When my spectacular daughter and I traveled to Istanbul in September, 2010, we decided it would be fun to do a little travel/food blog. We're both travel gypsies, music junkies and totally addicted foodies. Plus, we are both incredibly fond of a Joni Mitchell song about the elusive Mermaid Cafe. Our goals: travel a bunch (hopefully together), always enjoy the music, eat very well AND find the Mermaid Cafe!
I recently had an opportunity to travel to Denver, Colorado. Purpose: To see U2 and to meet with my fabulous friends at Africa Bags (www.africabags.org) in Loveland and to hang out with one of my very fun girl friends and fellow U2 devotee, Amy.
U2 was amazing. It was their first show back in the US after the 2010 tour dates were rescheduled due to Bono's back surgery. Bono said it best…"you were two years younger when you bought these tickets." I bought a "bad ass" t-shirt with a little bit of a Harley Davidson attitude - brought one home for my spectacular daughter since she couldn't join me. But, best - I had a close encounter of the Bono kind! Got to shake hands, have a little chat and some real good eye contact. Super special encounter - about half way through the concert, Bono recognized my friend and I where we were standing (yes, we were on the 2nd row from the stage) and pointed with a great big smile on his face. Absolutely awesome!
On Sunday we went to Loveland for our business meeting. Holly and Todd, who are running Africa Bags, are absolutely amazing. They were on their way to Malawi for three weeks, taking their children and huge bags of supplies and stuff that people they work with can't get! All of that and they were flying stand-by - yuk. Africa Bags is going to make a limited edition bag for Mango Tree Foundation - all the proceeds will be divided by Africa Bags and Mango Tree - both organizations are volunteer based and driven and all the proceeds from any fundraising goes back into either projects or project development. None of us gets paid. Mango Tree is now really pushing forward with our fruit drying project - the pilot project will be set up in Africa Bags villages. Meeting was fabulous. It is amazing how much energy I get from being around people who share my passion for social justice.
Loveland is just down the road from Boulder and we couldn't wait to do a little sightseeing AND try a couple of restaurants in Boulder - Salt Bistro and The Kitchen Cafe. Both the restaurants are on Pearl Street in Boulder. Pearl Street is a pedestrian mall filled with great shops, great food and great people watching. We started at Salt Bistro (www.saltboulderbistro.com) for a cocktail and a snack. I had an amazing cocktail - a Strawberry Basil Martini. Here's what was in my martini: Telluride Vodka, strawberry, basil, dry vermouth and orange bitters. The strawberry basil combination was outstanding and the little whiff of orange bitters was just enough to keep the martini from being too sweet! Our appetizer was a homemade fava bean hummus with homemade flatbread. I'd never had fava bean hummus but, it was truly outstanding - green, garlicky, cool. Yum.
Dinner was two doors down at The Kitchen Cafe (www.thekitchencafe.com). The Kitchen is a community oriented bistro whose menu evolves seasonally and really accents the farm to table movement in America. Mondays are their community dinner nights - prix fixe menu and they donate a portion of their sales to a local community oriented food group. We started with prosciutto fritters - prosciutto and rice, fried and served with a spicy tomato sauce and pea sprouts. Then we split two entrees - a quinoa with roasted asparagus dish (also had garbanzo beans) and a pasta special. (Sorry, the restaurant doesn't list the specials on their daily menu on the website!). Both were absolutely amazing. The quinoa recipe is something I would like to try at home! Add to that a nice Argentinian Malbec and, well, it was blissful.
I don't think I found the Mermaid Cafe in Denver or Boulder…but if the mermaid is fact, she would absolutely love a Strawberry Basil Martini and some fava bean hummus…Nuff said!
Still searching. Headed to Texas next.
n
