Eat This // Bruschetta Two Ways

A couple weeks ago, spuntino food + wine rolled out their new summer menu.  I have shared my adoration for this restaurant before (read here) so, I was eager to stop in and taste my way through chef cindhura reddy's new dishes. As with every visit to spuntino, the meal did not disappoint; service was near perfection, lead by owner elliot strathmann and jason randall, who oversees the restaurant's bar program and of course, the food was the evening's standout.

The summer menu is chalked-full of seasonal ingredients ranging from heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, zucchini, summer greens and romesco, just to name a few. Spuntino's renditions of bruschettas might be my favorite ways the summer produce is taking the staring role on the current menu. The funghi bruschetta is their more earthy rendition, where house-made foccacia is slightly grilled and topped with sauteed hunt and gather mushrooms, a creamy caciocavallo fonduta cheese from southern italy and peppery arugula. This version would taste great on a cooler summer night when dining on the restaurant's quaint patio, paired with a glass of light red wine. Spuntino's other bruschetta option is their mais, where the same chewy and delicious house-made foccacia is topped with fresh-shucked sweet colorado corn, rich goat cheese and delicate chili threads. The flavors and textures blend perfectly together and exemplify summer cooking; simple, light ingredients that are not over-worked. 

Every meal at spuntino is sure to leave a lasting impression but the current summer menu has me hooked and already planning my next visit back. I think the hardest decision to make will be which bruschetta option I will order upon my next visit. It is no wonder that this restaurant is one of my favorites in the entire city.

Weekend Update

Welcome back from your weekend. Hopefully it was another good one. Mine was crazy busy but in the best of ways. It truly feels like summer has settled in when every day of your weekend is packed with activities, get togethers and lots of go-go-go. My pregnant feet are feeling the pains today but I would not take back any of it because the weekend was just so wonderful and fun. 

Friday night we decided to walk over to fermaentra brewery because the weather was so gorgeous. Ryan had a sampler of beers and I had a tasty izze. Our friend brian came and met us and the evening wrapped up with some live music and lots of laughing and story telling between the 3 of us.

Saturday I spent some time with my parents at their house and suckered my dad into joining me at the pool for a couple of hours. It was nice to have some time with just my dad... we talked the whole time about nothing and everything. Saturday evening ryan + I went to dinner with our favs, matt + lindy for a belated birthday celebration for matt. We all wanted to try a restaurant that none of us had been to so we dined at lena which is in the sobo (south broadway) area of denver. We had a tasty dinner of modern mexican small plates and I would highly recommend trying this place out (get this short rib tacos and the chilaquiles). So yummy! 

Sunday was another celebratory day... ryan + I headed to lyons, co to attend the wedding of our high school friend heather, to her now-husband adrian. The wedding was at the most gorgeous setting and the ceremony and reception were stunning. Heather of course looked flawless and there was so much love in the air. 

I went to bed on sunday night feeling tired but blessed to have had such a fulfilling and fun weekend. Happy monday everyone; have a great week ahead! 

Recap // Top Taco 2015

Nearly 2 weeks ago at sculpture park in downtown denver, over 50 restaurants, 30+ tequila brands and thousands of denver foodies, taco-enthusiasts and in general, hungry people, came together for a night dedicated to the humble taco. The massive storm that rolled into the city did not stop the crowds and after a bit of a delay, the evening was spent celebrating tacos and tequilas by the masses. It was denver's top taco and the night did not disappoint in the food and drink category by a long shot.

Some of denver's hottest and most well-known restaurants competed for the naming rights of top taco 2015. Each competitor submitted a taco for a panel of judges and for the public to vote on; the taco could be from the restaurants' menu or a specialty item they created for the night. Simultaneously, a pretty fierce margarita competition was in play; with every restaurant creating their version of the best marg to be voted on as well. There was an obscene amount of food and drink to consume and I only wish my stomach was large enough to sample my way through all 50 tacos. Sadly I will admit, I probably only made it through 1/3 of them before I had to throw in the towel.

