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A night out with Forkly at Cholon Bistro
So my good friends at Forkly had me out for a happy hour at Denver’s new Cholon Bistro in downtown Denver. There, we sampled some of the finest wings I’ve had. And I don’t like wings all that much. Check out the Forkly info below, get the app, and join in their quest to better everyone’s restaurant-going experience.
Many more of these to come.
The Asian Influence: Kung Pao Peanut Tofu w/ My Chemical Romance
Kung Pao Tofu
So my girlfriend isn’t eating meat this week. No real reason for it, but I enjoy little endeavors like this. It gets me to readjust my diet as well. So while I usually opt for a protein of the poultry variety, I went with tofu for the Asian-inspired Kung Pao dish and the inaugural recipe. Continue reading
Filed under Recipes
Life Happens.
Truer words, and no more cliche words, have been uttered to me in my lifetime. They have been told to me in any number of situations from being robbed to meeting the love of my life or from crashing my bike to winning a free lunch for me and 10 friends at a local burrito joint. Life does happen, and usually, when you least expect it. It’s no secret I’ve veered away from the fashion/men’s lifestyle world. I had/have my reasons, and I still have them today. But what I miss, really, is the outlet I used to have with this blog. I would come, vent my thoughts, interact with a great group of people, and feel refreshed afterwards. I guess I needed some time off while I figured out how exactly I wanted to proceed with this project. I tried to do a Denver-focused site, championing all the great things this city has to offer. It was good for a bit, but somewhere along the way, I lost passion for even that. So I thought…
I thought about what makes me happy. What does make me happy? I got my girl, my dog, my friends and family, and…my kitchen. I have been preparing pizza from scratch, crust and all, since I was 8 years old. I have been learning cooking techniques from my parents since that tender age, and I am now finding myself rediscovering this passion for coming up with new recipes, trying out foods I would have prior not, and penning these experiences. So, while I have had just a blast running the Momentum for as long as I have, it’s time to turn over a new leaf.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person that has had an impact on the Momentum, from the 100 Days project to product donation and commenting on posts. It has been a wild and awesome ride. But as I grew and am realizing what makes me happy, I want to once again write in that authentic voice I developed. My girlfriend will be helping me in this endeavor, snapping pictures, putting words to proverbial paper, coming up with recipes, etc. As will Birdie, our pup, who will most likely be helping to keep the floor beneath our feet clean should we drop scraps. We’re still figuring out the new name, but this URL, themomentumoffailure.com will redirect to whatever we decide, so keep it bookmarked.
I look forward so much to keeping in touch with those who I have met in this journey as well as meeting new people along the way. We’ll have a submission page, should you decide to share recipes, nights out to eat, a good drink, and all that. This new site will be very community-centric, and I expect all who have interacted with me to participate.
Thank you, again, for everything thus far. This is only the beginning.
Cheers,
Will
The Encased Meat Tour 2011: Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs
Signage above Colfax
Colfax has come a long way in recent years: higher-end apartment complexes popping up, more restaurants, bars, and shops moving in, and a fresh coat of paint slapped on buildings here and there. The stretch of road between Broadway and Colorado Blvd is lookin rather proper in parts. One of the tips of the overhaul iceberg sits at the corner of Colfax and Monroe, an establishment simply known as Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs.
The crew gathered at 2PM on a gorgeous Denver Sunday to partake in some meat, cold beer, and sparkling conversation. We started this round with some highly-recommended flash-fried veggies. Not entirely sure what made them flash-fried versus just warm, but regardless, they were tasty. The group split one order so as not to fill up and leave no room for the dogs… Cue: The Main Event.
Steve's Flash Fried Veggies
California Dog: Fried red and green peppers, lettuce, spicy mustard, cheddar jack cheese, sliced tomatoes.
My Concoction: Lettuce Wrap Veggie Dog with Spicy Mustard – Yellow Mustard – Ketchup – Caraway Sauerkraut – Red Onions – Grilled Red Onions – Jalapeno Peppers – Sport Peppers – Green Relish – Dill Pickle Chips – Dill Pickle Slices – Celery Salt
L-R: Dallas Dog: Chili con carne, cheddar jack cheese. Chicago Dog: Spicy mustard, green relish, red onions, sliced tomato, celery salt, dill pickle spear, sport peppers. Fries
The dogs were good. The fries were free (Chris did a good job on that one!), and customer service was second to none. Mike, the guy announcing order numbers did so with the enthusiasm of a WWE announcer when the Rock was about to come out and layeth the smacketh down on some jabroni…. (nerd alert).
