Category: Travel

The Buff.  I never would have given it a second glance if it hadn’t been featured on The Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food.  Adam Richman went there when featuring Boulder, Colorado to sample their signature item…the saddlebags.  The place was interesting enough on television, so when I found myself in Boulder, I knew this was one place I definitely needed to dine.

On first glance, The Buff doesn’t look like anything special.  In fact, it is located in front of an old, run-down looking Best Western.  Like I said…if not for being featured, I never would have given it a second glance.  Outward appearances aside, The Buff is a fantastic place and a must-go-to for anyone who loves food.  Especially breakfast food.  And trust me…come hungry!

Due to food allergies and, well, vegetarianism…the saddlebags (pancakes filled with your choice of diced bacon, sliced sausage, or diced ham and topped with two eggs) were not an option for me.  But I was given ample time to peruse the menu while my Diet Coke arrived…in a mason jar.  Not kidding.  Drinks are served in mason jars!  I loved it.  Those are the little touches that really make a restaurant stand out.

After a little debating, I finally settled on the Veggie Omelet, made from egg whites, with potatoes and gluten-free toast.  Yes…my fellow gluten-intolerant readers…Colorado seems to be on top of this gluten-free thing (Udi’s is manufactured out of Denver), so I could even have bread with my eggs and potatoes.  This place was winning over more and more of my heart!

When the food arrived it looked amazing.  It smelled awesome.  And the taste…well, despite having had food at Celestial Seasonings that morning and a mocha not long before that…I polished off the plate.  Down to the last bite.  All of it…hoovered up because it was amazing.  This was the first time I had Udi’s bread and I immediately knew I could eat it.  It was great.  The potatoes were cooked to perfection and delicious with a bit of ketchup for dipping.  And the egg white veggie omelet was outstanding.  Cooked to perfection.  The veggies (a mix of broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, onions, and cheddar cheese) all worked together so well.  I ate it with a touch of hot sauce (as all eggs should be eaten) and raved about every bite.

There is a reason this place has been featured on The Travel Channel…the ambiance and the food are worth the buzz.  If I lived in Boulder, I would be eating in The Buff at least once a week.  It won this foodie’s heart and I know I will be back the next time I am in town.

Sandwiches, cereals, breakfast and more…you can find it all here.  So, go on!  What are you waiting for?  Eat in The Buff.  You’ll like it.  You’ll really like it!

When I mention Colorado…what do you think of?  The Rocky Mountains?  Skiing?  Perhaps even chocolate?

What if I said crepes?  No?  Well, change your way of thinking, my friends.  On a recent trip to Denver, Colorado, I enjoyed one of my most favorite pastimes.  Breakfast…for dinner.

It’s not an unusual concept, but seeing as more and more people skip the most important meal of the day, it seems breakfast is a dying fad…something only a few people still enjoy.  I am all about breakfast food.  I can eat breakfast food all day and be one happy woman.  So, upon arriving in Denver, my roommate and I set out to nearby Aurora, Colorado and the Southlands Shopping Center.

Okay…so now you’re thinking…dining in a shopping center?  Another one of those strip mall joints?  Well…outdoor shopping center is more like it.  Beautiful even.  And that was where we found our destination: Le Creperie Café.

I had been craving crepes for a long while…but where I live no one offers an option that I can eat.  With my gluten intolerance, it makes dining out a lot more challenging than it used to be.  However, Le Creperie Café had me covered.  We arrived to an empty restaurant, and during our time there had only three other people join us for dinner.  But it was also a Thursday night.  And with the food and service we received at this restaurant…I can only imagine it is hopping on the weekends.

We were seated immediately upon entering and the server left us with menus while he fetched our drink order.  After having flown across the country, we were starving…so an appetizer sounded like a good idea.  When the server returned, we went over the menu briefly, as it was our first time there, and we mentioned my food allergy.  Le Creperie Café, however, does make crepes with buckwheat flour, a gluten-free option for people like me.  I was in love.