(pictures of the many taco and margarita samplings along with an aerial shot via) 

There were some serious contenders in my book for 'top taco' of the evening. One of my favorites was ironically, the first taco I tasted from north country. They turned out a lightly grilled fish taco accompanied by chopped cabbage, a chipolte creama and a pico salsa; the balance of flavor and texture played perfectly in the hand-made corn tortillas. Work and class had a flavor-packed cochinita pibil taco... slow-roasted pork cooked in banana leaves that was then shredded and served with a cilantro-lime slaw and slivers of crunchy radish. A slightly out-of-the-box option came from kachina southwestern grill; the mojave navajo taco was an indian fry-bread 'tortilla' topped with rich duck confit, pickled cactus, crispy duck cracklings and a nutty manchengo cheese. The taco was reminiscent of chicken and waffles and tasted like brunch. I will admit, I probably ate 3 of these suckers they were so good.

Sweet cow ice cream brought their oh-so-good sweet treats out for the masses which was a nice break from all the taco tastings. In addition, edge restaurant did a dessert taco with macerated strawberries and la loma served up churros with chocolate to satisfy those with a sweet tooth.

(ryan and I  /  jalisco truck  /  ashley and ryan enjoying their dessert taco  /  margs with garnishes in vibrant colors  /  the dancing sculptures at dusk)

I sadly was unable to sample my way through the 30+ margarita offerings but lucky for me, ryan and our friends were more than willing sample and share their feedback. There were a ton of cocktails featuring fresh herbs, flowers and peppers which made for gorgeous presentations. Pinche taqueria shook up a chartreuse marg with sugar snap peas, cilantro, serrano pepper, agave nectar and fresh lime which tasted like a summer in a glass. Another hit was central bistro + bar's la flor margarita; a silver tequila mixed with hibiscus simple syrup, a splash of grapefruit and a chile-salt-sugar rim to bring all the flavors together. Road soda bar had a red-pepper infused marg that looked heavenly and apparently tasted fresh and flavorful. My girlfriend's ashley and tara were swooning over billy's inn cucumber margarita; the well balanced and light flavors were perfect to sip on as we strolled through sculpture park.

The evening as a whole was a major success. This was by-far the largest attended event which made for a bit of chaos getting to each food and drink stand but definitely brought an energy unlike any other food event I have attended before. I now have a handful of restaurants I will be itching to get into soon to enjoy their tacos again and this event will be one I am looking forward to attending again next summer too.



Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the denver's top taco, however, all opinions expressed here are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who allow me to continue creating new content for South on Broadway!

Weekend Update

I am blessed to have both my family and ryan's family living in the denver-metro area. We typically do not have a weekend that goes by without spending time with at least one side of our families too. This past weekend was the best of both worlds; a little mix of both our families... making memories that will last a lifetime.

My sweet little niece kamryn celebrated her 5th birthday with a bbq on friday night. We sat outside in the warm summer air telling stories, laughing and watching the kids play on the trampoline. Kamryn was so proud that it was her birthday and she was the cutest to watch as we all sang 'happy birthday' in her honor.

Sunday my parents, ryan and I had a belated father's day celebration which included a trip to the farmers market and then brunch at jax fish house. We wandered through the endless booths, talked with the purveyors and sampled our way up and down pearl street in the mid-morning sun. Followed by bloody marys (I had strawberry lemonade, for the record) and brunch, it was the perfect way to celebrate the extremely good men in my life. 

Hope you had a great weekend too... maybe you spent it with your family too! 

Weekend Update

Wow... a weekend full of sunshine and weather over 60 degrees; I almost did not know what to do when denver was blessed with multiple consecutive hours of sunshine. Don't you fret, just like riding a bike, it all came back to me and my weekend was full of activity and soaking in the vitamin d.

The weekend kicked off with pizza at proto's followed by drinks at fermaentra with our close friend brian. Saturday morning ryan and I started tackling some landscaping projects that we have been planning on since we bought our house last november; we (and I really should say ryan beccause I was pretty close to helpless) planted 10 new shrubs/trees in our yard. I cannot wait to see our hard work grow and bloom in the coming months and years.

Sunday was my favorite day of the weekend... ryan and I hit up the pearl street farmers market to gorg on street food and to pick up some awesome produce and artisan products. I snuck in a pedicure and then spent the rest of the day relaxing at home. 

