What I Ate in San Francisco

I don't mind spending money on food if the food is good!  But I don't like spending too much money on food for my kids because they eat like little birds and they are hungry again an hour later.  On our trip to San Francisco I found many places that were a good value.  The key here is to do your research.  Many restaurants post their menus online and Yelp was super helpful also.

Sunday  

Fishermen's Grotto on Fisherman's Wharf, built in 1935 was the first sit down restaurant on the wharf and is a great place to sit on the patio, people watch and eat a big bowl of chowder in a bread bowl. Kids meals here are under $10 and large and filling.

Monday 

One of my favorite food days!  When searching Yelp for good restaurants to try I stumbled upon Darren's.  It was a block from my hotel and served breakfast and lunch.  It's a Vietnamese place so they have all of your Asian favorites and breakfast food too.  Kids had pancakes and I had a bowl of Pho!  It was amazing!

This was also the day I visited Trader Joe's and bought breakfast and snacks for our hotel room.  At lunch time the kids and I were shopping on Pier 39 and they just wanted a snack.  We sat on the patio at the California Wines Bar.  I enjoyed a Pinot Noir flight and we shared a fruit and cheese plate with a bottomless basket of sourdough bread. 

Tuesday

We were on the run all day!  Our lunch meal was at the Academy Cafe at the California Academy of Science.  This meal was not affordable but it was fun!  They offer a multicultural menu with  highlights including spring rolls, paninis, tacos and fresh pastries.  Grab a tray and go from station to station until you find something that strikes your fancy.  I had Mac and Cheese and began my obsession with Chinese Pork Buns.

For dinner we ate at a Tian Sing near Union Square.  It wasn't crowded and was very good.  I tried a new dish that I would never have ordered....Tripe!  Surprisingly good!  The prices are good and the choices are great!

Wednesday

The kids and I were at The Exploratorium and even though they have a restaurant, I really wanted to visit The Ferry Building again.  We walked (forever according my children) and watched lots of people jogging which just made me hungrier!  Unfortunately, we arrived right as all of the people in the financial district were there to eat lunch so the lines were long. We found a hidden corner with a coffee shop where I let the kids eat apple turnovers and cookies for lunch. I had a Carnitas Empanada and I loved it!

Walking back through we found Boccalone Salumeria and bought a salami cone so that kids could have some protein.  I had some special salami sliced for iKeith because I know how much he loves meat!

Then I spotted the Blue Bottle Coffee Co and I wanted to try it so I got a cup of joe and a cup of milk and then the kids and I bought a couple Macarons at Miette.

I scoured the menus for the restaurants at Pier 39 and the best value for kids and adults is the Pier Market. Make sure you print out their coupons before you leave and you can get several kids meals free during your stay.

Thursday

You can not go to California and not eat at In-N-Out.  My kids loved it!  I'm going to call this THE best value on the wharf because they don't seem to be hiking up the prices because of their location.  I'm looking at you Denny's and your $12 Grand Slam.

After taking a boat tour of the bay, we made our way to Ghiradelli Square.  After a little light shopping, we were on our way back to the hotel when I found the most adorable cafe.  I needed some caffeine so we stopped in for a snack and I did something I've never done before.  I ordered a Cappuccino!

The Black Point Cafe made me fall in love with Cappuccino! I loved it so much that I made iKeith come back with me the next day to have one.  He loved it too.  According to yelp, they are known for their Lavendar Lattes, I'll have to try one when I go back.

Keith and I like trying different cuisine so I searched Yelp again and came up with Stroganoff.  A cute little Russian restaurant across the street from our hotel! We enjoyed a appetizer of Beef Tongue with mushroom sauce and I loved the Beef Stroganoff.  Keith liked the Russian Beer and we had a fun dessert.

Last but not least.  We found a great ice cream place called Normans.  It's in the Cannery and only takes cash.  iKeith had Rocky Road and we learned that good Rocky Road is made with walnuts and that is how it used to be made many years ago.

I hope you enjoyed my foodie tour of San Francisco! Coming up next....Food of Ventura Beach!

Cravings

We found ourselves a wee bit early for Mary Poppins last night so we skipped on down a block from the Buell and had a little dessert at Crave Dessert Bar and Lounge.

