Recap // Big Eat 2015

This years' big eat, hosted by eat denver was everything a foodie was looking for... dozens of the top restaurants in town serving up delicious small plates to sample all night, along with drinks and entertainment to keep the energy going. I was introduced to some new restaurants that I had previously never heard of and also got to taste some places I have yet to visit. The evening was a success and I cannot wait to attend again next year.

Big eat was held in the galleria of denver center of performing arts. The evening was one of the warmest we have had this summer but that did not stop the hundreds of guests who filled the space with a mission to taste and sip their way through over 40+ booths. The galleria's open-air space had a heavenly scent all night as restaurants produced beautiful and tasty dishes for guests to enjoy. Sadly a couple of the restaurants I was looking forward to trying most, beatrice + woodsley and beast + bottle,  were bombarded as the doors opened, leaving only crumbs on their tablecloths 30 minutes into the event. 

However, there were plenty of delicious dishes that left a lasting impression on me and my palette. Bubu served up a refreshing cold-rice noodle dish with grilled shrimp, crispy shallots and asian herbs that blew me away. The dish was my favorite of the evening and had a great balance of flavors and texture. D bar did not disappoint with their light and airy cream puffs; there were 3 renditions to try and my fav was the strawberries n' cream as it was not overly sugary. Another standout was panzano's hand-rolled agnolotti; I cannot remember the filling but it was some type of protein and topped with micro-greens and a light gastrique that was heavenly. Ryan loved tag's hamachi crudo with coconut, slivers of kumquat and pickled cherries and also indulged in a few of jax's freshly shucked oysters (so jealous!). Sugarmill also impressed us with their meyer lemon chiffon cake with blueberry compote; the presentation was gorgeous and the flavors were even better. 

As a non-drinker at this event, I was of course so happy to see one of my favorite local business, happy leaf kombucha was in attendance; they were pouring 2 different types of kombucha but the standout for me was the hibiscus, lemon + ginger version. Teatulia also had a booth on-site but their non-alcoholic samplings were gone within 30-45 minutes which was quite disappointing as it was hot and there were no other virgin beverage options available. My suggestion to big eat would be to offer water stations or non-alcoholic options at all of the cocktail bars on site because it was quite the walk to happy leaf every time I wanted to quench my thirst in the 90+ heat. 

Overall big eat did it again, producing a wonderful event that was well-attended and executed fairly well. The food of course was the standout, as it should be, and left me filled to the brim upon leaving. I hope all who attended had as much fun as I did and those who could not make it, add it to your 'must attend' list for 2016. It was awesome to participate in this event on behalf of eat denver and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with them 2 years in a row now. Check out more of the fun at big eat's facebook page, here. 

To see last year's big eat post, click here.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by denver eat, 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!

Eat Denver // Big Eat 2015

The summer food scene is heating up and it feels like the weather is finally starting to cooperate with al fresco dining, patio happy hours and one of my favorite parts about summer... food festivals. The annual big eat, presented by eat denver is taking place next week at the galleria at the denver performing arts complex and I am so excited to be attending for my 2nd year in a row.

Culinary diversity is celebrated at big eat with over 40+ independent restaurants serving up tasty samplings from their menus, local distillers pouring craft beers and top mixologists shaking refreshing cocktails for an evening in the open air. This event is not just a party, it is an opportunity to interact with some of the most note-worthy peeps in the food industry all while supporting eat denver; a non-profit association promoting the value of independent dining in our community.

I cannot wait to sample my way through the event, especially when some of my favorite restaurants will be on site including beatrice + woodsley, duo restaurant, jax fish house, north country, stuben's and d bar. There are still tickets available for purchase so click here to get yours today.

It is going to be an awesome event and I am so grateful to be attending again, on behalf of eat denver. I will of course be sharing a full recap and posting on my instagram and twitter accounts so you can follow along in the fun. 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by denver eat, 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!

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!

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)

This Weekend You Could...

take in artwork from over 100 artists at artdenver; the final exhibition event closing out denver art week at the colorado convention center

listen to one of the best vocalist in the music business, citizen cope is performing at the fillmore auditorium and is sure to put on an amazing show

get your bling on… or at least check out the beautiful jewelry from cartier at brilliant: cartier in the 20^th century exhibit. Cartier’s fine jewelry from 1900 – 1975 will be on display to enjoy

eat and drink your way through the 3^rd annual denver bacon and beer festival. Some of denver’s top restaurants and breweries are serving up creative bacon-based treats that pair great with local brews

support a great cause, starting sunday the toms + target sale goes live; buy a toms limited edition item and toms will donate shoes, blankets and meals to those in need

Whatever your weekend plans include, I hope you stay warm, have fun and make quality memories.