I could not be happier to have the sunshine on my side to get some projects completed and to feel like may ended with warmth and clear skies.

Weekend Update

Just when the beautiful spring weather felt like it was sticking around... denver gets hit with a crazy snow storm that my household is still feeling the effects from. It had been raining for a week in denver but the temps dropped and saturday night turned into a full blown mess. Ryan and I woke up to multiple 30-foot trees snapped and broken in our yard. We had the city come out and remove the branches which were lying on our power lines but now the damage is all over our yard to clean up. #funtimes.

Luckily the entire weekend was not as sad as the weather; friday evening we met up with ryan's cousin brett and his fiance kara for drinks at fermaentra and snacks from the colorado pig rig food truck. It was such a blast catching up and trying out some new-to-us places together.

Saturday was all about mother's day and I could not have been happier to celebrate the women in my life who have set such great examples as mothers. I made a trip with my family to visit my grandma and aunt, followed by a get together with ryan's family. We had a tasty bbq spread followed by card games and tons of laughing + story telling. 

We took it easy on sunday just ryan and I. We made breakfast at home, got in a workout at the gym, ran a couple errands and had a nice lunch at cherry creek grill. In all, the experiences outweighed the weather, making this mother's day another great success. 

Weekend Update

Hello spring and hello busy weekend of activities. I feel exhausted today and looking back at all these photos, it makes sense why my energy is lacking. From friday to sunday, I was up and about getting things done, stuffing my face :) and making memories with friends and family.

Ryan's little sister came home from college to stay with us for the weekend. We had dinner on friday at pinche tacos followed by my first experience at denver's iconic, voodoo doughnuts. Dinner was fabulous and my grapefruit mock-tail from the bar made my night. 

Saturday we were up with the sun and stopped into my favorite juice bar, nekter for a pressed juice and acai bowl before heading to home depot. We have been in our house now for nearly 5 months and with the weather warming up, we are able to start tackling a couple of the outdoor projects on our list. After ryan spent a few grueling hours working away, we cleaned ourselves up to join my parents for dinner at one of our favorites, russell's smokehouse for an early mother's day celebration. We stuffed ourselves silly on low-n-slow cooked bbq, the most velvety mac-n-cheese, cornbread cooked in a cast-iron skillet and cheesy grits. (read my restaurant review here). The night was a true celebration in my mom's honor.

Sunday we were back in the yard wrapping up our paver project. Peyton was a huge help, especially because a lot of the manual labor was too difficult for me to join. We barely had time to relax and take-in our finished project before we headed to join ryan's parents for a tasty mexican dinner at patzcuro's. Our evening wrapped up with an impromptu visit to matt + lindy's house for laughs around their kitchen island and dessert. 

Wow... after writing all of this out, I am wondering if my lack of energy is from our busy activities or from my stomach being entirely too full from the endless eating I seemed to do for the past 3 days?

Drink This // Guava Agua Fresca

A refreshing glass of sparkling water blended with the sweet and bright flavors of guava juice is a flavor combination that you do not want to miss. Tamayo, a modern mexican restaurant in lower-downtown, serves up nearly a half a dozen agua fresca options daily but the guava version is by-far my favorite. The sweet guava juice tastes like a combination of pear and strawberry and guava has a beautiful pinkish-coral color when blended and pressed. 

Agua frescas are traditional spanish 'coolers' that are served across mexico, central america and the caribbean. These non-alcoholic beverages are widely available through street vendors, bodegas and in restaurants. With spring temps on the rise, agua frescas are a great mid-day drink to enjoy with a side of guacamole, a spicy tamal or even on their own, while sitting in an alfresco patio.

(via)

Round Up // Bakeries

I love starting my mornings with a cup of fresh-brewed coffee and a flaky pastry. I am also a huge sucker for an afternoon sweet treat... and dessert, I feel like every meal should end with a sugary-something. So, I guess you could say I am a bit of a sugar aficionado. There are dozens of bakeries around town but there are a handful that I visit on the regular to get my sugar fix. 

Today's round up features my favorite bakeries... specializing in croissants, cakes, cookies and everything in between.