We were thrilled to walk in and find a friendly and familiar face!  It was our favorite waiter ever!  Jim from The Big Easy (sadly, The Big Easy went out of business shortly after our visit) that was so great with out kids. 

The kids each picked a French Macaroon, their first time ever trying them and even though Alex's cookie perfectly matched his outfit, he scarfed it down and declared that it was terrible.  Well...at least he ate the whole thing!  Mallory loved it and asked for another.

I'm now on a mission to find a French Macaroon that Alex will like!

Keith and I decided to share a dessert because we'd been eating like little piggies all weekend!

We selected the Mile High Layer Cake and it was the most delicious thing I've been in a long time.  Keith was wishing he had ordered his own but I explained to him that sharing is more fun.

Espresso Flourless Cake with Caramel Mousse and Brueed Banana, Caramel Sauce, Frangelico Chantilly and Baileys Ice Cream.

Crave is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.  They also serve Sunday Brunch!  

Crave Dessert Bar and Lounge

891 14th Street

Denver, CO 80202
Twitter: @cravebardenver

Mon-Thur 6:30am-11pm

Friday  6:30am-12am

Saturday 8:30am-12am

Sunday 8:30am-10pm

Lola Costal Mexican

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day in our house.  Instead we've decided to celebrate Denver Restaurant Week.  We are confident in our love and our favorite thing to do together is try new restaurants and wine. 

Keith and I really love Mexican food.  We make it at least once a week and it's normally our go-to when we decide to go out for dinner.  We've made some changes in our diet recently and we aren't eating like we used to.

Because of this, we're in love Lola. Lo-lo-lo-Lola.

After a heavy meal the week before, we were looking forward to something lighter, fresher and spicy!

Guacamole wasn't on our 5280 menu but we couldn't resist ordering it.  You see, they bring a cart to your table and make it right in front of you.  This was the best and spiciest guac we've ever had and we loved it!

It went really well with the Shrimp Ceviche that we shared.  Loved how light and tasty this dish was.

Melon salsa....so good!

We each ordered a different dish from the menu, ate half and then traded plates.  I highly recommend doing this because then you get to try so much more.  I'd be tempted to smack you around if you and your date ordered the same dish.  Denver Restaurant Week is all about trying new things.  If you're not into that you should stick with Red Lobster.  I'm serious.

While we were waiting for our dessert, we started talking about Tequila.  We both really like it and normally have a bottle of Patron Silver in our pantry at all times.  It keeps good company with the Vodka, Jamison Whiskey and Baileys Irish Creme.

We asked the waiter about a flight and he helped us pick out a few Tequilas.  A couple that have been aged longer than the silver that we are familiar with and the 1921 Tequila Cream.  OH MY GOSH.  LOVE.  We ended up ordering a second shot of the Cream to go with our Spiced Chocolate Flan which was the smartest thing we've done since getting hitched almost 9 years ago.

Worried about parking in the Highlands?  Worry no more!  Lola has FREE valet parking for dinner every night of the week! 

I'm anxious to return to Lola for Brunch.  There are several choices on the menu that look quite wonderful and I think my kids would really love the cinnamon roll.

Lola Denver
1575 Boulder St.
Denver, CO 80211
720-570-8686 
 http://www.loladenver.com/
@loladenver
Lola Denver on facebook

Big Easy Creole Kitchen

Edited: So sad.  Big Easy has closed.  

Ever since we moved back to Denver, we've wanted to participate in Denver Restaurant Week.  For one reason or another, it never worked out.   This year, I planned ahead and when the menus were announced, I pounced!

We made two reservations.  One at a restaurant that we could take our children to and another for date night.  I couldn't wait for this week to arrive!

Tuesday night, we went to Big Easy Creole Kitchen in Cherry Creek.  You can view the 5280 menu here.  My husband makes his own gumbo and jambalaya so we know good cajun, our expectations were high.

Everything we tried was great but the winning combination that we loved was:

Charbroiled Oysters
Crawfish and Shrimp Etouffee
New Orleans Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

 

Say Hello to my Little Friend

The service was wonderful!  Jim was great with out kids and they have a very reasonable kids menu.  We loved the ambiance and felt like we were in the middle of the french quarter.  We can't wait to go back and try more from the menu.

