While traveling around the US, it is easy to come across a variety of wineries, breweries and distilleries. I always enjoy visiting those places. But in Boulder, Colorado, I got very excited when we came across a Meadery. These are not common to find and as someone who loves mead getting to visit Redstone Meadery was a nice surprise
It’s a small place, but they offer so many choices of meads that you can try and purchase.
The Passionfruit Nectar was one of my favorites. It had a tropical sweet flavor that became tart as I continue to drink, then at the end, it had a slight spicy taste.
Another favorite, which I bought a bottle of, was the traditional Mountain Honey Wine. I could taste the sweet honey flavors of Orange Blossom and Wildflower. It gave off a consistent taste of citrus with each sip.
The 2011 Peach Reserve was released in 2018. There was not much left. It was sweet for sure with a blend of three different honeys that included meadow foam. It has a great subtle flavor of peaches.
Red Raspberry Mountain Honey Wine had a medium sweet taste. The raspberry flavor blended well with the clover and orange blossom honey. It was very smooth and would taste delicious with dark chocolate.
An interesting mead was the Nectar of the Hops. This was a dry mead with very little sweetness. It was created with hops, so it had a subtle taste like you would find in beer. It even had a light bubbly feel to it. It was extremely interesting.
If you like mead or just want a unique experience, then check out Redstone Meadery. The staff is really friendly. Check them out at www.redstonemeadery.com
Tony P’s is a great neighborhood bar in Denver, Colorado.
You can sit at tables or at the bar. I love sitting at the bar and I got great service from the owner.
There are some must tries if you visit.
The garlic bread is freshly made breadsticks that are baked to perfection. They are topped with olive oil, garlic and Parmesan cheese. You can add mozzarella for extra, but it’s not necessary. They were delicious just on their own.
Pan roasted meatballs we perfect. These homemade meatballs are tender and juicy. The flavor was amazing. You get four big meatballs so it’s perfect for sharing. They serve their homemade marinara sauce on top. The taste of oregano and basil in their sauce is amazing. They serve grilled ciabatta on the side, which is perfect to soak up all the extra sauce
If you love brussels sprouts then order the Brussel sprouts with pancetta. This is a dish is char-roast in their wood-burning oven. Then they drizzle balsamic glaze and olive oil on top. They sprinkle parmigiano Reggiano cheese to give a little extra salty taste. The crispy texture of the sprouts was perfect.
With a wood-burning oven ordering a pizza is a must. We ordered a small pepperoni pizza to share. The crust came out nice and crispy. I love the burnt spots on the crust. It had a great smoky taste. I enjoyed the homemade dough. It was sweet and complemented the salty taste of the cheese.
If you are still hungry, check out their assortment of homemade desserts. They are perfect to take to go. If you’re in the Highland area of Denver, make sure to check out Tony P’s. It was so delicious we visited twice.
Whetstone Chocolates in Saint Augustine, Florida has been making chocolates for decades.
When you walk in, there’s a display set up to look like the I Love Lucy candy wrapper episode.
There is Whetstone history all along the walls from it’s start in 1967 as a home kitchen. Henry and Esther Whetstone started with 13 fudges and hand dipped chocolates.
In 1991 Hershey asked them to make melt resistant chocolate for the military. The result was the Desert Bar used in Desert Storm. They also started producing Hershey kisses with almonds.
In 1995 Nestlé asked them to make Nestlé’s Magic Ball. This is hollowed chocolate with Disney characters inside.
This is still a working chocolate factory, so what is being made in the factory on each tour can be bought in the a shop next door.
To start the tour we got to sample the Fudge. I got to try peanut butter chocolate and cookies and cream. This is how they started their business, and I can see why it was so popular. The fudge was really creamy.
We learned a lot about the chocolate making process. Everything from the bean to the bar. You learn a lot of fun facts about chocolate. For example, all chocolate melts at 80°F; Fudge melts at 150°F; As long as only cocoa butter is in the ingredients, then it’s considered chocolate. Any other oils that are added changes it to chocolate flavoring.
On the tour, we got to try several of their chocolates. We started with milk chocolate and ended with dark chocolate.
Aviles is a blended milk chocolate with 31% Cocco. This is a Swiss formula with light sweetness. It melts fast and is super creamy.
San Marco is white chocolate with 0% cocoa. It’s creamy and light. It has a caramel taste. It’s sweeter than milk chocolate. It’s 55% sugar and 30% cocoa butter.