(trompeau  /  wooden spoon  /  the market  /  gateaux  /  watercourse foods  /  azucar)

To check out my other round ups, click here.

Weekend Update

Hello monday. After a weekend filled with hours logged in the sun, tons of cold-pressed juice, quality time with friends and lots of relaxation, I feel refreshed and ready for the week ahead. 

Friday was the home opener for the colorado rockies which is pretty much a state-wide holiday. The city was buzzing and the weather was gorgeous, making my company's home opening party a major success. 

Saturday morning ryan and I got some stuff done around the house while rocco 'supervised' from the patio. Our pup could not be happier that the weather was in the 70s so he could sunbathe for hours on the outdoor furniture. We met up with matt + lindy and their adorable sons in the afternoon at the pioneer for some patio drinks and snacks before we headed out to celebrate our friend nicki's birthday. The evening bbq followed by cards against humanity turned into a spout of endless laughing and story telling. 

Sunday was a bit more low-key for me. I finally got some artwork up in our bedroom. I am framing some of the cards ryan and I have exchange over the years into a gallery wall but need to get a couple more frames. Ryan and I lounged around before trying out this new gnocchi recipe (fyi... it was amazing and I will be making it again very soon). 

Oh... and the best part of sunday, game of thrones and silicon valley premiered! Could the weekend have ended more perfectly... I think not. 

Recap // Vail Film Festival

Two weeks ago we packed our bags and headed up i-70 to vail, colorado for the annual vail film festival. This was my 7th year in attendance and while the festival has been paired down quite a bit from its early years, there was no shortage of fun for ryan, my brother-in-law luke and I over the long weekend.

(left to right: my film festival pass  /  signage  /  the skating rink all lit up in lionshead)

There were quite a few great films on the schedule but a lot of the ones I was most excited about only played on friday during the day. Sadly we did not get up to vail until after work so, I missed out a bit. Luckily the weather was unseasonably warm which played to our benefit... however maybe not the festival's. Every year we are typically bundled up and hunkered down for film after film but the sunshine practically begged for us to get outside. We took a stroll along the creek and then found our way into vail village for lunch on the patio at pepi's. 

(enjoying the spring weather  /  stacked rocks on the creek bend  /  sunny skies  /  me on our walk by the creek)

(lunch at pepi's  /  fresh shucked oysters at kelly liken  /  my vibrant salad  /  a hand-crafted cocktail)

We also stumbled upon the sonnenalp hotel's ocktoberfest which turned into an afternoon of beer steins, live music, extra large pretzels and lots of laughs. The event was beautifully executed and both the locals and visitors were singing and dancing in the streets by the time we left.

(luke enjoying one of his many beers  /  oktoberfest  /  beautiful architecture  /  luke + ryan with the bear at four seasons  /  ryan + I enjoying the sun  /  beverages and stunning flowers at oktoberfest) 

The festival wrapped up with a closing night party that we sadly did not spend too much time at. After a hilarious and delicious meal at kelly liken, my food coma was setting in and I could not hang. However, before we headed back to our room for the night, we did make sure to pop into the photo booth to take a couple snaps. A nice ending to another successful vail film festival.

(photo booth fun with ridiculous accessories)

Puerto Vallarta // Part II

I am back today with more photos from our trip to puerto vallarta. I had such a hard time narrowing down the excessive number of photos we took and I still feel like I am missing so many. 

I think my love for sunsets was resurrected from this trip. Nothing will ever compare to the intensely beautiful sunsets ryan and I got to experience in greece on our honeymoon but puerto vallarta sure did put up a good fight. Every night we hurried down to the beach to watch the sunset over the water. This was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip... listening to the waves crash upon the shore, seeing the sky kaleidoscope through the color spectrum and reflecting on the day in near silence.

(the sun starting to decend upon the ocean, along with yet another palm tree  /  the afternoon sun flooding into our hotel room  /  ryan and I enjoying drinks at the sunset bar one evening  /  waves crashing onto the beach in shades of yellows and blues)

For the last night of our trip, we headed off the hotel's property for a truly delicious meal at bistro teresa, one of puerto vallarta's best restaurants. This quaint open-air spot sits high upon a hill overlooking the coast which gave us the perfect vantage point for yet again, another stunning sunset. We stuffed ourselves with some of the freshest seafood, had wonderful conversations and even a bit of a thrill when trying to pay the bill... our small snafu will forever remind me to call our bank before we leave the country. Luckily everything worked out and we were able to get a nice little laugh out of the entire experience.