Pumpkin Festival

Last weekend was one of my favorite events of the year, and by far the event I look forward to most before halloween. I'm talking about the pumpkin festival hosted at chatfield reservoir that I attend each year with ryan's family.

My nieces loved the hayride we took over to the pumpkin patch and could not stop talking about finding the perfect pumpkin to take home with them. They went up and down the aisles of pumpkins with intention, carefully examining each one. It was so cute to hear them shout out for their granny, uncle ryan or mommy when they found a contender. We also found a kind women to take our annual family photo together; another one of the traditions I love so much.

The weather was crisp and sunny upon arrival but by the time we were done picking through the hundreds of pumpkins in the patch, the clouds rolled in, the wind picked up and it even started to sprinkle. However, we have been going to this festival for over 10 years and we have experienced much worse (freezing temps and even flurries). The weather did not stop us from eating delicious fair food and sipping on homemade rootbeer as we strolled through the beautiful grounds.

I hope we all will be getting together next week to carve our pumpkins together. That would be icing on the cake before next friday. 

What are your annual halloween traditions? Feel free to leave a comment and share.

Recap // 5280 Dines

There was a buzz around the streets of governor's park last week and it made the air smell rich, the lights twinkle bright and the atmosphere highly energetic. 5280 dines, the celebratory event hosted by 5280 magazine and bonanno concepts, highlighted the mag's top 25 restaurants in the denver area by bringing together the elite chefs of the city with dozens of foodies, at 4 restaurants, on 1 night.

(left and bottom right via todd clark photography)

Diners feasted their way through a progressive dinner at mizuna, luca, vesper lounge and bones, while sipping craft cocktails and listening to the beautiful music created by the colorado symphony. Each of the bonanno restaurants served as the locations for the progressive dinner and were themed around a specific protein (duck, fish, pork and lamb). However, there were over a dozen chefs from other local top restaurants around town serving up small plates featuring each protien. The evening benefited the national multiple sclerosis society.

My favorite dish of the evening was from stephen mccary of mizuna. He prepared a roasted duck with a creamy risotto and fresh arugula salad, dressed with a not-too-sweet cherry demi glaze. It was earthy, comforting and set the tone of the night on a very high note. Acorn also stood out with their playful ramen dish, served up in mini to-go containers; the broth was slurp-worthy and the richness of the pork belly was well balanced by the addition of bok choy and green onions. I was also a huge fan of luca's suckling pig which was plated with some of the most delicious slow-cooked white beans, cipollini onions and herbs I have ever tasted. I also must mention that the truffle cheese shop had a beautiful display of artisanal cheeses that I went back and sampled... more than once. 

(left and bottom right via todd clark photography)

Bonanno concepts bar manager came up with custom cocktails to feature in each restaurant and the boozy concoctions were a nice touch to the beer and wine offerings. I was smitten with vesper lounge's r+t, a rum and tonic drink that included house-made tonic and a splash of grapefruit. There tasty cocktail menu is now one of the many reasons I will be heading back to vesper lounge in the near future.

Overall the evening was a true success and a wonderful celebration of what I love so very very much, delicious food. Everything was put together with such pride and it was fun to be included in one of the more intimate dining events held in denver. The current issues of 5280 magazine is on news stands now so make sure you pick up a copy too.

Weekend Update

Fall weekends are the best and this one did not disappoint. Let me start by saying, the weather was fabulous... warm days with a cool breeze and crisp nights that made sleeping with the windows open ideal. 

Friday night we joined our friend brian for some delicious clam pizza at proto's. I had not been there in close to 6 months but I was pleased that the atmosphere and food was exactly the same as before. Good food, great company and just a fun night out.

Saturday I got my hair done and rocco also got a groom. Afterward we met up with our friends matt + lindy for pearl streets' oktoberfest. All the leaves are changing color and starting to fall which just added to the entire experience. I will miss days like this once the snow settles in on a regular basis. 

The weekend ended on an ultra high-note, 5280 magazine's event, 5280 dines which celebrated the 25 best restaurants issue. I will share more on this event later this week but I can quickly say, it was one of the best food events I have been to and the staff at 5280 were more than gracious and executed a near-flawless event.

Summer Lovin'... Had Me A Blast

Wow wee… the summer is officially in the rear-view mirror. I felt like this summer was a bit different than years prior, slightly less accomplished, a little more low-key and also a bit scattered. I guess that is what you get when you spend a good majority of it selling your home and boxing up your life into storage.

