Just Eat-it....

So to those of you who have not heard, I successfully passed my dissertation defense (I will give you a minute to email a congratulations to me...p.s. your 3 weeks late). Shortly there after, I gathered my worldly belongings and shipped off to Denver to begin a postdoc. Below are videos of the apartment I am staying in (it has been pretty great so far).

As for my postdoc, it is going well. I am still in the beginning phases of deciding what I will focus on for the year. It will be something with social-emotional development/challenging behaviors, policy, and technology. I am actually in the process of writing an individual plan for the ten months I am here. I will post more when I have a better idea of what I am doing.

However, what I have really been enjoying since moving to Denver is the immense variety of food I have been able to eat. Below is a list of all the places I have eaten and my preliminary feelings about them...I think it is safe to say I am not in Iowa anymore:

Ling & Louie's: L&L's is an Asian/Thai restaurant that may or may not be a chain (it's not in Iowa so it is new to me). They have a cheep lunch menu, a great spicy tuna bowl, some different types of tuna, and what Amanda has deemed "the best Pad Thai she has ever had." I have eaten here several times since I moved to Denver and have enjoyed it every time. Also vegetarian options.

The Mellow Mushroom: The mellow mushroom is a pizza/hoagie shop. The place is crawling with hippy workers. Lots of hemp, dreads, and a general love of Fish, Grateful Dead, and any other band that will play a live show that includes a 35 minute "jam" session of their songs. The food however is great. A whole bunch of vegetarian (pizza and hoagies) chocies. The staff is exceptionally nice (one of the more redeemable hippy traits) and have been more than willing to discuss menu options at will. Also, they sell pizza by the slice at lunch and have multiple sizes for all of their items.

Lime: I have only eaten at the The Lime once (this afternoon actually) and only had their happy hour tacos. I must say, at one dollar a pop the price is right. They also tasted outstanding. I perused the menu and saw they had the standard Mexican fair (e.g., fajitas, huevos rancheros), but they also had some interesting food (e.g., ahi tuna tacos). Sari got a margarita ($3 for a 12oz) and enjoyed it so much she tried to convince us all to stay so she could drink more. But alas, we are nerdy postdocs and had to return to our cubicles. They also served what I described as elephant ears without the dough (in place of tortilla chips), they were great and filling. All and all Lime was a success. I will be returning for more $1 dollar tacos and will be partaking in the happy hour drink deals. I suggest you do too.

Appaloosa Grill: After a disappointing outing at Taste of Colorado (too many people, too expensive) my fellow postdocs and our significant others sauntered down the 16th street ped-mall to find something to eat. We spotted this little joint and decided it was interesting enough to give it a shot. We all ordered off the "Happy Hour" menu because we are cheap and it looked good. The food at The App. (this is what I am calling it for now on) is definitely eclectic. Megan and Doc got a Dragon Chicken Skewer, Amanda and Sari got the Hippie Sliders, and Elaine got the Humus. They also had Truffle Fries, Edamame and Salmon Creek Pork Sliders. Everything tasted good and came out pretty fast. The have a decent selection of local beers on tap, as well as wine, sangria (Elaine had some and liked it) and spirits. All and all this place was a good find, the dinner menu seemed pricey, but for happy hour it hit the spot.

Enzo's End Pizzeria: Elaine's favorite type of pizza is thin crust pizza, so I always try to find a place that serves good thin crust when we take a vacation or go on a trip. When flipping through my yellow pages I found Enzo's End advertisement the boasted, "The best thin crust in town." So, Elaine and I decided to take a trip down colfax to try it out. We were not disappointed. They have a great selection of specialty pizza's as well as 33 separate toppings that you can use to build your own pizza. There sauce is home made and pretty incredible. Also, I must say, their thin crusts rivals Imo's of St. Louis (Elaine's favorite). Another cool little caveat of Enzo's is that they are connected to a place called, "P.S. Lounge". Essentially P.S. is a bar that serves alcohol to Enzo's clientele. Elaine and I decided we needed a drink so we went to the bar to order our drinks. P.S.'s is dark, musty, and inhibited by old men (the only way a "bar/lounge" should be). The bartender served us up are drinks while also serving up cheerful banter (just like a bartender should). Then he gave Elaine and I both a free shots and Elaine a rose (I appreciate him taking care of the romantic gestures I forgot to). Finally, the staff at Enzo's was friendly and helpful. My only complaint is that I am out of their delivery range.  Enzo's is a must for anyone wanting to tryout a local business in Denver. 

 So far everywhere I have eaten has been great. I think Enzo's has been my favorite (just a great combination of ambiance, food, and fun). I will report more after I eat more places. Also, if you have any suggestions of places I should eat in Denver (Greg no need to suggest "Rio" it is on my lists) please comment below.

Bill...out.