the waitstaff was super accommodating, providing 2 high chairs and crayons/paper to keep them occupied while they waited for their food.  Which, in hindsight, wasn’t really necessary considering they love the smoked fish spread and cracked conch appetizers (so did I!).  Family dining is always important, and Frenchy’s has amazing service and love kids…maybe they’ll even be nice to that uncle you have, but I’m assuming and not making any guarantees.

The weather was a bit crisp (and I say this in the mildest sense of the term—Floridians were cold but I know you Midwesterners and Mountain Dwellers would’ve scoffed) so I ordered a cup of the conch chowder.  It’s a Manhattan chowder filled with veggies, a bit of heat to round out the palate, and lots of conch!  Gracie had the clam chowder—she says it’s her favorite soup which is pretty impressive for a 7 year old!  

And, of course, no trip to Frenchy’s is complete without some grouper (this time in the form of a grouper sandwich ordered by my aunt)!

As I’ve said before, Frenchy’s can make a believer even out of the staunchest landlubber!  I mean, I’ve written about it twice (which is a first on EDS) which has gotta mean something.  If you live in the Tampa Bay area and haven’t been there yet I say “shame on you!!!”

I almost forgot!  They’ve started giving pieces of saltwater taffy with the bill in lieu of mints.  This taffy is delicious—not too chewy, not too sweet, all natural, and manufactured across the bridge just outside downtown Clearwater.  But my review on them will come later…

Until next time, Frenchy’s!

dish!

dish! restaurant
Edwards, Colorado

My sister and I discovered dish! not too long ago, even though we’d been wanting to try it for years.  It was on our Food To Do List.  dish! isn’t your ordinary small plate restaurant—they embody the “Localvore” movement currently sweeping across America.  

Jenna is the head chef at dish! and also a partner in ownership.  She gets her ingredients literally from her backyard…there’s a planter out front which houses herbs and some veggies.  In the summer, the Edwards Farmers Market is held in her parking lot, giving her access to fresh Colorado meat, eggs, the ripest Palisade Peaches, and vegetables grown here in the Rocky Mountains.  Her menu reflects what’s in season and the yummy ingredients she found that day.  I can’t even suggest a plate for you to try because her menu changes daily.  It’s hard not to become attached to a favorite plate, but it’s reassuring to know whatever Jenna replaces it with will be equally as delicious.

This last trip, my sister and I went for dish!’s fourth birthday.  We started off the evening with The Original and Bread.  The Original is an amazing piece of serrano ham wrapped around a piece of manchego cheese.  The ingredients are simple, the flavors delicious, and they truly come together when dipped in the dry sherry served with it.  As for the bread, it’s served with olive oil, Hawaiian sea salt, and this awesome house churned butter which I (not quite jokingly) always want to take home with me.  

For our second course we ordered the Tomato Basil Soup and a spanish stew (that isn’t on the menu anymore and I can’t really quite describe it besides magical).  The tomato basil soup was rich and creamy, equally complemented with both the tomato and basil.  The stew was a mix of peppers, spanish chiles, some other yum-o ingredients I can’t remember, and topped with a hen’s egg and served with bread.  Luckily for me, I saved the butter from the first course.  

I know you’re probably thinking my sister and I are piggies, but dish! has perfectly portioned small plates and even though we ordered a lot, we shared and were only slightly piggies.  So there.

Next, we had the dolmaldes.  The rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned, while the grape leaves still had a crisp to them and were prepared with their own wonderful seasoning.  There were other ingredients in there as well, but I can’t remember what they were.  Keeping with our Mediterranean theme of veggie plates, we ordered Gnocci with tomatoes, basil, and house made mozzarella.  Good, hand made gnocci is hard to find—the texture was creamy but still firm, and the flavor stood up well with the caprese like ingredients of the dish.  Jenna is damn good at her Mediterranean food, having spent time in Tuscany working at local restaurants.  There’s an authenticity to her food which cannot be replicated.  

To finish off our savory plates, we ordered Buffalo Carpaccio.  It was served with a lemon vinaigrette which brightened up the meat, and rocket, sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan.  The ingredients balanced each other out perfectly, and it was a nice contrast to the mainly vegetarian meal we had, which is funny considering my sister and I are big meat eaters.

