Salty & Crunchy

When snacking, I usually go for the salty, crunchy variety. My favorite is Chex mix. Oh, how I love thee. My love for this snack goes way back. When I was a kid, my mom always made Chex mix during the winter months. And while I know you can purchase a similar variety at the grocery store, the store-bought version pales in comparison to the kind I grew up on.

My enjoyment of this salty, crunchy snack also involves a specific eating protocol. I realize that by posting this, I am opening myself up to getting flack from my family - They hate that the first thing I do when eating a bowl of Chex mix, is to pick out all the pretzels and throw them back into the container. And, if my mom has made the batch, she also adds M&Ms. I discarded them along with the pretzels. What’s left in my bowl is the buttery, seasoned, salty crunch of the Chex trio. I start by eating the whole wheat Chex because they soak up the most butter. Next, I move on to the rice Chex and finish with the corn Chex. The corn ones are crunchiest and are my favorite. Gotta love a good wintertime snack from your childhood. Crunch. Crunch.

Dark Hefe

As you know, when writing about libations, I typically write about wine - enjoying, drinking, and sharing it. But you should also know that I enjoy a good beer as well. I married into a beer-loving family so the opportunities to try a variety of unique beers are plentiful. Here’s one of my recent favorites. Bottoms up.

Restaurant Week Update

In anticipation of Restaurant Week (Feb. 26th – March 11th), I eagerly announce my restaurant selections. Thus far, reservations have been booked for ZINK Kitchen + Bar and Fogo de Chao. I am considering making one more reservation but haven’t yet settled on my final selection. Stay tuned …

Dine & Dish: Ocean Prime

We were invited to attend the soft opening of a new restaurant on Larimer Street. We dined at Ocean Prime. And as a foodie, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sample a new place. And sample we did – many, many things.

Before diving into the food report, I will start with a note about atmosphere. This restaurant is one of the few places on Larimer that offers its diners a chance to truly appreciate the view of a bustling city street filled with people. I especially appreciated seeing the street illuminated by the canopy of lights that make the street so recognizable.

On to the food … We started off with signature cocktails – mine bubbled with vigor – and a cold seafood plate. An order of French Onion soup was shared by the table who agreed it was more flavorful than any other previously tasted. We also sampled the Tuna Tartar which was ordered for us by our server who knew his menu well. In a word: Divine. The tuna sat on top of a layer of avocado that provided a delicious creaminess to the dish. Next time, I would order this as my entrée and be entirely happy.

Next, we moved on to entrees: Filets all around. The taste bud highlight of my steak was its generous seasoning. The distinguishing factor of the steak was the accompaniment of a roasted garlic clove for smearing on each flavorful bite. As for sides, we tasted the Candied Yams, Creamed Spinach, and Black Truffle Mac & Cheese. The best was the creamy and rich Mac & Cheese. The low point was the creamed spinach as it tasted more like creamed bacon with the appearance of spinach to make you feel only slightly better about eating it.

To finish the gluttonous evening, I was pleasantly surprised when my decaf coffee was served French Press style. And our sweet treats included Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Cake, and Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pie. I highly recommend the later – in all its whipped peanut butter glory. Final word on Ocean Prime: flavorful uniqueness found at a steakhouse

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Ocean Prime Denver

High Tea

Every winter, my mom, sister and I go to high tea at the Brown Palace. It’s a cherished tradition that’s booked nearly a year in advance and is the pinnacle of the holiday season for me. Together, we visit while sipping Black Currant tea and smearing generous portions of Devonshire cream onto delicate scones. I look forward to this tradition of celebration, daintiness, and friendship all year.

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Brown Palace

Restaurant Week!

Its almost here! My favorite event of the year – Denver’s 5280 Restaurant Week! It’s a great time to try out a new restaurant with friends and family. Really you can’t get much better than $52.80 a couple. I look forward to this week for many months and tomorrow the menus of the participating restaurants will be revealed. Stay tuned for the D&D (Dine & Dish) reports of the places I select this year. A tip for newbie Restaurant Week diners ... make your selections and reservations early.

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Denver Restaurant Week

Tasting Event

While I am admittedly tardy in posting this, my mom and I went to a Panera tasting event a couple of months ago. The event was held to sample their new menu items. And since I think Panera has the greatest whole wheat baguette, I signed us up. On the menu: Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad, Creamy Tomato Soup and the Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich. The soup was my favorite because really, who doesn’t love soup in a bread bowl?

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Panera Bread

Omega 3s

In an effort to get those nutritious Omegas, I made salmon for dinner. I actually quite like salmon but my husband is not a fan. Because of this, almost never do I prepare it at home. But I had a tasting for it recently and decided to make salmon for me and halibut for him. This way, both of our appetites were satisfied.

On the menu: Pan seared salmon (or halibut), steamed broccoli and lemon pepper couscous

Kitchen Style

I have a very talented best friend whose creativity never ceases to amaze me. She has been a photographer for years but recently expanded her business to include home décor. Now, you might be wondering where I am going….this is, after all, a blog mostly about food. Well, she has recreated this vintage Jello mold into a photo holder. Creative, right? I certainly think so. And, I guess you could say I tend to find food related inspirations in non food items. As you can see, I use mine as a recipe holder.

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Carly Tee Photography and Design