Month: March 2022

Garden of the Gods Resort & Club – Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado is a beautiful state. There are so many activities that can be done outside from hiking, skiing, fishing, and exploring all the national parks across the state. Garden of the Gods is one of those parks located in Colorado Springs. This park has acres and acres of Red Rock formations. You can hike, drive or even take a jeep tour to the structures and learn about what the native Americans felt about these natural wonders.

When the sunlight hits these rocks the color just glows. It is breathtaking and pictures do not do the color justice.

When I visited, I got to have lunch on the patio of the Garden of the Gods Resort and Club. Their views are spectacular.

While I was enjoying the view from the patio, a deer wondered up and started feeding on some bushes. This was the one thing I noticed a lot in Colorado, the wild animals and the humans live in harmony.

 

The lunch I got to enjoy was a pre-fixed menu. I was looking forward to what the chef selected for us. We started off with a fresh salad. The lettuce was topped with cheese, bacon, and cucumber slices. They served a balsamic vinaigrette dressing that added a nice tangy taste to the salad. I enjoyed the crunch of the cucumbers and the saltiness of the bacon pieces.

For the main dish we got a chicken thigh with pineapples and peppers. The fresh pineapple was grilled which had great flavor. The smokiness from the grill enhanced the sweetness of the pineapple. The peppers also added a sweetness and paired perfectly with the pineapple. The chicken thigh was tender and juicy. The entire dish had a tropical feel to it.

For dessert we got a key lime tart that was topped with fresh blueberries and raspberries. The filling was creamy and had a nice tart flavor. The berries were sweet and complemented the tartness. It was a great dessert to enjoy outside with a glass of wine.

The views from the patio made this lunch even more enjoyable. The Garden of the Gods is a wonderful place to visit and will make a lasting impression.

Check out the resort at www.gardenofthegodsresort.com

To learn about the park, visit www.gardenofgods.com

Enjoy!

T

The Hotel Bar – Colorado Springs, CO

The Broadmoor is an iconic hotel resort in Colorado Springs. It opened its doors over 100 years ago in 1918. The grounds are absolutely breathtaking. There are wonderful views of the mountains.  There are beautiful lakes and wild animals everywhere.

This hotel has over 17 different restaurants and cafes, plus 2 legendary golf courses. One of the restaurants I checked out was The Hotel Bar. The original bar opened in 1936 at the end of prohibition. I was later restored in 2002. There is a rich history of how this bar got started, in the 1920s by an exclusive group of prominent hoteliers You can read all about their history on the menu or visit their website.

I sat outside so I could enjoy the beautiful surrounding mountains.

I was visiting for lunch, so I ordered a Cobb Salad. The salad was large. It was served beautifully with a rainbow of all the toppings. All the ingredients were fresh. It was nice with the vinaigrette that I chose as my dressing. It is a filling salad by itself.

I also got to try their classic cheeseburger. The melted cheddar cheese has a sharp taste that paired well with the grilled flavor of the burger meat. It was cooked perfectly medium, so it was still juicy. It came with all the classic sides of French fries and coleslaw.

I enjoyed my meal and the environment at The Hotel Bar. It is also a great place to grab a cocktail in the evening and warm by one of the fire pits.

Check out their history at www.broadmoor.com

Enjoy!

T

Freiberg’s – Johnson City, TN

Johnson City is one of three cities in Eastern Tennessee know as the Tri-Cities. Their quaint downtown is seeing a resurgence of development with an array of shops, restaurants, and breweries. It is also not far from the campus of East Tennessee State University.

One of the restaurants in the heart of downtown is Freiberg’s. It is an authentic German restaurant making classic dishes from scratch.

When you walk through the doors, it feels like you are transported to a restaurant in Germany.

As soon as we were seated the waitress brought us some homemade fresh bread with a dill butter. This butter was unique. The butter itself was light and creamy, the flavor of the dill was just like a pickle. There was something addicting about the butter. I could not get enough on the bread, especially as it melted on the warm bread.

We started off with an appetizer to share around the table. We ordered the Kartoffelhaut aus Sachsen. This is basically loaded potato skins.

