So on Saturday, November 24th, I left off with being at the home of a friend and colleague in the mountains west of Denver. Debra had been wanting to try a restaurant down in town that specialized in “tapas” style dining – Linger (www.lingerdenver.com). Since it was a Saturday night, the place was definitely hoppin’ and we had to wait for our table to become available. We had a cocktail in the bar while waiting – I enjoyed a very potent Cosmopolitan!
Finally we got our table and sat down. The chef sent out an order of pork belly corndogs to whet our appetites. I loved corndogs as a kid, but not a big fan as an adult – but these were very scrumptious. More pork than hotdog, they were little delightful balls of fun. We nibbled on them while looking over the menu.
Linger is set up to be “street food”, and the menu is separated into continents to signify the influence on the cuisine – a very smart approach I thought. Our first round was off the Europe/Eurasia menu – “Devils on Horseback”. It was very similar to an appetizer I make for parties: medjool dates, stuffed with goat cheese (I tend to use a blue cheese in mine – very tangy), and wrapped in an applewood smoked bacon then roasted. I could have eaten the entire plate myself, but I didn’t.
Next came the Chicken B’stilla – a kind of African egg roll stuff with chicken, almonds, apricots, raisins and spiced with cinnamon, and lemon yogurt sauce. Very delish, and crispy!
The third round were Wagyu Beef Sliders with sweet potato waffle fries. The sliders were dressed with peppered bacon, cheddar and a curried sour cream. For sliders, the meat patty was quite generous in size, and sated my appetite nicely. While it wasn’t quite a whole burger, I was surprised at how filling it really was. And it just melted in your mouth!
And our last dish was a Masala Dosa – a crispy rice and lentil crepe stuffed with masala potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and three types of chutney. This was probably the only dish I wasn’t particularly fond of, but it was an interesting melding of flavors and textures.
The meal was excellent, and it was nice for me to have the opportunity to check out a slice of the Denver food scene – leaving me wanting to go back and try more! We were quite full after our meal, so we skipped dessert, but we did check out the ice cream place next – it was very cute. The building was shaped like an old metal milk jug!
The next morning I was going to get on my way and drive through the Rockies and power through to Vegas – but was stopped dead in my tracks as I was pulling out of Deb’s driveway. Her husband, Bill, stopped me and pointed to the ground from where I had just pulled away – I was dripping copious amounts of transmission fluid! Ugh! So we called around and found a Pep Boys down the mountain in Littleton that was open and could take me. Turns out the seal on the transmission has developed a hole, literally overnight (I had not had any leaks on the entire trip till now) – and apparently when the seal was installed a year or so ago, it wasn’t done properly and developed a weakness and hole in the seal. The changes in altitude and pressure didn’t help.
So several hours and $260 later, I had a new seal and was on my way. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t make it to Vegas, so I had to book a hotel in Grand Junction to stay the night. I could have stayed with Deb and Bill again, but Grand Junction put me 4 hours closer to my destination. Sadly, it was dark, so I didn’t get to enjoy the beauty of the Rockies as I drove down the mountains. I guess that means I will have to go back!
I was in and out of Grand Junction overnight. I didn’t stick around, though I know they have a lot of wineries in the area – but my vacation was already starting to run short, so I headed through Utah towards Vegas. Now Utah was a surprise to me, or at least the southern part (I have only flown through Salt Lake once and never saw any of the state other than from the air.) The desert there is actually almost beautiful. I was expecting something more like north New Mexico which was flat, bland, and boring. The Moab and surrounding areas are actually quite stunning. Yes, it’s desolate, but it has a simply beauty, much like you find in parts of Arizona and New Mexico – with layered, colorful rock outcroppings, etc. I stopped a few places along the way to take some pictures.
As I powered through, I didn’t see much of anything close to civilization until I finally got to the far southern portion of the state. St. George was actually a rather large town! I didn’t stop, but I looked around as I drove through.