(sunsets in every color imaginable  /  liz, peyton, ryan + I before we had dinner on our last night  /  electric blues and pinks to melt into during dinner  /  the entrance to bistro teresa)

Truly our trip was one for the record books... we took lemons (the dreary weather) and made lemonade, laughed for hours, enjoyed tons of activities together and just made endless memories I will forever look back on with a smile. Oh and those sunsets, I don't think I will ever forget those!

(I heart the sunsets of puerto vallarta  /  ryan and I on our first night after the clouds passed and we went to the beach to enjoy our first sunset together)

Weekend Update

I am back from a weekend of celebrations and feeling very grateful for the amazing friends + family in my life. There is nothing more important that family and putting your priorities first to create lasting memories with those you love. I will look back on this weekend for a long time to come, wishing to relive it over again.

On friday night we celebrated lindy's birthday with a wonderful dinner at spuntino. We had so much fun telling stories, laughing endlessly and enjoying a tasty meal together. We contemplated ordering dessert at the restaurant but decided instead to stop by dairy queen on the way home (#piggywantsome). Luckily the amazing staff at spuntino would not let us leave without a little bday fun which was very kind of them. 

Saturday was yet another birthday celebration... this time honoring my grandma who was turning 80. Nearly all of my family came together for this once-in-a-lifetime-celebration... aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and significant others came from all over the state to celebrate the matriarch of our family. Since my grandpa's passing in september 2013, our entire family has not all been together so, to have us all in one room for a positive family experience was even more special to everyone in attendance. It was a wonderful night full of smiles and stories... it truly brought me back to my childhood when we all spent so much time together.

The weekend rounded out with more quality time with family... sunday dinner at my inlaws' house. My sister-in-law krista made one of my favorite dishes, her family's german goulash. It was of course so good and I stuffed myself to the brim! Ryan and our nieces put together a beautiful and colorful salad that was so fun to watch them prepare. The evening dwindled away around the dining room table, telling stories and connecting as a family.

Restaurant Review // Wooden Spoon

Local bakeries and neighborhood cafes are nothing new, but when you find one that produces both decadent pastries and elevated food, the true winners are the customers. This is the case with the charming wooden spoon cafe in lower highlands. 

This quaint shop only seats about a dozen customers at once, in their light filled space off of 28th and zuni. Luckily, owners jason and jeanette burgett turns out their made-to-order fare in no time, so, seats open up quickly and guests can also take their meals to go. There are always fresh flowers adorning each table and a friendly staff to welcome you inside. The large handwritten chalkboards display the menus; full of local ingredients and purveyors from around town. However, what draws most customers into wooden spoon is not visible on a menu; the abundant selection of homemade pastries are ever changing and proudly displayed at the counter.

So, speaking of pastries... the sweet treats at wooden spoon are as delicious to eat as they are to drool over in the display cases. Key lime tarts, fresh scones, flour-less chocolate cakes, delicate french macarons, apple tarts with cream anglaise, chewy cookies, turnovers and more are baked fresh daily and often times, sell out before lunch. I have tried a couple of the savory turnovers too and they are quite flaky so I would suggest grabbing a couple extra napkins, a fork and a knife. They also bake cakes, pies, tarts and more for the holidays and take specialty orders but I have yet to try them out and comment on their quality.

Wooden spoon should be quite proud of their spot-on breakfast and lunch program. Six days a week the tiny kitchen produces a handful of breakfast sandwiches, a couple hearty and flavorful salads, along with about a dozen delectable sandwiches. I am partial to the fresh mozzarella, peppery arugula-pesto, tomato and balsamic sandwich for its simplicity but strong ingredients. Another favorite includes the tasty mixed greens salad; a bed of greens topped with thinly sliced pear, toasted almonds, pickled radish and a light buttermilk dressing. I have also been caught ordering the quinoa salad a time or two and it is quite filling. This salad is a mix of protein-rich quinoa, arugula, candied pecans, sweet cranberries and a lemony vinaigrette. The best part of both salads, the rich goat cheese crostini that comes on the side. Always check out the daily specials as wooden spoon serves up a different quiche each day along with one of their awesome homemade soups. 

