A Weekend Recap

3:09:00 PM

As I mentioned in my previous post, my "aunties" (my mom's best friends from law school) came to town for a quick weekend trip.  I've known them pretty much my entire life and consider both of them family.  Having them in town was a nice treat considering they both live on the other side of the country.  We had an amazing time catching up and being tourists in Denver with them.  On Friday, we explored the Denver Botanic Gardens (which is currently featuring the breathtakingly beautiful Chihuly exhibit), had a delicious dinner on the patio of Bistro Vendome, and had cocktails with a spectacular view of the Rockies at Peaks Lounge.  Sounds like a pretty amazing day right?

The Denver Botanic Garden is amazing.  Nestled next to Cheeseman Park and Congress Park, the 24 acre urban gardens hosts a wide variety of flora.  Its easy to spend an entire afternoon wandering the grounds. 





 

Although I loved the well-manicured grounds and incredible collection of plant species, I was blown away by the beautiful Chihuly exhibit.  I saw one of artist Dale Chihuly's pieces when I was in Montreal and fell in love with his incredible combination of colors, textures, and shapes.  His pieces are even more spectacular in a more natural setting. 











 



We had an amazing afternoon wandering through the gardens and soaking up all that famous Colorado sunshine.




After wandering through the gardens, we headed to Larimer Square, one of my favorite spots for fine dining in Denver.  Located in LoDo, this tiny strip houses some incredible restaurants.  Some of my favorites are TAG and Tomayo (both are amazing and you should go there).  After visiting Bistro Vendome, I can add it to my list of favorites too.  Their patio is amazing, nestled away from the hustle and bustle of downtown living.  You almost feel like you're in a small European village enjoying a dinner al fresco.  

 

The cocktails menu was impressive.  Just enough unique and well crafted concoctions to make it difficult to choose but not too many to be overwhelming.  I ended up picking the Send My Love to Violet, a very refreshing gin based cocktail.


The appetizers were amazing too.  The meal began with a complimentary gazpacho that was to die for. 


We also ordered the pomme frites (which had a champagne gastric and were served with a delicious aioli dipping sauce) and the assiette de fromage.

For the main course I chose the Blanquette Printanier d'Agneau: a delicious dish consisting of pan seared leg of lamb, braised shank, perfectly crispy fingerling potatoes, braised pearl onions, English peas, and micro greens.  It was simply incredible.




After finishing dinner, our next stop was Peaks Lounge, a cocktail lounge on the 27th floor of the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Denver.  The drinks were so-so but their prices were pretty reasonable and the views of the city and the mountains were spectacular.

 
We were just in time to catch the sun setting over the Front Range.  It was beautiful seeing the city lights from such a tall vantage point.




We had an amazing time together and I'm so happy that Megan and Vicky were able to visit (even though it was way too short of a stay).  Fingers crossed they'll be back sooner rather than later. 

All pictures L.Elsmore 2014

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