Atmosphere only. Oh, well they do have beer, so that get's them an extra star. The service here is OUT OF CONTROL. There is this one young little saucy barista who is such a b-hind, I could punt her. The coffee is also pretty terrible.
If I was still in law school and needed a quiet place to study with free wifi, I would reluctantly go here; but even though it is SO close to my office, I can't do it anymore. It just blows.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Red Iguana 2
I lived in Denver for 5 years and hadn't been back to Red Iguana 1 since moving back to SLC. Tried to go last week, and....shocking as this may be....it was out-the-door packed. So, reluctantly, I let my husband talk me into going to 2. Boy howdy was it good.
I know I say everything in Denver is better, but people, there ain't no Mexican food in Denver like this. In fact, the only better Mexican food I have ever had is at El Fagon in Playa del Carmen.
My husband had the puntas de filete a la Nortena, which was amazing, if you like Mole. I had the Tacos Dona Ramon, and they were insane...so insane with goodness. Seriously, deep fried corn tortilla shell, tastey, juicy meat, fresh toppings, and spicy salsa made for one of the best taco experiences of my life.
I always say I'm not big on Mexican food, but that's just because there are too many bad Mexican restaurants. This is quickly becoming my favorite Utah restaurant. Tons of Mexican beers, too. It still gets busy in here, but they have valet, and more open seatin than 1. So, so good, ya'll.
I know I say everything in Denver is better, but people, there ain't no Mexican food in Denver like this. In fact, the only better Mexican food I have ever had is at El Fagon in Playa del Carmen.
My husband had the puntas de filete a la Nortena, which was amazing, if you like Mole. I had the Tacos Dona Ramon, and they were insane...so insane with goodness. Seriously, deep fried corn tortilla shell, tastey, juicy meat, fresh toppings, and spicy salsa made for one of the best taco experiences of my life.
I always say I'm not big on Mexican food, but that's just because there are too many bad Mexican restaurants. This is quickly becoming my favorite Utah restaurant. Tons of Mexican beers, too. It still gets busy in here, but they have valet, and more open seatin than 1. So, so good, ya'll.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Este Pizzeria
mmmmmm.....This totally makes me feel like I am back in Denver, at like the Walnut Room or something, except the pizza is better here, and the drink specials are better there. Seriously this pizza is AWESOME. I love the Green pizza. They also have Epic and Bohemian beer there which makes it even better! You order at the counter which means you don't have to pay as big a tip, and the atmosphere is mellow. I love this place for my family because it is quick and delicious and not uppity, so I don't feel bad about bringing Charlotte. Yum. That is all.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Amazing Lentil-Veg soup
This is my recent concoction. As I have established, I loooovvvee cumin and it is deliciousi in lentil soup! This delicious soup makes about 5 servings. It is hearty and warming and filling and healthy! It's kind of labor-intensive, but well worth it. Consider doubling and freezing some.
Lentil-Veg soup
Ingredients
• ½ pound green lentils
• 1 large onion chopped finely
• 1 leek chopped finely (mostly just the white part, and some of the green)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 Tablespoons good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
• ½ tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 stalks of celery—medium dice
• 4 carrots—medium dice (same amount as celery)
• 1.5 quarts organic chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon red wine
• Freshly grated Parmesean cheese
Directions
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 15ish minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 8 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a good boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
Lentil-Veg soup
Ingredients
• ½ pound green lentils
• 1 large onion chopped finely
• 1 leek chopped finely (mostly just the white part, and some of the green)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 Tablespoons good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
• ½ tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 stalks of celery—medium dice
• 4 carrots—medium dice (same amount as celery)
• 1.5 quarts organic chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon red wine
• Freshly grated Parmesean cheese
Directions
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 15ish minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 8 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a good boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Chicken pesto pasta
So I just made a totally yummy Chicken pasta that I thought I would share.
1 pound wheat farfalle pasta
1 pound chicken breast
1/3 cup olive oil
about 4 ounces (or a good bunch) Arugula (reserve 20 leaves for garnish)
1/2 cup packed italian parsley
1/2 cup good, freshly grated parmesean reggiano
1/2 cup chopped and lightly toasted walnuts
4 cloves garlic
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/3 cup (or to taste) feta cheese
1/2 tsp salt
25 grinds pepper (to taste)
Cook chicken breast in olive oil (salted and peppered). We don't have a grill right now, so I just do this on the stove top. Put aside and let cool.