Jim was also nice enough to tell us that they have free parking behind the restaurant, but we didn't have any trouble finding a meter and parking is free on the street after 7pm.

There are a few days left and reservation are easier to get during the week.

Big Easy Creole Kitchen
250 Steele St, ste 104
Denver, CO 80206
303-954-9398
http://www.bigeasycreolekitchen.com/
Big Easy on Facebook

Universal City Walk

Universal City Walk saved my life.

I know, you think I'm being dramatic but I'm really not.  After walking all over the Islands of Adventure on our second day of our vacation....I could barely walk.

We still had to walk through City Walk to the shuttle bus and there were multiple walking sidewalks and escalators involved.  I told my husband that I couldn't walk another step and I needed to sit down.

The first place we found was Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.  It was like an oasis in the dessert.  For real.....just outside the door is a little bar set up with a beached airplane.  (Note to self: you really should have taken a picture of that airplane.  It was really cool.)

The first thing I did was order the Perfect Margarita and it was amazing!  I wanted to marry it and call it George.

We sat outside on what they call The Porch of Indecision, but when my  drink disappeared quickly and we still had food coming I decided to have another.  My husband took it upon himself to order my next Margarita.

That man gets a gold star for the 22 ounces of tequila and whatnot that he ordered for me!   Not long after I started in on this lovely concoction....my legs and hips didn't hurt.  I couldn't feel my feet but they still worked!  Medicinal Margarita for the win!

The food was also really good.  I had the Baja Fish Tacos and Keith had Jimmy's Jammin Jambalaya. I would have taken pictures but a few things happened.

It got dark
I was starving
I was drunk pants

Trust me the food was great!

So....City Walk is an experience in eating.  Each restaurant seems to have a theme of some kind and you swear your are in Key West, A Nascar Race, Forrest Gump's Brain or Bob Marley's Jam Session.

Click here for a list of restaurants.

Three Broomsticks

The day we'd all been waiting for had finally arrived.  We were going to Harry Potter Land!  That's what my kids call it and their excitement was unbridled!  I have to admit that I was a little excited too but it was because I desperately wanted to try Butterbeer.

We were told to get it frozen and to get it at the restaurant not the street carts.

This worked out well because after three hours of exploring Hogwarts....we were starving! Click here to read more about our visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

 We all enjoyed our Butterbeer very much and it was kind of like having dessert with your meal.  We each got a souvenir mug which I advise against because I think they are $10 each and now I have to store them.  I'd have been much happier with TWO mugs.  Bygones.

Look how cool we all look with our mugs!  Okay...maybe it was worth the money.  If you buy the mugs...you are supposed to be able to go to any counter service restaurant in the park and get free soda refills.  We didn't test this out because we forgot to bring our mugs the next day. Whoops!

Three Broomsticks is considered casual dining at Universal Studios but the food is outstanding.  They do have kids meals for $5 but my son had his heart set on Ribs.  They were very good and the potatoes that came with them made their way to my plate because they were better than the french fries that came with the Fish and Chips.

I love Fish and Chips and generally always order it when it's on a menu.  This was an exceptional meal because the breading was very light and the pieces of fish were large.  I really liked the tarter sauce too but ended up not using most of it because the breading on the fish was so flavorful that I didn't need it.

The atmosphere at Three Broomsticks is really fun!  You feel like you are really in an old English Pub and if you're lucky....you'll see the house elves scurrying around on the second floor.

Click here for Three Broomsticks full menu.

Pho Duy 6

I've been hearing about Pho (FAH) for a while now and I was curious. I've never eaten Vietnamese food before but I love trying new things so it was on my list of *things to eat before I die*.

In doing a little research....I discovered that many people that eat Pho, fall in love and want to marry Pho.

I was on a mission to find out if Pho and I were compatible. Would it be love at first sight?

I get together every six weeks or so with a group of local bloggers for some good food.  I thought this group would be the right people to have my Pho experience with and I was right.  A couple of us were Pho Virgins.

Jolene, Rachel, Aimee

Jolene, Rachel, Aimee
Not Pictured: Ratna and Denise

We met in Broomfield at Pho Duy 6.  It is located right next to the Pacific Ocean Market Place....I'm told it is the most complete Asian market in the north Denver area.  I can't tell you if that is the case for sure....because I was too busy having happy hour drinks at 3 Margaritas.