For our sweet plates, we were torn between the Caramel Pudding and the Apple Cobbler.  So of course, being the good women we are, we ordered both.  Couldn’t let a good dessert go to waste.  And, as per usual, Jenna didn’t disappoint!  The texture of the pudding was fantastic—not to firm and not too runny.  The caramel sauce generously drizzled on top was warm and gooey and provided a great contrast to the texture, flavors, and temperature of the pudding.  The apple cobbler was also amazing—apples are in season right now in Palisade.  The apples were cooked well, not too mushy, and the rhubarb (locally grown) added another depth to this dessert.  I normally associate rhubarb with strawberry, but I think I might like it paired with apple instead!  The oatmeal crumb topping was a great crunch factor, juxtaposing the creamy-ness of the apple and rhubarb filling.  And, of course, Jessica’s favorite part of the entire dessert was the honeyed vanilla ice cream on top of the warm cobbler.  

The drinks are equally as delicious!  Many of their mixers are house made (including the lemongrass and other seasonal sodas).  They take pride in their mixology, and their custom drinks vary with the seasons.  There’s something on the menu for everyone, including beer snobs.  Their beers are micro brews, many of which are Colorado beers.  Cheers!

dish! has amazing food and drinks, yes, but what also makes them special in a country full of delicious restaurants is Jenna.  Jenna really takes time and effort to make sure she prepares food from the heart.  But what really blew me away was her attention to her clients.  When we went in August, my sister was on a strict diet.  Instead having her eat nothing but bread the whole night, Jenna came over to our table, wrote down the guidelines to her diet (and trust me, there were about 12), and prepared her a special 4 course menu to comply with all the dietary rules Jessica had to follow.  When we go now, we sit up at the kitchen bar and watch—how methodological and precise every little detail is for every single plate.  When she gets a break, Jenna will come over and chat about life, love, you name it.  She truly has an interest in her patrons, many of whom she considers friends.  She’s blessed with an amazing spirit and it more than translates to her food.  

Golden City Brewery

Golden City Brewery
Golden, Colorado

Once upon a time in Golden, Colorado a man named Adolph Coors started a brewery bearing his name.  You may have heard of it.

But around the corner from the huge Coors facility is another brewery, a microbrewery called Golden City Brewery priding itself as “The Second Largest Brewery in Golden!”  Their website even mentions to “Be sure to visit the other brewery in Golden, located just 4 blocks east of us!”

I was lucky to try some of Golden City Brewery’s beers at the Beaver Creek Brews, Blues, and BarBQ Festival last summer and was excited to visit the brewery this past Tuesday.  The beer was just as amazing as I remembered, and all six I got to sample were delicious!  It’s not often I like every beer in a sampler, but GCB really knows how to brew a great beer.  Maybe it’s something in the (fantastic) Rocky Mountain water…

The first beer I tried was the one I was most skeptical about—it is their summer seasonal chili beer.  In the past, the chili beers I have tried were spicy and burned my palate, but this beer was flavorful, capturing the taste of chili peppers without the overwhelming spiciness.  It was crisp and delicious, even for a spice wuss like me!

The second beer I tried in the sampler was the Evolution IPA.  I’m not a huge fan of IPAs, but I was blown away by Evolution.  The hops gave it the bitterness and fruitiness expected of an IPA, but the malts used balanced it out and gave it a smoothness I don’t normally associate with IPAs.  It’s one of the top two IPAs I’ve ever tasted, that’s for sure!

The third beer I had is one of the beers first brewed at GCB called Clear Creek Gold Pale Ale.  The malts were subdued only enough to let the citrus notes of the hops shine through without compromising the taste or the smoothness of the beer.  It’s a great outdoor beer with a fresh taste.

The other beer GCB started brewing in its infancy is the Legendary Red Ale and it definitely lives up to its name.  It has a gorgeous reddish colouring and a smooth taste, which seems to be a recurring theme here at Golden City Brewery.  The hops and malts balance each other out perfectly, and the beer has hints of spice giving it a greater complexity.

Their autumn seasonal brew is an Oktoberfest ale.  Although it has less spice than what is normally associated with Oktoberfest brews, the spice and nuttiness can definitely be tasted on the back end.  It’s also lighter than most Oktoberfest styles are normally.  But this doesn’t take away from the beer whatsoever.  If anything, these differences add to its drinkability.  

Mad Molly’s Brown Ale is fantastic—a gorgeous brown in color, with caramel and chocolate hints balanced with a crisp, malty sweetness.  It’s not as filling as most of the brown ales on the market and is one of the best brown ales I’ve tasted.  As it warmed up a bit, the ale released more flavors, becoming even more delicious than when it was poured.  

