White Christmas in Fort Collins, CO
After the holidays have settled down, I had a chance to go through my Christmas pictures. Ryan and I went to Fort Collins, CO to visit our friends Tyler and Amanda, who hosted us for Christmas. We had the most wonderful time, and spent it with awesome friends!
We got there the night of the 23rd, and the next day went to Lucile’s for breakfast. Fort Collins has a good-sized tech industry and I really liked the community feel there. There were also quite a few people out and about on Christmas Eve, so there was a bit of a line. We finally sat down and started off with some beverages.
Tyler and Ryan had a Bloody Mary, which was well-balanced in flavor and very tasty. I tried a sip and it was great.
Amanda had a cafe au lait, and I had a chai latte. Both were also very good.
The real treat before our entrees arrived was the biscuit. We each got a GIANT biscuit, which was delicious and buttery. The crust was nice and golden-browned, and the interior was soft and fluffy.
After some rest time (the biscuit was very filling), our entrees arrived. I ordered the Eggs New Orleans, which contained fried eggplant slices with Creole sauce, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce with grits. It was incredibly delicious, and unexpected as I don’t normally have eggplant, much less with breakfast. It was also a good-sized portion as the biscuit was enormous and I was already half-full.
Ryan had the Eggs Sardou, which had creamed spinach, shrimp with Hollandaise sauce, and grits.
Amanda got the New Orleans Praline Waffle, a pecan batter waffle topped with pecans, fruit, and fresh whipped cream. It had a nice crust and was fluffy on the inside, without being too sweet.
We finished off breakfast with a half-order of Beignets (we were full already, but it looked so tasty!), and a pot de creme. Both delicious, and just the right amount.
After breakfast/brunch, we went to check out Old Town, the downtown part of Fort Collins. Since it was Christmas Eve, not too many stores were open but we got to see the Old Town Spice Shop, which had many interesting salts and other spices, and to see the breweries. After, we went for a drive on the outskirts of Fort Collins to see the area.
As we pulled over to a supposed shoulder so I could take some pictures, we realized the “shoulder” was actually a ditch that had been covered with snow. Oops! We got stuck, but luckily a few minutes later a Jeep with a winch managed to pull us out enough for us to drive out of the ditch.
On the drive back to the apartment, we saw a herd of deer crossing the road and I caught them looking at us curiously.
After an eventful day, we settled down and had some awesome ribs for dinner and watched Elf. I also had a chance to try Tyler’s pomegranate mead, which was very good and interesting with the pomegranate flavor.
I had the most wonderful Christmas morning! There was beautiful white snow on the ground, but it wasn’t too cold to go outside. We opened the presents under the tree; Tyler and Amanda got me a very pretty, soft green yarn that was locally grown and made. I was so excited — it’ll make a beautiful, warm cable knit scarf. They got Ryan an olive oil and balsamic vinegar sampler set from Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Co., another local business. Tyler’s mom, Gayle, also sent us really fun Lego sets and Pez candy, which reminded me of my childhood. It was the best Christmas ever, and we got to spend it with some seriously awesome friends!
For dinner, the four of us went to Becca and Blake’s. Blake is Tyler’s co-worker and we went to their house for a Christmas feast. Suffice it to say, Becca is a wonderful cook, and she and Blake were also great hosts. We had an amazing feast with great wine and great company.
The next morning, we had breakfast at Choice City, another cafe in downtown. The wait was horrendous, but the food more than made up for it. I was in the mood for a Shandy, a twist on the traditional Arnold Palmer. I also had a seriously delicious breakfast burrito, which put every other burrito I’ve had to shame. Sorry, no pictures, I was too busy eating!
Tyler had a Bloody Geisha, a Bloody Mary with wasabi and sake. It was quite interesting. Ryan ordered a Mimosa.
There aren’t any pictures to memorialize this breakfast as we were ravenous, but I can’t recommend Choice City enough! The staff was short, so we had a long wait, but our waitress was courteous and patient, and very nice.
After wandering around downtown and digesting, we checked out Chocolate Cafe, a small cafe that was bustling. It had a nice decor and good staff, and a really interesting menu. By “really interesting,” I mean it’s called Chocolate Cafe for a reason, and my favorite dessert is anything chocolate! The prices were also very reasonable, and I liked the atmosphere.
I ordered a chocolate bourbon pecan pie, which was incredible. I shared with Ryan so my stomach wouldn’t explode, which was a wise choice considering the portion. The bourbon flavor was distinct but not overpowering, and the pecan flavor matched very well. The chocolate was also well-balanced in proportion and flavor, and was smooth on the tongue. I enjoyed the contrast in texture with the chocolate, whipped cream, and crunchy pecan. The melding of flavors reminded me of the bourbon and pecans I had together at the APT Giants’ game!
Amanda had a chocolate raspberry torte, which was also tasty and smooth.
Tyler ordered the chocolate noire, a gluten-free chocolate cake served with raspberry sherbert.
We also ordered some drinks — Tyler ordered the pomegranate martini, and Ryan and I shared a chocolate martini. Both were very tasty and well-balanced. We were extremely full by then, so it’s a good thing we shared!
I had a nice experience at the cafe — great desserts and quality ingredients, nice atmosphere, smooth drinks, and reasonable prices.
After an eventful and food-filled day, we went back to the apartment and relaxed. Amanda and I played the new Star Wars MMO, and she got me hooked (I’ll have to be disciplined with my time next semester so I can keep playing with her and Tyler). We ordered Blackjack Pizza, which was a relaxing change, and was a very convenient dinner so we could play and eat :)
Our last day at Fort Collins was also quite busy. While Amanda was at work, Tyler took us to the yarn store where they picked up my llama yarn, Your Daily Fiber. It was a small store that’s family owned, and is located near downtown. It was a bit small for me, as I like larger yarn stores where I can peruse. I’m also quite picky with my fiber, so I like having many choices. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed browsing in this store. The customers were locals and I loved that they know the store owners and enjoy sharing their knitting projects. I also got a good deal of knitting advice there, as I do in every great fiber store. I browsed the shop’s own llama yarn selection and got a hank of llama yarn that will make a great cabled hat.
Afterwards, we wandered over to Odell Brewing Co., a family-owned brewery. We each ordered a beer sampler and got to try many different beers. The beer was delicious and the variety was very enticing. My favorites were the nitro porters, bourbon barrel stout, and the double IPA.
Most of these beers are only served in the tap room and aren’t sold elsewhere, so please visit! It’s a great brewery, and the tour was awesome. Our tour guide was very informative, and detailed how the brewery contracts with local businesses. It’s a local brewery that uses local ingredients, and makes wonderful beer. Also, the guide informed us that brewery employees are encouraged to be creative and can brew small batches of beer to experiment. It was a great experience, and I can’t wait to check out the new beers in the future!
We had a late lunch at Cooper Smith’s Pub & Brewing, a microbrewery. Ryan had a great Reuben and I had a very juicy burger with steak chips. It was a great way to warm up from the cold!
Ryan and I had the most wonderful Christmas, and we can’t thank our great friends Tyler and Amanda enough! They were wonderful hosts and awesome company. Hopefully they can make it out to the Bay Area in the near future!
For more pictures from the trip, click here.