Pitchers of beer were only $9, which made me recall my college days at the Trailhead in Fort Collins, putting away pitcher after pitcher of Moosehead with my friends.
Back to Mike…Seeing as how this was an encased meat stop, not one of us tried the smashburger on the menu. Mike had us promise to make sure we come back and try it, promising that it was as good as the patty they serve at Elway’s but $15 less. Hell of a sell there!
If you’re on Colfax, want a quick bite among good people, love hot dogs, and don’t want to put a dent in your back account, check out Steve’s. And if you’re around July 31, 2011, come by for their hot dog eating contest. I gotta see this one in person…
Check out the rest of Steve’s dogs and their story:
Steve’s Snapping Dogs
3525 E. Colfax Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80206-1816
303-333-SNAP
Nightlife: Growing up and an impromptu Sunday date at Parallel 17; Denver, CO.
Parallel 17 Happy Hour Menu
Sweaty. Tired. Overwhelmed with clutter. Yes, accomplished and satisfied. That’s how I would describe this past Sunday. Fresh off the heels of the Savvy Blogging Summit in Colorado Springs, about 60 miles south of Denver, we awoke Sunday determined to finally move the rest of my crap out of my old place and into storage. As I may or may not have made clear, I moved out of my condo of 8 years and in with my girl and have been slowwwwwwly moving things into storage and/or getting rid of my unneeded belongings. As the month draws to a close and the thought of my new tenant moving in becomes reality, I had to take the majority of yesterday and work my ass off. Luckily, I wasn’t alone. So while we slaved away in the Denver heat, interrupting our efforts for a two hour stint for the Encased Meat Tour, we were able to get probably 99.9% of the rest of the stuff in the condo down into storage.
Lychee Soju
I couldn’t have done this without the help of my lovely gal, so I want to once again thank her for being a such a good sport and hammering out this last round with me. As dirty and grimy as we felt after hours of moving boxes and crates in 90+ degree heat, we deemed it necessary to reward ourselves at the now-staple in Uptown Denver, Parallel 17.
I admit, when this place first opened, I thought it pretentious. I was just a cheapskate, though, opting for terrible $2 wells at the awful dive up the street. As my palate and tastes refined over the years, I grew to love the higher echelon of clientele, enjoying a more expensive drink versus slamming well whiskey (which is still fun from time to time), and the truly delectable Orient-inspired food fusions. For our little impromptu date, we sampled their infused drinks by way of lychee soju and soda and a strawberry basil gin with soda. I had never had a lychee before, and I have to say, that fruit, in small doses is delicious. I could see me going overboard, though, and getting sick of them rather quickly. Regardless, the drink was good, as was the infused gin.
Tuna Taco at Parallel 17
To fill our stomachs, we went light and split a tuna taro taco from the happy hour menu. The little tapa sat in a light avocado mousse. Had we been hungrier, we would have ordered more. But just getting a taste of it was perfect. We ate, drank, chatted up Max, the bartender with a quite pleasant demeanor, paid up, and headed out. It wasn’t anything all that special other than being a perfect way to spend an exhausted afternoon.
Should you find yourself in the area and are in need of a good happy hour drink and bite with a bit of class, head to Parallel 17. Tell them we sent you. It might not do anything, but it’s worth a shot.
Peep their contact:
Parallel 17
303-399-0988
1600 E 17th Ave
Denver, CO 80218
The aftermath.
The Encased Meat Tour 2011: Billy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs
Welcome to Billy's
Naturally, the words “encased meat tour” – when strung together – illicit a mixed response. But last Sunday, on the inaugural outing of the EMT2k11 group, we were greeted with nothing but warmth, akin to the steamed poppy seed buns in which our hot dogs rested. Continue reading
Dining Out: The Encased Meat Tour. Denver, CO.
Though the term, “encased meats,” would make a vegetarian shudder, there’s no denying the simple joys associated with eating a hot dog. While the origins of the food are somewhat scattered and debatable at best, the dish has become an icon of American cuisine, seeing reinvention after reinvention but always somehow staying true the the basics. I know that the above photo is from Hot Doug’s, one of Chicago’s finest hot dog establishments, but we’re getting a group together to explore the meateries of Denver, CO and beyond.
Biker Jim's, circa 2010.
