Foodie Adventures Along the Rockies

In my last post, I noted I'd follow up with some highlights of my dining experiences in Colorado. First up, Morrison Inn in Morrison.

Here I had the chimichanga with "killer queso." It came with a salad cup and Spanish rice on the side. It was absolutely delicious. Even with a kick that made me eagerly gulp water (yes, I'm a wimp).

Next up, Anthony's Pizza & Pasta in Golden.

I had this enormous fresh salad, called the Farmer, with romaine lettuce, cucumbers, black olives, tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms and bleu cheese dressing. I enjoyed about half of it...then I was full and had only lettuce left.

To go with my giant salad, this huge slice of pepperoni and black olive pizza. It was greasy and messy and oh-so-good. Not to mention very well-priced: pizza sold by the slice for around $3 or $4 (depending on the style and number of toppings).

Then, I made my way back to Morrison and Tony Rigatoni's, a casual little Italian place. I had the lunch special with spaghetti and meatballs, a side salad and garlic toast, all for some ridiculous low price of $6.95 or so. The salad was your standard side salad with bleu cheese dressing (yes, again), croutons, cucumbers and tomatoes.

And the spaghetti was very good - a generous helping with plentiful meatballs.

The only thing I found slightly off about this restaurant was the bickering staff. Maybe it's because I was the only person dining inside (most others were out on the patio) or maybe it's just status quo, but I was surprised to hear two staff members arguing with each other while I was there. My server, however, was friendly and drama-free.

My last stop in the precious town of Morrison was Ozzi's for ice cream, located in this gorgeous building.

Inside was just as cute. I was only slightly disappointed to see that the shop serves Dreyer's vs. homemade ice cream, but really, it's ice cream, so what is there to complain about? :) I had the Take the Cake flavor - yellow cake flavored ice cream with blue frosting swirl and multicolored sprinkles.

Exploring Colorado: A World of Scenic Wonder

A quick visit to Colorado's tourism website unveils the "world of scenic wonder" tag line. Not five minutes after landing at Denver International Airport for a work trip recently, I couldn't have agreed more.

During downtime, I had the opportunity to explore the historic town of Morrison. Located at the base of Red Rocks Park, Morrison is one of the most darling little places I've ever seen.

During my short time in Morrison, I made a point to dine at two restaurants (more to come on those), eat ice cream and explore nearly every shop along Bear Creek Ave.

My favorite stop was El-Mercado Antiques, a nice little house filled in every nook and cranny with interesting little treasures.

And a full front yard as well. The shop owner was the most precious lady who'd owned the shop for more than 40 years.

It took me a while to decide which little treasure I wanted, but eventually I decided on these cute metal stars. Now, I just need to find a home for them in my new apartment. Decorating suggestions? :)

A Belated Birthday Dinner Recap: Town Talk Diner

This entry is, admittedly, a little "overcooked," seeing as how I celebrated my birthday last month. Apparently, that's just how I roll these days :) With that...

This year, I wanted to try somewhere a little different for my birthday dinner celebration. I'd heard nothing but fantastic things about Town Talk Diner (which even bills itself as "a finer diner") on Lake Street in Minneapolis, so I figured it was time to check it out. Plus, I'd heard they had killer cocktails from a great mixologist.

I was definitely intrigued by all of the interesting sounding cocktails on the menu: the Bacon Manhattan with bacon bourbon and cherry liqueur and the Green Fairy with zen green tea liqueur, absinthe and egg white, to name two. With a little help from my server, I landed on the Water Tight, which was made with rum, watermelon juice, sparkling wine and basil.

It was unique and summery and unlike anything I'd had before. I found it to be quite refreshing and enjoyable, albeit different.

For dinner, I couldn't quite break myself free of my new found burger addiction, so I ordered the Kitchen Sink burger with the "kitchen sink" sauce on the side (I think it's basically thousand island dressing, which I don't care for). The burger came with bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato and garlic parsley fries.

I thought both were very good, but I really enjoyed the fries. Could be my love of both parsley and garlic.

For a special birthday treat, our server (who was fabulous) brought us a little chocolatey, peanut buttery deliciousness to share. Yum.

I really enjoyed my first Town Talk experience. The space was welcoming, the staff friendly and the food good. The highlight of the night was our server's ability to split up the check in the easiest way I've ever seen: they separated the check and divided my portion evenly among the group. It saved us from the whole awkward check-paying experience that so often comes with dining in big groups.

Thanks Town Talk for being so accommodating, and thanks friends for being so generous!

Cross Country Dining Adventures

My recent work travels have provided an opportunity for several new dining experiences...
In Kansas City's Power & Light district, I had my first bison burger at Ted's Montana Grill. It was also my first visit to a Ted's restaurant. I loved the eco/environmental, fresh, made from scratch focus of the restaurant and the savory, tender burger. Slathered in cheese, bacon, mushrooms and onions, it went way beyond my expectations.

In Orlando, I had 35 shrimp at Miller's Ale House, a fun, popular sports bar somewhere on/near Disney. That's right, 35 of them. And, I ate nearly all of them myself (never a very good idea to skip lunch). This meal also brought another first: my first hush puppies. I don't know how I made it this far in life without ever having a hush puppy, but now I can proudly say I've had deep-fried cornmeal batter.

Also at the Ale House, our server asked us to try a new dessert: sweet potato fries with vanilla ice cream and caramel. It was surprisingly tasty with a nice balance of salty and sweet. But, the texture was just a bit too weird for me, so I don't know that it's something I'd ever order for myself.

