Grillin' Wings & things

Now this my friends....is truly a treasure......what a fantastic place.  Located in the Bonnie Brae area on University Blvd.......Michael Godart has created a keeper. Opened in August of 2012....Grillin' Wings & things is a unique experience.....with not only chicken wings....but pig

wings....that's right....pig wings.  In this place....pigs do fly.

Okay.....so they are not really pig wings...but small, fall off the bone mini pork shanks.....and they are delicious.  There are 12 different type of sauce flavors you can choose from for your chicken wings and pig wings. We opted to order both chicken and pig wings...as we were intrigued. So, our chicken sauces were Mango Habanero and Sweet Chili, and for our Pig wings we selected Hot and BBQ.  We also ordered a small order of fries...and of course I get a Dale's Pale Ale....one of my favorite beers.

The chicken wings were very meaty...and they were finished on the grill...which added a lot of extra flavor.  Along with the wings, already sauced....we also received little dipping containers with more of the sauces that we ordered...just for some extra pizazz.  The pig wings....were incredible and the meat just fell off of the bone.  Rich flavorful pork ribs with terrific sauce...and an ice cold beer.....it just does not get any better than this.

There is not doubt in my mind...that Michael and Grillin' Wings & things will be around for a long, long time....you just can't create a great taste...and a little pig niche...without folks noticing.This is a destination resturaunt.....not just one "if you are in the neighborhood"....so get on down to Grillin' Wings & things....and tell them Colorado's Hidden Treasures sent you.

Stay hungry!!!!!

Our beautiful Chicken and Pig wings

Grillin' Wings & things

723 S. University Blvd.

(SW Corner of University and Exposition in Bonnie Brae)

720-570-7800

Delivery - Take Out - Dine In

Hours:

Mon: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Tues - Thu: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Fri - Sat: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Sun: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Willy's Wings

Willy's Wings in Morrison Colorado has been doing wings....before wings were popular.  Established in 1982....Willy's offers a buffalo style of wings......with several levels of HOT.  You can order mild, medium, hot, x-hot.....and xx-hot.  Along with buffalo flavor, you can also order BBQ, Honey BBQ, spicy BBQ and teriyaki flavors.

Our Wings

The wings are large, with a good mix of drummies and paddles, and come out fresh.  You can order blue cheese or ranch...and you also get celery sticks.  We ordered medium and hot and a small order of fries.

We were not disappointed when they arrived as they were still really hot from the fryer, and the buffalo sauce smelled terrific.
It was a really nice night, so we sat on their deck outside and enjoyed the weather along with our meal.

After you are done with the delicious wings, you can stroll around the town of Morrison.  Antiques, Bar's and other restaurants line the streets of Morrison....so there is always something to do.

Outdoor Patio

When you go...tell them Colorado's Hidden Treasures sent you.

Happy eating!!!!

Willy's Wings
109 Bear Creek Ave Morrison, Colorado
303 697-1232

Hours:
Monday - Saturday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Sundays
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Fire On The Mountain

Our first stop for March ("Wings Month") was at Fire On The Mountain in the Highlands area...and wow were we surprised.  What a great atmosphere with probably the happiest, most friendly people working there.  Before ordering, they have small celery sticks on the counter, where you can try any one of, or all if you like....the 12 sauces that they offer for their wings.

Flavors for March 4th 2015

As you can see, they offer some very interesting flavors for your wings.  For our order, we selected the "Blueberry Chipotle", the "Medium" and then the "Jamaican Jerk".  We also ordered some "hand cut" fries.  After our food order was placed.....we could then study the beer chart that they were offering for the day.  I settled on the Lagunitas "Hop Stoopid"  (8% abv) which was a perfect choice to go with the wings.....I like a hoppy beer.


While enjoying your beer, waiting for your wings....you are treated to some terrific music from the 60's and 70's.....that gave the place a natural feel to just having a relaxed experience.....it was great.

