Mile High Eats

If you're wondering if all we did in Denver was eat, the answer is a resounding yes.

...I mean, the last season of Top Chef was based there for a reason.

True to form, we closed out the last day of our whirlwind trip with a downtown food tour. I'd never done one before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was an absolute blast. It was our guide's first solo tour, but we never would have known that had he not told us. For roughly four hours, we walked all over the downtown area, learning about the food scene, listening to the city's history, and stopping at seven different places to try a diverse range of dishes.

• Blue Agave Grill, our meeting point and starting location, offered fish tacos. In lieu of that, I was given a fried avocado taco and it was probably my favorite item of the tour.
• EVOO Marketplace is a locally-owned olive oil/balsamic vinegar shop, where we learned about the oil-making process and sampled any flavor combinations that we wanted. Blueberry balsamic, anyone?

• Avelina, an American spot that offers seasonal dishes, gave us tuna tartare, but I opted for carrot soup. 
• Zoe Ma Ma, a fast casual Chinese restaurant, provided large portions of a noodle dish that we enhanced with whatever sauces we wanted.

• Wynkoop Brewing Company, Denver's first brewpub (Fun fact: It was started by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper), was next on the tour and we tried some bizarre things. First up was bison chili, which was delicious and tasted like normal chili. Then, because it's a brewery, came the beer. We tried Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, which is actually brewed with roasted bull testicles. Yikes.
• Mercantile, a farm-to-table restaurant/artisanal market located in Union Station, gave us some cheese and crackers to help wash down our beer. Side note: The owner of Mercantile, Alex Seidel, was featured on Top Chef last season!
• Milkbox, which is also located inside Union Station, was an ice cream shop that served Little Man ice cream. The sea salt caramel was the perfect way to end the tour.

Not only was the food delicious, but the tour company was incredibly accommodating with personal taste preferences. I told them in advance that I don't like seafood and they were able to offer me alternatives at the two stops where fish was on the tasting menu. I was also amazed that, thanks to all the walking and talking, we weren't stuffed by the end of the tour.

We had a little time to kill before heading to the airport, so we decided to check out the Brown Palace, a historic hotel nearby. Then, because we clearly hadn't eaten enough already, we made our way to Voodoo Doughnut to say a proper goodbye to the city. For the record, I highly recommend Voodoo if you're ever near one. SO DELICIOUS. It was tough to pick, but we had enough time to decide as the line stretched outside the door and onto the street. We settled on Dirt (Oreos), Oh Captain, My Captain (Captain Crunch), and the Homer (yeast doughnut with strawberry frosting). My personal favorite, though, was the massive doughnut decorated in honor of Stephen Hawking.

So yeah, we probably gained ten pounds on our quick weekend trip to a city that's known for outdoor, physical activities. Oops. I'm already plotting our return to Denver, but this time, we'll make sure to rent a car.