De Leon is dark chocolate with 47% cocoa. It’s got a reddish tint with fruity wine flavors. This is made from the Dutch process. Dark chocolate doesn’t have any milk in it. There is a little milk fat in this piece, which is what makes it creamy.
Menendez is a dark chocolate with 72% Cocco. It’s made from the Swiss process. It’s low roasted and aged to provide a mellow balanced flavor. It’s very bitter and has a slight aftertaste. Everyone’s taste buds are different so this will taste different for everybody.
Artisan chocolates are made during each tour and you get a special artisan chocolate to try. It’s made special each day for sampling. We even got to watch it being made in the factory.
We got to actually walk the working factory on the tour. We got to watch molds being filled and wrapped. They were making shells and alligators the day we were there. We got to see the cooling racks. We got to see how trays of chocolate got worked.
We even saw popcorn being made, with chocolate being drizzled on top.
It is a really fun tour to get to experience if you’re in Saint Augustine, Florida.
I highly recommend to check it out and enjoy some chocolate.
If you’ve come to Montreal and want to try their famous dish called poutine then I have found the perfect restaurant. It’s called La Banquise.
It’s a small place, so it fills up quickly.
They have 31 types of poutines on their menu and this includes 2 vegan options.
There are so many flavor profiles to choose from. It can be hard to narrow down, plus they have two sizes, regular and large. I recommend the regular size, it’s perfect for sharing.
I ordered La Classique. This is the traditional style poutine with French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. The fries reminded me of boardwalk fries with a sweetness. The gravy was savory and slightly salty. The cheese curds held their shape and added a great texture.
I also ordered La Elvis. I wanted to try one of their unique flavors. This was ground beef, green peppers, and mushrooms on top of the French fries. The flavor reminded me of a Philly cheesesteak just without the cheese. The savory flavor of the meat was delicious. The peppers added great flavor and the mushrooms, with their earthy taste, complemented the fresh flavor of the green peppers.
These were amazing poutines. By the time I left there was a line out the door and around the block. I would recommend getting there when they open to avoid long lines.
If you are interested in heading to Disney Springs, go on an empty stomach because they have so many great restaurants to choose from. We went to Jaleo by Jose Andres, a Spanish restaurant that offers unique dishes from Spain.
Ordering a pitcher of Sangria is a must. They have several options to select from, we just went with the traditional red. It had a hint of spice to it.
All the dishes come out tapas style, so it’s easy to share around the table.
The Croquetas de Pollo came out first. These had chicken that was puréed until creamy and mixed with creamy mashed potatoes. They were delicious. I could not get over how creamy they were. They were just like the ones I enjoyed in Barcelona.
The Plato de Queso Manchego was sliced Manchego cheese, which is sheep’s milk cheese. It is creamy and has a tangy flavor. It paired perfectly with the Cinco Jotas, which is acorn fed Iberico ham.
This special ham is aged 45 days. The presentation is amazing. They bring the meat over to your table and carve it in front of you. This Iberico ham just melts in your mouth. The fat that was on this ham was like butter.
While the previous items were shared around the table, I ordered the Gazpacho estilo Algeciras which was difficult to share. This was a chilled soup made with puréed tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers. It was a light soup which was the perfect appetizer.
The Pimentos Piquillos de Queso Cabra is another class Spanish dish. It was seared piquillo peppers and they were filled with goat cheese. The peppers were sweet and had no real heat. The tangy cheese was an excellent complement.
The Espinacas a la Catalana was sautéed spinach, peanuts, raisins, and apples. It was a unique combination that resembled a side dish. This is something that I would want to try to replicate at home for dinner. All the ingredients worked well together with the cooked spinach.
Then it was time for the main dishes to start arriving.
Chorizo Casero con Pure de Patatas al aceite de Olivia is a dish consisting of house made chorizo sausage served with mashed potatoes. The sausage had nice heat. It was tender and full of flavor. The mashed potatoes were creamy. There was a little sauce poured on top that acted like gravy for the potatoes.
Pollo con pisto Manchego is grilled chicken thighs with a traditional vegetable stew. The chicken was moist and full of flavor from the spices. The stew acted like a sauce.
Gambas al Ajillo is a simple but elegant dish. It is sautéed shrimp and garlic butter sauce. There were huge pieces of garlic that added so much flavor. There was bread on the side to help soak up the butter. The shrimp were large in size plus they were tender.
The Tortilla Espanola is an omelet made of eggs, onions, and potatoes. This was a great dish that was perfect for dinner with the savory flavor. It did not feel like a breakfast dish even though it was an omelet.