Before our wings were ready, the hot, fresh "hand cut" fries arrived, and were totally welcomed to

Fantastic looking wings

accompany our beers. When the wings arrived, it was hard to decide which flavor to try first.  Normally jerked wings are made with a dry rub...but not here, these were wet with a delicious sauce.

The combination of the hot fries with malt vinegar, and the wings....with a cold beer was just what was needed after a day of work.

Fire On The Mountain

Address: 3801 West 32nd Ave
               Denver, CO 80211

Phone: 303 480-9464 (WING)

Hours: Open at 11:00 AM everyday

Happy hour: Mon. - Fri. from 3 PM - 6 PM

Website: http://fotmdenver.com/


Fire On The Mountain will definitely be one of our regular stops from now on.

Give them a try....and tell them Colorado's Hidden Treasures sent you.

Enjoy!!!

El Taco Loco

El Taco Loco will close out the month of February (Taco Month).

Located on Main Street in Brighton, El Taco Loco was truly a good find.  We arrived on a Saturday about 1:15 PM....and the parking lot was full....always a good sign.  Luckily we did not have to wait for a table, and we were seated in the back room.  Since we were there for tacos, searching the menu was quite easy,  That being said, they have a really large menu of terrific sounding Mexican dishes along with a really large selection of seafood prepared in traditional Mexican fashion.

Listed under the "House Specialties" were our tacos.  They offer tongue, pork, spiced beef, chicken and shredded beef.  The normal order comes with 4 tacos, but you can order 3 tacos and also get rice and beans....so this was out order.

Three shredded beef tacos with rice and beans

As you can see from the picture, the tacos come on warm soft corn tortillas along with rice and beans.  You also get lettuce, tomatoes, onions and two large lime slices to add some citrus flavor.

The beef was seasoned to a juicy deliciousness with just the right amount of heat.  You also get a squeeze bottle with their Verde (green) sauce to kick the tacos up another notch.

While we were eating, I was noticing the rest of the folks in the restaurant. El Taco Loco seems like a place where all of the locals come to eat....this is another good sign.  We saw entire families, including grandma and grandpa there for a good meal.  When other folks were coming in, they seemed to know a lot of other folks in the place.....which was fun to watch....like old home week......but truly, it is probably every week for these regulars.

If you ever find yourself up in the Brighton area, or just want to take a drive and eat some authentic Mexican food....give El Taco Loco a try......they will not disappoint.

El Taco Loco

644 S. Main Street
Brighton Colorado 80601
(303) 637-7500

Hours:
Summer: M-F - 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
                Sat: 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM
                Sun: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Winter: M-F - 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
             Sat. 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM
             Sun. 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM

When you visit, tell them Colorado's Hidden Treasures sent you.

¡buen provecho!!

El Taco De Mexico

Our next stop on the February "Taco Tour" was at El Taco De Mexico down on Santa Fe in Denver.  A very quaint, small place on the inside, with a really large kitchen/cooking area. Since we were there for tacos, that is the portion of the menu we studied. They have 7 options for your protein (meat) in their tacos.  Cheeksmeat (cabeza), Beef Steak (azada), Tongue (lengua), Fried Pork (carnitas), Suadero (soft meat between the belly and the leg), Pastor (marinated pork) and Buche (pork tripe).  I ordered the cabaza, carnitas and azada.

My three tacos with rice and beans

When our order was ready, they called our order out and picked them up at the counter.  Along with the tacos, came some fantastic refried beans and rice....and unexpected pleasure.  The beans were creamy and just delicious. The tacos were on two soft, warm corn tortillas and had onions, cilantro and a little red sauce.....and they needed nothing else.....just perfect.

Along with a booths, and some outdoor patio tables (great for spring and summer), they have bar stools where you can sit and eat while watching them prepare the food.

As fast paced as the orders were coming in, the kitchen was incredibly clean and well organized, making it very easy for them to move around in.

The kitchen area.

