Opening on New Year’s Eve in 1909, the Hotel Boulderado is one of the oldest business in Boulder, Colorado and was the first luxury hotel in the area.

Today, it boasts 160 rooms, each creatively adorned with a different wallpaper from the next, meaning every time you come here your room can be a completely different experience.

The hotel is almost a living, breathing collection of antiques and Victorian-era and decor, right down to the decor in each room. It’s gorgeous.

The hallways are full of pieces of a time past, and my favorite part of the hotel was the third floor, which basically doubles as an antique museum. We saw antique fire extinguishers, an old piano, armoires, photos of an older Boulder, an ice box, trunks (because back in the day, families traveled for weeks or months at a time!), and fans.

Technology in the hotel has grown and changed just like the hotel itself. Entertainment back in the early days was an orchestra in the lobby. No, not a full orchestra, but think back to the movie Titanic with that string trio (or quartet) that played right up until the last minute? That kind of orchestra. The orchestra was eventually replaced by a Victor Victrola, then a television, until eventually there were TVs in every room. Today, each room has a flat screen TV and a wi-fi connection.

The fans were my favorite:

Some History

Spruce Street downtown was the first street in Boulder to be paved because it was the street that led to the Hotel Boulderado. The hotel’s famous guests include (but are sooooo not limited to): Duke Ellington, Robert Frost, Louis Armstrong, Helen Keller (and Anne Sullivan), Goldie Hawn, and BB King.

Additionally, the Boulderado has three adjacent bars, restaurants, and eateries: The Corner Bar, Catacombs and Q’s (you can read more about the menu at Q’s and see gorgeous photos of tasty food here).

I had the pleasure of touring the historic Hotel Boulderado in downtown Boulder last month, and it was easily one of the highlights of my trip. And yes, I’m determined to make the Hotel Boulderado a part of my next Boulder visit.

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.

Mary Spicer owns Spicer’s Events, a wedding planning business with offices located in both Boulder, CO, and Newport, RI.  You can find Mary on Twitter @spicersevent.  I was thrilled when I put the call out for dining & travel related guest posts and Mary offered to share her Newport, Rhode Island favorites.

Hi. I am Mary Spicer with Spicer’s Events. One of our offices is located in fabulous Newport, RI. Not only where the America’s Cup Racing took place but also home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the site of the famous wedding of John Fitzgerald Kennedy to Jacqueline Bouvier. They were married in St. Mary’s Church in Newport on September 12, 1953. Newport, RI has also been touted as the number one wedding destination due to its fabulous mansions. Quite a nod to the taste of Mrs. Astors 400 group.

Breakfast

The best place for breakfast is absolutely not ostentatious. “Annie’s” at 176 Bellevue Avenue is the best food around. Simple, well priced and relaxed. This is more of a morning diner and a little known hot spot that gets filled up by evening revelers come 10am so go early. This is the destination that soothes your hang over. Make no mistake. It is a greasy spoon, old school, friendly place. Don’t bring the vegans and vegetarians. Cash only. ATM at the back. Order the eggs Benedict.

Lunch

For lunch I LOVE to head to “The Pier” on Howard Wharf. This place doesn’t even look open from the street. Head for the dock and boats because this fabulous bar is on the dock. I love to sit at the bar, speak with other patrons about their day and take in the views of the yachts and motor boats alike. Order a martini and seafood. I love their scallops but the clams and mussels are to die for as well. Any of their seafood is great. Go for the simple dishes.

My second choice for lunch is at Bannister’s Wharf. For those of you that are either just coming from a good sleep on your ship to those who have been shopping the morning away, when you find yourself downtown, head to The Black Pearl for their famous Clam Chowder and Bloody Mary’s. -

PS – this was named well before that movie with the hot grunge pirate with the dark eyeliner.

Dinner

Dinner. If you have rented a house or just stepped off the yacht, nothing is better than a home cooked lobster with friends. Head over to the Aquidneck Lobster Company on Bowen’s Wharf. This is where your restaurants are shopping anyway so why not? Lobsters, Scallops, and clams.  Oh, my.

