Denver is a way cool town!
Mike and I went to visit my Mother who lives in downtown Denver. What a cool city! Back in 1991, Mike moved to Vail and lived there for four years. He says Denver is a completely different city from the one he remembers. One of their biggest problems back then was the smog. The air was so bad they had daily alerts. Now the city is sparkling clean. The air is clear and the streets are free of debris. People are moving to downtown Denver in droves. There are scores of independent restaurants, cool bars, historic buildings, hip shops, Museums and all within walking distance. Right off we managed to make it to a great Belgian Beer Cafe about two blocks from my mother's house called the Cheeky Monk. They have a huge selection of Belgian beers on tap and some in bottles. The happy hour delivers some fabulous deals. If we lived there Michael would have a cot. The Denver Art Museum has a beautiful new wing and superb restaurant, Palettes. For lunch I had the 4 cheese Mac & Cheese. My Mother had a beautifully roasted half chicken covered with fresh cut fries and Michael had scallops sandwiched between crispy potato cakes. To walk off all the delicious food and drink we went through Molly Brown's House. Yes, the unsinkable from Titanic fame. It was an interesting tour. I recommend it. We had dinner at Vesta Dipping Grill in Lodo. The menu consists of different meats or 
vegetables and a large selection of dipping sauces. I enjoyed the menu all though I found the sauces to be on the sweet side. I did have a fantastic drink made from Green Tea infused Vodka and Ginger Beer. Yummy.Michael spent a day snowboarding in Vail so my Mother and I ran around downtown. We explored the state capitol which is having its 100 year anniversary. We had cocktails at the new Ritz-Carleton and wandered around the 16th Street Mall.
Michael came home the next morning, unbroken. We had brunch the next morning at home. In anticipation of our arrival my Mother made a cured salmon. She marinated it in Molasses and Soy Sauce and let it cure for a week. What a yummy breakfast. My Mother had an appointment so Michael and I had a cocktail at Parallel 17. It's a Modern Vietnamese Restaurant with a stylish interior and innovative menu. We made it to Jax's Seafood Restaurant for happy hour. They have Chesapeake Bay Oysters for .75 I love that. Dinner was at the most amazing Japanese restaurant called Domo. Their speciality is low country Japanese food and Wanko Sushi. The restaurant is attached to a domo and small museum. There is the most stunning garden patio area that in spring is perfect for outdoor seating. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough.
That evening Michael and I went to the coolest bar in Lodo. The Cruise Room in the Oxford Hotel seems frozen in time. Fashioned after one of the lounges on the Queen Mary it opened the day after prohibition was lifted in 1933. Its Art Deco interior is as stylish now as it was when it opened. Our final stop was the 114 year old Brown Palace. To me this is one of the most beautiful historic hotels I've ever been in. They were voted Best Martini in the Westworld, our version of the Scene.
We were leaving the next day so our final meal before we drove to the airport was at Steuben's on the corner of Pearl. What a fun place. It has a fun retro-modern interior and a funky Americana menu. Denver is a great town with a ton to offer. I have a whole list of places I want to check out next time a get there. I can't wait.
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