Breckenridge: Candace Cameron??...Lacey Chabert??...VIKINGS?!

Breckenridge was GORGEOUS!!  It was straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie!  They even had up their Christmas lights lining the streets!  I just kept expecting to see Candace Cameron or Lacey Chabert on each street corner.  I never found them.  I however did find TONS of Vikings!! It snowed the entire time and was so fluffy and perfect!

Ok Ok...now to food.

Day 1: Our first stop was The Canteen Tap House and Tavern for a late lunch.  We started with drinks of course.  I had the Ten Mile Mule ($12).  One thing you will learn about me is I LOVE a good mule.  I try to get them when I go to a new spot.  I have started making my own healthier version of ginger beer, so I can enjoy them in the comfort of my own home.  Their liquor rep overheard me asking what vodkas they had since I am GF.  He decided to add himself to the convo by saying, "All vodkas are GF, I am a liquor rep and the protein never makes it through the distillation process."  I told him I wish that were the case, but unfortunately this gal can't drink Grey Goose or Belvedere without getting sick from it.  He turned around.  Their Ten Mile has Three Olives, so I substituted Tito's.  It was great and a double pour...

For food we ordered the Ahi & Avo Bamba that comes with corn chips($11) as our app.  The ahi poke was DELICIOUS. It literally melted in my mouth. The avo bamba was the perfect addition to it.  The ahi sat on top of the guacamole and the flavors just exploded with every bite. I have had poke in Kauai and did not know if it could be topped, but alas, Breckenridge killed it!  It was so scrumptious and we were so hungry, I forgot to snap a quick pic! My main course was the BBQ Korean Pork Street Tacos ($14.50).  Although not labeled GF, I confirmed that they do not add soy sauce(can you believe it has gluten in it?!), and asked if they could just put the bundle of deliciousness onto some corn tortillas.  They obliged!  Again, so delicious, I did not snap a pic.  After all, I am getting used to this whole blog thing and will be better, I promise!

**Here is a pic I found online of the Ahi & Avo Bamba. I do not own this picture.

After lunch we stood outside and watched a parade of VIKINGS! They were having the ULLR Festival that week!! It was the most interesting parade I have ever seen!  Below is a video of some of the greatness!  We skipped dinner after going to City Market for some grocery essentials. Since we had such a late lunch, we got by with snacks. 

Day 2: Chef Nick made bacon and eggs for breakfast before he and Dave hit the slopes for the day.  Deb and I decided to take the ski lift up to the top of the mountain and try out a restaurant called Sevens at Peak 7.  The slopes were GORGEOUS. I started out with the Briar Rosemary ($12).  It is Rosemary infused into Absolut Vodka.  For some reason, Absolut does not bother me.  I cannot do the flavored ones due to having a terrible reaction, but plain 'ol Absolut is just fine.  They distill more than other Vodka brands, so that is the only thing I can think of that causes me to be ok with this one.  Anyways, the drink....it was the closest thing I could find to a mule.  It was mixed well and the flavors perfectly balanced.  Nick and I shared the Classic Caesar Salad ($11).  We ordered it sans croutons of course.  It was completely basic with an overkill of the grated Parmesan.  Make sure to always ask servers if the dressings have gluten.  Sometimes, especially with Caesar, a thickener with flour is added or the fish sauce added has gluten in it.  Just always double check.  The server was extremely knowledgeable about the foods. We also shared an American Classic with cheese and bacon ($17). She brought it out as a type of lettuce wrap which was ideal.  The burger was cooked medium as requested and the flavor poured out of each and every bite.  It is making me want one as I write about it! Deb and I headed back down to Main Street to do some shopping and left the boys to ski.  

