Colorado Trip Notes

I visited Colorado for the first time and wanted to share some sights and tips from my visit. I enjoyed both Denver and Boulder and would definitely come back for more fun. Some specifics around restaurants / hikes / beers / food stuffs have all gone out of my head. hopefully S. and T. have better notes and/or memory and can add a bit more.

day 1 Denver

beautiful airport with tent structure and fantastic lighting http://www.flydenver.com/

16th st free mall ride http://www.rtd-denver.com/FREEMallRide.shtml

state Capitol building. restoration of house and senate chambers (check it out next time). hall of president portraits. http://www.denver.org/listings/Colorado-State-Capitol/3679/

Tattered Cover Bookstore with coffee and ice cream shop (reminds me more of Powell's than Strand) http://www.tatteredcover.com/

Wynkoop Brewery. http://www.wynkoop.com/ Rail yard Amber ale (also part of the downtown brewery listing from the visitor center. food was also pretty good. I ordered trout with polenta.

Union Station. yet another station that’s prettier than our Penn Station. I didn’t take the train and we walked inside where they had many food shops and even décor for Halloween.

day 2 Boulder

We took Green Ride from Denver to Boulder. http://greenrideboulder.com/

walking around on Pearl St. one memory store was the puzzle store and one memorable street art was watching people make art by sticking leaves and flowers on the rock with water slowly running down it. http://www.boulderdowntown.com/visit/history-of-pearl-street

tried a pumpkin cannoli from this shop: https://pieceloveandchocolate.com/

hiking and panorama views (photo from S.)

French restaurant near pearl st. I think it was brasserie ten ten? great happy hour specials https://www.brasserietenten.com/menus/happy-hour/

SFjazz Michael Jackson tribute (with jazz interpretation) http://www.sfjazz.org/events/2015-16/1022/collective

day 3

origami convention

west end tavern rooftop – forgot which beer I had? smoker selection (pork, chicken, sausages) http://www.thewestendtavern.com/

day 4

flat iron coffee. http://www.flatironcoffee.com/

flat hiking around Sawhill Ponds https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/sawhill-ponds-trailhead

celestial seasoning tea tour http://www.celestialseasonings.com/tours learned about herbal infusions and the overpowering “mint room”. of course sample all the teas there ( I liked watermelon zinger and chamomile lavender) and buy some gifts for your friends and family back home! I enjoyed reading about the history and also looking at the illustrations that they have for each tea.

teahouse lunch (amazing décor outside and inside, visit it!) we sipped some tea and I loved the Mediterranean salad which came with hummus, grape leaves, and olives  http://www.boulderteahouse.com/

street art near the teahouse

more hiking with more slope and views Chautauqua https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/chautauqua-trailhead

chophouse and tavern (??) split lamb chops with T.

we sampled java porter (coffee flavored beer) at mountain sun bar and caught haymarket square 'punkgrass' band performance. http://haymarketsquares.bandcamp.com/ the bar also offered prime people watching opportunity. we saw poker players, board game groups, dancers, couples, visitors, and more. http://www.mountainsunpub.com/

day 5

the buff for breakfast http://www.buffrestaurant.com/

Next Time:

• Denver Visitor Center Tips
  • Appaloosa grill 10pm music http://appaloosagrill.com/
  • Jazz at Jack's http://www.jazzatjacks.com/
  • http://www.denver.org/things-to-do/day-trips-around-colorado/denver-beer-triangle/
• Coors Field baseball stadium tour http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/col/ballpark/
• Denver zoo http://denverzoo.org
• various parks and stuff
  • http://estes-park.com/peak-peak-scenic-byway
  • http://peaktopeakguide.com/

Resources:

• Colorado Beer Tour iOS App. I consulted this along with Yelp for a few good outings. https://appsto.re/us/LL6zz.i
• University of Colorado at Boulder
• Visitor Centers and Trail Maps

Origami and Eats NYC

My friend T. visited last weekend from DC and we were able to pack quite a few activities in the short visit.

Origami

Most of my friends already know how much time I’ve been devoting to origami. T. is the first lucky one to see it first hand. Since there was no official origami meetup session scheduled, I polled the regular group and organized one myself at Pier 17. It turned out to be much longer than the originally planned two hours since we kept folding and folding and folding… and was visited by a special guest D. as well! (who showed us the warped 4-cube construction…)

I’ve also created an origami convention countdown page here: http://azuleteats.blogspot.com/p/origami-convention-2013-countdown.html

Financier

various locations: http://www.financierpastries.com/
I love their café au lait and almond croissant. The paper they use for pastry bags also make for good origami folding.

Fatty ‘Cue

50 Carmine St
(bet. Bleecker & Bedford)
New York, NY 10014
http://fattycue.com/menus/west-village
West Village Location

The walk from seaport to the restaurant was effective for working up an appetite. I also enjoy walking downtown (in the non-numbered streets) since most days we miss out on the action when we just duck into the subway.