Even with all the food we enjoyed, it was time for dessert.
Flan al ostllo tradicional de mama Marisa con espuma de crema Catalana is a classic Spanish custard with “aspuma” Catalan cream and oranges. It was creamy. It was the best flan I have ever tasted.
Pan con Chocolate is a chocolate custard with caramelized bread, olive oil, and brioche ice cream. The presentation of this dessert was beautiful.
The chocolate custard was extremely rich and sweet. I was only able to eat a few bites. The brioche ice cream was delicious. It was creamy and sweet with a subtle unique taste. The best way to eat this dish was to combine the custard and the ice cream on your spoon. It blends the two flavors together.
Just in time for dessert, we were able to enjoy the Flamenco dancers, and the band that started performing around the restaurant. It was the perfect conclusion to our amazing meal.
If you are in Disney Springs looking for a great place to eat, check out Jaleo by Jose Andres. Visit their website at www.jaleo.com
If you are looking for is a perfect place to watch football, soccer, or any other sport, then check out Fado Irish Pub in Atlanta, Georgia. It has a fun feel of a British/Irish pub inside.
There were a few things on the menu that I was looking forward to trying. The first item out was the Cheese Dip and Wedges. This was creamy cheddar and pepper Jack cheese made into a dip with pico de gallo mixed throughout. They served Boxy Wedges on the side. I haven’t had these since I was in Ireland. Irish boxy wedges are made from mashed potatoes formed into a loaf. It is fried until golden and crispy then sliced. They are unique and delicious.
Next out was the Reuben sandwich. This classic sandwich was served on marble rye bread with coleslaw on top and beautifully shaved corn beef. The flavor was fantastic. The French fries on the side were a nice touch.
The final dish out was the Shepherd’s Pie. It came with a side salad. The creamy mashed potatoes on topped were sprinkled with parsley and had a crispy layer. The meat and vegetable mixture was extremely savory. It was the perfect comfort food on a cold day.
If you are in Atlanta and looking for a place with fantastic comfort food, then check out Fado Irish Pub. Visit their website www.fadoirishpub.com
If you head down to Fremont Street in old Las Vegas, you’re going to come upon a really interesting restaurant called Evel Pie.
This restaurant is themed for Evel Knievel. There are photos, bikes, and other memorabilia decorating the walls.
You order at the counter and when your order is ready, they call your name. Simply go up to the counter and pick up your food.
I ordered Grandma’s Meatballs. These are three large meatballs per order which is perfect for sharing. They’re served with Evel’s tomato sauce. The meatballs were tender with a lot of flavor.
You can order pizza either buy the slice or a whole pie. I decided to go after just a slice. I ordered the Cheesy Rider. It’s the plain slice of pizza with mozzarella cheese. It’s a classic and it really hit the spot.
They have a great happy hour from 2 to 6 PM so check them out if you’re on Fremont Street and want a little taste of old Las Vegas.
If you want to have dinner at a popular restaurant on a Friday night, then The Keg is the place to be. Just make sure that you have a reservation to ensure you get a table.
We had a nice table at the window. The table was more casual with comfortable leather seats that made it feel like a lounge.
I started with a Sangria. They made it beautifully. It had bubbles from the Sprite they added. It had a great sweet and spicy flavor.
We started with a few appetizers to share. The crispy cauliflower was the first thing out. It was tender and had a little heat because of the seasoning they sprinkled on top. They served a chipotle hot sauce on the side as well as a lime aioli. They were perfect for dipping. I really enjoyed mixing both dipping sauces together.
The Mushrooms Neptune was an extremely rich dish. They took mushroom caps and stuffed them with crab meat and cream cheese. Then they ran it through the salamander (broiler) to put a crispy layer of cream cheese on top.
The crab meat was sweet and complemented the slight sour taste of the cream cheese. The mushrooms were tender and the perfect vehicle to serve the crab and cheese.
For my dinner I got Filet Mignon with Lobster & Crab. The tender filet was grilled to the perfect medium. The seasoning was the best blend of salt and pepper. The crab meat and lobster (both Atlantic and Norway) were placed on top of the filet. It was then covered with a lobster hollandaise sauce. There was also asparagus and baby carrots served on the side. I had a baked potato and I decided to get it twice baked, that way the cheddar cheese on top was a little crispy.
The gilled Top Sirloin was also ordered the exact same way. The difference was the baked potato came loaded.