I cannot say the summer was a miss though, it was the exact opposite actually. I spent a lot of quality time with friends and family which ultimately is the most important thing in the world to me. There were some great memories made and I even accomplished some of the items I put on my summer to-do list. 

So as we head into fall and the cooler weather settles in, don't forget to look back on the warm days of summer...

staycations -  not only did I enjoy a night away in boulder with ryan, I also got to spend a weekend with beth in steamboat

we sold our 1st house – such a monumental moment in our life

local events - attended the denver burger battle, blues and brews, a taste of colorado, and big eat...  wow, so much food and delicious drinks were consumed!

had another wonderful weekend at wellington lake for our annual camping trip 

hosted a baby shower for my closest friend lindy before the arrival of her gorgeous son, wade 

attended a farm dinner while visiting beth in steamboat

logged countless hours at the pool with my family – just check out my instagram for the proof

I hope you too, had a wonderful summer full of monumental moments that you will look back on often. 

Weekend Update

What a weekend... I found out some very exciting news, spent quality time with my in-laws and also got together with mary for some girlie fun. Where do I start...

Saturday morning started with a bit of a shocking phone call... my sister called to tell me she just got engaged! I was speechless when she told me because it was not something I saw coming just-yet but I could not be happier for her and the life she is venturing into. The happiness that you can see + hear in her voice is just amazing. The remainder of my day included a trip to a local antique store (where I scored this incredible old trunk that will be a perfect coffee table in a house I might someday find) and then dinner on a twinkling covered patio with my in-laws at the melting pot. It truly was a wonderful day from beginning to end.

Sunday was my mani + coffee date with mary. We spent the entire morning catching up on each other lives . Mary might be the sweetest and most optimistic person I know which makes for a great soundboard and breath-of-fresh-air when your head is full of spastic thoughts. I didn't want to leave... just have our time linger into an afternoon of cocktails but I had made plans with my parents to watch the broncos game (ugh, we lost!) and eat dinner together. The night ended with big bowls of my parents' homemade chicken noodle soup and the rain falling. 

5280 Dines

Denver's best restaurants; everyone has their list of favorites but the validation comes when 5280 magazine puts out their 25 best restaurants list (which will be on newsstands in october) to see if your top-picks match up with the elite food critics of denver. I have shared the 2012 and 2013 lists over the past two years and it has always been a passion of mine to dine at the new-hot spots in denver... and I won't lie, I love when they make the 5280 list. 

With the 2014 list about to hit newsstands, I reached out to 5280 magazine to see what was in store. I am excited to share that the magazine is hosting a new event-concept to celebrate this years' best restaurant list. 5280 dines will be taking place on september 28th with a progressive dining experience where guests will enjoy a multi-course meal paired with cocktails and live music from the colorado symphony. 5280 has teamed up with one of the top restaurateurs in denver, frank bonanno of bonanno concepts to host the event at some of his tasty locations... mizuna, vesper lounge, bones and luca d'italia. This is the first time all 4 restaurants will be closed to the public and diners will be able to enjoy their beverages in the streets of govonor's park. 

I am so excited to be part of 5280 dines and I cannot wait to share all the fun with you. Luca d'italia is one of my personal favorite dining spots in town so, any chance I get to enjoy their food is a win in my book. Tickets for 5280 dines are still available for purchase here and will support the national multiple sclerosis society of colorado. Don't wait, only 100 tickets are being sold to the public. 

This Weekend You Could...

taste your way through  more than 50 restaurants while perusing endless booths of crafts & goods at a taste of colorado

hit up a concert; keith urban, one republic and the jazz aspen festival are all happening

enjoy the bounty of national peach month by savoring one of the countless dishes being served up featuring palisade peaches

slip and slide through water world, the largest water park in the country before it closes for the season 

Wishing everyone a wonderful labor day weekend. A lot of people say this weekend is the finale to summer so I hope you fill yours with tons of fun, a bbq or two and some time in the sun. I am just looking forward to 3 days off work to spend with my friends and family.

Recap // Denver Burger Battle

The smoky haze over sculpture park on august 7th was nothing to be alarmed by; how could it be when the the air was filled with the delicious scent of burgers getting grilled up by the hundreds. The denver burger battle was a food-lovers paradise... 12 burgers from some of the top restaurants in town, endless pours from tasty craft breweries and a couple sweet treats to end the night in a state of utter discomfort, in the best way possible.

This was my first year attending the denver burger battle so I didn't know what to expect. I just knew I needed some good judges by my side so I brought my husband and dad with me as they are burger lovers just like me. As we made our way from line to line, tasting quarter portions of each submitted entry, we realized that our stomachs were going to need to step it into overdrive to make it through the night. 