El Taco De Mexico is definitely the real deal when it comes to authentic Mexican style street tacos.

The address is 714 Santa Fe Drive, Denver Colorado, 80204

Phone: 303 623-3926

Hours: 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Website: http://eltacodemexicodenver.com



If you are into trying new places, with great food.......give El Taco De Mexico a try, and tell them Colorado's Hidden Treasures sent you.

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Happy eating!!!!

Taco Veloz

So the second place we visited for tacos, was Taco Veloz located by Regis University.  So, from the outside this place does not look like it is going to draw in many customers that are driving by....but that will be their loss.  This place is the "real deal" when is comes to authentic Mexican street tacos.

I must say that I am a fan of crispy, freshly fried tacos, but, these homemade corn, soft tortillas are something everyone should try.  I ordered two steak tacos and a soft drink. While the tacos were being made, I started talking with the guy working there....I would imagine the manager, and asked him if I could take some pictures...he said "sure" and then wanted to know what they were for. I told him that I write a food blog...and February is "Taco" month.

Pastor (marinated pork).

So when my tacos arrived, there were three on the plate....the manager threw in a Pastor (marinated pork) tacos for me to try.

The steak tacos had red onions, cilantro and sauteed yellow onions. The Pastor taco also had red onions, cilantro and came with small pieces of pineapple.

To go along with the tacos, they have a salsa bar that includes six different types of sauces, along with cucumbers, radishes, carrots, jalapenos and a few other types of peppers and some pico de gallo.

The flavor of these tacos....was just like you expect from a street vendor in Mexico......very authentic and delicious.

Salsa bar

The decor inside is that of an older place.....but that really did not matter to me, as I was there for the food.  Along with steak and Pastor, they also offer Chorizo, Barbacoa (barbecue),
Carnitas (pulled pork), Trompa (trunk/snout), Lengua (tongue) and Buche (pork stomach).

Taco Veloz also offers a full menu of Mexican food.....Menudo, Tortas, Chile Rellenos, Burritos...all of the fare you would expect to get in Mexico.


The address is 5145 Federal Blvd, Denver Colorado.

Hours: 9:30 to midnight - Daily
            9:30 to 3:00 AM Friday and Saturday.

Tables and booths

The manager told me that on Friday and Saturday nights....after midnight....there will be a line out the door.....that is just how good the food is.  He also told me how he came to work there.  He grew up in Mexico, and when he came to Denver, he ended up here at Taco Veloz for dinner and had the Menudo.  He said that this was exactly how his mother use to make it at home, and he knew he had to work there.  He has been there ever since.

When you visit Taco Veloz, tell them that Colorado Hidden Treasure's sent you.

Follow us on Facebook.

Happy eating!!!!

Burrito Express - Tacos

Okay......so February is "Taco" month......and we started at Burrito Express in Lakewood.

For those of you that are taco aficionados.....you know that a good taco has shredded beef..not ground....has a freshly fried shell....not a preformed shell....and if it is a really good taco.....you will get a freshly fried shell...while the shredded beef is inside.

Burrito Express is a small establishment...and has a drive-thru for ordering...or picking up a phone order. Inside, they have small booths.....with really fascinating art work depicting life in Mexico.

Small booths

Hot from the fryer, the tacos smelled terrific.

They have 2 types of sauce, which you can pick up at the order counter.......green (verde) and red (rojo).  We tried both, and really did not have a favorite.  Both hot sauces complimented the tacos taste.

For drinks, Burrito Express has the normal soft drinks, but they also offer traditional flavored drinks from Mexico....Horchata, Mango, Jamaica and Pina.

While we ordered shredded beef in our tacos, you can also get carne asada, fish, carnitas, spicy chicken, grilled chicken, ground beef, and lengue (beef tongue).

Hot, fresh, shredded beef tacos.

We were there only for the tacos, but they also offer a full menu of delicious Mexican food.......including Tortas..which are actually hard to find.

