A TA-DAH In America - Part 2

I’ve been to so many places that it will be impossible for me to tell you about all of them but here are my favorites:

You cannot go to America without having a proper burger! And there is a place for that called Cherry Cricket. The Patty and the bun are very tasty but the great part is the fact you can express your creativity and satisfy your pallet buds with very good quality ingredients by choosing exactly what you want in your burger!

As crazy as it sounds, I went for: Swiss cheese, bacon, guacamole and peanuts butter! If you are very hungry or hangover, I recommend to add a fried egg…

They also have a very nice selection of beers and appetizers (try the Mac & cheese wedges).

For the best milkshake in Denver, pay a visit to 
H Burger.  All I can say is: go for the adult version of the strawberry milkshake! You will not be disappointed as they know what they are doing (they use liquid nitrogen)!

Have it with a Buffalo burger and « everything fries » (chips Topped with Cheddar, Pepper Jack, bacon bits, scallions, jalapeños; served with Sriracha-ranch sauce).

Colorado has a strong Mexican influence on food and… drink! You cannot go to Denver without drinking a margarita! The best one I had was at Rio Grande. However, they will not serve you more than 3 glasses. At the same time, if you’ve managed to drink that many…

The food scene is very cosmopolitan and there are a few Japanese restaurants that deserve a visit.

The first one is DOMO. The setting is very traditional and you will spend as much time looking at your plate than the traditional masks and other on the walls. Be aware that if you ask for soy sauce or any seasoning, you will be asked to leave. At Domo, you’re a not allowed to disagree with the chef. The sushis are truly amazing!

For more Japanese food and entertainment, go to Fujiyama where you will have great fun seeing the chef cooking in front of you. Ask fried egg rice!

If you enjoy seafood and hate cutlery, the 
Yabby Hut will be heaven! You order a pound of seafood (blue crab, lobster, crayfish… your choice), a seasoning and 20 minutes later, somebody will bring you a plastic bag with what you’ve ordered Inside. From there, it gets very tricky: you need to dump the content of your bag right on the table (no plates allowed) and eat with your fingers! All you have to do is a pile of the shells in the middle of the table!

For a « cleaner » version, go to Jax on 17th. Try that place for happy hours. You can eat a dozen of oysters (from the east coast) and infused vodkas without breaking the bank! They open the oysters in front of you so you can enjoy your drink during that time.

Of course going to America means you must go to a Diner to experience what breakfast means. The right place to go is the 
« breakfast King ». The ladies working there are absolutely lovely; making sure your cup of coffee is always full. I recommend the pancakes with fried bacon, butter and syrup! And if you have never heard of that, order « Biscuits and gravy »…

A great place to go with your friends is Canvas and Cocktails. The idea is to paint and drink! Somebody will run the class and help you out while somebody else will pour you wine. The best way to express your creativity always appears after a few glasses of pinot grigio!

America is very well known for the quality of their meat and please, do try to go to a steak house to experience it first hand. Morton’s on Wynkoop Street is the place to go I think. Your steak will always be cooked to perfection and they source the meat very carefully. I had a few meals there and I’ve never been disappointed. 

Because we are all a bit geeky (do not deny it…), make sure you finish your night out with friends at the 1Up. A great bar with lots of old arcade games! Play packman with your friends or Mario Bros!

For another meaty dinner (sorry for the vegetarians) go to The Fort. Apparently the view is great over there but I can’t guarantee it, as it was full blizzard when I went! If you are a fan of Julie Child too, try The Fort’s game plate: South Texas Antelope medallions, Buffalo sirloin medallion, and a grilled teriyaki Quail. Served with Chef's vegetables, Fort potatoes and wild Montana huckleberries.

But more importantly, try the Rocky Mountains oysters for your appetizer! I’m not telling you more; you will have to discover it yourself!

One last place to go is the Olde Towne Tavern in Littleton. It’s a great local or, are they call it there, a dive bar. The staff is absolutely lovely and all of them will have a chat with you when you sit at the bar. Say hi to Bob for me!

So, if one day you go to Denver, make sure you pay a visit to those places. 

You will not be disappointed!

Ta-Dah!!!!!

A TA-DAH In America - Part 1

After weeks and weeks of silence (you probably thought I wouldn’t bother you ever again…) I’m back on the blog.

The reason why nothing happened here for so long is simply because at the end of January, my boss asked to go to the American branch for a few weeks. I was supposed to go for 6 weeks so I assumed my blog could survive on its on for a bit but I ended up staying 3 months!

I was in Denver, Colorado and the experience was truly amazing! However, the problem being away is that you’re missing some amazing moments like when my friends Shelley and Joe welcomed their baby boy Noah, Emilie & Nicolas got married, I missed Mister Lapin's Birthday or when Matt proposed to Caz …All that kind of moments.

But let’s focus on Denver! The weather is great (very cold but dry so it’s ok) and with over 300 days of sunshine a year, it was a nice change from England! The views are stunning and you can see the Rocky Mountains wherever you go. Something I’ve learnt is that if the mountains are on your right hand side, you are heading south.

Also, people are wonderful over there! Always very nice and making sure you’re welcome and having a good time.

I’ve been staying with my colleague Janielle who quickly became a great friend and partner in crime! She is the one who took me to all the great places I’m going to tell you about. Living with her was an even better experience as I’ve seen America from an American point of view, not a tourist one, which, I think, is always better. 

When I arrived, I had a TO DO list of the things I wanted to do there and she did her best to make sure I had everything ticked before I leave (except meeting Barack Obama, she said it wouldn’t be possible…)

There is also so many stuff to do in Denver, you can go the museum, the zoo, the aquarium, go to a concert in the rocky mountains, support the nuggets team at the Pepsi center, see a hockey game (very spectacular if you seat on first row), enjoy some baseball and hot-dog, do some « bike » in Denver (try it with a big bunch of friends), visit a brewery in Fort Collins… the opportunities are endless!

At some point, mister Lapin came for a surprise visit! Although I had a lot of work during the day, it was nice to be with him and being able to talk without skype. We went skiing in « Loveland » (true!) and ate a lot of great food. Which bring me to the purpose of this entry: Where and what did I eat for 3 months!