The Hungry Apple

I’ve fallen in love with Colorado.

Mind you, this isn’t the first time this has happened but every time I visit I fall all over again.

We were there for total and complete fun. Nothing more and absolutely nothing less.  Our friends Jonathan and Tiffany live in Boulder and are most gracious hosts.  Tiffany and I grew up together and hanging out with your best friend of  26 years as a 32 year old might be as sweet as it gets.

When they picked us up at the airport we went straight to my favorite Denver restaurant, Root Down. This place rocks.  The atmosphere is up beat and the food is creative & delectable. Yes, delectable.  I can’t say enough good things.

I love the lighting at this place too. Not great for pictures but great just the same. They have the best matchboxes too, since that matters.

The Bar Area

The Decor

The Drinks

The Hosts (aren’t they cute?)

Devils on Horseback: Smoked Prociutto Wrapped Peppadew Pepper, Stuffed with Apricot Goat Cheese & Ponzu Sauce

Sweet Potato Falafel: / Lemon-Tahini Yogurt, Israeli Salad, Sesame Seeds & Chile Oil

Arepas: Corn Cake, Mozzarella, Poblano-Pistachio Pesto, Achiote Crema & Pico de Gallo

Scallops: Plantain Hash, Lemon-Habanero Tartar Sauce, Fines Herbes & Crispy Red Onions

The Special

After dinner we headed to the Ogden Theater to check out Trampled By Turtles. Bluegrass meets Heavy Metal. I’m a fan.

The next day started off with a group effort of blueberry pancakes, eggs and bacon.

Then we headed off to get fitted for our snow gear. We rented our skis at Boulder Ski Deals. If you are in the Boulder area and need skis, I highly recommend this place. It is easier than fighting the crowds on the mountain and they are really helpful.

Later on, Happy Hour at  The Corner Bar was followed by dinner at The Med.

The next morning we were in the car before sunrise and headed to Keystone.

After we were snowed out,  we hit up Kickapoo Tavern for some good eats and a disappointing Denver Broncos game.  Then we went back to our condo that we rented (which I would also recommend)  and watched another disappointing Green Bay Game.

After some more skiing the next day we were introduced to The Southern Sun restaurant in Boulder. I hereby award this place “Friendliest Restaurant on Earth”. They have more than one location but I can’t call them the C word that rhymes with plain because it takes away from how unique they are.

No one server is assigned to your table. Everyone stops at each table as they need help. This was a fantastic plan and it worked perfectly. We got to meet so many nice people this way too!

It’s unassuming. Looks like a good spot. I took it as a good sign that there was a wait at 3:30 on a Sunday but I really didn’t anticipate how heavenly this place would be.

I had the Date Night Burger. Best burger ever. I am going to do my very best to recreate this at home one day.  Bacon, poblano peppers, goat cheese and dates.

New favorite! Sriracha in Ranch.

Their burritos are huge and awesome.

Veggie Sandwich

Cream of Brussels Sprout Soup? Ummm, yes. Yes they did and it was fabulous.

Mike is the assistant GM at this spot and he has the customer service skills of a God. They have their own great beers plus other peoples beers too.  We asked a few questions and rather than leave it to chance he brought us a taste of all of our favorite options and his favorites too. I had the Porter . It was creamy and smooth with just enough bite.  (Hope this description doesn’t make the beer experts cringe).  I am going to give this review its own post separately too. You have to go here.

Just because it seems important, I should mention how crazy wide the variety of beer is in this state.

The last day we were there we took a great tour of Coors Brewery. I can’t say I have ever been a fan of their beer but their tour is great and they have a fun and friendly tasting room.

Flashback

All the varieties

Beer making

I have always wanted to see a show here.

Although it was 8 degrees on this day and there were no musicians, it was absolutely amazing and we are planning a return trip this summer to do it up right.

Until then Colorado!