June Savings at Savory Spice Shop

June is the BEST month to buy spices from Savory Spice Shop because if you bring in your “tired old” competitors’ bottles (empty or not), you save $1.00 off Savory’s 4 oz. bottles of freshly filled herbs, spices, and spice blends. This promotion runs from June 1-June 30, so let’s make June a spicy month.  Head to you nearest Savory Spice Shop and treat yourself and your tastebuds to some of the best spices available.

Bring a bottle, buy a bottle, get a buck!

I, unfortunately, will not be participating in this since every single spice jar in my pantry is filled with Savory’s spices. But, as Savory Spice Shop’s biggest fan, it’s my duty to suggest you start making the great migration from ordinary to extraordinary.

CASCADES- The Restaurant at the Historic Stanley Hotel

I was recently invited to join a number of food bloggers for a private dinner at Cascades in Estes Park.  I had never been to the historic Stanley Hotel, nor had I heard about their restaurant, Cascades.  I have, of course, seen The Shining, and have always been intrigued by that gorgeous white hotel sitting on the hillside in Estes Park that inspired Stephen King to write the haunted horror story.  And, as I approach my seventh year in Colorado, it seems to be about time I step foot in The Stanley. Lucky for me, I got to enjoy a fine meal there as well as meander the enchanted hotel.

Cascades is known mostly as a steakhouse, but Executive Chef Richard Beichner demonstrated his modern approach to classic steakhouse fare.  He told us that Cascades buys as much locally sourced foods as possible, and he presented us plate after plate of modern interpretations of classic dishes.

While we waited for everyone to arrive, cocktails were served.  I started with a French 75, a gin martini with champagne and lemon juice. After the first sip I had great expectations for the afternoon because, in my experience, a good cocktail is often created in establishments that serve good food.

Our first dish was Pastrami Salmon on a cucumber slaw with 1000 Island Panna Cotta and Rye Croutons.  This was a play on Reuben sandwich and it worked.

Garlic infused olive oil sat on the table.  I couldn’t stop dipping my bread in this golden delicious temptation.

Next came a raw vegetable salad with radish, carrot, fennel, and honey mustard dressing.  Again, a real crowd pleaser.

Our next dish was quite unique- zucchini spaghetti with rock shrimp in a San Marzano tomato sauce.  I love zucchini noodles and this dish, which was really well done, inspired me to make some as soon as zucchini is in season.

Our next dish was a preserved lemon and rosemary roasted veal loin with a red wine demi glaze served over fresh corn polenta and orange scented carrots.  I must say- I wasn’t thrilled to be served veal, but it was good.  I definitely wouldn’t order it… probably ever from any where, but, after casting my anti-veal opinions to the side, I enjoyed the dish. I could have eaten a large bowl of fresh corn polenta and would highly recommend looking for that on the menu at Cascades.

We enjoyed thoughtful wine pairings throughout the meal, though I did not pay close attention to them.  I have in my notes that a Pinot Grigio was served with the zucchini spaghetti and a Le Nez Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley was served with the veal. (My ears perk up when I hear Pinot Noir and Willamette Valley, so I made a point to write that one down). With dessert we enjoyed a Canadian Ice Wine, and if you’re not familiar with ice wines, they’re super sweet and have a concentrated flavor.  I really enjoy them.

Ice wine went well with nutmeg sugar donuts, bruléed red grapefruit, vanilla bean gelato, and grapefruit salt caramel.

And then more sweet bites came out, or “mignardises,” if you’d like to be proper. We all sat and nibbled on a variety of delicious mini pastries for a while before venturing off to explore the haunted hallways of The Stanley Hotel.

If you’re a resident of Estes Park, Cascades offers you 20% off year-round, so I’d suggest treating yourself to a nice meal there at your local neighborhood restaurant.  If you’re passing through Estes, you’ll see there aren’t as many dining options as we have in Boulder, so I’d give Cascades a try.

Heavenly Bites

I recently discovered Heavenly Bites– delicious carob treats that will satisfy your chocolate-craving sweet tooth. These “truffley treats” are vegan and made from carob chips (read: no chocolate), which didn’t really sound very appealing to me at first.  But, Oh Yes You Candy, creator of Heavenly Bites, will change your perspective on chocolate-free chocolatey treats.  Trust me.

Jodi Feinhor-Dennis, the mastermind behind these almost healthy treats, has to maintain a very strict dairy-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free diet.  After spending years saying “no” to sweet indulgences, she decided to say “Oh Yes You Candy” and created a truffle-sized delectable option for herself and others.

There are three treats in each package, which is just enough to make you wish you had bought two packages… not just one.  I tried the Coconut, Almond, and Sea Salt treat and my tastebuds thought I was eating a macaroon.  For a total macaroon-lover, this was a really pleasant and seemingly guilt-less experience. I’m definitely a fan of this particular flavor.

As someone who does not have food allergies, I don’t often think about what it would be like to have to avoid certain foods.  But, if you’re limiting processed sugar intake, caffeine, dairy, or gluten, Heavenly Bites are a dessert-solution for you and well-worth a try.

*Disclaimer: I received one package of Heavenly Bites for free after meeting the owner, tasting the product, and suggesting I write about them since I genuinely enjoyed them.

Boulder’s Best Root Beer Float

Oak at Fourteenth isn’t just serving some of the best lunch and dinner in town– Their dessert menu is pretty tempting and well worth a glance.  I’m a new-found fan of their root beer float that my esteemed tour guide Heather and I split after enjoying a fantastically delicious meal at OAK for her birthday.

Neither Heather nor I felt like ordering dessert, but our waitress brought us a root beer float with a candle to say Happy Birthday, so how could we resist…  Now, here’s the cool part- they serve the ice cream, brownies, and pretzel bites in a glass and bring the root beer in a small caraffe on the side to pour your float at the table. I like that detail very much.

Everything is made in-house except the pretzel bites, which add a nice crunch to the vanilla ice cream, brownie bites, and root beer. Sip it with a straw, dig into it with a spoon- The last sip is slurp-worthy, so if the restaurant is bustling and loud, you just might get away with some impolite slurping.

OAK at Fourteenth

1400 Pearl Street, Boulder CO