We made dinner resos for Wasabi.  I highly recommend reservations!  I NEVER eat sushi anymore since soy sauce has gluten, imitation crab in California Rolls have gluten, Eel Rolls have gluten in the sauce, etc....Well this place had great reviews.  It is a tiny little place that is empty when you sit down and then BAM...you blink and it is packed.  The server also acts as the hostess and busgirl, so she is busy and service is fairly slow.  We started with edamame ($4.95) and seaweed salad ($7.95) in which she assured me both were GF and that she would bring me Tamari sauce, the gluten free version of Soy Sauce. I took one bite of the seaweed salad and could taste soy sauce, so I asked the owner and he yelled, "GLUTEN!".  I immediately took my charcoal pill and shook my head in frustration.  She felt so bad.  I told her at least she will know from now on.  The owner came out and had me write down what I wanted.  I really, really wanted a Rainbow Roll ($15.95).  He made it with fresh snow crab and left the Eel off of the top.  He also kept explaining that his spicy mayo had gluten.  He said he uses rice vinegar and it has gluten.  This through me off because most mayo only has distilled vinegar, but I was not going to chance it.  He also brought me out fancy wasabi!!   He explained that "regular" wasabi is made with crappy ingredients and contains gluten!  Who would have thought?!  I had NO idea, so I learned something that evening.  He spent a lot of time at our table explaining things to us.  That meant the world to me and the group.  We had a bottle of their house sake and that had a nice dry flavor that was not overpowering.  The price was pretty reasonable, although I am not sure of the exact cost. What started as what could have been a HORRIBLE situation, our quick reaction and their response really made a difference.  I HIGHLY recommend eating here.  It is family owned and operated and exactly what we wanted.  I can see why it stays so busy.  

We decided we wanted some sort of dessert.  We stopped at Higgles Ice Cream.  They have fantastic GF cones!! Everything except those cones are made from scratch for the most part!  I had a scoop of something with peppermint and another one that was like a butter walnut.  They were interesting paired together, but I devoured it without any hesitation!  

Day 3: We woke up and just relaxed.  I decided to play chef that morning.  I thought I was the sous chef to Chef Dave, but he disappeared after putting bacon in the pan.  I took over and helped fill up our bellies for the morning. The guys were too sore to ski, so we decided to book a tubing adventure at Keystone Ski Resort.  It is about 45 minutes from Breck.  We were estatic to go tubing.  Our friends from Denver were driving to meet us, so we could not wait to see them as well.  We drove around for almost an HOUR looking for a parking spot.  We circled through more times than I can even count.  We tried the paid and the free lots and NOTHING.  They really need to rethink the parking.  We even went a mile down the road to their conference center to park and that was full as well!  Finally we bailed and went to eat at Haywood Cafe.  The universe works in mysterious ways.  I ran into a friend from Nashville that I have not seen in 9 years!!!!  That was awesome and a complete shock! I was staring through my fog covered glasses and realized it was him!  So crazy! I ordered a Grand Mimosa.  It was a mimosa with a kick! They add a shot of "grandma" to it(their words not mine).  Can't go wrong there!  For lunch I ordered a plain House Salad.  Nothing special except the server.  She was awesome.  Her mom cannot have gluten, so she went out of her way to make sure everything I ordered was ok.  She even brought the dressing out for me to double check.  That overall experience was so random and helped cheer us up after being so bummed we missed tubing! Here is a pic of me with my longtime friend, Chris. 

Hearthstone Restaurant was a dinner of choice for our last night in Breckenridge.  We were so excited to try it.  It had great GF reviews on Yelp.  They also have a happy hour, so you can never go wrong there.  Their happy hour menu is pretty extensive, which is rare these days. They also offer a GF menu that has many options listed which is a huge plus! I ordered the Strawberry Serrano Mule ($7).  It is Spring 44 Vodka infused with strawberries and Serrano peppers!  It was tasty and packed a little punch! I got to talking with the bartender and he let me try a Chai liqueur that was locally made and the place closed their doors and it was one of the last bottles left.  It was delightful!!  He decided to make me a martini with it.  I don't know the name since it was off the cuff, but it "evaporated' very quickly! ha!

For dinner we started with their Pan-Seared Scallops ($16).  It was complimented with fennel and a lemon tarragon lobster sauce.  They were heavenly!  Nick and I shared the Colorado Lamb for dinner.  It is at market price and uniquely prepared by the chef daily.  It was EXQUISITE!  It was so tender and juicy and had the perfect amount of au jus.  I would definitely suggest this to anyone eating there. 

