Sampling Food in Colorado Springs

On February 21, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Food, Recipes3 Comments

There are a variety of restaurants in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, which means you can find something for any taste. Most of the restaurants are independently owned and each of them has its own unique style. We were only downtown for a day, so we only had time to visit a few locations. In order to maximize our experience we went to a Colorado themed restaurant, an Irish pub, and a seafood restaurant.

Historic Building with Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub

Our first stop of the day was at Colorado Craft Social, which was serving Sunday brunch. We ordered the Green Chili Cheddar Biscuits with eggs over easy. As always, we shared our meal as it was definitely a lot of food. As a bonus, the meal came with a free mimosa to help start the day out right and they also served a lot of local Colorado beers. After eating our fill of comfort food, we walked around the downtown area to enjoy a sunny day in Colorado Springs.

In the afternoon, we headed to Jack Quinn’s to listen to some authentic Irish folk music and enjoy a pint of beer and some chips and dips. Chips are obviously the same as French fries and it came with two dips, one that was a curry dip and the other was somewhat similar to a thousand island dressing. The building that houses the restaurant was built in the late 1800’s and is part of the historic downtown district. It was hard to leave the wonderful ambiance of the pub, but we needed to head back to our hotel for some warmer clothes as the temperatures drop quickly once the sun goes down.

For dinner, we ended up at Bonny and Read for an upscale seafood experience. After a half dozen oysters, we shared the Yellow Tail Snapper. It is served whole with a lime ginger sauce and coconut rice giving it an Asian flare. Although we don’t usually like to have to filet our own fish at the table, it certainly tasted wonderful. With all of the wonderful choices to choose from, downtown Colorado Springs certainly is a great place to go for a night out.

The Wharf Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia

On December 6, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Virginia3 Comments

We tend to try and find good seafood whenever we travel places and our recent visit to Old Town Alexandria in Virginia was no different. We chose to go to The Wharf Restaurant and we were not disappointed. Located on the historic King Street in the heart of Old Town in a building that is over 200 years old, it has wonderful charm as well as fresh and delicious seafood. We stopped in for lunch and were surrounded by a variety of locals, a sure sign of a places popularity.

We started with a half-pound of steamed shrimp with an herb butter and what we assumed was Old Bay Seasoning. That probably could have been lunch on its own, but we followed it with Salmon Chesapeake, which is salmon stuffed with lump crab and a crab butter cream. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the crab was fresh and delicious. Although we didn’t get dessert while we were there, the bartender told us about a local ice cream shop called Pop’s because we kept seeing people walking by the window with ice cream cones.

With its exposed beams and stone walls, the ambiance couldn’t have been more perfect. Although we were there for lunch, it would be a wonderful location to have a romantic dinner for a special occasion. Every member of the staff that we talked to were all very friendly and welcoming. We certainly hope to have another opportunity to enjoy a meal at The Wharf again on a future visit.

Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria in Las Vegas

On May 31, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Las Vegas, Recipes2 Comments

There are a lot of restaurant choices in Las Vegas, many of them coming with a fairly hefty price tag. On a previous trip to Vegas, we found Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria in the Venetian and since we love New York style pizzas, it has become a favorite place for us to stop when we are in town. The atmosphere is casual, the prices are very reasonable, and the staff is extremely friendly.

Inside of the Restaurant (Sorry, It is Dark)

Obviously, the food is what is most important and Grimaldi’s pizza is definitely a worthwhile treat. The original restaurant is famous in New York City and their coal brick-oven pizzas have a distinct taste and flavor. Obviously there are plenty of other offerings such as calzones, salads, and traditional Italian dishes, but we chose to have one of their traditional pizzas with extra mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and mushrooms.

We sat at the bar where we had a couple of glasses of wine with our pizza and watched some sports on the television. The bartenders and waiters who came up to the well for their drinks were all very nice and quick to start a conversation, crack a joke, and genuinely seemed to enjoy their jobs. We even recognized Eric, one of the bartenders, from a trip to Las Vegas a couple of years ago. If you want to get out of the casinos and have good food at a price that won’t break the bank, Grimaldi’s is an excellent choice. Don’t have time to sit down for a meal, you can also order the pizzas to-go and take it back to your hotel room.