Drinks:
//drewish princess: kind of sweet and sour. T.’s sort of drink. She liked it so much she ordered two princesses.
//fatty Manhattan: I’d like to describe this as a more adult version of a cherry coke. Unfortunately I can’t down it like a cherry coke since it went to my head pretty quickly. how can any combo of bourbon/vermouth/bitters/cherry go wrong? need to investigate other such drinks around town.  also comes with a pretty round ice ball in the middle.

Eats:
//duck lettuce wrap: In principle I like this dish, but in reality I don’t like the texture of ground duck. Probably won’t order it next time.
//deep fried bacon: My favorite dish. smells great. tastes great. with a nice salsa on the side (not really necessary). goes perfect with the Fatty Manhattan (see above drinks section).
//fried rabbit: I know I’ll probably get flamed for this but hey, it’s on their menu. I’ve had various rabbit recipes but this one literately taste like chicken (just liked fried gators…). 

In conclusion, get reservations and order up a few bacons and cocktails to share. Thanks to T’s friend M. for the recommendation!

Argo Tea

75 University Pl
New York NY 10003
other locations check http://www.argotea.com/

Below is a combo of our visit and my various previous visits (without an Argo loyaltea card…). Happy to report I finally got a card (thanks Animemiz) and look forward to my free drinks.

Drinks:
//red tea (hot): my cold weather regular. T. ordered it since I recommend it so highly. My very first Argo tea order was actually red tea. I’ve since tried others and hasn’t changed my mind.
//ice red tea: my warm weather regular. without any flavor syrup.

Eats:
//flaxseed raw bar: a bit dense but so addictive. It’s funny that it took T. to introduce this to me since I’ve been to Argo so many times.
//empanadas: smaller than other places but good bites.
//quinoa bowls: really not my favorite food but then I’m always rushing from juggling to origami sessions. Sigh
//panini: the tomato/spinach/mozzarella one is delicious.
//quiche: pretty good.

Long Island Bagel Café

125 Fulton Street, NY 10038
http://www.libagelnyc.com/home.asp

J. knows I gripe about this a lot… most bagel places just don’t have a decent cup of coffee. This place recently opened up on Fulton street and I have been happy with their bagels AND their coffees. Keep up the good work!

I also really like their chunky veggie cream cheese. I personally don’t toast my bagels and usually get the sesame or poppy bagel with regular or veggie cream cheese. May branch out in the future and try sandwiches and other flavors too.

T. and I went on a Sunday morning when it was crowded so we actually took our bagels and ate in the park in front of City Hall. Good weather, plenty of benches. Next time we should do the same before a trek across the Brooklyn Bridge. (note to self, would have been nice to include a pic of said park and bench… next time!)

Rain, Cat, and Brooklyn

My friend V. had moved out to Williamsburg last summer and somehow or another, I’ve managed to delay my visit until today. What better day than a rainy day in early spring to venture into the unknown?

Awful commute aside (made worse by rain and the fact that I was going to a new and strange neighborhood), I had a great time. V. is the best host ever, this was apparent even when we were students, living in cramped dormitories. I still need to get him inspired by Mad Men to throw a theme party or something.

Coffee
First time I had soy with coffee (I’m still skeptical about the lattes people rave about, but maybe I’ll try it next time). It was quite good and helped me recover from the rain. V always had quite an influence on my drink habits. First it was adding milk to Lipton (which I never do, until I met the guy), now soy to coffee? Maybe the see-through mugs helped. Any beverage is made infinitely better by see-through containers. Quick apt tour later, I realized that V’s paint job and décor skills puts the rest of us to shame. I never thought too much about interior décor but now I’m itching to get my own place and do it up with tasteful color schemes and containers. The rooftop was impressive too, with a view of the bridge, empire state building, and more!

Brunch
http://www.jimmysdinerhome.com/Jimmys/Breakfast.html
having had amazing corn bread in DC and Chicago, I was not ready to believe there’s good stuff to be had in Brooklyn. Glad I was wrong. Jimmy’s corn bread is amazing! 

They started us out with some cinnamon sugar covered donut holes on the house. Sweet deliciousness. Then I had to order their fried okra because I haven’t had that since my DC days (and that restaurant had gotten rid of that item on the menu, sad but true). Crispy on the outside, slimy on the inside. Also came with chipotle mayo, which was a nice touch. To tell you the truth though, mayo was not even necessary. I think I polished off 70% of the okras. For the main event, V had the Big Boy (with fluffy pancakes!) and I tried the Cornbread Bowl.