PS – being smiley, patient and nice often makes the weight of your order round down instead of up.

Romantic Dinner? Okay. So you cooked the lobster last night and had loads of friends over to the yacht. Time to show your loved one how much you appreciate the fact that they didn’t say a word when you sang a less than perfect rendition of Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville”.

The Terrace at Chanler’s is wonderful. No reservations are allowed as it is weather permitting and so, first come first served. If it is raining just go to the Spiced Pear inside at Chanler’s. For super foodie fans, Chanler’s has a chef’s table available for couples up to 6 people and private dining as well.

{Photo credits: The Pier; Aquidneck; Chanler; The Black Pearl}

maryspicer

Mary Spicer owns Spicer’s Events, a wedding planning business with offices located in both Boulder, CO, and Newport, RI. You can find Mary on Twitter @spicersevent. I was thrilled when I put the call out for dining & travel related guest posts and Mary offered to share her Newport, Rhode Island favorites.

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Road Trip, Day Last.  On Sunday night, Chris and I were cozied up in the last hotel room of the trip, having decided to crash in Glenwood Springs after 8 hours on the road rather than push another 3-4 for more and get home late last night.  Excellent choice!

We spent an hour in the hot springs, enjoyed dinner at an Italian place, and shot the breeze with some chicas in the hotel bar while watching the VMAs.  I spent what time I could then stay awake in the process of going through the almost 900 photos we took while in Reno, Tahoe, Virginia City, and all of the places in between those and Boulder this week.  Needless to say… that’s a lot of photos!

While I spend the next couple of days editing and writing things up, you go right on ahead and enjoy some photos from the road trip part of the trip.

Monday/Tuesday – we drove from Boulder to Evanston, WY, where we stayed the night before continuing on to Reno, NV.
Saturday/Sunday - we left from Virginia City, NV on Saturday morning, and crashed in Ely, NV on Saturday night.  On Sunday, we drove from Ely to Glenwood Springs, CO.  We’ll make the final stretch from Glenwood Springs to Boulder on Monday morning, and plan to be home between 9-10AM.

These pictures are from any/all of those days.

This is how I do half-moon when I’m well-rested and have a block (or in this case, a rock) to place my hand on.

Annnd… this is how I do half-moon when I’m a little sleepier, laughing my face off, and well, actually this is how I fall out OUT of half-moon.

So much more to come on restaurants, hotels, spas, museums, shows, balloons (!!!), catamarans, and camel races!

Stay tuned

More photos from the trip out to Nevada are posted on Flickr, if you want to see more yoga on salt flats!

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.

Grace is a friend and fellow blogger, and a kindred spirit in the manner of all things food and travel.  She’s scouted many of the cheese plates here in Boulder and offers up what she considers cheese plate musts, great information about cheeses and some delicious photos of the local fromage.  You can find our Gracie Boyle on Twitter @gracekboyle, and peep her own personal blog, Small Hands Big Ideas.

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I adore cheese – stinky, soft, sharp, aged, goat, crumbly, yes please.

Last week, in my regular outings of some favorite Boulder restaurants, I had three cheese plates total (in a week!) This is how serious I am about cheese. I know how much I adore the taste, but know less about the process, how it’s made and regions with spectacular cheese. I’m going to meld my love for cheese, with some basic information and of course, sample some of the delicious local restaurants with my favorite cheese plates here on Doni’s beautiful, Nomadic Foodie.

What Makes a Delicious Cheese Plate?

Cheese expert, Laura Werlin of Food & Wine states that the perfect cheese plate should include: “a mix of fresh, aged, soft and hard cheeses, arranged in the order in which they should be tasted: from the lightest and freshest to the ripest and most intense.”

My scrupulous research and foodie taste buds declare (American Cheese Society backs me up too) that for cheese boards/plates, limit your selection to no more than 5 cheeses.

