melT: The Almond Drop

I met Melissa Thomas on a progressive dining tour with Local Table Tours. We got to talking about cooking, food blogging, the gluten free trend and just how terrible some of the “healthy” gluten free pre-packaged foods taste. Melissa mentioned that she actually made a gluten free treat called The Almond Drop. She told me that her original intentions were not to create a gluten free product, but it just so happened to be delicious and naturally gluten free, so she found herself right in the middle of the gluten free industry. As she was incredibly friendly, a knowledgable foodie, and passionate about her craft, I told her I’d love to sample them and write a post to help spread the word.

I was expecting a small sample, perhaps one or two of each flavor, so I was really surprised when she gave me four whole packages: Walnut White Chocolate Dried Cherries, Cranberry Chocolate, Apricot Chocolate, and Simply Apricot (a vegan treat). I’m really glad she was generous with me because these things were my nightly dessert for a week or so.

A combination of almonds, dates, almond butter, unsweetened coconut, and flax has never tasted so good. These little bite-sized balls are sweet enough (agave syrup) to satisfy my sweet tooth, yet wholesome enough to indulge in more than just one, as those calories (140 per ball) are mostly comprised of nuts and healthy fats. I loved each variety of Almond Drop almost equally, and found that having all four in one sitting made for a most satiating dessert.

You can purchase The Almond Drop here in Boulder at Whole Foods and Lucky’s Market. Way to go, melT Foods! That’s a well-deserved product placement.

The Boulder Passport: Sanitas Brewing

After cocktails at Roundhouse Spirits and a couple pints at Wild Woods Brewery, I got on my bike thinking we were heading home. But no. Sean had decided we should ride over to Sanitas Brewing for our third and final stop on our week night Tour de Boulder Passport.

We walked in to find our friend Marty pouring beer, which meant that our first round was followed by a second round. But, no complaints here. Sanitas has a huge patio (with lawn games), food by McDevitt Taco Supply, and good beer.

We sat until the sun set, collected our third stamp for the evening, and pedaled home in the dark discussing our spontaneously fun adventure… brought to us by The Boulder Passport.

The Boulder Passport: Wild Woods Brewery

After a drink at Roundhouse, Chef and I hopped on our trusty Linuses and rode a couple blocks over to Wild Woods Brewery for a taste of their two-for-one beers.

This was my second time at Wild Woods, as I enjoyed a beer sampler there when I delivered their Boulder Passport stamp and ink pad. I enjoy the woodsy camping outdoorsy-themed beers. I was excited to tip back with Sean as he’s generally more of a beer guy and me a wine-o.

Owners Jake and Erin Evans will gladly let you taste anything before jumping into a pint. I went right for the Treeline IPA and he enjoyed a Ponderosa Porter. Then we had another round and decided it was a good idea to visit one more spot on our Tour de Passport that evening…

The Boulder Passport: Roundhouse Spirits

Roundhouse Spirits is one of Boulder’s first distilleries. I’ve been fond of their gin and Corretto (the best coffee liqueur I’ve ever tasted) for years now. I don’t make it out to the eastern side of town too often, so it’s been a while since I visited the distillery.  Sean had never been. Good thing the Boulder Passport gave us an excuse to ride our Linuses out there for a cocktail in their new Speakeasy Bar.

Roundhouse is offering two-for-one “Craft Cocktails” as their Boulder Passport special. They have a rather large cocktail menu featuring their gin, Imperial (Barrel-Aged) Gin, Corretto, and Pumpkin King Cordial, made with locally grown pumpkins.

Chef went for a Bubbly tail with Blood Orange Sparkling water. I went with a martini. I don’t even drink martini’s, really, but something felt right about a gin martini just steps away from the still at the distillery.  They also just recently built a Speakeasy Bar in the distillery, and it’s a very cool room in town. All the more reason to taste all 40 establishments in the Boulder Passport!

The Boulder Passport: Shine

Our seventh stop on our 40-venue tasting adventure was Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place for a couple pints and a late dinner on a weeknight.

Shine is unique because it’s owned by triplet sisters and is the only woman-owned brewery in the state. It’s a really popular spot in Boulder and they brew good beer, so we collected a Boulder Passport stamp, of course.

As Chef and I were both starving at 9:30 pm, we were thrilled the kitchen was still open and ordered a salad and tempeh burger to share. This Passport is getting us out and about, for sure.