music & wine - a perfect way to wednesday

my fantastic neighbor Steven and his beautiful friend Leah are playing at Cuvée Wine Bar tonight at 7. 
946 Pearl Street, please stop by and have a glass? here's the lovely Leah Holz

the bottled genius of two Colorado brews

if you're feeling adventurous, give these two a try:

from left to right:
Collaboration, Not Litigation Ale from Avery Brewing Company : “Salvation. The name of two intricate Belgian-style ales, created by us, Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing and Adam Avery of Avery Brewing.”—AveryBrewing.com
& Lips of Faith: Dunkel Weiss of New Belgium Brewery :  “Cat-burglar-smooth and just as fond of the dark, Dunkel Weiss sneaks together wheat and barley malts with a pinch of black pepper.” —NewBelgium.com
Both found at Bottles in Boulder; 2540 Arapahoe Ave. 303-444-8500.

Cafe Aion, you rock my world.

i can't believe i haven't posted this yet! a while back Greg and i traveled to The Hill to discover a rumored "Champion of Brunch." fortunately, the original plan for said restaurant was sideswiped when it was closed & Cafe Aion was ahaaaa-opened.
when i took this picture below (Greg says it's the best coffee he's ever had) i didn't even have this blog in mind. my little project "hello boulder" actually began right here at Cafe Aion, during a DELICIOUS brunch on an incredibly sunny day. I snapped this shot because i was so overwhelmed by the ambiance & soon realized i had to share these beautiful parts of Boulder with friends. thank you Cafe Aion, for being my muse. and friends, please do stop by & see them sometime. the staff is just as amazing as the atmosphere.

here's some beautiful shots from Aion's website. i believe they were taken by Caroline Treadway, a mastermind behind this super-regional blog http://WhatMatters.VentureThere.com

info & hoursfollow them on twitter & be the first to know about Paella Night!  

brunch @ The Huckleberry. Louisville

what a precious little purple restaurant

voted the best brunch in Boulder!

cafe Luna. Longmont

gluten free red-velvet cupcakes.
a hand-me-down library. bahkti-chai.
it even resembles a bit of the south, if you're ever around, please stop by and say hello.

 800 Coffman Street Longmont, CO 80501-4909 (303) 702-9996

Boulder Creek Winery

1. try the Boulder Creek Merlot with the One-Pan Ratatouille
2. ...Reisling with Open-Faced Falafel Burgers
3. ...Murphy's Choice with Marinated Tofu with Sticky Rice and Asparagus
4. ...White Merlot with Pad Thai with Tofu
5. ...Chardonnay with Bow Tie Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Capers, and Basil

stop by for a self-guided tour & tastings!

Asher Organic Brewing Company w/Interstate Stash Express

a St.Patrick's party that'll be hard to miss:

music on the mezz @ Hotel Boulderado

i love, love, love live music, and this collection of artists is making March much warmer for me!
i will definitely be there for Salsa Samba this Friday!

court's BanOatNut smoothie

get adventurous and add more of one or the other, they're allllll delicious in excess.
or, add some chocolate, swap peanut for almond butter, add protein mix, trade almond milk for soy or coconut... the possibilities are endless!
i loooooove this smoothie all year, especially before a hike or run in the canyon. enjoy!
1. naturally more- ammmmmmazing peanut butter introduced by my brother, for which i'm forever thankful.
2. almond breeze- the unsweetened vanilla is my favorite, only 40 calories per serving!
3. ninja- the food processor of the universe : )

happy national margarita day!

seriously, today's the official day to celebrate my most favorite cocktail in all the land: the margarita.
here's a recipe Greg & i came up with to eliminate the artificial stuff & voila! the perfect Boulderita

to find your ingredients,
check em' out at the Boulder Liquor Mart or visit their sites in order from left to right,
agave nectar   santa cruz pure lime juice    cointreau     silvercoin tequila    margaritaville

a Boulder bottle

i LOVE the local eco-friendly retailer Vickerey, and these little gems are my favorite water bottles on earth! i love their funky designs. i have the swallows bottle and i swear: it has this amazing power to inspire me to drink more h2O! the amount of water - 20 oz - doesn't feel overwhelming or get too heavy for shorter hikes. they're also incredibly durable. Vickerey says: "[Earthlust Bottles] are made from high quality #304 food grade stainless steel, which is naturally safe unlined. They use non-toxic paints and BPA-free polypropylene #5 recyclable caps."

we're so lucky in Boulder to have water from the tap that is sooooo delicious you can fill up this bottle pretty much anywhere and save the planet from added plastic nonsense!

margaritas in Boulder: the RIO!

rio margaritas, sail me away on an ocean of tequila nights! when i first moved here i heard there was a limit of 3, and thought they were joking. no bull; they're powerful, delicious, & their rooftop boasts some of the best views in downtown Boulder. i would totally be dating a Rio marg if i was a quesadilla (or some other mexican pairing).

1101 Walnut Street | Boulder, CO 80302 | (303) 444-3690
catch their  happy hour: 3-6 everyday, $1 off Rio and Big Tex margaritas, $3 Drafts
food specials: $2 Tacos and $5 Appetizers
thank you, happy hour boulder