Back to the Pho.

I ordered the Beef Pho (the non tripe one) in a medium.  It was more than enough food and I should have ordered the small. A plate is brought to the table containing Thai Basil, Bean Sprouts and Lime. Throw it all in your bowl....along with some of the sauces, some sweet, some spicy.  Heaven!

I adore Bubble Tea (they called it Boba) so I ordered that too. It was wonderful and I just love those little tapioca balls. There were many *ball* jokes thrown about. I do love balls.

Because I'm a glutton for punishment and my eyes are much bigger than my stomach. I ordered Shrimp Spring Rolls. They were good...but not great. I still say that Talk of The Thai in Lakewood has the best ones...but they call them Summer Rolls.

I enjoyed my meal at Pho Duy very much....even though our server insulted me for being old. This place doesn't have a liquor license and when one of my friends asked why...he said they don't like to embarrass people by asking for their identification. He gestured around the table, saying that he'd have to card all of us but then pointed towards me and said well....except for you. Awesome.

I really would have loved a beer with this meal so next I'll be trying out Pho Pasta in Denver. It's closer to my house anyway.

I found this funny video about Pho. I feel the exact same way!

Lucile's Creole Cafe in Longmont

Before I moved to Utah....I had a long standing date in May with my friends from Greeley.  We'd go to breakfast (usually at The Egg and I) and then spend the morning buying flowers to plant at The Flower Bin in Longmont.

I wasn't much of foodie 5 years ago and would have never sought out a unusual restaurant.

I was missing out on soooo much!

I've been back in Colorado for 8 months and I was so excited to get our ritual started again!  I convinced my friends to go to Luciles Creole Cafe for breakfast.  I sent them the menu to peruse before hand and they were so excited!

We had to try the Beignets and they were so good...little fluffy pillows of dough!  My 4 year old daughter thought they were the most amazing thing she'd ever eaten.  I wish I'd just ordered her more of them for her breakfast....because the giant Rice Pancakes were just too much for her to handle.

Lucile's has several breakfast drinks to choose from.  I went with the traditional Mimosa and I loved that they brought me a small bottle of champagne, a carafe of orange juice and a lovely glass. Making my own was really fun!

For my meal...I knew I wanted to have a traditional New Orleans dish.  The Eggs Rockefeller jumped out at me because of the fried oysters.  This dish was so delicious and rich....the Rockefeller sauce was salted perfectly.  It arrived with a giant buttermilk biscuit that melted in my mouth, and grits and potatoes.  I'd never had grits before and I really liked them.

Lucile's Creole Cafe has five Colorado locations.  Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Longmont and Littleton.  If there is one near you....try it, you will not be disappointed!

Lucile's Creole Cafe
518 Kimbark Street
Longmont, CO 80501
303.774.9814

Chad's Grill in Lakewood

Chad's is in my hood. And we overlook it all the time in favor of the big city of Denver. I will overlook no more.....I am HOOKED!

I love comfort food...because I am generally, in need of comfort.  My favorite would have to be Mac and Cheese.  I'm on a personal mission to find THE best Mac and Cheese and I think I already have a tie.

This Grown Up Mac and Cheese has asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes.  It's made with Gouda which has to be one of my favorite cheeses and you can add Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Crawfish or Shrimp.  I went with Andouille and it was perfect! I loved every single bite and it reheats beautifully the next day for lunch.

My husband went with the Spicy Cajun Jambalaya and he loved it.  Again...andouille sausage makes this dish.

My boy, who is 5 years old is a connoisseur of fine cheese pizza.  It's mostly his only food group so he knows his stuff.  He told me this is one of his favorites....and he asks me daily when he can eat it again.

They also have one of the greatest activities for children that are patiently waiting for their food.

Real crayons and stickers!

I'm a fan of dessert.....but I never need a full sized, full fat one.  Chad's has several options of treats in a shot glass.  I choose the Tiramisu.  It's the perfect amount of dessert.

Chad's has something for everyone.  They have brunch on the weekends and offer a gluten free menu.  They also have a really decent happy hour from 3pm-6pm every single day.