My friend, Beau, ordered the Elk (NOT GF) and said it was delectable! If you can have gluten, maybe give that a try.  For dessert we ordered the Vanilla Crème Brûlée ($9).  It was not the best we have had, but Beau ordered the Triple Chocolate Decadence ($12) and NOT GF, but I had to show you this pic. It is a homemade chocolate spongecake with bailey's chocolate ganache!!! I really wanted to try it! I am determined to make a GF version!

After dinner we made a pit stop at Breckenridge Distillery Tasting Room.  Their main distillery isn't too far away, but having a tasting room right off of Main Street is perfect.  Oh boy did we do some tastings!  I have never been a Gin gal, but when I tell you they make the BEST Gin I have ever tasted, I am not even kidding.  It was so smooth!!  We left there with a bottle of Pear Vodka, Bitters, super spicy Bloody Mary mix, rocks glasses that spin, a mug, and 3 airplane bottles!! How we were going to fit that in our bags for the plane was a feat in itself, but we did it!  Galan was the guy that was working there at the time and his passion and love for his job was so apparent. We had a blast! I am still mad I left there without buying the Gin!  Gives me a reason to go back I suppose?!

Day 4: We headed towards Denver and made a detour to Red Rocks.  Nick and I have always wanted to see it.  Deb used to live in Colorado and told us we must see a show there, so that is now on the bucket list.  What a breathtaking place!!!!  I cannot wait to hear some music there with what I can only imagine will sound incredible with the acoustics!  

We had dinner at La Loma before heading to the airport.  The server was so on top of GF options.  He said that most of their menu is GF.  I started with a Mint Limeade ($11). He used Tito's in mine for me.  It also had St. Germain, lime juice, and mint.  It was tasty, but went down a little too smooth if you know what I mean.  I decided to order their House Margarita with Strawberry added to it ($12), with sugar around the rim.  It was delicious and did not go down as easy which was a safer bet for me since I had a flight to catch.  For dinner I ordered the Ground Sirloin Enchiladas ($16).  I wish I had ordered the shredded chicken ones instead.  They were OK, but a little bland. I had a side of house beans and rice and those were very fresh and held lots of flavor. Nick on the other hand had the Fish Tacos ($16) on corn tortillas and they were scrumptious!!  I would recommend them over the ground sirloin enchiladas for sure.  

This concludes our Colorado trip.  I can truly see why people choose to live in this gorgeous state.  There are breathtaking views around every corner!  The food was impeccable and I cannot wait to go back and try some of them again.  Thank you for following me on my journey.  Stay tuned for my upcoming Mexico trip.  I can't wait to share that journey with you!

Did I strike gold in GOLDEN?!

There are many places I have traveled throughout the years while being on my GF journey.  I feel like I cannot just move on from those and start from my last trip without giving you insight on where to go and what to eat, so I will be adding those little gems here and there with some fun pics along the way!

Colorado was my most recent trip and my first trip of 2019.  We went there to celebrate the birth of my handsome husband.  This post will be about our first stop, GOLDEN, COLORADO!  Did you know that is where Coors Light is made?!  Me either.  It has a really cute downtown that was still decorated with Christmas lights, so that made it even more magical. For this trip, the group left me in charge of picking the restaurants since I am the "picky" one.