I read a post I did a bit back on one of Denver’s finest when it come to encased meat, Biker Jim’s. Then, Jim only had two stands offering up exotic meats ranging from reindeer to elk, and buffalo to wild boar. Since then, he has moved into a brick and mortar and has turned his dream into an established reality. And this is where the Encased Meat Tour comes into play. It seems like Jim inspired Denver to open a slew of hot dog stands around the metro area. And we plan to hit them all this Summer.
I’ve gone ahead and set up the Facebook group which you can join here. All are welcome. The more the merrier. Bring your appetite and not your attitude. Etc, etc. If you have any questions, ideas, suggestions, rants and / or raves, post em here or on the group wall. Also, should you feel the need to Tweet this, we’re using the hashtag #EMT2K11.
The fun kicks off July 10 at 2:00pm at Billy’s. A detailed schedule is to follow. Let the good times roll.
Summer, man. Encased meats.
Nightlife: Tips for a proper impromptu date night
I was feeling a bit off yesterday. Pissed about a few events that unfolded as well as kind of out of it given I am about to leave my job. That, and I had a few drinks with my son-to-be-ex-coworkers to send me off properly. When I finally got off work and home, the lady and I had no real plans of which to speak. Seeing that I was agitated, she took it upon herself to give me one helluvan impromptu date nights. If you’re in the market for one, here are a few ideas:
Walk
Walk. Taken at the Tetons. Point remains.
Weather pending, get out of the house for a hot minute or an hour and walk around your neighborhood. It gives you a chance to clear out your head, vent, talk shit about a pretty sunset, and gives you some much needed exercise after sitting at a desk for 9+ hours. Also, if you have a pup in need of some obedience training, this is a good time to teach her to sit before crossing streets, not to pull on the leash, and wear her out so you can enjoy a quieter evening after said walk.
Dance Party
Sleigh Bells. Slaying it.
While musical taste is varied, one song I like to put on for a little living room dance party for two is the Sleigh Bells tune, “Rill Rill.” There’s something enchanting about it. Could be the rhythmic guitar work, soft drums, or pretty killer video (link below). When you take those ingredients and combine it with that sexy voice, it’s the perfect storm for a get-down. The dance party is another way to slip in a bit of moving around in both for the two of you as well as the dog, should she get excited.
Drinks
Three 1.75 bottles in one box. BOOM!
I do not condone alcoholism. I do condone relaxing with a cocktail when the occasion calls. A weeknight is no night for an all-out bender, especially if you have to be up early the next day for work, so a nice box of wine will suffice. We went with a box of the fine, fine chardonnay from Big House. Say what you will about boxed wine, this particular variety is damn good. We’re not drinking Franzia or anything. While I prefer white, red is suitable too, for an evening in with your significant other. Stick to wine. It makes the weekend bender with bourbon and tequila all that much more special.
Takeout
... Thai.
Screw cooking. Enjoy having someone else do it for you and get some takeout. We went with Tommy’s Thai, a Colorado fave, though, until last night, not one of mine. Not to get off topic, but I had a bad taste in my mouth of that place up until last night. I won’t say why, but I was hesitant to give it another chance. I’m glad I did. And should you choose to, as well, if you’re in the Mile High region, get the Tom Yum Goong and Chicken Satay to start. That’ll be enough food when you add on one entree to split. We chose the Pad Kra Pow. Do it.
The Romcom
awwwwww
This is possibly one of the most important parts of a good staying in date night. A romantic comedy usually has something for the both of you. I mean, you’re in a relationship, right? SO obviously you’re a fan of matters of the heart. Don’t try and act too cool for them, especially when you’re hanging out on the couch with your lady. Come bro time, you can shop, sports, muscle cars, SI Swimsuit Edition, etc. But can it right now. I tend to find Drew Barrymore and Justin Long quite grating, but I took another chance and watched my Netflix offering of “Going the Distance.” I retract what I said about the two. This movie was effing brilliant, full of one-liners galore, Charlie from It’s Always Sunny, and Jim Gaffigan. It was good. Watch it. (I’m feeling very demanding today.)
Bed
Image: InteriorDesigningg
Now, now. Get your mind out of the gutter. At this point, after a meal, a dance, a walk, a box of wine (if you’re a lush), and laughing and awwwing at a romcom, you gotta be pretty worn out. Hit the hay early and feel refreshed for the following day.
So next time you get off work and you’re all, “WTF should we do tonight, honey?” Give this a whirl. Should be fun. Leave a comment, too, if you have any other tips to augment this list. The more suggestions the better.
W.G.P.