Turn oven to 350 degrees and toast chopped walnuts for about 5 minutes, or until they get a bit crisper.
Boil salted water. Add pasta. Cook about 10 minutes. Strain, lightly toss with olive oil and put in fridge.
Lightly chop garlic. Combine parmesean, garlic, chopped walnuts, arugula, parsley, salt and pepper in Cuisinart. Blend til finely mixed (6 seconds?). Turn on Cuisinart again and slowly start drizzling good tasty olive oil to create a pesto. Add more olive oil if needed to reach desired consistency. You don't want it to clump together, but become a smooth creamy texture. No more than 1/2 cup. Set aside pesto.
slice tomatoes in half and roughly chop olives. Slice chicken into 1 inch by half inch chunks.
Once pasta is cooled, add pesto. I didn't use ALL of the pesto made, but you can add the amount you like, to taste. Once mixed in, add feta, tomatoes, olives and chicken. Add 20ish arugula leaves for garnish throughout.
Enjoy!
1 pound wheat farfalle pasta
1 pound chicken breast
1/3 cup olive oil
about 4 ounces (or a good bunch) Arugula (reserve 20 leaves for garnish)
1/2 cup packed italian parsley
1/2 cup good, freshly grated parmesean reggiano
1/2 cup chopped and lightly toasted walnuts
4 cloves garlic
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/3 cup (or to taste) feta cheese
1/2 tsp salt
25 grinds pepper (to taste)
Cook chicken breast in olive oil (salted and peppered). We don't have a grill right now, so I just do this on the stove top. Put aside and let cool.
Turn oven to 350 degrees and toast chopped walnuts for about 5 minutes, or until they get a bit crisper.
Boil salted water. Add pasta. Cook about 10 minutes. Strain, lightly toss with olive oil and put in fridge.
Lightly chop garlic. Combine parmesean, garlic, chopped walnuts, arugula, parsley, salt and pepper in Cuisinart. Blend til finely mixed (6 seconds?). Turn on Cuisinart again and slowly start drizzling good tasty olive oil to create a pesto. Add more olive oil if needed to reach desired consistency. You don't want it to clump together, but become a smooth creamy texture. No more than 1/2 cup. Set aside pesto.
slice tomatoes in half and roughly chop olives. Slice chicken into 1 inch by half inch chunks.
Once pasta is cooled, add pesto. I didn't use ALL of the pesto made, but you can add the amount you like, to taste. Once mixed in, add feta, tomatoes, olives and chicken. Add 20ish arugula leaves for garnish throughout.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Den Deli: Feels like home
We went to the Den Deli today, at long last. Sushi Den now occupies 3 of 4 corners on South Pearl, and it is a welcome addition. With the same quality fresh fish as Sushi Den, but devoid of the long lines and over-crowding. The menu consists of rice bowls, noodle bowls and sandwiches. At the deli counter you can also grab some pre-rolled sushi, a variety of salads and desserts.
I ordered the poke bowl, or tuna bowl. A deliciously light, marinated and cubed tuna with small bits of bell peppers and pickled daikon laid over rice and topped with kaiware sprouts. The meal also came with a bowl of miso and cost $10.95. Not bad when you consider you aren't paying for wait staff (although we still did leave a small tip). The food was as close as I've come to eating lunch in Japan as almost anything I've found in the United States. I highly recommend it.
Taylor had a kobe cheesesteak sandwich with carmalized onion and wasabi mayo, served with a side of french fries. Not your usual Den fare, but he was pleased with it nonetheless. The french fries, particularly, were good. The bread, however did leave something to be desired. But let's be honest...who besides Taylor goes to a japanese restaurant and orders a cheesesteak....
If you are interested in some excellent Japanese food for lunch, this is totally the spot. Next to try the noodle dishes and see whether they can rival Bones.
I ordered the poke bowl, or tuna bowl. A deliciously light, marinated and cubed tuna with small bits of bell peppers and pickled daikon laid over rice and topped with kaiware sprouts. The meal also came with a bowl of miso and cost $10.95. Not bad when you consider you aren't paying for wait staff (although we still did leave a small tip). The food was as close as I've come to eating lunch in Japan as almost anything I've found in the United States. I highly recommend it.
Taylor had a kobe cheesesteak sandwich with carmalized onion and wasabi mayo, served with a side of french fries. Not your usual Den fare, but he was pleased with it nonetheless. The french fries, particularly, were good. The bread, however did leave something to be desired. But let's be honest...who besides Taylor goes to a japanese restaurant and orders a cheesesteak....