The first night we kept it low key.  Nick and I had gone out the night before in Chicago to kick-start his birthday shenanigans, so between that and travelling, we were exhausted.  When choosing where to eat, I was in between Yard house and a cidery.  Yard House has great GF options and is a chain, so I knew it would be easy to eat GF, but a cidery?! Now, that is up my alley.  I chose to take us to Colorado Plus 49 Cidery & Pub. I see breweries all of the time, so when a cidery pops up in my search for greatness, I HAVE to go there!  They just opened in June of 2018, so I was not sure what to expect.  They have 4 house ciders to choose from, along with some guest ciders that are visiting for now.  I always like to try the house ciders wherever I go.  I like showing them support and encouragement.  Idunn was my favorite-ish.  I go for dryer ciders, so this one was pretty on point.  There was not a ton of flavor difference between all of them, but Idunn and Knackers(semi sweet, but not super sweet) seemed the most distinct.  Again, they are growing and learning, so I am sure the flavors will get even better and more distinct and before we know it, they will each have their own personalities and individual tastes.  FOOD....we started with their mussels.  Nick and I always get those if we can.  They had me at, CIDER!  I saw that as one of the ingredients and did not read past that point to be honest. They had a KICK, so if you are not a fan of spice, which I am getting better about, I would not recommend these.  If you have a sinus infection or are stuffy from allergies....ORDER THEM!  I was so excited when they said they could bring me my own bread to dip into the mussels.  That was an added bonus.  All in all they were delicious and the chorizo and peppers added, really made them different from any mussels we have ever had. For my entree, I ordered the All American Burger and added cheese, bacon, and an egg.  Their cost for adding items is a little steep(bacon being $2.50), but again, I like to see these places keep their doors open, so I pay it.  Their GF bun was the most I have ever seen anywhere in the world.  It was an additional $3.  That is bogus to me because when you are paying for a burger, a fraction of the cost is going towards the bun already, so I can see adding $1 or even $1.50, but $3 is way too much.  I also had to pay the $3 for the bread for the mussels.  I do know their ingredients are locally sourced, however, I think they could have some wiggle room on bringing those additional prices down.

Ok, back to the food. The burger was cooked perfectly, but the egg cooked while they were bringing the burger out, so I was bummed that I did not get to enjoy the eruption of the egg yolk all over the perfectly cooked burger.  I had truffle fries as my side and they were DELISH!  BONUS:  They have a separate fryer for the fries to avoid cross-contamination(GF folks around the world REJOICE)!! For dessert we had their homemade vanilla ice cream.  They brought it out as we sang, "Happy Birthday" to Nick and watched his face go from an Italian tanned brown, to a beet red.  It was perfect! Ha!

I was flipping through the cocktail menu just passing time and saw a Mule with Cider?!  My ears perked and I couldn't resist.  It was just ok.  I think I had my expectations too high.  Side note: I make my own ginger beer that is very ginger forward, so that can skew my opinion on mules sometimes when I feel like they taste "too diluted".  I definitely think they could benefit by adding a little more ginger syrup.

I did end up getting "gluten'd" here and left looking 6 months preggo and in terrible pain.  It started to hit me early on, but really hit hard towards the end.  At first I thought maybe something in the truffle fries, but then started thinking about the bread I had devoured on my burger and with my mussels.  They were toasted, so I can only conclude they were put on top of the grill where regular bread had just been toasted and soaked in all of crumbs...maybe?!  That made for a bad night.  Thank goodness I had my Activated Charcoal in tow.  I popped a couple of those suckers and started praying for relief.  I do not completely put the restaurant at fault.  With them being in the infant stage, they are still learning.  I should have asked them to make sure to wipe the grill off prior to putting my delicious bread on top.  Also, they are not a GF kitchen, so I know there is always a risk of getting "gluten'd".  It is a risk I take and it backfired this time.

Would I give them another try?  Absolutely!  I would like to try them out again this summer when they are a year old and see what tweaks they have made.  Definitely stop by and give them a try.  Just be specific when ordering GF and make sure to ask about wiping down the grill if you are getting any bread!

Stay tuned as I write about the rest of our journey in Breckenridge!

Challenge Accepted!

Hmmm..where do I start?!  Well, anyone that knows me, knows I LOVE to travel and I LOVE to eat! Well sometimes that can be difficult for me...not the traveling part, but the eating part. Why you ask?! I cannot eat gluten!  I mean, within five minutes I look 6 months preggo, in immense pain, and cannot move!  So can that make it difficult when traveling to small towns around the world? You betcha!  I research and have seen the good, bad, and ugly when it comes to finding a place that has a decent cuisine that does not just say, "Sorry we don't have anything gluten free." In which I usually respond, "Ohhhhh, so you do not have salads or fruit?! Got it."  It can be tough.  Well, my best friend knows I travel the world and have a strict diet, so she and her fiancé have challenged me to start a travel blog about where to eat/drink and what to see...so here goes nothing.