There were some seriously amazing burgers served up and I only wish I had a hollow leg to make room for seconds of their tasty offerings. Larkburger's all american burger which was topped with dijon, western slope vine-ripened tomatoes, georgia onion, vail valley rocket and oregon cheddar was served on a griddled brioche bun and it was my favorite of the night. Its iconic burger toppings were perfectly balanced and the slightly-salty patty tasted amazing and stood out from its competition. My runner up burger of the evening belonged to williams & graham. Their steak burger was made from western daughters ground beef, a double-creamed cheese called port salut and caramelized onions on a soft bun. This burger was indulgent, on-point and one I would happily eat on a regular basis.

I was only able to stomach (literally) 11 of the 12 burgers served up and sadly my top 2 favorites did not come out as the people's choice or judge's choice for the night. However, crave real burgers walked away with both titles with their 'love stinks' burger... garlic cream cheese, whole garlic, onions, roasted red peppers, bacon and a pepper aioli.

Seriously, this was one of my favorite nights of the summer. This event was so well put together, the caliber of the restaurants was impressive and the ambiance was welcoming and fun. I will admit, eating the equivalent of 3 full burgers in one night plus drinking is not something I could do more than once a year. However, come summer 2015, you can bet that I will be getting my ticket for another night of fun.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the denver burger battle, 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

What an awesome weekend... I think it was one of those that I will look back on and wish I could repeat multiple times. Between getting together with great friends, seeing both sides of ryan and I's family and then some super tasty food, our weekend was just full of everything I love. 

Friday night ryan and I stayed home for a night in. Ryan shook up some martinis and grilled us a tasty dinner that we enjoyed on the couch while watching a movie. Call me crazy but something about staying in on a night that typically are spent 'out' is just my favorite thing these days.

On saturday we checked out the blues and brews festival with our dear friends matt + lindy. They brought their adorable boys rory + wade so we got to play 'cool uncle ryan and aunt jaime' for a couple hours which I absolutely loved. The rain came rolling in for a bit so we sipped our craft brews under a lil' tent-thing but luckily the sunshine came creeping back in to make for a fun afternoon with some of our most favorite people. 

Sunday was all about family for us... we did breakfast and some shopping with ryan's family that was then followed up by dinner + dessert with mine. We cuddled puppies, laughed at ridiculous stories and just spent quality time with our loved ones. I went to bed with a fully belly and a smile on my face last night which I think is the best way to end a long weekend.

Ice Cream Social // West Elm

Did you know that july is national ice cream month? I didn't either until west elm contacted me about their #wescream2014 event in honor of the sweet treat and summer's best non-holiday-holiday-event. 

West elm celebrated by hosting ice cream socials across the country in their stores on july 19th. I brought my sister who is an ice cream lover, just like me. We shopped the stores' great summer line while also falling head-over-heels for west elm's collaboration with local artists; check out the products and additional info here. Denver's aiko pops were on hand to enjoy which was perfect because it was in the 90's and hot was an understatement on how I felt once I walked out of the store.

The ice cream social was a great excuse to have some wonderful time with my sister. I could not have asked for a better day or better company to enjoy some ice cream and a little shopping with.

Weekend Update

Between a couple super tasty meals at cafe bar + harman's, to a visit to the renaissance festival, I would say my weekend was another good one. The weather felt like july too... temperatures in the 90s, a slight breeze at times and tons of sun. It is summer in colorado, no doubt about it.

Ryan had a last minute business trip on friday but I made the best of it by having a lazy night in with rocco. We played fetch, watched trash tv and went to bed early so I could get up and go to the gym in the morning. 

Saturday I attended west elm's ice cream social with my sister. I picked up this amazing candle that smells like fresh tomatoes off the vine and I am 100% obsessed with it. We did a little window shopping too before I headed home for a night spent on the patio with ryan.

Sunday was spent at the renaissance festival with ryan's family. We ate our share of festival food... pickles, pretzels, grilled corn, roasted almonds and fries along with took in some serious people-watching. It was a fun but exhausting day. 

This week is a short one for me as we will be packing up for our annual family camping trip. Hope you all have a great week to come.

Denver's Big Eat

The summer foodie scene in denver is all about al fresco dining, weekend food festivals, farmers markets loaded with locally grown produce, a pretty hot food truck scene and food-focused events. Seriously, if you are eating inside there is something wrong because almost every night of the week, there is at least 1 amazing reason to get outdoors and enjoy a meal in the gorgeous summer air. 