Our appetizer of choice was going to be to split the Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip…but the server immediately informed us that he believed it was made with flour, which would definitely not sit right with me.  He double-checked with the chef, and sure enough…that was the case.  Instead, my roommate opted for a bowl of the tomato bisque soup and I went for the Cucumber Tomato Salad…a towering plate of fresh roma tomatos, cucumbers, feta cheese, red onion, and dill…drizzled with olive oil and balsamic.  It was fresh and delicious.  A great way to start off the meal.

And because this was vacation, we decided to do sweet crepes over the savory ones.   My roommate had never had a crepe before, so she got the very basic Nutella crepe, which, mind you, is served with homemade, fresh whipped cream on the side.  I wanted a little more sweetness in my crepe, so I got the gluten-free (buckwheat flour) Crepe avec Bananes et Fraises, or a Nutella-filled crepe with bananas and strawberries, also served with the homemade whipped cream on the side.

Interesting note here…all orders are made when you order them to guarantee freshness at this restaurant.  This means food takes a little bit of time to reach you…but the wait is worth it.  I promise.

The crepes arrived shortly after we finished our appetizers and they looked amazing.  More amazing than any crepe I had ever had.  I took my first bite and remembered every reason why I loved crepes in the first place.  Rich, fruity, and delicious.  The Nutella complimented the fruit stuffing.  And my roommate compared the buckwheat crepe with her regular one and said she couldn’t even tell the difference.  Gluten-free…done oh so right!  I polished it off with the whipped cream and mopped up every bit of Nutella on the plate.  Nothing went to waste because it was really that amazing.

Not only did the staff at La Creperie Café know the menu, they were very knowledgeable about the ingredients.  This is a place that takes pride in the food it serves, as well as concern for their customers.  The fact that they offer gluten-free options is a step in the right direction and one I wish more restaurants would take since it is a growing food allergy.  The food was delicious.  The service was spectacular.  And I will return the next time I go to Denver because they made every bite worth my while.

Breakfast for dinner.  Savory or sweet.  Your choice.  But for a taste of something delicious…make it a crepe.  And do it right…go to Le Creperie Café if you are in the Denver area.  You will fall in love with breakfast all over again.

When someone mentions a pub, that’s usually synonymous with either the Irish or the English.  But at Digger & Finch Pub in Dublin, Ohio, Scottish cuisine is on the menu.

I’ll be honest, I have been to Scotland, and much like the food of the UK, it didn’t thrill me.  So, in choosing a place to eat after attending a Major League Soccer match in the freezing cold of Columbus, Ohio, Scottish food would not have been my first choice.  But we were in the market for pub grub on a Saturday night…and anything else in the area would have been packed.

What we found at Digger & Finch Pub was a very warm atmosphere.  There were still flat-screen televisions with March Madness playing throughout the restaurant, but there was also a fire-place with a real fire burning, beautiful windows and views, and just a comforting setting to settle into, relax, enjoy a pint or two, and some food.

Really good food too, mind you.  If, like me, you have traveled to Scotland and not been blown away by the fare…give this place its fair shake.  Digger & Finch offers a versatile menu which includes favorites such as shepherd’s pie, bangers & mash, and my roomie’s favorite – fish & chips (which she ordered, by the way!).  In addition, some more modern and American foods appear too, like pork chops, ribs, and even grilled cheese.

I admit…I toyed with getting the grilled cheese.  I mean, it included three different kinds of cheeses (but mine would come without the bacon & ham rashers, mind you!).  Ultimately, however, I settled on the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich, consisting of a grilled Portobello cap on focaccia bread with mixed greens, roasted red peppers, and Pepper Jack cheese.  I am still getting used to this gluten-intolerance thing, so I was a bit shy to ask for it without bread.  In fact…that would have basically made it a sandwich.

