Puttin' on the Ritz

Oh, I do feel fancy eating at the Ritz; especially at lunch time surrounded by local politicians and lawyers. Yes this is a pricey place to eat and at night it turns into a meat market (has nothing to do with food).  I would stay clear of the place at night unless that is your screen. But I would totally try the Ritz out for lunch if you haven’t already.

Just one word and one word alone Voodoo!!! That's right the Voodoo Chicken is to die for (insert scary laugh here). I tried the Voodoo Chicken appetizer for lunch limiting the amount of carbs. My coworker, and sometimes I will refer to him as a friend but usually not in public and never to his face, order the Voodoo Chicken Sandwich and side salad. The Voodoo Chicken is tangy and spicy but not overwhelmingly hot for your taste buds just a light kick of spice. I would say if you like buffalo chicken at other restaurants then you would like the Voodoo Chicken.

I ended up going to the Ritz two days in a row for lunch with two different groups of coworkers. The first day we had great service; our waiter was on top of his game bringing refills before we asked and frequently stopping by to see if we needed anything. Oh and by the way he was very personable and witty which is always as a plus. The following day the waitress seemed distracted and very slow with our order which is something that can’t happen during lunch breaks.  So just for warning you could possible wait awhile in getting your meal depending on your server.

Ummmmm….carbs! I do enjoy the warm sour dough bread that is complimentary with your meal.

Both days I went to the Ritz two separate coworkers order this next dish and one allowed me to try it. The Cajun Chicken and Shrimp which has… you guessed it chicken and shrimp as well as red peppers, poblanos, a creamy Cajun sauce and angel hair pasta. Now this pasta has a nice kick to it and even though it has shrimp is does not have a seafoody taste to it because of all the Cajun spices.

The second day I went to the Ritz I wanted something lighter then the Voodoo Chicken so I order the iceberg wedge. The wedge is usually served as shown in the picture with tomatoes, bacon, fried shallots and an oh so creamy gorgonzola dressing (I love a cheese based dressing); but since I am picky and don’t eat anything cute I 86’ed the bacon. My coworker got his wedge with bacon and had no complaints. 

Two of my coworkers ordered the fish in chips which ended up taking awhile and when the plates did come out each plate only had two pieces of fish instead of the full order. The rest of their order came out later which was odd. I don’t eat seafood and especially not fish because I am a picky eater. But my two coworkers assured me that with the Ritz fish and chips I wasn’t missing much.

If you are ever in the downtown area and looking for a fancy place to grab a bite to eat...

"Spending every dime, for a wonderful time
If you're blue and you don't know where to go to
Why don't you go where fashion sits,
Puttin' on the Ritz."

East Coast Deli- The Connection

We share meals with our family members, good friends and even sometimes our coworkers. The people we end up spending most of our lives with are in fact our coworkers. So what is so special about a team lunch? The connection... ultimately the bond that is created between people through sharing a meal. Food is a common tie between every person on this Earth; we need it to survive and the meal has created a venue in which people can get to know each other.

Therefore, when a team luncheon was discussed I was the first one to sign up to participate. I enjoy good company as much as I enjoy a good meal and fortunately for me, that day I had both. We decided to get our order to go since there was horrible weather outside and more importantly having visited East Coast Deli at lunch it has notoriously slow service.  But please don't let their slow service turn you off of trying the food.

I love East Coast Deli’s hot sandwiches and my favorite is the Tampa Bay. The Tampa Bay is the hot turkey sandwich with warm melted Swiss cheese, thick slices of avocado and mayo stacked perfectly on butter grilled sourdough bread.  There is always a ton of meat and the only complaint I have is that it is too difficult to look ladylike while eating this mouthwatering sandwich.

Now, you have to get the potato salad for your side. I love love love their potato salad. Why do you ask? Because it is simple and it is back to the basics; potato, onion, thinly sliced pieces of carrot and mayo. I am extremely picky about my potato salad...I dislike the over powering egg, olives and mustard used in others' potato salad.



My coworkers ended up sampling a variety of different items which were scrumptious:

There was another sandwich that was ordered that day which sincerely made me question my choice for lunch. It was the Southside Special which consists of a thick hot layer of roast beef, yummy melted jack cheese, green chilies to kick up the heat and tomato and mayo on again delectable butter grilled sourdough bread.



The cobb salad is an explosion of colors, like a confetti of food, with greens, reds and yellows. The cobb salad has slices of grilled chicken, fresh pico de gallo, crunchy pieces of bacon, cheddar cheese, red onions and chopped egg.  Again it was a hearty salad that could be shared by two or three people.

One of my coworkers ordered the Chef salad now when I think salad I think of small not filling light meal. But, this Chef salad blew my concept of salads right out of the water. It had these massive rolls of turkey, roast beef, ham, American and Swiss cheese.  They honestly can be described as meat pinwheels of color. The salad was topped off with the usual suspects; hard boil egg, tomatoes, cucumbers and artichoke hearts.

Mirch Masala- Sunday Spice

               I was first introduced to Indian food in England by my parents when I was a child. We would go to the Indian buffet after church; it was one of our rituals. I was amazed by my first taste of curry spices with an unusual combination of flavors and textures. Now as an adult that childhood love of Indian food has never vanished.

Here is where I flip the script on you; I was not the picky eater when sampling Indian food... my husband was the picky eater. When I took him to his first Indian buffet he ended up hating pretty much everything he ate. But with a great deal of persistence I was finally able to find an Indian restaurant in town he liked with food he ended up craving. Mirch Masala is the location we love in town and they offer a wonderful buffet that we like to eat at after church on Sundays.