The appetizers and steaks were so filling there was no room for dessert. The meal was fantastic and I recommend everyone check them out. thekeg.com/en/locations/old-montreal
If you are looking for something unique to do in Montreal, I would recommend you check out Aura. It is a spectacular light/music show that is preformed at the famous Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.
When you walk through the doors of the Basilica, you will be walking into darkness which is a major contrast from the light outside.
Once your eyes adjust, you will start to see the lights and candles that adorn the altar at the front, the ceiling, and the side displays. It is absolutely beautiful. It is awe-inspiring, especially when you remember you are in a place of worship.
The show is amazing. The music and lights help tell the story of the Earth’s creation. The lights dance on the ceiling and walls as the audience watches the changing of all four seasons.
You watch the great flood with the sound of rain and thunder all being created by music.
And to finish, you see the rainbow and the promise of a new day with triumphant music.
For those that are religious and know the Bible, you will recognize the imagery. For those not interested in the religious aspect, you will still enjoy the music, lights, and technical aspects of the show.
It is perfect for the whole family. Get tickets in advance to ensure a spot. The seating is open so get there early to have a seat close to the middle.
After the show, the Basilica is open for everyone to explore. I encourage you to walk around and look at the beautiful sculptures, stations of the cross (which are beautiful oil paintings), artwork, and the craftmanship of all the carved wood.
When visiting Montreal, I was able to visit a beautiful family Italina restaurant called Bravi with one of the owner’s cousins. Since we had a huge party, we had a preset menu, but almost everything on the regular menu came out. We did not go hungry tonight.
When we walked into our private room, we were greeted with wine and Focaccia. It was absolutely delicious. Everything happened so fast when we arrived that I did not even get a chance to snap a photo. The wine was called Tullum. It was an amazing red wine. We ended up drinking may, many bottles.
After a little socializing, we all sat down at the table and the starters all came out. If there is one starter that I would suggest you try it is the Bruschetta with goat cheese & caramelized onions. This was to die for! It was the onions that made this dish so delicious. They were sweet and complemented the tang of the goat cheese.
The Calamari Fritti was extremely tender. The breading was light and crispy.
Do not shy away from the Grilled Octopus. I have never been much of a fan of octopus, but the preparation of this dish completely changed my mind. The flavor was fantastic, and it was so tender. It melted in my mouth.
The fried bocconcini was essentially fried cheese. It was lightly breaded. They served marinara sauce on the side for dipping. It had wonderful flavor of oregano and basil.
The Charcuterie board were enormous. There were piles of Italian meats. The quality of the meat was superb. The meats that they included were Mortadella, Hard salami (cut into thick pieces), and Prosciutto. The Prosciutto was so lean, it just melted when I took a bite. This was some of the best Prosciutto I have ever eaten.
The next course out was the pasta, which was Rigatoni Romanoff. The homemade rigatoni pasta was tossed in a Rose sauce along with shallots, spinach, and parmesan cheese. This dish was so creamy. The sauce was amazing and soaked up wonderfully into the pasta.
Up next was the salad. This was a classic salad with freshly made Italian dressing.
The main entrees started arriving and I had a hard time deciding where to start. The Branzino was roasted seabass with vegetables and roasted potatoes. The fish was flakey. The light caper butter sauce they put on top made the overall fish buttery.
Veal Scaloppine Ortobosco might be a mouthful to say, but you will your mouth will thank you for ordering this dish. The veal was served in a white wine sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and a demi-glaze. The veal was so tender, no knife was needed. The sauce was savory and the perfect accent to the veal and potatoes. The mushrooms added texture without adding that earthy taste.
If you like lamb, then be sure to order the Costolette di Agnello alla Rustica. This was a grilled rack of lamb in a port wine sauce. The presentation was beautiful. I tried a little of this since I am not a fan of lamb. The meat was tender and seasoned to remove that gamey taste.
Even with all the food that we ate around the table, no Italian meal would be complete without desserts. The Tiramisu was very traditional. It was extremely creamy and had a wonderful espresso taste.
The Limoncello Cake was light. It had fluffy icing that had a hint of lemon flavor.
There were large plates of fresh fruit that also came out to the table. These plates were loaded with cherries, grapes, strawberries, pineapple, and watermelon. It was extremely fresh.
I would also recommend the cappuccino. It was perfect to sip while enjoying the desserts.
If you are in Montreal, I would highly recommend visiting Bravi. It is a little out of the city but worth the Uber ride.