This is truly a great find for people who love, locally owned, freshly made, great Mexican food.

Burrito Express:

12792 West Alameda Parkway

Lakewood Colorado 80228

www.burritoexpresslakewood.com

Hours:

Sunday - Thursday - 6:30 AM to 11:00 PM

Wall paintings

Friday & Saturday - 6:30 to midnight

Call in orders: 303 984-4682

If you really crave GREAT tacos....or Mexican food made the traditional way, give Burrito Express a try...and tell them Colorado Hidden Treasures sent you.

Happy Crunching!!!

Tony P's Pizza

Tony P's is owned and operated by Tony Pasquini and his mother Judy.  Originally know as Pasquini's....the name has changed due to some family legal issues. Tony P's has 2 locations in Denver.....one at 777 East 17th Ave, and the second located in the Highland area at 2400 West 32nd Ave.  On this occasion, we went to the one downtown on 17th.

Our menu book

Great place.....with a lot of character.  On the tables....for the drink and appetizer menus, they place these in different books on every table.....some are novels...some are children's books...and some are scientific books/journals.

Downstairs was a restaurant and a separate bar for drinks and high top tables.  Upstairs was a bar/banquet room with live music on Friday and Saturday nights.  The decor is an eclectic combination of old doors, scooters and artwork.

For pizza offerings, they have several versions and styles to choose from:

• Vegan cheese
• Gluten free
• Whole wheat crust
• New York style - Thick edge, thin in the middle
• Bianca Style - White pizza with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, mozzarella and basil
• Napolitana - One size, artisan style thin crust

For our pizza, we ordered a Napolitana artisan pepperoni.  The crust was hand stretched, and the pizza baked in a wood fired oven.

Downstairs bar and music director .(red hat)

You can build your own pizza by selecting toppings from a menu of regular toppings, (olives, green peppers, jalapenos, mushrooms etc) or a menu of premium items (artichoke hearts, roasted chicken, portobello mushrooms, sausage links, sun dried tomatoes....). 

Being on 17th avenue in downtown Denver, this place has a night life vibe.  There are a lot of bars and other restaurants all long this section of 17th, and the crowds seem to be local who live in the area.

When we were there, the band for Friday night was just setting up their equipment for that nights show.

Along with great pizza, Tony P's offers a full menu of great Italian dishes, including calzones and dozens of pasta and specialty meals. Several type of ravioli and gluten free pasta dishes are also available.

Try Tony P's for great food and live music....you will not be disappointed.

Some band members getting ready.

Hours:

17th Ave: 

   Sunday - Thursday 11:00 AM to midnight

   Friday & Saturday 11:00 AM to 2;00 AM

32nd Ave:

   Sunday - Thursday 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

   Friday & Saturday 11:00 AM to midnight

http://www.tonypspizza.com/

When you visit, tell them Colorado's Hidden Treasures sent you.

Bon Appetit!!

Right Coast Pizza

Beer selection tablet

In 2012, Justin Vogel and and Mark Eskow opened Right Coast Pizza.  A small welcoming "Pub" style atmosphere where they are making artisan, Jersey Style (thin crust) pizza.  When we first sat down at the bar, we were greeted right away, and presented a tablet with the current selection of drafts beers. Just like reading a book, you can page through the selections by sliding your finger back and fourth on the screen.  The tablet tells you the beer name, the brewery as well as the ABV's (Alcohol By Volume) and the IBU's (International Bitterness Units)....it also displays the type of glass your beer will be served in.

For my beer, I  chose the Acceleration, Double India Pale Ale from Gravity Brewing (Louisville CO)...with an ABV of 9.8% and 98 IBU's.

You can order pizza by the slice, or you can "build your own" or you can order from one of the many selections they have. For our pizza, we decided to order two halves.  One was a "Sunny Side"...which was red sauce topped with bacon, green chili with fried eggs.  The other half was "Southwest" which was red sauce topped with green chilies and homemade sausage.