I love finding neighborhood spots that deliver both sweet and savory options and wooden spoon is one of those cafes you cannot help but regularly visit. If its a sweet treat in the afternoon with a cup of coffee, a filling mid-day lunch or grabbing a handful of pastries to take home for a weekend brunch, wooden spook will have you taken care of. 

Our Weekend in Vail

This past weekend we packed up our coziest of layers and high-tailed it out of the winter-wonderland-of-denver (there was a big storm that came in dropping over a foot of snow in 36 hours) and made our way to vail, colorado. Ryan and I joined our friends shannon + toby for a a weekend of fun at the beautiful ritz carlton residences.

The weather was quite nice all weekend; a dusting of snow but plenty of sunshine to get out and play in. We hit up the beautiful outdoor hot tub as the sun was setting, listened to live music at tavern  on the square, played cards for hours each day and even spent an afternoon on vail mountain tubing at adventure ridge. This was one of my favorite parts of the weekend; flying down the steep hills of the mountain in our inner-tubes, laughing and screaming the entire time. There were multiple lanes to go down and one of them was a photo lane; ryan and I had the cutest picture that I would have loved to share but it was $20 so, obviously, we didn't buy it. #overpricedkeepsake

We had some fabulous dinners at russel's and mountain standard along with a low-key but crazy delicious bbq lunch at moe's bbq after tubing. The conversation and laughs were never-ending and I could not have asked for better company to make such lasting memories with. This weekend came at such a perfect time and I could not be more grateful.

Eat This // Pork Belly Buns

The pork belly buns at cholon modern asian bistro should be an order requirement upon every meal (diners must also order the soup dumplings but that is another subject all together). The simple concept of an asian sandwich is taken to a refined level through strong ingredients and bright flavors.

Pillowy steamed buns that are flaky and soft will arrive at your table still smoldering in their bamboo steamer. These soft buns will be the vehicle for the make-your-own sliders/sandwiches which diners can load up with tender seared pork belly. Cholon does a incredible job of seasoning the pork; its lathered in a lightly-spiced but sweet sesame-honey glaze that sears up just slightly when it hits the flattop in the kitchen. Add in a tangle of the pickled veggies and a dollop of the house-made sriracha-hoisin sauce and you are in for a treat. There is great depth of flavor in the sauce, crunch from the veggies, a hint of spice and then all the savory tenderness of the pork belly. When this dish arrives at your table, its presentation is almost too beautiful to eat but you will quickly change your mind once the delicious smells take over your table.

(my mouth-watering pork belly buns)

National Pizza Day // Round Up // Pizza

Happy national pizza day! No matter if you like your pizza deep dish or thin crust, with simple ingredients or piled high with all your favorites, pizza is loved by all. To honor's today 'holiday', I have rounded up my favorite joints in town to grab a slice or a whole pie.

(pizzeria locale  /  proto's pizza  /  marco's coal fired  /  patxi's pizza  /  brava pizza  /  osteria marco)

to check out my other round ups, click here. 

Weekend Update

This weekend felt like july, not february here in denver. The weather was in the 60s and 70s... there was not a cloud in the sky and I think everyone dropped their plans to play in the sunshine. I had intentions of cleaning the house and getting a couple projects completed but when you are handed a summer day in the middle of winter, you drop everything... which is exactly what I did.

Friday night ryan and I headed up north to visit my seester peyton who has nearly completed her first year of college. We hung out in her dorm, went to dinner at rio and just enjoyed reliving the glory days of college. 

Saturday we dog-sat for my mother-in-law which made rocco a very happy boy. Cooper and rocco played like crazy in the backyard and then had a nice little walk around the neighborhood in the afternoon. Ryan and I ended up snagging a seat at the chef's counter at cholon for dinner that night and had the most entertaining and tasty meal. After dinner we made our way over to matt + lindy's house for late-night beverages and an attempt to watch the interview... but we all were dozing off which just shows that #gettingoldersucks.