In New Orleans, I tried a couple of fun spots. The first of which was Mother's. Famously known for its po' boys and rich more than 70-year history in New Orleans, I loved its no-nonsense atmosphere and healthy mix of both locals and visitors.

I had an enormous side of pipin' hot fries to accompany my Famous Ferdi Special po' boy.

The Ferdi was the immediate recommendation from the police officer who greeted me just inside the door. Jam-packed with "Mother's Best Baked Ham," roast beef, debris and gravy, it was a carnivore's dream.

Also in New Orleans, I had dinner at Sun Ray Grill in the Warehouse District. To start, I ordered the portabella fries. YUM. Deep-fried mushrooms with creamy Caesar dressing dip.

And for dinner, I had the most giant, most delicious plate of chicken nachos. Best part? There were so many fixin's, I had to eat them with a fork. :)

*****

In yesterday's post, I promised an update on my third visit to Loring Kitchen & Bar. I'm happy to report that last night's server was really good. She was attentive, friendly and efficient, making for a lovely, very enjoyable evening on their patio. Hopefully the third time was a charm.

Loring Kitchen & Bar: A Love-Hate Relationship

I'm writing this as I prepare for my third trip to the Loring Kitchen & Bar already this summer. Based on that sentence, you'd think it was the best food I've ever had in my life. ;)

Located in the heart of Loring Park, LK&B is a perfect fit in a great location. I fell in love with the space as soon as I first walked in. Beautifully decorated, the restaurant also has a lovely open breezeway of sorts that circles around the room and opens out onto the park. I sat in this section for both visits.

The first visit was with a group for a friend's birthday (there were about 10 of us). I had the Lemon Drop martini, which was fabulous. So much so that I quickly ordered a second.

We shared pizzas to start. The classic pepperoni was tasty and exactly what you'd expect.

I had the LK&B Chopped Cobb salad for dinner. Refreshing, colorful and chock full of nutritional goodness, I was very pleased. With a healthy dose of chicken, bacon and egg, it was well worth the $11.95.

So, while the food was great and the ambiance fantastic, I do have one major gripe from my first visit to the Loring Kitchen...

The service. I won't go as far as to say it was terrible, but it left much to be desired. Our server wasn't nice and didn't seem to like us from the get-go. We had quite the check debacle, which the server further exacerbated.

Adding insult to injury, I also noticed that my martinis rang through at 50 cents extra each. Since it was only one dollar total, I didn't think it appropriate to complain. However, another one of my friends also noticed that he was charged a dollar more for his cider than what was listed on the menu. Ugh.

******

My second visit was under much different circumstances - casual drinks and dinner with just two friends (both of whom were also part of the first visit).

This time I had a Belini and the Beer Can Chicken sandwich: beer marinated grilled chicken breast, bacon, pepper jack cheese (though I substituted cheddar), crispy onions and honey mustard on a toasted sesame bun, served with fries and a pickle. Both were wonderful, further confirming that I really enjoy Loring Kitchen's food.

While the service was much better this go-round - smiling and friendly - there still wasn't much to be said about their speed and efficiency. Granted, it was the end of a very busy weekend, but really that's never an excuse for slow service.

If LK&B could straighten out its service kinks, it would have all the trappings of a great restaurant in an area already known for good food. If not, there's no shortage of restaurants I love in the neighborhood.

I'll be sure to provide a quick recap of tonight's dining adventure in my next post.

More Eat Street Fun: Pancho Villa

Eat Street (a stretch of Nicollet Avenue between Grant and 29th streets) is one of Minneapolis' top destinations for local foodies. A hub of ethnic and diverse restaurants - arguably some of the best in all of MSP - Eat Street is home to my favorite local Mexican establishment: Pancho Villa.

Always bustling, Pancho Villa offers patrons the best steal for Mexican cuisine around (read: overflowing plates of deliciousness for as little as $10), and - while nothing to write home about - the decor is authentic and even a bit charming. Some nights even offer live music from a mariachi band or karaoke.

And let's be honest, 2 for 1 margaritas are hard to beat (ALL DAY on some days, including Fridays!).

I had the chicken burrito and beef tostada with rice and pinto beans. I don't love beans, but I generally love or really enjoy everything else that I have at Pancho Villa. The bursting burrito and cheese and sour-creamed topped tostada were no exception.

Visit to the Sculpture Garden

Twilight in the sculpture garden

When we walk around the place

Look upon the beautiful secrets

That all the artists made.

Midnight in the sculpture garden

Underneath the cherry moon

We can make our own beautiful secret

We can join the fabled few.

- Semisonic, Sculpture Garden

Every summer, I make at least one visit to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. This year, a friend and I made it a day-date.

With more than 40 permanent works, it's one of the country's largest urban sculpture gardens and one of my absolute favorite places in all of MSP. Well-known Minneapolis band, Semisonic, has a song about the garden that I just love (two verses above beneath the iconic cherry and spoon).

Nestled smack dab in the middle of Minneapolis near Loring Park, the Sculpture Garden, with its awesome sculptures and pristine grounds, feels like a true urban retreat. That it's free and open daily from 6 a.m. - midnight is an added bonus.

Also on the grounds is the Cowles Conservatory, home to many beautiful plants and flowers.

During our visit, we also explored the Walker, courtesy of free passes from the library. We saw the 1964 exhibit, which runs through Oct. 24 and features several Andy Warhol pieces. And also the Benches & Binoculars exhibit, on display through Nov. 21. Both were fantastic, and I would place the B&B exhibit among the top of any I've seen at the Walker. How's that for good word-of-mouth? ;)