A variety of sizes, shapes, flavor and texture are desirable especially to create diversity to the palate. For example, if there’s a strong and pungent cheese it shouldn’t be next to a lighter, more delicate cheese. Furthermore, I can tell when the cheese board arrives and there are a few different knives for each cheese, the restaurant knows their cheese plates.

We shouldn’t forget that delicious cheese must not only be coupled by cheese itself, but with pairings such as fruit, jams or nuts. I prefer and have delighted in: apples, grapes, strawberries and pears in terms of fruit. Additional items I suggest are: nuts, honey, jelly or jam or even a type of mustard. Finally, bread, crostini, or crackers for eating your cheese with. I prefer grilled or toasted that is still soft enough to lap up the cheese, versus crostini, but both will do. It is important that whatever cracker, bread or crostini you use, they are not flavored as to not take away the taste of the cheese.

Before serving the cheese, experts suggest that setting the cheese out about a half hour before eating brings them to room temperature (but this isn’t necessary).

I will finalize this by saying, the display is very important for mouth watering quality. Pay attention to how the cheese is served – is it on a board, a large enough platter or plate so the cheese do not touch and how is it plated (by which cheese is next to each other)? It is also suggested (if applicable) to leave the rind on.

Some Favorite Cheese Plates:

Mateo a favorite local Boulder restaurant has a delicious cheese plate (that Doni has covered before in a restaurant review). Most recently, you can find: cypress grove humboldt fog (from California), petit basque (from France), petit frére [wi, usa], bleu d’auvergne [france], confiture, spiced nuts, fruit (local and in season) and country toast.

Another local favorite of mine is The Kitchen. Their cheese board is delightful, served on a long, wooden board and includes my favorite pairing, honey! Their cheese board consists of: Fourme D’Ambert & local honey, Chevrot & olive tapenade, Roncal & candied almonds with udi’s bread.

For final tips on cheese plates, entertaining and how to create your own, check out the following links:

Fork and Bottle outlines how to make an interesting cheese platter for a dinner or holiday party.

American Cheese Society has a great link on tips for cheese consumers.

Madame Fromage (http://madamefromage.blogspot.com/) talks all thing cheese. It’s a beautiful blog.

A Cup Of Joe features United States Cheese Boards, they’re so fun and beautifully plated.

Cheese plates can be enjoyed many different ways, whether you’re sampling a cheese plate at your favorite restaurant (great to order as an appetizer with a group, preferably paired with a wine) or preparing a cheese plate for a potluck, party or entertaining (great idea, finger food and who doesn’t like cheese?) e-mail me, if you’re disatsified. Seriously. I believe in the cheese!

So what cheese plates have you loved the most? Pictures, stories, restaurants? Share with us!

gracekboyle

Grace is the Director of Marketing and Sales for the online startup, Kapost. She runs her food blog that celebrates traveling, dining out, cooking and how food fuels us at (http://gracefullplate.com/) and her own personal blog uncovering the 20-something journey and inspirations (http://smallhandsbigideas.com). She loves traveling, red wine, new media, reading, artisan cheese, laughter and her current home in Boulder, Colorado. Her favorite quote? "Buy the ticket, take the ride," from Hunter S. Thompson. You can find her tweeting as @gracekboyle and talking about food @gracefullplate

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It’s no secret I’m a bit of a wine-o.  New(ish) to Colorado, but not new to the vine, I wanted to check out what Colorado has to offer in terms of grape-growing and production.  So, Boyfriend and I spent this past Saturday checking out some of the wineries and tasting rooms here on the front range, along with local wine tour group, 5280 Wine Tours.

What’s interesting about these is that they’re all totally urban – really, all five wineries we visited were right in the middle of the Denver area.  The grapes come in from the Western Slope (like Palisade), but are produced here in the city.

Because a picture’s worth a thousand words, enjoy these shots we got while we sniffed, swirled, and sniffed with our fantastic tour guides, Lisa and Sean.

