I recently enjoyed a number of small plates at Oak on their midday menu, which, by the way, is another reason to love this place. It is open for midday food, which is somewhat of a rarity in Boulder amongst restaurants of their acclaim. My friends and I snacked on some Fried Pickles, Wood Oven Roasted Cauliflower, and my meat loving friends split the Meatballs (and then talked about them all afternoon as the best meatballs they’d ever had).

Everything was so fantastic. We kept placing orders…

I could have eaten the Crispy Rock Shrimp all day.

And I think the biggest mistake I made was sharing the Yellow Fin Tuna Tataki with friends. I mean that! This is worth trying. It comes on a bed of cucumbers and is so light, fresh, and delicious.

But, what I find coolest about Oak at Fourteenth is you can tell a man in a vest which spirits you prefer and he can create something unique with flavor profiles you enjoy.

I am a big fan of Rye and like to taste new cocktail creations beyond the sazerac. New cocktail creations is what you’ll get at Oak. Besides their pre-prohibition-era cocktail menu, the beverage manager, Greg, is talented enough to ask you a few questions about your tastes and then create something unique for you. I have never had the same cocktail twice while at Oak.

Greg knows I like rye, and though I can’t remember the ingredients he told me were in my cocktail (there was port, I recall), he used local Denver-based, small batch Leopold Brothers Maryland Style Rye Whiskey. I love supporting local restaurants when I dine and when I bring small groups on culinary walking tours. I especially like to see the restaurants support other local businesses as well.

Oak at Fourteenth is very easy to find: 1400 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO

303.444.3622

Where are we going to eat?  That is the million dollar question every time we travel.  Walking down Broadway in Nashville, TN, we were not enticed to eat anywhere.  Not to sound like food-snobby northerners (or Coloradans… even worse, Boulderites!), but our dining options in downtown Nashville didn’t look too good.  We didn’t want bar food.  We had made a poor choice for lunch that day in Birmingham, Alabama (and that is all I will say about that), and were looking for something made from scratch, on the healthy side, and hip.  As we approached Merchant’s, we glanced inside, walked past, stopped, and said, “Wow.That looks like the perfect place for us tonight.”

Merchants has an upstairs and downstairs- two separate establishments sharing the same finer-dining philosophy. We decided to dine at Merchant’s Downstairs to enjoy a more casual dinner.  The menu is uniquely quirky- just some narrow sheets of paper clipped at the top.  But those photocopied sheets reveal dishes that are thoughtfully created by and for modern foodies ready to break away from the heavy, greasy fare available at most Nashville establishments in the downtown area.

And let’s not forget the cocktails. You know I love cocktails…

We started off with two cocktails featuring absinthe- The Savoy Hotel Special No. 1 (above) and the Mad Hatter (below).  Both were quite complex- sweet, but not too sweet, savory, and a slightly bitter finish with each sip. 

We split a spinach salad.  I got snap happy with my hipstamatic app, so I know this salad does not look amazing, but it sure did taste good.  Especially for a veggie lover like me who is trying so very hard to find veggies on menus here in the south.  Spinach, goat cheese, kalamata olives, red onion, and tomato.  What’s not to love? And, one thing I particularly appreciated was that there was no problem splitting the salad.  Our waitress had it split in the kitchen and served on two plates.  Thank you so much for that.

The duck fat fried tater tots were not something I chose to order (that was my companion’s decision), but I had no problem eating half of them.  Tater tots are no longer just some nasty frozen food that I refuse to go near.  Make some in house and fry them in duck fat.  Merchants has a great idea here.  The only complaint I can muster is that the serving of tots is so huge we both could only eat half of our sandwiches… but, the other halves were perfect for breakfast the next day, so it worked out quite nicely.

I ordered a roasted turkey sandwich that came with cranberry spread on some light, crunchy bread.  It was exactly what I needed.  I couldn’t stop eating the sweet potato fries and the BBQ dipping sauce that came with them.  I definitely over-ate and realized it would be hard to walk out of the place.  Kevin had a fried green tomato BLT and absolutely loved it.  Restaurant chefs out there- if you are reading this, pay close attention: a fried green tomato BLT is a fantastic idea.  Fantastic!  Kevin also over-ate and we came to a good solution…

We ordered a couple more drinks to help digest.  Good idea.

I ordered a Negroni- I liked that is had Campari.

Kevin ordered a Tom Collins.

I couldn’t help but snap a few photos of the place.

It has such an original character with black and white floors, chairs, tables, etc.

We enjoyed our meal at Merchant’s so much that we returned the next day for a few more cocktails, two salads, and their fish tacos.  Again, we really appreciated that they divided the fish tacos and served them on two plates for us to share.  Merchant’s has been a highlight of our southern road trip.  I’d like to check out the more formal dining of Merchant’s upstairs the next time I’m in Nashville.  If you’ve been there, I’d love to know what you think.

I’m not a big candy person, but JJ’s Sweets just might be my new favorite candy company. I have great things to say about the four sweets I tried and, as I write this, feel a longing for a Cocomel.

What is a Cocomel? It’s a coconut milk caramel and it is fantastic. Fantastic! I tired the original, java, fleur de sel, and vanilla cocomel and enjoyed them all. I actually scarfed them down, to be completely honest.

Cocomels are not only lip-smackingly delicious caramels, they are vegan and gluten free. They’re locally made in Boulder, CO, so that’s a plus, too.

JJ’s Sweets doesn’t only make the soon-to-be-famous Cocomel- they also make “unique hard candies” and I have a new favorite sweet: Fennel and Anise Seed Brittle. I’d never had such a flavor combination in a candy, and I’m looking forward to having it again. The fennel and anise go together so well, and it isn’t too sweet, but sweet enough to satisfy an after-dinner sweet tooth.

The Tangerine Dream hard candy was the best tasting tangerine candy, period. I don’t know much at all about making hard candies, but these were perfectly hard, and my taste buds approved while the candies slowly dissolved. No artificial junk added. That’s the kind of candy we should eat when we indulge in candy.

And the last treat that I reluctantly shared was the Fleur de Sel Chocolate Covered Cocomel. I’ll take a dozen, please.

JJ’s Sweets can be found at the Boulder Farmers Market, as well as local holiday markets. But, don’t worry non-Boulder-locals because they ship! So, order some online for a unique holiday gift this year. That’s my plan.

If you live or work in Boulder and have not yet eaten from the COMIDA food truck, I think it would be a good time to check out their website and make an effort to track the pink truck down for a deliciously fun food experience.

Lucky for me, COMIDA makes stops at Asher Brewing Co, which happens to be across the street from my home. I can just walk over and indulge in their chicken quesadilla (center) or fish tacos (right). The real meat-eater at home ordered a number of meaty tacos and was completely satisfied. Licked the foil clean…

But, one reason I especially like COMIDA, besides a super friendly staff that jams out to music while they work, is they have a number of vegetarian offerings that are more elevated than a simple salad. Go COMIDA Go! Can’t wait for some food tonight.