For example, next thursday is denver's big eat. Nearly 40 local restaurants, distillers, winemakers and brewers will be on-hand for a night full of eating + drinking at the beautiful galleria theatre in the denver performing arts center. I am super excited to be attending this event, on behalf of eat denver, so I can come back here and share all of the fun with you. I cannot wait to taste my way through some of the best indie restaurants in town and see how they showcase the bounty of locally grown/raised ingredients available in the heart of summer.

If you have not yet purchased a ticket, they are still available (regular admission, VIP and group balconies), just click here. 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by denver eat, 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!

Lindy's Baby Shower

Last week I mentioned in my weekend update that I hosted a 'lil informal baby shower for my very dear friend lindy. It was such a fun and laid-back (but brutally hot) feté in my backyard. The baby shower was a surprise for lindy, as she had no idea that our get together was anything more than a typical bookclub meet up.  To make things feel a little more 'baby shower', we set up the patio with a big tent for shade, tons of white balloons, fresh yellow + white flowers along with navy accents. Oh, and mary's recently-updated gold and navy bar cart was brought out for use and it was the perfect addition. Gina made the cutest diaper cake to act as a centerpiece too.

(clockwise from top left:  all of us ladies  //  gina and her diaper cake  /  lindy with a new baby book  /  sara + ashley + gina)

A good majority of our book club came, along with lindy's sister and sister-in-law. When lindy arrived and found out the party was in her honor, she was of course, all smiles and I think fairly surprised. I might be going out on a limb here... but when a girl tears up, I think that means the surprise was a success. 

We had tons of tasty and refreshing snacks on hand along with plenty of mimosas to enjoy between baby chit chat and tons of story telling. I have to also say, I was beyond grateful that Ryan was home to help with all the odds and ends throughout the party too... and he also snapped this great photo of all of us together. 

(lindy and I  /  some of the party details  /  mary's awesome bar cart)

I cannot begin to say how excited I am to meet lindy's baby here in a couple of weeks. If he is going to be anything like his older brother rory, then I am already in love. 

Denver Burger Battle

Once a year, for one evening only, 12 of the best burger spots in all of denver come together to compete for bragging rights (while also raising money for a pretty awesome charity) at the mecca of all things hamburger... denver's burger battle. I have wanted to go to this event for years and have somehow always missed it but not this year, not 2014. 

The very kind founders of denver burger battle, jeremy and kelly kossler, have graciously given me a press pass to attend the event and taste my way though the juicy, messy, spicy, unusual and of course, delicious burgers so I can come back and report to all of you. To say I am excited is a total understatement because I am pumped to be part of this hugely popular event!

Some of my favorite restaurants in town are battling this year including st. ellie, park burger and the populist but I am also interested to see what restaurants like acorn, old major and williams and graham come up with that would warrant either the people's choice and/or judge's choice awards at the end of the night. I could not possibly attend this event alone and eat all 12 yummy burgers without a discerning opinion or two, so I am bringing 2 well qualified burger-lovers with me, my dad and husband. 

There are still a few tickets left to this year's denver burger battle so, click here to buy tickets of your own. The price is a little steep but with unlimited free tastes of all the burgers, and unlimited beverages all night, and 100% of all proceeds go towards aiding hunger relief... it is worth the price tag. 

Again, a huge thanks to denver burger battle for sponsoring this post and giving me access to their event. I cannot wait to share my experience with you guys after the event on august 8th.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by denver burger battle, 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!

Parkinson's Vitality Walk

This past sunday I got up early to help my sweet friend mary and dozens of volunteers put on the 12th annual vitality walk benefiting the parkinsons association. Hundreds of participants flooded washington park in matching team colors with smiles on their faces to help raise awareness and fight parkinson's disease. 

(mary and I at the kids activity booth)

Mary got there super early to set up tents, tables and tons of balloons at the starting area of the race. I arrived shortly after to put the finishing touches on our booth... the kids activities area. Markers and crayons were put out for a drawing station, and pots of bright colors, brushes & sponges were then set up on the opposite end for face painting. 

(left to right:  wash park as the sun rises  /  drawings  /  the starting line balloon arch  /  drawings)

While neither of us (nor the other high school volunteers who joined our booth) had much face painting experience, I think we did a pretty decent job decking-out the faces of both kids and adults. Oh and you would have thought mary drew minions in her spare time as she painted at least a dozen in the hour leading up to the race with precision and accuracy that was super impressive. 

(painting faces and minions on everyone in sight)

There is no better feeling than donating your time for a good cause and while I feel I did only a small part in this very successful event, I walked away feeling like I got more out of the event than anyone. Oh and a few hours laughing with a very dear friend, I could not have asked for anything more!