Boulder Smashburger VIP Event

I had the opportunity to attend a VIP (or sneak peak) event for the new Smashburger in Boulder. I was really excited and honored to receive the invite! When we arrived I was pleasantly welcomed by one of Smahsburgers PR representatives at the door. She quickly chatted as I looked around the room at the overwhelming amount of people in attendance. When I saw Richard Gere, from Runaway Bride I thought "Wow this really is a big event!". Julie, the PR rep waved him over. It wasn't Richard Gere, it was Tom Ryan! The founder and Chief Concept Officer. He was busy but promised to come chat after we got seated with our food.

(Does he not look Richard Gere?!)

When we went up to order we obviously had to yell to get our order in over all the excitement. We all three ordered the Colorado Burger in honor of it's new appearance on the menus. We've wondered when this burger would come into creation and were more than thrilled to hear that a Colorado Burger had made it to the menu. Each of us ordered a different side. I suggested my sister-in-law order the Haystack onions since they are my favorite! I had to try the Sweet potato fries; also delish. And my husband tried Smash fries; best fries in the whole world! Plus! The burger's here are perfectly seasoned, cooked to perfection, juicy, messy on a fresh flavorful bun! Which by the way, come in different flavors!

My personal favorite is their Create Your Own. I like the 1/3 lb burger on a egg bun. I add BBQ sauce and haystack onions as well as grilled onions with their sharp cheddar cheese. Basically, I wish Colorado would trade burgers with Utah but hey, I can create my own so I'm ok!

(Smash Fries and the Colorado Burger)

(Colorado Burger and Haystack Onions with their sauce)

(Colorado Burgar with their garlic seasoned Sweet Potato Fries)

The new Colorado Burger is unique as well as carefully planned out. After a few deliciously cheesy yet peppery bites, Tom Ryan came and sat down next to me. He was kind enough to talk with us for a good ten minutes. He explained the process in designing this new concoction.

He and my husband talked more about the business side of things. We asked Tom why he started Smashburger in the first place. He explained that he was the Chief Concept Officer of McDonalds and found that millions of people were eating the food but were not happy with it.They eat it simply because it's there. His plan was then to create a restaurant that is cheaper and faster than a sit down place but nicer, better and fancier than fast food. I think he hit the nail on the head!

Smashburger has a modernized yet cozy feel to it. The customer service is simply the best I've seen at any burger restaurant. You truly get fresh, high quality food and the best service. You feel great when you leave, knowing you got a good deal and were treated right.


The number one thing I admire most about Smashburger (other than their amazing food) is Tom Ryan's effort in giving this national chain a home town feel in each of it's locations. They even created a burger just for Boulder (a burger made of black beans rather than beef)! I'm really excited that Smashburger is growing so rapidly and even more excited that they are now in Boulder. They are going to LOVE this home style burger joint.

Check out Smashburger and even order online!

Armando's Ristorante & Pizzaria

We came to check out Armando's because it has received awards for best pizza a few times. I’m a pizza girl. This is a pizza place. I love all pizza but let me tell you, if you like gourmet, hand tossed, handmade, amazing toppings then Armando's is going to win your heart.

This is the pizza I ordered. It has Prosciutto, red onions, garlic, basil leaves, tomatoes with a olive oil base. Sounds like heaven and well... it tastes like it too! I liked the crust though it was a little harder than I like, but hard thin crust is popular these days. Overall, this pizza was amazing! It was even better the next day as leftovers too!

I wish they had an online menu. I could tell you what this dish is... It's their pasta in marinara sauce topped with a ton of cheese and a sausage. The waiter told us that their sausage is made fresh locally! As much as I LOVE pizza, this dish is tied in deliciousness. It's a heavy meal too so it worked out to feed my hungry husband dinner and lunch!

I loved Armando's and wish it were located closer to my house. We don't usually repeat restaurants but Armand's is worth it! They have great service, in fact, it's a family run business. As you can see, they offer crayons and paper to color on as you wait for your food! Best of all, they truly have some of the best Italian food in Denver!!!!

Jimmy John's

If you haven't tried a Jimmy John's sandwich, I can honestly say that you are really missing out! If you have to drive an extra 15 minutes to get a Jimmy John's vs. a Subway... do it!! This place was introduced to me in Utah. I fell in love and actually studied up on the place. It all began back in 1983 when 19 year old Jimmy John Liautaud decided to start a sandwich shop. He read some recipes and found what people liked best and quickly became a very successful businessman.

One thing I admire about Jimmy John's is that they make sandwiches the correct way. By that I mean, they use the freshest bread. It's so soft I'd eat it alone, and you can! They sell the bread itself for $0.50! Aside from that, they also pit out the bread, meaning they dig out some of the insides to make room for the meats and cheeses while also stabilizing the sandwich to keep it from falling to pieces. I admire a sandwich shop that knows the proper way to build a sandwich!

I LOVE their Turkey Tom. The texture of the turkey is to die for as it practically melts in your mouth. Their other sandwiches are wonderful as well. I don't know if we've tried one we don't love actually.

Yes Jimmy John's is technically a fast food restaurant. Yes it's a chain but it is also the greatest sandwich you'll find! The service is phenomenal; very fast and friendly. They use high quality ingredients creating the most delectable sandwiches in Colorado.

The Cheesecake Factory in downtown Denver!

If you want a luxurious dinner in a fancy restaurant, I’d suggest you head to The Cheesecake Factory. Their Denver location is stunningly beautiful. With dim lighting and the wonderful service, your sure to enjoy a romantic meal!