Finally, the Oatmeal Stout.  Probably my favorite beer of the sampler.  The beer was extremely smooth and not too bitter, despite the addition of the oats to the process.  It has hints of chocolate and a nuttiness in flavor.  Unlike Guinness (a nitrogen beer), GCB’s Oatmeal Stout is carbonated, giving it a crispness not normally associated with stouts.  I’m definitely a stout girl, and this beer complemented the gorgeous autumn afternoon perfectly!

Not only does Golden City Brewery have amazing beers, it possesses a quirkiness that is utterly endearing.  The brewery was started in the Brewmaster’s machine shop behind his house.  The house itself is a quaint, brick, historical building.  The old carriage house is now the tasting room.  And their backyard is the Biergarten.  It’s warm, welcoming, and low key with picnic tables underneath the shady trees and dog friendly.  And as the sun set over the Rockies, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “this is the life!”

Pazzo's

Pazzo’s Pizza
Avon, Colorado

New York and Chicago boast the best pizza in America—they’ve been fighting over it for years.  But travel a bit west, over yonder mountains, and you’ll find some of the best pizza (and grub) in the country.  It’s a best kept secret, and Pazzo’s wouldn’t have it any other way.  

Their pizza is incredible—fresh ingredients, homemade pizza dough and sauce, and house specialties that’ll make your mouth water.  Their hand tossed pizza is made right behind the bar, so you can watch your pie go in and come out of the oven while you grab your beer and watch whatever game is in season.  It doesn’t get any better than this—and when you get your food it’s piping hot.  No heat lamps for these guys!  Their calzones (“Pazzones”) are also fantastic—enough food to share or for leftovers. 

But say you’re not in the mood for pizza.  You want an entree or a sub or a salad.  You won’t be left out.  Try the Greek Salad.  Olives, feta, pepperocinis, onions, tomatos, the works!  The dressing is killer!  Never really thought I’d review a salad, but this one can’t be left out!  Their jalapeño poppers have a nice heat to them, great flavor, and won’t destroy your palate.   The meatball sub has hand made meatballs, house made marinara, and fresh bread.  And they’re accommodating to dietary concerns.  

In the winter season, sometimes they get so busy there will not only be a wait at the door for a table, but the phones will be ringing off the hook for take out and delivery.  If it gets too backed up, they won’t even pick up the phone for fear of angry customers who won’t understand why their pizza will take 2 hours to make!  They’re just that popular!  Don’t let these photos fool you! In the off season, the locals go to Pazzo’s for awesome food and to watch football/baseball/hockey/etc.  It’s our pizza joint.  And Pazzo’s knows how to take care of it’s locals, which is a wonderful thing in a valley where the locals get cast to the side in favor of the (normally more well off) tourists.   

I’ve been eating at Pazzo’s for the better part of my life.  Pazzo’s gets a bad rep sometimes from tourists who are used to the “Experience of a Lifetime” Vail Resorts prides itself on.  But Pazzo’s isn’t Vail.  Pazzo’s isn’t Beaver Creek.  Pazzo’s is Avon—the local pizza joint.  They’re not fancy.  They don’t have over the top specials.  All those things are great, but it’s just not Pazzo’s style.   It’s a pizza place run by a bunch of skiers and snowboarders serving awesome grub to a bunch of skiers and snowboarders.

Mango's Mountain Grill

Mango’s Mountain Grill
Red Cliff, Colorado

About 2 and change hours west of Denver, there’s a small town called Red Cliff.  Now, Red Cliff used to be the center of the Eagle County…that is until a ski resort called Vail moved into town.  But even though Vail redefined the valley, Red Cliff still prospers, and boasts some of the best fish tacos in the ironically landlocked state of Colorado.

There’s lots of trout here.  I’m not sure if they use trout in their fish tacos, however.  I’m not much of a fish girl—but when I went to Mango’s I definitely got one of their fish tacos (only $2 on Thursdays!).  And they were good, even in my landlubbin’ opinion!  See, the thing is, Mango’s is known for their fish tacos so famously, people pack the house on Thursdays no matter what the weather, be it torrential downpour or blizzard.  And if you don’t want to drive over Battle Mountain Pass to get there (and maybe imbibe on a couple of brewskis) they’ll pick you up and get you there themselves!  Now that’s customer service!

Their other food is great, too.  I also had an incredible steak taco, and fantastic jalapeño poppers as a table app.  Very flavorful, and not too picante! 

And the prices are right on—definitely much less than the normal Vail Valley prices!  Affordable for all, even raft guides!