Chad's Grill
275 Union Blvd
Lakewood, CO 80228
303.988.5666
Chad's Grill on Facebook
@ChadsGrill on twitter

**I was not compensated for this review. I just really love to eat and sharing my finds with my friends and anyone that happens upon my blog looking for good eats.**

The Walnut Room

We went to Marczyk's this morning and picked up a couple of beautiful pieces of meat for iKeith to smoke tomorrow and a few other things (like sausage and hot dogs that I'll tell you about later). They were having a sale because it's their 9th anniversary so everything was 10% off.

I also spent a little time in the wine shop and I think I could drink my way through it.  They seriously have a fabulous collection of reasonably priced wine.  Whoever is stocking this place is doing a great job!

We were hungry for lunch when we left and decided to head to Cherry Cricket for some burgers.  We tried for 20 minutes to find a parking space and gave up.

Our next stop was the Baker Neighborhood.  I knew we'd find something great and maybe have better luck with the parking.

The Walnut Room

My children always love pizza so we decided to try The Walnut Room.  I read on YELP that they had Chicago Style Thin pizza.  This made my husband very happy because he'd recently had a conversation with a co-worker about this kind of pizza and we were anxious to find some.

One thing that I liked about the menu was that they had 10 inch sizes so that we could try more than one pizza.  They also sell pizza by the slice for $2 each.  This works out great because my daughter eats a small amount but my son can eat two slices.  This ended up being much cheaper than buying them their own pizza. By the way....kids eat free on Monday.

2 thumbs up

I chose the Mediterranean Pizza ($8.25), garlic herb oil topped with Feta Cheese, fresh Baby Spinach, Artichoke Hearts, Red Onions, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella.  I loved the sweetness of the tomatoes against the salty feta.  This was a fresh, crunch pizza and I loved every bite.

My husband, the meat lover....chose the Iron Maiden($6.50) which is just pepperoni, sausage and ham.  It was really good and reminded us of a pizza from our childhood.  I like some veggies on my pizza so this wasn't my favorite.  My husband loved it!

The Walnut Room also has a great selection of appetizers and sandwiches.  So much to try that I know we'll be back!



The Walnut Room
2 N. Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
303.736.6750
Twitter @TheWalnutRoom
Facebook The Walnut Room


I was not compensated for this post.....my family just loves pizza and I like to share what I learn with my friends.

The Hole

My friend Becca in Austin gave me a Restaurant.com gift certificate for Christmas.  I went through the list of restaurants for the Denver area and came across an interesting choice.  Beer and donuts!

I messaged my foodie friend Denise from Eat Play Love and asked her if she was in.  Without hesitation...she said Heck Yea! I may have had ulterior motives for inviting Denise to dine with me at The Hole.  She's a former vegetarian that lives in Boulder.  She's really into healthy eating and organic food.  And She's tall and skinny.

I had a secret weapon that I knew she wouldn't be able to resist. A donut sandwich.

 Just look how much she is enjoying her bacon, egg and cheese on a maple donut! She even tweeted that she's never known love like this before.  I think it was true love!

As a breakfast appetizer...we shared a Boston Cream Donut.  The filling to donut ratio was exactly how I like it.  The more filling the better! 

Boston Cream Donut

I'm a big coffee fanatic so I decided to try a cafe latte instead of just a plain ol' cup of joe.  Boy oh boy was I excited when this GIANT cup of creamy goodness arrived at our table.

Cafe Latte

I spent a good amount of time studying The Hole's menu before arriving and I'd decided on the Ham, Brie and Apricot Jam Donut Sandwich.  I was disappointed to find it was NOT on the menu when we arrived.  Our waitress made my day however, when she told us that it was on the lunch menu and they would happily make it for me.  JOY!

Ham, Brie & Apricot Jam..on a donut.

It was a delicious sandwich with a little bit of salty and a little bit of sweet!  Every bite was tasty and the flavors all melded together so well...like they were a match made in culinary heaven. I only ate half and brought the other home for my husband.  He he doesn't eat it today...I'm taking it back.

Look how cute this place is....and look at all of those donuts on the wall!

P.S. I created a foodspotting guide called Best Breakfasts in Denver!

The Hole

3877 Tennyson Street

Denver, CO 80212

720.379.6210

Facebook: The Hole

The Twitter: @theholedenver

Kid Friendly: YES!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post or given any free donuts. I just love eating and sharing good food with my friends.