Every time I visit Denver, the highlight is always the people and the food. My trip just before the holidays was no exception. Major thanks to my uncle for showing me a wonderful time, and to all of the friends we met up with during my trip!

On my first night in town, we went to Steuben’s and enjoyed delicious drinks and comfort food.

The next day we stopped by More Flowers to visit David. So great to see him.

I get such a kick out of his flower shop — it’s overflowing with blossoms of all colors and textures.

Oh, and we stopped by Pablo’s Coffee for a caffeine fix — they make their own syrups (I love when coffee shops do that) and my latte was quite good.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Uber Eats Denver (I don’t think there’s any relation between this place and Uber Eats as associated with the car service; the name is just a coincidence). Anyways, their sandwiches are simple and delicious.

That night my longtime friend Molly invited me to join her at the Denver Zoo Lights exhibit — they decorate the whole zoo in holiday lights, and we had a blast walking around amidst the holiday spirit. We got a s’mores pack at one of the food stands and roasted our own marshmallows. Delicious!

After the zoo outing, my uncle and I grabbed dinner at Dos Santos, a favorite Mexican place on 17th Ave.

The food (and tequila) was so good. I especially enjoyed the squash blossoms.

My favorite new food discovery of this Denver trip was D Bar Denver — it’s a full restaurant that also specializes in dessert. My uncle and I went for lunch and the food was outstanding.

I ordered a chicken salad croissant and crispy Brussels sprouts. Trust me on this: you’ll want to order the crispy Brussels sprouts. A few days later we visited with our friend Jayne and when we told her we dined here, the first thing she said was, “Did you order those crispy Brussels sprouts?!”

For dessert we split the butterscotch pudding and gingerbread macaroon. It was a tough decision as their dessert menu looks outrageously good.

We paused at their bakery counter on our way out of the restaurant — YUM:

We had a lovely dinner at Rioja on Larimer Square one snowy night:

I got the lobster-red jewel yam bisque and my uncle ordered the Rioja house salad. Plus homemade rolls and sangria:

I ordered a steak entree that was pretty outstanding:

I stopped by Thump Coffee Roasters for a latte en route to catching a movie (Nocturnal Animals — I had issues with it) at the Landmark Esquire Theater.

While snowed in one afternoon, I made my Grandma Bobbie’s recipe for cranberry orange bread. Sweet story: my uncle still has the recipe jotted down on his old work stationary from when his mom told him the recipe over the phone several decades ago.

The bread is dense and delicious. It reminds me of the holidays!

That same night, my uncle made crab cakes and asparagus for dinner. Delicious, as always!

I sautéed eggplant, which is one my favorite foods. Is anyone else really into eggplant?

We visited our friends Molly & Joe for brunch, and got to see updates on their new house. Here is a photo from when we saw them last March, shortly before they moved in:

And here they are in December! Their home is lovely:

So good to spend time with Molly and Joe!

I briefly stopped by Beatrice and Woodsley to pick up a gift for my uncle and was immediately wowed by the interior — what a cool space:

We met our friend Jayne for dinner at TAG, also on Larimer Square near Rioja. Dinner was SO delicious.

The scallops dish I ordered was on point:

This pup is the official mascot at TAG:

A snowy selfie post-dinner:

While waiting for the valet we “popped” into Corridor 44, a champagne bar. (I make no apologies for my puns.)

Quick photo op at the Denver City country building:

On my last day in town, I met Molly for lunch downtown at Five on Black — it’s like Chipotle, but with Brazilian cuisine.

I got a veggie bowl that was delicious and healthy:

And just before leaving for the airport I made one last caffeine stop at Fluid Coffee Bar — they have a great interior.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of the Denver Zoo Lights, as I snapped loads of photos on our visit there. And then one last Colorado post on Friday detailing our afternoon trip to Boulder — what a cool city!