They took potato haves and covered them with a cream cheese and spinach dip, Swiss cheese, and bacon pieces. These are then baked to warm the dip and melt the cheese. These were definitely different from a typical potato skin. The spinach, cream cheese dip worked so well with the potato. The sharp taste of the Swiss cheese accented the dip which had a slight sweetness to it. The bacon added a great crunch to the overall texture. These potato skins are filling so it is good to share them if you are ordering additional dishes.

For my meal I ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu. They took a chicken breast and filled it with ham and Swiss cheese. Then they hand breaded it. There was not an oily texture, so I think they baked the chicken. Then they melted a little more Swiss cheese on top. The chicken was tender and moist. The have gave it a salty taste and the cheese gave it a creamy texture. The ham and chicken paired perfectly together.

I also got freshly made sauerkraut and Bavarian potato salad. The sauerkraut was warm and tangy. The bite was exactly what you would want from sauerkraut. Having it warm verses cold gave it a comforting feeling.

The potato salad also came out warm, which is typical for this German side dish. It also had a nice tanginess to it because of the vinegar-based dressing that the potatoes were tossed in. They gave such large portions of these sides.

Another dish that was ordered that I got to try was the Cheddar Bratwurst. This homemade sausage was juicy and had amazing flavor from the spices that were infused. The cheddar cheese that was mixed in added a creaminess to the bratwurst. This also came with their homemade sauerkraut.

The Schnitzel Sandwich was also ordered, and I got to try that. This was a pork loin that was breaded and pan fried. They served this on a fresh pretzel roll, along with tomato, onions, mayo, and slices of Muenster cheese. This sandwich was large. The pork was crispy on the outside. That crunchy coating helped lock in the moisture of the pork. It was extremely juicy. The Muenster cheese gave a great creamy texture to the pork.

One of the sides that came with this sandwich was the Bratkartoffeln. These are pan fried potatoes with onion and bacon. The potatoes were nice and crispy. The onions added sweetness, while the bacon accented the starchy potato with a little saltiness. They reminded me of home fries that I get at some breakfast restaurants.

Finding this authentic German restaurant in this small, southern town was fantastic. The food was amazing. I would love o go back during Octoberfest. I sure it is a blast there.

Check them out at www.eatbrats.com

Enjoy!

T

Brentwood Market & Deli – Brentwood, TN

There is a neighborhood market that serves up homemade foods, snacks, and ice cream. Brentwood Market & Deli offers items that are already prepared, or they can be orders hot and fresh. They have picnic tables inside the market that you can sit at and enjoy some food.

I ordered a chili cheese dog. They make a homemade chili that they covered the grilled hotdog with. They sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese on top so that it would melt. There was no way I could pick up this hotdog. It would have been so messy. I ate it with a knife and fork. The chili was not spicy, it was mild and had a generous amount of eat and beans. I would have liked a little more cheese on top since there was so much chili.

I also got to try the Reuban Sandwich. They made the sandwich on Marble Rye that was toasted up on the flat top grill. This allowed for a little crispiness. The corned beef was nice and salty. It was thinly sliced which made it easy to bite in to. The melted Swiss cheese helped calm that saltiness. The sauerkraut added a great sour, tanginess. The Russian dressing (which is basically mayonnaise and ketchup) helped tie it all together with a slight sweetness.

There was a side of tater tots that came with the sandwich. There was nothing fancy about these, just simple tots that were crispy from the fryer.

They make homemade Pork Rinds at the market. They are a popular item. They come plain with a little salt or with spicy seasoning for a little kick. It is so cool to watch them being made. They take the raw pig skin and drop it into hot oil. As the skin starts to cook, it puffs up to create an airy texture. While I was there, I was able to get a fresh made batch. These were still warm when I got the bag. They had a great crunch, and the spicy seasoning added the right amount of heat.

During my visit, they were making some of their homemade ice cream. This is also a popular item with their customers. They offer a variety of flavors, including peach, that is a seasonal flavor.

The one being made was Mint Chocolate Chip. They made this ice cream by hand not with a machine. I was lucky to get to try some of it, even though the cream mixture was not frozen yet.

The mint flavor was strong but not overpowering. There was a richness to it along with a creamy texture. I could only imagine how delicious this would be once it was frozen.

This is a great neighborhood market. It is perfect to pop in for a quick bite to eat or grab something to make at home. Check them out at www.thebrentwoodmarket.com and help support this local business.

Enjoy!

T