Cat
While we were walking back from brunch, V. pointed out a pretty orange cat near the window on the second floor. Being a cat lover, I naturally asked to be introduced to the cat (and its owner, who is a friend of V’s). We met D. and his cat Conan shortly after we stepped inside the building. D. is also in the middle of working on painting his apt. The orange boxes he started were lovely. I hope to see how it turns out next time I visit (maybe tiered like staircase? maybe regularly spaced? maybe some kind of gradual orange to yellow to another color, who knows?) You know how lions and other big cats like to strut their stuff, especially with those muscular shoulders? well, Conan was exactly the same. Inside that orange cat is a fierce and proud lion (and his majesty doesn’t drink out of a bowl, but out of a glass cup just like the rest of us). In short, after I got to know him, I was in love. Both D. and V. showed me how to entertain the cat. Besides a little feather attached to the end of a string and stick, Conan’s favorite toy is a paper covered straw (but not just the straw sitting still, you have to poke it out of doors, boxes, and other devices). In short, you have to work it to get him interested. If you can imagine us three adults in that apt, entertaining a cat, it’ll probably make you howl with laughter. I should have tried to take a video of us chasing and teasing Conan. Totally hilarious. I can just see the ironic title/caption now. “Just another typical Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn”.

Tea
V. brewed some Roobois Cream Caramel Tea after we returned from D’s apt. It went well with the vanilla sweets I bought from an Asian bakery (kind of like macaron, but not as sweet or creamy). Perfect for a rainy day.

Walk
It started to pour outside, but I didn’t come all the way to Brooklyn to stay inside. We stepped out and walked around the neighborhood with our umbrellas to find a number of cute shops (orange décor! fun posters! arts&crafts llamas!).  I was told the “BEST” bagels were found just around the corner (gives me an excuse to drag J. out to Williamsburg next time). I was also introduced to a new breed of Duane Reade with a full super market section and beer on tap. You can buy a growler and fill up on brews such as Brooklyn Lager and Six Point and Kelso. For those of you unfamiliar with Duane Reade, it’s a chain of pharmacies in New York (I’m pretty sure the other branches don’t have growlers). V also lives within walking distance from Brooklyn Brewery (somehow I was never told this, and now I really have no excuse for delaying my Brewery tour). Some of the buildings and architecture on the walk were quite nice. Will have to take some photos next time I visit.

Stuff for next time
Scrabble game
Korean tacos (?)
Bagels
Brewery Tour / Duane Reade Growler
Concert in McCarren (summer?)
Photography

Lady Mendl Tea

56 Irving Place

212.533.4600

menu

A co-worker recommended this place to me and while she was recommending it, another co-worker chimed in and said she had gone to a few bridal/baby showers there and had a great time too.

I took T. for her birthday and we immediately knew it was going to be grand. It did feel like a friend's living room, very cozy, beautifully decorated, and quiet, too. I really hope I can accurately recall everything.

5 course tea

//tea: T. had Scarlet Glow, an herbal tea that was rose colored. I believe it had hibiscus. I ordered Lady Mendl's tea, which was pretty traditional English afternoon but hey, why not try the name sake on my first visit? It went very well with sweets. Also to mention, we get our own teapots (with refills) and cup&saucer set with milk, sugar, and spoon. A detail not to be missed is the small sugarcube with a flower design that is tastefully placed next to the teacup.

//salad: ok, we didn't have tea with this because it was served as soon as we sat down. I liked it but was still taking time to take in the atmosphere of the place to really taste the salad.

//sandwiches: finger sandwiches but they offer a second round as well. I recommend trying a bit of everything on your first round and pick the ones you liked on the second round. The ones that made my second round list were: cucumber, smoked salmon, and egg salad.

//scones: more reasonable portion than Alice's Teacup (as in...I think Alice's scones are meant to feed people since they are so big). I actually liked Alice's Teacup's scones more maybe because they're more buttery and had more interesting flavors (like Earl Grey and pumpkin).

//dessert: we shared an order of crepe cake and chocolate mousse cake. Both served with fresh berries and confectioner's sugar. I liked the mousse cake better but was happy to try both.

//cookies and chocolate covered strawberries: We were well fed at this point so I had trouble finishing up the cookies and marzipan sweets. I told T. champagne and chocolate covered strawberries would go well together but 1pm seemed a bit early to toast. She said that combo would be a honeymoon thing (really? champagne and chocolate covered strawberries?) and laughed. I guess I just imagine having more interesting things for honeymoon than chocolate covered strawberries. I never get too crazy about them for some reason. Maybe if I made myself it'd be better.

Definitely an experiences everyone should have. Probably best for girlfriends and mothers. I guess it could be a classy date place (but not on the first date) whereas Alice's Teacup would be too cutesy for a guy to go in. Since it's close to Union Square, you can walk around the neighborhood, check out books at the B&N, say hello to the kitties in the PetCo, and see what else is going on with artists/protestors/students around the park.

