Denver

This is a very belated post, but could be timely, especially for those who are traveling out West to capture a few last blissful ski-filled weekends before the season ends this spring.

A few months ago I took a much-needed trip to visit my best friend Kelsey. Being the  type-A planners we naturally are, we orchestrated a perfect weekend filled with Sex and the City episodes, gentle exercise (mainly core yoga-I'm obsessed, please move to NYC, and a lax hike), and, of course, tons of culinary experiences. I won't go into every detail, but if you are heading to Colorado here are some dining out ideas:

1. We always start our visits with a leisurely lunch at Ocean Prime. They're only open for lunch on weekdays and it's great because it really sets the tone for any of those who wish to be an aspiring "lady-who-lunch" type of person. Stiff white table cloths, nice wine, great bread, and huge salads.  Our favorite dish is the seafood cobb salad featuring savory lobster, crab, and shrimp meat. It's divine. 

2. We had a had a fabulous meal at Root Down, a retro-like restaurant that specializes in comfort food like  devils on horseback and lamb sliders, which by the way, are like crack. The bread pudding is also famous and is a must-order. 

3. On this particular visit, we took a detour to Boulder. If you go, do me a favor and check out Pizzeria Locale. It's one of the best Neapolitan-esque pizza restaurants outside of Italy. We ordered the Cipollini e Speck pizza with olives, onions, garlic, and rosemary that almost knocked us off our seats. The pizza was infused with a soft and warming garlic aroma and delicate sautéed cipollini onions, which balanced out the saltiness of the speck and olives. I wish I could find a replica of this pizza back East. 

Most of our day was planned around meals and I feel good about that. Kudos to Denver for their eclectic and interesting restaurants. The atmosphere is casual but chic, and the service and is always so accommodating and welcoming.  Can't wait for my next excursion.