Urban wine tasting, in pictures

We were told this was a bus tour. Turns out “bus” means “stretch Hummer”.

We spent the first part of the trip at Balestreri Vineyards, sampling more wines than should be allowed for the first stop on the wine tour.  Favorites included a Late Harvest  Red Zinfandel and a Cherry Port, of which we bought two bottles.

Check out the cherry mash in this photo below.  They press the seeds with the grapes to get a nutty, almond flavor into the wine, which I gotta – say is so, so good.

After Balistreri, we went to Colorado Winery Row – Denver’s Urban Wine Tasting Destination.  Basically, this is four tasting rooms, all side-by-side, in the heart of urban Denver at I-70 and Pecos, not too far from LoDo and downtown.  You know how when you get to a Midas or a car shop in a long, rectangular building with garages side-by-side next to a main office?  This is kind of what that felt like.

Four in one

We visited Garfield Estates and Cottonwood Cellars, which share a space, but due to liquor licensing, won’t allow you to bring one drink from one winery across a line onto the other side.  No worries, we kept it separate and enjoyed both the Cottonwood Cellars and Olathe Winery and then hopped the line to Garfield Estates, where I tried the most decadent chocolate port in the history of… well, chocolate ports I guess.

Old wines, new methods

Some of the coolest things about these vineyards was the different approaches they were using to doing some familiar wines.  For instance, Balistreri produces their Chardonnay like a red wine, skins on until the end – unfiltered.  You get a very interesting, not so oaky Chardonnay.  Very cool.

After my time in Traverse City last month, I was delighted to see that Balistreri was doing some cherry wines – tart Montmoncery “pie cherries,” actually, which brought me briefly back to cherry country.  And we bought two bottles of their cherry wine because it was that good.

They also still hand-cork, hand-seal, and hand-label every single bottle.  They’re not a huge operation, but at over 50,000 bottles sold each year – that’s no small feat.

Speaking of Little Feet, try the Little Feet Merlot at Balistreri.  It’s one of their signature wines and is a fan favorite as the grapes are stomped each year by kids’ little feet.  Don’t worry – everything’s cleaned and purified during fermentation, with all the other dirts and germs that land on grapes during their growth and harvest.

Front range grape goodness

The best part about all of this was the fun and interesting introduction into wines of the Front Range.  I know that other places in Colorado grow and bottle some great wines – Palisade, Ft. Collins, etc., but it’s awesome to know that right here in the Denver area, we have some really fine wine going on.

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.

{not bad for an iPhone photo, eh?}

When I first moved to Boulder, I caught a cab to downtown with my roommate, and as we tend to with the friendly cab drivers here, we got to chatting with ours.  He revealed that this night was actually his last night driving, as he was leaving the taxi biz to start an organic pizza restaurant in downtown Boulder, scheduled to open in April.  Our buses here are cute names like the Hop, Skip, Jump, and Bound, so I thought it was fitting and clever when he told us the shop would be called The Bop (Boulder Organic Pizza).

Needless to say, I was thrilled when it opened and have found myself at one of their tables at least four times since.  I’ve had the pizza, the pasta, the cheese plate, and the mista salad, and can say that they’re definitely onto something delicious.

I adore that the ingredients used in the dishes are organic and that so many are from local sources.  The freshness really comes through, and I think sets The Bop apart (and a step above) other pizza places.  I’m still new to Boulder though – you tell me: what are the other places for amazing pizza around here.  The boyfriend loves Abo’s, and the roommate and friends of ours have called Cosmos more than once for some late-night (read: not totally sober) noshing.

As for the food, to be honest, I’ve heard mixed reviews about the pizza from various folks surveyed, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve had so far – thin-crusted, light, deliciously fresh cheeses.

I’m always a fan of a cheese plate, and this one was no exception – doesn’t hurt that the mozz is freshly made right there!