Food arrived and we dove in.  And every bit of it was delicious.  I had expected the bread to be crisper, but what I ended up with was the mushroom and veggie filling between two very soft and delicious slices of focaccia bread.  Very good!  And their fries were delicious too.  Granted, afterwards I felt the effect of eating the bread, but that wasn’t the restaurants fault…it was mine for ignoring my new food allergies.  And let’s face it…it was delicious regardless.

Afterwards, my two friends and I split a dessert…the aptly named Chocolate Explosion, chocolate brownie served with vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream.  Every bite of it was sinfully, melt in your mouth, chocolatey goodness.  It was sex on a plate.  Delicious.  Warm.  Melty.  CHOCOLATE!  Need I say more?  I stuck mostly to the ice cream though since I already was feeling the effects of the bread…but took a couple small bites of the brownie.  Oh yeah…next time forget the entree…just give me dessert!

Digger & Finch Pub was the perfect place to go after a cold, soccer match.  We were not rushed out.  We were given time to enjoy our food.  And everything about the place just made me feel like I was visiting with good friends, sitting in their living room, having a good time.  It’s not the typical pub…but then again, it doesn’t need to be.

And now…Scottish food sounds appetizing again! 

There is a desparate need for Irish pubs in the United States that do not pride itself on displays of clovers and leprechauns.  It seems pubs in the States are all about Irish gimics instead of being, well, Irish.  Mo’s, however, is not one of those places.  In fact, Mo’s does Irish right and does it proud.

My first experience at a Mo’s was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin a couple years back when I was in town with my roommate and her mom to see Billy Joel.  We chose the pub as a place to eat dinner…fell in love with the ambiance, the drinks, the food…and the famous Mo’s Cookie (but more on that later!).

So, when one opened up in Nobelsville, Indiana…it was close enough to warrant giving the place another shot since Wisconsin’s was so great.  What I found, and appreciated, at Mo’s was not only a couple of vegetarian options, but also a gluten-free menu.  Since I recently had to go gluten-free, this was a blessing!  Even the chips (aka: fries, for those of you who don’t know the lingo), are made gluten-free.  This made for one very happy pub connoisseur!

While my roommate opted for her usual pub fare…fish and chips, and our friend Julia went for the soup and grilled cheese, I got a little creative with my order.  I ended up with a mish-mash of various items on the menu.  I ordered the Caprese Salad, a delicious mix of grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.  It was SO good.  Along with that, I got a basket of fries, for the carbs (of course!), and their fresh fruit.  Every bit of it was delicious.  And I enjoyed the salad and fruit down to the last bite.  I left quite a few of the fries, but it was an entire basket of golden potato-y goodness that I enjoyed in moderation!

But the most imporant part of the meal came at the end.  Ignoring my need to be gluten-free in honor of my roommate’s birthday, the three of us split the famous (and sinfully delicious) Mo’s Cookie…which consists of  a freshly baked (so it is hot and gooey) jumbo chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.  Oh yeah…it was worth every calorie and everything I had to deal with as a result of food allergies.  Yeah…it is thatgood, my friends!  Sometimes a splurge is worth it and this was one of those times!

I absolutely love scones.  LOVE them.  So, when I went to visit a friend of mine in Columbus, Ohio, she mentioned a local bakery in Gahanna that had…scones.  So, it only seemed natural that I go and check them out.  I mean…scones for breakfast make any day better.  Mark my words.

So, we headed into Gahanna and dashed through the rain into Bread Basket Family Bakery.  Their mission: To make the best baked products possible. To serve our customers, our community, and our families to the best of our abilities.  Seems noble enough.  And, for a bakery that does everything…EVERYTHING…from scratch, well, it has to be good.

Myself and my two friends were set on scones, although contemplated a loaf of bread for a moment.  Realizing we had much to do before heading back home, we opted just for the breakfast.  Each of my friends got a chocolate chip scone.  I opted for the strawberry cream cheese scone.