If you are interested in some excellent Japanese food for lunch, this is totally the spot. Next to try the noodle dishes and see whether they can rival Bones.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Three Sisters Cafe--A last resort soup option
I love soup. Loooooovvvvvveeee soup. So for any other Denverites who are equally inclined towards savory liquid goodness, you will know that Denver is sorely lacking in good soup restaurant options. Not only are there very few soup restaurants, but restaurants that offer soup usually half-heartedly add a soup option to appease people like me, and the outcome is usually poor. So when I read that Three Sisters Cafe on 17th and Stout was a soup restaurant I thought to my self: "Hazzah! Soup!"
This restaurant features 8 soups that change daily (with the exception of the Chicken Tortilla soup). The restaurant is open until 3:30 and also features salads, wraps and paninis. However the first hurdle is getting there. Why do I do this to myself. With baby in tote, Kelley and I drove down to 17th and Stout. And while we all know that Denver is REPLETE with parking spaces, today must have been an exception (I hope you're sensing the sarcasm, cause I'm layin' it on PRETTY thick). It took five circles and a stolen parking spot to finally find some metered parking a few blocks away. Fine. At least the meters take credit cards now.
Finally. It's 2:00 and there is no line, in fact we are the only ones in the restaurant which has ample seating. I went with the panini option with an added on medium soup for $2.50. They allow you to sample the soups and sample we did. The turkey chili (which is what Kelley went with) was quite good, a hearty and healthy option. We also tried the Tuscan Bean (WAAAYYY too much salt), the Chicken Tortilla (pretty tasty with a bit of a kick!) and the butternut squash. I went with the butternut squash. At first taste it was pretty good, but after a few bites I grew tired of the cinnamon and chicken stock base. It was just a little too strong. The panini was equally disappointing. I had the turkey, avocado and provolone panini. The bread was forgettable and the avocado was pasty and tasteless--smacked off an "out of the bag" deal. With my drink, panini and soup it was $11. Not too shabby for lunch (if you can avoid parking in a garage--which I would suggest would definitely be a deal breaker). But all in all I was non-plused about this place. If I was really jonesin' for some soup I would go back. But only for soup, and I would probably run in to get it while Taylor circled the block.
A disappointing lunch all-in-all. Can no one quench my need for fine soup in this city?! I am too spoiled by the "Soup Kitchen" and "Big City Soup" in Salt Lake I suppose. But this is a niche that Denver definitely needs to fill.
This restaurant features 8 soups that change daily (with the exception of the Chicken Tortilla soup). The restaurant is open until 3:30 and also features salads, wraps and paninis. However the first hurdle is getting there. Why do I do this to myself. With baby in tote, Kelley and I drove down to 17th and Stout. And while we all know that Denver is REPLETE with parking spaces, today must have been an exception (I hope you're sensing the sarcasm, cause I'm layin' it on PRETTY thick). It took five circles and a stolen parking spot to finally find some metered parking a few blocks away. Fine. At least the meters take credit cards now.
Finally. It's 2:00 and there is no line, in fact we are the only ones in the restaurant which has ample seating. I went with the panini option with an added on medium soup for $2.50. They allow you to sample the soups and sample we did. The turkey chili (which is what Kelley went with) was quite good, a hearty and healthy option. We also tried the Tuscan Bean (WAAAYYY too much salt), the Chicken Tortilla (pretty tasty with a bit of a kick!) and the butternut squash. I went with the butternut squash. At first taste it was pretty good, but after a few bites I grew tired of the cinnamon and chicken stock base. It was just a little too strong. The panini was equally disappointing. I had the turkey, avocado and provolone panini. The bread was forgettable and the avocado was pasty and tasteless--smacked off an "out of the bag" deal. With my drink, panini and soup it was $11. Not too shabby for lunch (if you can avoid parking in a garage--which I would suggest would definitely be a deal breaker). But all in all I was non-plused about this place. If I was really jonesin' for some soup I would go back. But only for soup, and I would probably run in to get it while Taylor circled the block.
A disappointing lunch all-in-all. Can no one quench my need for fine soup in this city?! I am too spoiled by the "Soup Kitchen" and "Big City Soup" in Salt Lake I suppose. But this is a niche that Denver definitely needs to fill.
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