Now that...is a pizza

The crust on the pizza was thin and crispy....letting you enjoy the flavor of the toppings.  Also, we noticed that you did not feel too full after eating, which is probably another by-product of the thin crust.

While we were there, several folks came in for pick-up orders...which is a good sign for Right Coast.  It seems that that have established themselves as local "go to" place for pizza.

Also on the menu, are a varied selection of starters....(Garlic Knots, Olive Sampler, Bruschetta)....and several delicious sounding salads...but we were there for the pizza.

When you are done with your pizza and beer, they also offer some killer desserts. One that caught my eye was the "Cinnamon Pizza".  This is Cinnamon, sugar, & granola pizza with vanilla ice cream. Topped with caramel, toasted walnuts & oatmeal.

Staying true to eating local, Right Coast can boast that all of their beers, wines and spirits are all from Colorado......that is showing support for Colorado small businesses.

Selection of Colorado beverages

Address: 7100 West 38th Ave, Wheat Ridge CO
Phone: 303 431-6077

http://www.rightcoastpizza.com

When you visit, tell them Colorado's Hidden Treasures sent you.

Bon Appetit!!

Hops and Pie

Our first stop was "Hops and Pie" in the Highland area. At first look, Hops and Pie looks like a local neighborhood tavern, and it is..but it is also a terrific place to go and get a great pizza with some locally brewed beers.

 Drew and Leah Watson have created a young simplistic vibe with the layout and decor in Hops and Pie.  The night we were there, it almost seemed as though we had just stepped off of the slopes, and were hanging with a lot of fellow boarders.

You get to pick the size of your pizza...10" (personal), 14" (small) or 18" (large). Then, you get to select all of the toppings that you want from an eclectic assortment of options.  They have 8 different kinds of cheeses....as well as 4 vegan options, There are 12 different types if meats....with the usual pepperoni, and sausage.....but you can also get a smoked ham hock, beer roasted brisket as well as pulled pork. 17 different types of vegetables are also available.....which includes dollops of mash potatoes and kalamata olives.

When our pizza arrived, we were really surprised at the crust...it was probably the best pizza crust we have ever had.  For our pizza, we had fresh mozzarella and goat cheese with beef brisket, mushrooms, arugula an kalamata olives.

If you are not in the mood for pizza, they also have a great selection of hot sandwiches.....my favorite being the B.L.E.A.T.....Bacon, Lettuce, Egg, Avocado and aioli on a toasted house roll.

Now that we have gone over the "Pie"....let's talk about the "Hops".  The night we were there, they had a large selection of beers from Colorado, California, Florida and Oregon. Zack was our server, and I told him what type of beers I like....hoppy with a high UBI...and he selected one for me.  He was right on, the H26P (7% ABV, 100 IBU's) from Sation 26 (Denver) was a terrific beer to compliment our pizza. We also ordered an UPSLOPE craft lager, which is in a can...and came with a koozie that we got to take with us.

You can also join the "Beer Club".  For a yearly fee of $60 you get the "anytime happy hour" and a $1 off craft drafts, slices of the day pizza and 10" personal pies. They also open 1 hour early on Sundays just for members with your 3rd draft free....and the second Sunday of the month, they treat members to .50 cent selected drafts.

If you are in the mood for a relaxed atmosphere, great pizza and a terrific selection of craft beers.....Hops and Pie is a great place.
Address: 3920 Tennyson Street, Denver CO
Phone: 303 477-7000

http://www.hopsandpie.com

Hours
Tue - Thur: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Friday:        11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Saturday:    12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Sunday:       2:00  pm - 9:00   pm


When you visit, tell them Colorado's Hidden Treasures sent you.

Bon Appetit!!

January is Pizza Month

Okay....so January is going to be concentrated on finding the best locally owned pizza place here in the Denver area. Now it needs to be stated again, that this blog is not to post anything negative, but only to highlight places that are a truly treasures in Colorado.....stay tuned.......