I was surprised also to find that the 15 takes you through the very top north-west corner of Arizona before you get to Nevada – I had it stuck in my head that I would drive directly across Utah into Nevada. But no, you come down out of some mountains through Arizona – very sparse and desolate, but still somewhat pretty – then you hit Mesquite, NV. It reminded me more of Laughlin, without the river. Casinos, lots of older folks, and not much else.
It was still another couple hours to Vegas, and a dull drive, but I was happy once I got there. I stayed at Treasure Island – moderately priced and close to most of the new stuff on the strip. I haven’t been there in about 5 years or so since my friend Phil and I spent a week at the Luxor. There were lots of new hotels. After I got settled, I started walking around the strip to see what was new, etc. and walked through the “canals” at the Venetian. I thought I might dine there. I did wind up getting a “sangria margarita” at one restaurant as I walked around. I had forgotten that you can walk around with liquor in hand! It truly is SIN CITY.
I finally got to the Cosmopolitan to check it out. Talk about opulent! The interior is very lush and vibrant, and definitely looks like an expensive place. I walked around a bit to check it out, then went upstairs to check on the dining options. There were lots of great choices, and it was still early in the evening, and finally I settled on a place where the menu interested me: STK. There is a location here in L.A., but what intrigued me was that the Vegas location offered foie gras on the menu (something you can’t get in CA anymore).
I was seated at a table that gave me a broad view of the restaurant (after I complained politely about the side table they stuck me at – the restaurant was half full so I felt justified in asking for a better location). For my appetizer, I ordered the crab and melon salad. I was intrigued by the description, but was even more surprised by the presentation. The melon (cantaloupe) was carved into a sheet that they then rolled around the crab meat. I liked how they did it, and it was a very delicious combination. I may have to try and duplicate it myself. It was very simply dressed, relying on the crab and melon to carry it – and it worked beautifully.
For my main course, I decided to have the 6oz flatiron steak (I have really come to like the flatiron cut….very flavorful) and after talking with the waiter about the options, opted to have it topped with some foie gras. I had never had a steak this way before, and it turned out to be a wonderful combination. The foie gras was melting into the steak and gave it a surreal flavor. I’m sure I was audibly moaning. It was perhaps one of the top steaks I’ve had in years.
I had also paired everything with a lovely Malbec wine that the waiter had recommended. It was quite smooth and paired well with the steak. I can’t remember the vitner, but I enjoyed it. My whole meal was enjoyable and delectable, but not cheap. I didn’t get out of there for under $120 (ouch!), but it was a splurge and I’m worth it! It was my last night of vacation too, so I wanted to treat myself.
The rest of the evening I just walked around and checked out the sites. Unfortunately, my time was limited due to the car trouble I had in Denver, so I only got to spend an evening milling about.
The next morning, I tried the buffet at the hotel, which was actually a nice choice. The selection was broad and filling and not outrageously priced. I think I paid around $15, give or take. Then I packed up my car and got ready to head out of town.
Remember the brake trouble I had when I first started my trip and delayed me? As I pulled out of my parking space….scrape scrape scrape….it was back. I knew I couldn’t drive back to L.A. like, so I found yet another Pep Boys just off the Strip and had them repair it. Turns out that the guys I had do my brakes originally in LA really messed the job up and didn’t do a complete brake job and used all the old parts. Every part basically had to be replaced. Ugh! I was NOT happy. But at least Pep Boys gave me a discount and turned the car around in a couple of hours. They may well have one my business now. As for the local guys, they still will be getting an earful from me.
So my total trip was fun, but the end of it had some major downs. I was so glad I got to see my friends in Albuquerque, and spend nearly a week with my old high school buddy Julie. Overall, the trip was a winner, and even with the troubles encountered, I think they were overruled by the fun times with friends. Oh, one other sour note: two of my credit cards got hacked and I’ve had to cancel those accounts and file paperwork for the fraudulent charges. I think both cards were copied by hotel staff in ABQ and Vegas. I need to call them managers to advise them, as those cards showed charges a couple of days after I used them at those hotels. Be aware when you travel – I check my accounts daily and caught them early on.
