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

The Kitchen Table Bistro, Richmond VT

If you’re dining up in Burlington, VT, I’d suggest heading out to Richmond for a taste of The Kitchen Table Bistro. You won’t be disappointed.

On a recent trip to Vermont to visit my illustrious sister, Alison Ellis- proprietor and designer of Floral Artistry, suggested we (my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law) enjoy a meal at The Kitchen Table.  This farm-to-table restaurant has been serving local VT fare for nine years, and we enjoyed their ninth birthday celebration menu.

We started with bread and butter (fantastically fresh and delicious bread and butter); a kale, cashew, and blue cheese salad; a beet and goat cheese salad; and the baby lettuce salad.

Next, we tasted some toasts. Yes, more of that great bread, please. The roasted red pepper and Cremont (a Vermont cheese I had the pleasure of sampling from Boulder’s very own cheese shop, Cured), was a crowd pleaser. I also really had to try the foraged mushroom toast since I’m often inspired by local Rocky Mountain forager and write of Hunger and Thirst for Life.  Anyway, I’ve had foraging on my mind and if the menu says “foraged mushrooms” I’m going to order them.

We washed this all down with some Illahe Pinot Noir from the Willammette Valley in Oregon, a place I used to adore calling home.  A good time was being had by all.

 Mom and sister (who’s super pregnant at this point) were across from each other…

Dad and brother-in-law played catch-up, too.

And then more food came out… the entreés.

My mom ordered scallops, of course. She always orders scallops.  I had stuffed quail, and apparently gave up on taking photos because I don’t have my sister or dad’s plates.  I did, however, get a shot of the burger and fries.

And then it was time for dessert…

Delectable. Divine. Simply delicious. Especially when enjoyed with a tawny port.

The Kitchen Table Bistro

802.434.8686

1840 West Main St.

Richmond, VT 05477

Private Dining Tours in Boulder

Living Social is running a promo on my new tours: Private Dining Experiences.  Check out the deal and come join me on tour!

Living Social Special: $99 Private Dining Experience 

Cheers!

Taste 14: Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey

It turns out that he prefers bourbon, so we get along well. Before I was introduced to rye whiskey, I considered myself a bourbon gal.  Now, depending on my mood, my spirit of choice is often either bourbon or rye. Whatever form of whiskey (or whisky) it may be, I really enjoy craft-distilled oak-aged libations.

Last year I became familiar with Tuthilltown Spirits, a craft distillery in Gardiner, New York, and producer of Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey.  I attended back-to-back tastings by Gable Erenzo, chief distiller.  Gable talked to us about each spirit as we sampled their New York Corn Whiskey, Husdon Baby Bourbon, Four Grain Bourbon, and Manhattan Rye. The guided whiskey tasting by Tuthilltown Spirits was a great way to taste a number of their products in progression from un-aged (white whiskey) to the spicy rye.  I enjoyed each one individually and gained a great appreciation for this small, up-state NY distiller.

Ever since launching cocktail tours in Boulder in 2011, I have an unquenchable thirst for information about spirits, distillers, and cocktails. I like details, like the following: Tuthilltown Spirits distills whiskey from 100% corn grown in New York State ~which might mean we can discuss its terrior. Hudson Baby Bourbon was the first legal pot-distilled bourbon made in NY since prohibition. It is aged in smaller barrels than many bourbons out there, which means the Baby Bourbon benefits from a greater surface area of wood to bourbon (meaning it’s smooth and flavorful…think of vanilla and caramel notes).

When I decided to give him 14 tastes of how much I care, I knew that one taste had to be bourbon. I immediately thought of the Baby Bourbon, wrote an email, and asked for a bottle.  I’m telling you this to be completely honest since I did not go and buy this bottle, yet I sit here praising it as one of my favorite bourbons ever. Am I truthful? Absolutely. And of the 14 tastes this month, I think I saved the best for last.

One thing I find particularly cool is that this afternoon we opened – year 11, batch 13, bottle 1171- and I know this because it’s hand written on the label.  He cut through the hand-dipped wax cap (which we discussed as a meaningful detail by the distiller) and sipped on this smooth, amber libation. On the second sip he emphatically said it was the best bourbon he’d ever had. That comment brought a smile to my face, as I realized he genuinely appreciated this finely crafted whiskey. I’m looking forward to sharing the bottle with him.