Sago Tea Cafe

39-02 Main Street (Corner of Main & 39th Avenue)
Flushing, NY
718.353.2899
other store locations

Bubble tea and sweets. Watch out for the "large" bubble tea since they come in a huge beer mug. I didn't finish.

Alice's Teacup

Update 9/1/08:

More Ch II goodies. I feel like this entry will continue to be amended.

-Earl Grey Lavendar Scone (I want to try the earl grey lavendar tea too)

-Vitalitea: Green tea with hibiscous, berries, and lemon (very fragrant. I loved it)

Update (1/5/08, original post 8/15/07): Since the original post, I've gone to both Ch 1 (upper west) and Ch 3 (upper east near MET). Ch 1 had a lot of round tables, in fact I saw many birthday parties there. Ch 3 has fewer tables but it's just a few blocks east of the MET, which makes for great pre or post museum snack/lunch. I'll list the address of the other two locations and add some more delicious treats I've liked after the original post for Ch 2:

Chapter II
156 East 64th St (at Lex.)
212.486.9200
website

decor:
enchanting, high ceilings, aqua walls with framed magical photos of characters and the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park. adorable tea/saucer sets.

tea:
white tea. //Pai-Mu-Tan// a white tea with flowery aroma. detoxifying and healthy.

snacks:
//granny smith apple slices with nutella on white bread// simple and very clean. As my friend Y. said, it has inspired her to make some at home. She also notes it'd be a great after school snack for kids. I actually ordered this out of the kids section of the menu because I was craving apples.
//pumpkin cinnamon scone with cream and berry jam// recommended by our waitress. this was actually a very autumn flavored treat. I need to get more of their scones clearly. Definitely a teatime favorite.
//banana cake with nutella frosting// we couldn't finish this! but I was enjoying the frosting very much.

bottom line:
good atmosphere. great place to chill out for a few hours after walking around Central Park. Also very impressive to take a visitor from out of town. It was my first visit and I thank S. for the recommendation. If you don't like hot tea or tea finger foods, don't bother. It's not a Starbucks! There were a pair of girls who were annoyed that the ice tea list is small and they turned down a bunch of berry flavored sorbet (note to self, try them next time) for plain boring you can get it anywhere ice cream in only chocolate and vanilla flavors. Why did they bother?


Chapter I
102 West 73rd St (near 72rd St stop on 1/2/3)
212. 799. 3006

Chapter II
220 East 81st St. (one block east of Lex.)
212. 734. 4832

Other notable treats (particuar favorites are marked with *)
//Birthday Tea / blend of black teas with tropical fruits and flowers
//Christmas Tea / black tea with exotic fruits, hibiscus, raisins, rosehips, almond, cinnammon and clove / Bob says this smells like Christmas. I suspect because of the cinnammon and clove?
//*Rose Tea Melange / organic white teas, organic roses and seasonally selected botanicals/ This tea has a wonderful smell and tastes light. I didn't care for white teas before going to Alice's.
//*"Not yet but soon to be famous" mocha chocolate chip cake
//Chocolate mousse with assorted cookies / The mousse was sinful, but I wasn't too impressed with the cookies and biscotti. (I'm also spoiled by Dean & Deluca's chocolate anise biscotti).
//Blueberry white chocolate scone / all the berry scones there are great.
//*Lapsang Souchong smoked chicken breast / with granny smith apples and herbed goat cheese on 7 grain bread.

For lunch I recommend the "Mad Hatter for Two" set they offer. Bob and I were so full we were happy to walk around the MET. In fact, we probably needed the energy since the MET was so huge. Besides, if you mix and match the items, you can try 2 different teas, 3 different scones, and 2 sandwiches. Bob experienced the yummy scones and realized he'll never go back to the Starbucks kind. Neither should you! Go try the scones!

Mad Hatter for Two $33
2 pots of tea
3 scones with preserves and cream
2 sandwiches

Tavalon Tea Bar

the essentials
22 East 14th St (btw University & 5th Ave)
212.807.7072
website

the quick review
walked by this on a hot summer afternoon (heat index 100 anyone?) and decided to grab an ice tea. immediately liked the interesting tea selections. ordered a 12 oz. iced lemongreen which was ice green tea with Thai lemongrass. simpled, yet does the trick. You can get interesting bubble tea as well as a moTeajo (iced green tea shaken with fresh mint and lime juice).

next to try
afterdark-chamomile, blood orange, cranberry, cherry, apple, and hibiscus
grasshopper-green tea blended with milk, chocolate, and mint.

random rant
although NYC is full of Starbucks (call it a curse or a blessing, at times both), which does an awesome iced white tea, it's fun to discover other alternatives. I still think Jamba Juice is way overrated, personally.