The Chicken Tikka Masala is mouth-wateringly divine; it is a chicken curry which is rich and creamy sauce.  I absolutely love the vegetable samosa which is like deep fried mashed potato puff pastry with peas and curry spices. My husband likes the butter chicken which has of course butter, onions, tomatoes and ginger. Also you are given endless portions of warm buttery naan with the buffet. The cabbage curry is tasty as well as the tandoori chicken which is roasted chicken sautéed in yogurt curry spices which include turmeric (a known cancer fighter). My husband likes more spicy foods so he usually gets the spicy chili chicken which is for those who enjoy a great deal more "flavor".

Naan

Chicken tikka masala, cabbage curry and vegetable samosa

               Vegetable samosa, chicken curry, chicken tikka masala and the spicy chili chicken

               Vegetable samosa

 I like to finish each meal with a brilliantly bright orange mango custard which is sweet, creamy and refreshing after a hot curry. *** Note: The buffets are rarely ever spicy so go for dinner so you can kick up the heat level on your individual curries. Curries are supposed to have many benefits including cancer fighting and Alzheimer’s preventing ingredients or so I have been told. 

Mango custard 

So next time you are in the mood for curry try the Indian Restaurant Mirch Masala off of Academy and Union next to Big Lots. They have great prices for incredible curry.

Pizza- Late Night Rendezvous

Americans and their pizza have shared more than a connection over the years; it is a full blown love affair. I have cheated on many a diets for the love of my pizza and cheesy bread. Side note: I may be a picky eater but there is one thing I just love… cheese and that will be a running theme throughout my posts.  I like to get my fix for pizza a.k.a cheesy pie at the seedy location of Louie's  Pizza. My husband & I have been fans of Louie's for years, but we always get carry out (I am not impressed with the restaurants atmosphere). Yet the employees are always super friendly and very customer service orientated. Oh and before I forget besure to check out Louie's website for coupons and specials.

My husband loves pepperoni, the all-time American favorite for pizza. But since I don’t eat anything cute (pork= cute piglet) I opt for the cheese. The salads are really basic and nothing I care for; just lettuce olives and tomato. I would just skip the salad all together.

The cheesy garlic bread is phenomenal and is a must have as an appetizer. Thick pieces of warm pizza dough with garlic and mozzarella cheese generously added on top with a light sprinkle of parmesan. 

The marinara sauce is simple but scrumptious and they load the pizzas up with cheese.  Also the crusts are quite enjoyable and satisfying since I am a picky eater I never eat my crust, but Louie's , I usually always do. It is wonderful to support a local business but even better when the local business is so good at what they do. There is nothing like eating Louie's Pizza to remind you of why you love pizza so much!!!

Conway’s Red Top- The best burgers in town (No Really!)

In the Springs around schools, workplaces etc. the age old question has arisen… Where is the best burger joint in town? The answer is hands down Red Top. For over 50 years Colorado Springs locals have been gorging themselves on these juice mouth-watering burgers. Now, the food provided at Red Top is not for the faint of heart and can be considered a meatatarian’s heaven! The outdated interior reminds me of some 1970s roadside diner out of a horror flick but the food absolutely makes up for the vibe. These burgers are as big as your head and just as delicious even though cannibalism is still considered socially unacceptable (joking).

We usually start off with a bowl of chili which is simple but yummy since it contains little morsels of their famous burger meat; if you can, try to save some for your fries. The best bang for your buck is the Conway’s Special: a medium soda, fries and a whole burger or half burger with or without cheese is. My poison of choice is the cheese fries which consists of ooey gooey Valetta cheese topped on warm curly fries….you have to opt for the curly fries.  I am not a fan of the home cut fries but again I am just a picky eater. Needless to say we never leave hungry and usually I have to be rolled out the door.

Their prices are extremely reasonable and there are four locations in town.  One on S Nevada, N Circle, E Fillmore and N Carefree. A word to the wise check your mail for local coupon flyers because Red Top usually has a buy one get one half off coupon.  So be sure to bring an empty belly and try the best burgers in town…if you haven’t already.

Colorado Springs Irish Fare

Colorado Springs Irish Fare

Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub downtown Colorado Springs is located on

Tejon Street

. The atmosphere is set to replicate the famous Irish pubs and is popular with the local military population. The old wood floors that creak when you walk in; the warm fire place and the partially enclosed booths give off a certain old Irish charm. It is a great atmosphere for getting a beer with a few friends after work and on the weekend live bands can be found to be the main attraction. Jack Quinn’s is open daily Monday thru Friday 11am- 2am and Saturday & Sunday noon-2am. They also have brunch on Sunday from noon-3pm.

I usually end up at Jack Quinn’s for lunch.....I like fast and friendly lunch service. I would have to say my favorite item on the menu hands down has to be the Guinness Stout Cheese Soup. You can either get a cup for $3 or a bowl $6. Now for me the bowl is way too much cheesy goodness. The soup is incredibly rich, thick and creamy so I prefer a little taste, but I do have friends that dive into the bowl with no problem.

Now for the meal I usually go with the hearty serving of the corned beef and cabbage for $10. The braised cabbage is delicious and the corned beef is excellent. The Irish soda bread is a favorite item for the majority of my friends but since I am a picky eater ummmm…not so much.  The best in the Springs for Irish Fare by far is Jack Quinn's.