Two weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to Colorado for a vacation. After arriving by plane, we went on a little road trip that started in Denver. We met a good friend of mine at this awesome restaurant called Root Down where I had my first ever Moscow Mule. It was in a copper mug and all. I was in love. The sweet and tangy flavors quenched my thirst after our evening of traveling.
The highlight of our meal was the Green Chili Duck Tacos. A mound of duck was topped on a small flavorful blue corn taco with lemon creme fraiche, cotija cheese, and fried crunchy sweet potato. All of the flavors melted together with the salty yet sweet duck, the sour creme fraiche , and crunchy chips on top. The ambience was really hip with dimmed lighting which I really enjoyed. I would fly back just for the duck and mule.
As our road trip unraveled we landed in Boulder for a short weekend then onto Aspen. In the mean time we were surrounded by this..
The views are so beautiful but driving alongside those mountains make me oh so sick. The fresh air, views, and delicious food made up for it. 🙂 However, something else completely made up for my sickness…my boyfriend and I got engaged!! He surprised me while riding a gondola down from the top of Aspen mountain. He had both of our families awaiting our arrival. Our celebration continued for several days and another highlight was trying the tasting menu at Chefs Club. If you’re not familiar with this restaurant, they’re partnered with Food & Wine Magazine. This is where some of the best new chefs showcase their top dishes.
The whole tasting menu was pretty safe, nothing was too out of the ordinary. The cocktail menu was pretty exceptional and my favorite drink had lavender and fresh egg whites in it. I’m usually skeptical of raw eggs but this, this was frothy, creamy, tangy, and smooth. Oh, and beautiful too, see below!
The best tasting item on the menu was the cured scallops. They were light, creamy, sweet, and slightly salty. The texture was maybe the best part, the salmon roe provided a burst of fresh sea flavor. The lovely pop of color from the carrots added a faint sweetness. Uh and that presentation, exquisite!
Next up was the Keffir Lime Custard. Although I was so full from the previous dishes, I couldn’t stop eating it! It was so creamy, sour and sweet that it was hard to stop! It was almost like eating the best limeade you’ve ever had in custard form. I.could.not.stop. Before I knew it, the custard was devoured.
Last but not least, we had to visit the farmers market on our second to last day. Peaches are at it’s peak so I just had to taste the peach sorbet. Look how cute and yummy they look (below). The mountainous background and painted sky aren’t too bad either.