Sunday was again gorg so we made our way over to the pioneer for snacks + drinks on the patio with our friends cole + brian. As we sat in the sun telling stories and laughing, I had to remind myself that it is still 'winter' in colorado as it truly felt like a summer afternoon. The day wrapped up with a visit to ella bliss beauty bar as I scheduled a desperately-needed facial. To end the day with such relaxation was like putting a cherry on top of a perfect sundae. 

Weekend Update

Hi there lovely readers. I am bouncing back from a horrible migraine that had me down and out  for a good part of yesterday; I feel like I am only functioning now because of my incredible husband. That man, he is a good one and if I didn't know it before (which I did for the record, that's why I scooped him up 14 years ago) I do now.

Saturday morning I got out for a few hours for a very special mom + daughter date. My mom and I went shopping and grabbed lunch just the two of us which I had not done in a very long time. Ryan and I then joined our friends and family to celebrate our close friend shannon's birthday. 

Sunday was pretty slow-moving for me... lots of laziness on my part but we finally got out of the house for brunch at true food kitchen before running a couple errands. I came home afterward and took a nap with rocco and then dragged myself out of the house to meet sara + ashley to see interstellar. I am glad I did because those girls always have a way to lift me up and improve my mood. 

What did you do this weekend? Any big plans you are making for the week ahead? 

Weekend In Boulder

The weekend after christmas, ryan and I packed a bag and headed to boulder for an overnight getaway. We started this tradition 4 years ago and it has quickly become something I look forward to every year. We always make a point to relax and unwind after all the holiday festivities wrap up and have some time for ourselves. This year my brother and sister-in-laws joined us for our trip and the weekend turned out to be one of our best getaways yet.

(clockwise from top left: the view of the flatirons from our hotel  /  pizza fresh from the oven  /  ryan + I in the elevator  /  oysters ready to be slurped up  /  cucumber vodka cocktail at jax)

As we do every year, we stayed at the st. julien; the hotel has a fabulous spa, wonderful service and a prime location in the heart of boulder. We had an incredible lunch at pizzeria locale which set the tone for the weekend. We lazily stuffed ourselves with arancino (saffron risotto balls filled with melted mozerella cheese), an extremely fresh frutti di mare salad, a briny and savory tuna-arugula salad and then of course hot-out-of-the-oven pizzas that tasted like we were transported to italy upon the first bite. After a bit of walking around in the frigid temps on boulder's pearl street, we headed back to the hotel's spa to soak our frozen bodies in the hot tub and enjoy the sauna and steam rooms. 

I feel like boulder is such a foodie-destination so, it only seemed fitting to sample our way through some of ryan and I's favorite places before dinner. We had dim sum at zo ma ma, followed by cocktails and fresh-shucked oysters at jax fish house. Dinner was at the newly opened blackbelly market which is all about locally-sourced, seasonal food. The standout dishes of the evening were by-far the offerings from the charcuterie and small plates menus (order the posole and house-made sausage, you can thank me later) while the main courses were all a little less memorable. While we were overall happy with the entrees we had, they each had their own missteps which sadly effected the overall taste of the dishes. It was a wonderful evening and meal but I want to be honest about my experience so I feel like it is only appropriate to mention this.

(clockwise from top left:  blackbelly's neon sign  /  grilled colorado-cut steak with chimichurri  /  ryan + krista  /  stained glass fish at jax  /  grilled bread with lox and scrambled eggs)

Sunday morning ryan and I took some time for ourselves and bundled up to go get coffee and take a walk in the crisp morning air. As we walked around we talked about our previous getaways to boulder and how much we just love the area. Luke and krista joined us a bit later for an extremely flavorful brunch at the kitchen before we headed back to denver. As we sipped bloody marys and ate our tasty breakfasts, I wished we could stay a bit longer to savor boulder for another day. However, all good things come to an end and this trip had to do the same. 

(clockwise: all of us  /  boozy brunch drinks  /  more of boulder's flatirons  /  ricotta pancakes from the kitchen)

I look forward to heading back to boulder soon and hopefully we will be able to get my inlaws to join us again as the four of us do get along so well. To see our previous trips, click here, here and here.