Their menu is probably the largest menu I have ever seen! With pages and pages of selections everyone is bound to find something they like. We noticed that many items have mushrooms. One person in our party was allergic to mushrooms so we asked our waitress if mushroom sauces could be substituted. She explained that when there is an allergy, the cooks will do anything and everything for the safety of the customer.

After a long battle of deciding what to eat, we all had it figured out! I ordered their Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta. It is a “Honey Glazed Chicken, Asparagus, Red and Yellow Peppers, Peas, Garlic and Onion in a Spicy Chipotle Parmesan Cream Sauce”. My husband ordered their Shrimp Scampi and Steak Diane, which is their “famous Shrimp Scampi sautéed with whole cloves of garlic, white wine, fresh basil and tomato. Served with medallions of Certified Angus Beef Steak covered with black peppercorns, a rich mushroom wine sauce, & mashed potatoes”.

I can’t even begin to express how divinely delicious the food was! My pasta was sweet, yet spicy. At first it appeared to be a small portion of food but as my stomach grew full and my pate was still packed with appetizing food, I realized that in fact, it was a ton of food!

To keep from getting used to the flavors of my meal, I snuck bites of my husband’s garlic mashed potatoes. They too were beyond amazing. They were bursting with flavor. Gary mentioned that he really loved the shrimp scampi and was impressed with how large the shrimps were. When it came to the steak, he was neutral. The steak portions were small and the flavors were average. He did say he was thrilled with the amount of potatoes he was given as they were what filled him.

After my dinner was boxed, we asked for a dessert menu. Once again, we were overwhelmed with the amount of choices. From their Godiva® Chocolate Cheesecake, to their Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel you have approximately 30 choices of cheesecakes! Thankfully my husband make my choice for me, otherwise I’d have been there all night deciding! I tried their White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle® and Gary picked their Warm Apple Crisp, as he sadly doesn’t like cheesecake. Oh how divine these deserts were! It’s as close to Heaven as you can get! Honestly, truly, and fully delicious!

(Our friend's Banana Cream Pie Cheesecake!)

Overall, we were very impressed with the wonderful service at the Cheesecake Factory. The waitress was sweet and fun. The decor was beautiful! I do wish their menu was half as long, just because it’s so hard to choose what to eat with 6 pages of choices! Other than that, this place is going on my top favorite list!

Phoenician Kabob

Last night we went out to eat at a Mediterranean restaurant. None of us had previous experiences eating Mediterranean cuisine or anything like it. Luckily the manager, Jamel, was kind enough to guide us along our way. Not only did he tell us his recommendations, he explained what each food was.

We ended up ordering an appetizer called Fatayer Bi Sabanekh, which is a pastry stuffed with spinach, onions and pine nuts. It was served with a cucumber dill sauce to dip the pastry in. When it arrived we were excited as it looked and smelled delicious! Once each of us bit into it we were extremely impressed with the unique yet amazing taste.

*This is the Fatayer Bi Sabanekh (after we already eat some).

As our main meal we ordered a Vegetarian Combo plate which comes with Falafe, hummus, Baba Ghanuj, tebbouleh, and stuffed grape leaves. We also ordered a Meat Combo Plate and ordered the chicken, lamb and kafta meats to go with it (you pick 3 of 4 meats. We didn't order the beef). It also comes with hummus and a garlic paste, rice and a basket of pita bread. You then put what you want onto a pita bread and eat it like a taco. I was very happy with the two plates that we ordered. They were beyond delightful in taste, texture and presentation.

*The top plate is the vegetarian combo and the one on the bottom is the meat combo plate.

One of our guests tried a wine that Jamel suggested. He said it was a very high quality wine. Since I don't drink I will take his word on that.

Eating such decadent foods made me wish the experience would never end! Thankfully Jamel then talked us into trying their baklava for dessert. I sadly, didn't know what baklava was but once it hit the table I fell in love! With a phyllo dough crust and sweetened nuts in the center, each bite is like Heaven! It was the perfect ending to a perfect night!

*The amazing baklava!

As you can tell, I highly recommend this restaurant. It tops the charts with it's tasty food, amazing customer service and the atmosphere. Honestly, this is my new favorite restaurant and I hope you check it out!

Taste of Asia

Friday night we stopped in at Taste of Asia at the Stapleton shopping center. We were impressed with the nice decor. It was modern and clean with a small hint of the Asian feel. The owner gave us a warm welcome and even let us take a picture with her.

We ordered Orange Chicken and Beef Pad Thai. The plates came with more food than we could eat so the $20 was well worth it. I dug into the orange chicken, since that's my favorite Asian food. I was more than thrilled at the amazingly great taste. The chicken was moist and full of great flavor. Truly my favorite plate of Asian food EVER! I then tried the Pad Thai, my favorite Thai dish. I was also thrilled at the greatness of this dish!!! They were both very delicious.

The flavors and textures were both perfect. The amount of food was good for the price and the service was the best yet. If I were to rate Taste of Asia on a scale of 1-10 I would give it at 10 hands down! With no hesitation I can honestly say, this is the best Chinese food I've ever had.

Greatest Mexican Food in Denver So Far!!!

And the award goes to.... Tacos Y Mariscos!!! (I don't know if that's its name...) We went to this place around 10:00 on a Friday night in search for authentic Mexican food. I'm not sure if I could say I've had better tacos before.

We ordered a few pork, beef and one shrimp taco. It was $16 for about 12 little tacos and two drinks. My husband purposely spent the same amount as he did at Wahoo's Fish Tacos just to compare what you get for your money. I'd say this place won that contest hands down!

Aside from what you get for your money, this place is excellent in that it has a salsa bar. Everyone who works here is Hispanic which only makes the whole experience better since you KNOW its real Mexican food!

Like I said, BEST TACOS EVER! We'll be back again for sure!