The Mista Salad (mixed salad) is light and perfect, drizzled in olive oil and I believe, lemon juice.  We (Grace, Cali, Will, and myself) were in for lunch one day last week and requested Balsamic Vinegar, only to learn that they don’t carry it – at all.  This conversation with the server caught the attention of the chef, himself from South Italy, and he took some time to explain the different culinary traditions and inclusions of different parts of the country.  As it turns out, balsamic is more of a Northern Italy thing, and since he doesn’t and hasn’t really incorporated it into his cooking, it’s not reflected in the menus.  Kudos to a chef who stays true to his art!  And who takes some time to chat with the patrons about his style and menu.

The pasta is what has really blown me away – I’ve had two different seafood bow-tie pasta dishes, both served in a really light but amazingly flavorful tomato sauce.  I think this (and the cheese!) is what will continue to bring me back – well, that and the great service (bartenders and wait-staff alike) that I keep finding myself enjoying.

So, Mr. Cab-Driver-Turned-Pizza-Shop-Owner?  Nicely done – and I can’t wait to see where this place goes   Also, I’d love to know your real name and chat with you sometime to learn more about what you’re doing at The Bop.

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.

An extension of my love affair with Mateo Restaurant, I’ve finally made it into their sister shop – Radda Trattoria – for more than just a drink.

Radda is:

A neighborhood restaurant inspired by the cuisine and culture of Tuscany, Italy.

YUM, right?  RIGHT.

I met “the crew” – some of Boulder’s finest networkers, foodies, smart folks, and partiers – for happy hour this past Thursday.

On my menu?  The Piccolo Frittos, Insalada Radda, and Mushroom Risotto (Risotto con Funghi).  I’ve said before that I want to travel to Europe with my first priority being to eat my way through Italy and Spain.  Since I haven’t made it across the pond yet, perhaps I’ll just start at Radda and eat my way through their amazing Tuscan menu.

For instance…

Insalada Radda

Piccolo Fritto

Risotto con Funghi

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves – My only question is, when are we going back?

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.

My first trip of 2009 was out to visit my oldest and dearest friend Steve.  He moved out to Colorado from Minnesota after college, and having recently decided that four years was enough, he moved back this summer.  I went out to visit two weeks prior to that move, back in the middle of May, to soak in the mountains and a vacation one more time before he returned.

We did all kinds of awesome things while I was there including climbing a mountain, walking around Boulder, and taking a mini road trip up to Wyoming.

But of course, I seek out interesting restaurants and remember the food, so here’s my little recap of where we ate and what we had:

In Denver (technically, Broomfield):

• Tres Margaritas (6896 W 120th Ave, Broomfield – (303) 410-8705)

We weren’t on any particular culinary adventure or mission at Tres Margaritas; I was mostly in need of food and drink upon my arrival and Steve picking me up from the airport.  We each had two margaritas – on the rocks, thanks – and I ordered a taco/enchilada combo that was HUGE and AWESOME and naturally came with the requisite Mexi-rice and beans.

I’m always a sucker for good Mexican food and for a quiet little hole-in-the-wall in the suburbs?  This one was muy bueno.

In Boulder -

Boulder was SO much fun to explore!  They have a walking mall area called Pearl Street where vehicles aren’t allowed and folks just roam freely up and down the shop- and bar-lined cobblestone road.  Street performers entertain visitors, and gorgeous flower gardens and cute decorations line the street from one end to the other.

• The Med (1002 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO 80302 – (303) 444-5335)

At the recommendation of a colleague, Steve and I popped into The Med for dinner.  We opted for splitting a number of different small plates to better taste more of their offerings.  The menu’s set up really well for that too, and I believe we ended up with five options.  And I know, I know… FOODIE BLOGGER FAIL, since it’s now August and I’m writing about a May trip, I don’t remember all the details.  I remember mussels, lamb meat (I think on skewers), and I believe salmon.  I know, FAIL, but really?  The food was INCREDIBLE, the staff extremely pleasant and knowledgeable, and the atmosphere is deliciously funky.

All in all?  Denver and Boulder are fine culinary spots and I’d love to go back to try more.

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.