The one thing I absolutely loved about this bakery was the glass walls.  Honestly, I could look back behind the counter and see the staff preparing the breads, the scones, the cakes…I could see it happening.  I could see how the food was prepared and the people who were making it.  No hidden kitchen in the back.  It was out there and it was fascinating.

With scones in hand, we headed out with great anticipation to dive into them.  I was informed the chocolate chip scones were awesome.  The chocolate chips just melted away as you popped bits into your mouth.  One of my friends got one with icing on it and she loved it.  My strawberry and cream cheese scone was good…but it didn’t wow me.  It might have been a texture thing.  That being said, it was good.  Delicious.  And, despite the very large size of the scone…I ate every last bite of it.  I kind of want to go back and try another kind…and maybe get some bread.

I’m very particular on scones.  When I travel overseas, it’s my go-to breakfast for the most part.  It’s filling, it’s delicious, it’s just…a warm piece of heaven that goes well with tea or coffee.  Yes…scones are amazing.  And the Bread Basket Family Bakery does a good job with their recipes.  Good enough that I really want to go back and have another one…

Sometimes, grabbing food on the road can be difficult when you are a vegetarian.  So many restaurants cater to the meat and potatoes crowd.  If you aren’t a carnivore, well, have a salad and, perhaps, some soup…if we’re featuring one without meat in it today.  Those soup of the day can be tricky as a lot of the cream-based one have cream of chicken soup in it anyway.  So…what is a vegetarian to do?

There are some cities in this world that offer up quite the offering for the meat-eaters and the vegetarians alike.  In Nashville, Tennessee, Taco Mamacita is one of those places.

Upon entering, it’s a friendly environment.  The staff is cheerful and helpful.  Drink orders are taken as you settle in, and when they are put on the table, you are asked if you’ve ever been there before.  Since neither my roommate or I had, our waiter was really quick to offer suggestions.  I love hearing what people who work there like to eat.  If it’s good enough for them, well…it’s gotta be good enough for the general public, and foodies like myself.

Of course, I threw the monkey wrench into the circuits with the declaration that, “I’m a vegetarian.”  Have no fear, my veggie-loving friends.  Taco Mamacita has its own vegan menu.  Not even kidding.  An entire menu with vegan selections, all of which made it very difficult to choose one thing to have.  In addition to that, they have gluten-free options as well.  Could this place get any better?

If the chips and salsa were any indication…yes.  Just enough spice to heat up the mouth without being uncomfortable, their salsa was the perfect consistency and the perfect heat.  And…was it ever delicious!

My roommate and I placed our orders.  She decided to start a Travel Channel war, and chose a pork taco, the Carnita, in honor of my chef hero, Anthony Bourdain, and a steak taco, the Royale, in honor of Adam Richman.  Her side?  The cilantro-spinach rice.  She really is branching out these days!

As for me, I ordered off the vegan menu, a delicious order of the vegan enchiladas.  These delicious treats are corn tortillas that were stuffed full of cilantro spinach rice, yellow corn, diced tomatoes, black beans and cilantro.  They were liberally doused in their homemade salsa verde.  They looked amazing when they came out.  They tasted even better.  I enjoyed every last bit…and splurged and got my favorite side with them – sweet potato fries.

Taco Mamacita is doing what more restaurants need to be doing.  They are catering to the average diner, but also have separate menus for vegetarians/vegans and those with a gluten intolerance.  What’s even better…they love it when these special cases come in.  They enthusiastically grab the alternate menu and begin to make suggestions for the new diner.  How awesome!

There are a lot of good restaurants in the Nashville area, but it’s going to be difficult to get me to go anywhere other than Taco Mamacita now.  They serve up delicious food on top of everything else.  It’s a place that needs to be on more people’s maps.  Especially if you are craving a taco…and not those fast-food Taco Bell ones either.  Real tacos.  Real food.  Really damn good.