My wife and daughter have raved about VV The Italian Experience for quite some time. First, they loved the drinks, and now they love the food options, too. They finally brought me along with them on an early weekend morning. You can order things to-go from the counter, or there are some tables to sit and have table service. We lucked into one of the last available tables and were soon greeted with drinks and a quick breakfast.

Cornetti

As we were in a little bit of a hurry I was glad to see some savory options in the display cases. I went with a ham and cheese cornetti, which is essentially the Italian version of a croissant. I loved that there was some extra cheese on top, as it was very tasty and the layers of dough were crispy, light, and flaky. It was very good and I look forward to trying other items at VV!

I have no idea why it took me so long to give Forno Osteria & Bar a try. I guess I don’t get down to East Hyde Park very often, even though it’s only barely over a mile from home. It will definitely not be long before a return visit. Be sure to book an online reservation before going. We did and were treated to an outdoor table of our choice.

Arugula Salad

To start my wife and I split the arugula salad with golden raisins, capers, shaved cauliflower, pistachios, citronette dressing, and parmigiano reggiano ($13). The serving was very generous and the salad was full of flavor. I loved the crunch of the pistachios and cauliflower.

Basil and Ricotta Tortelloni

I ordered the basil and ricotta tortelloni served with pomodoro sauce, parigiano reggiano, and basil oil ($25). The freshly made pasta is stuffed full and cooked perfectly. The sauce was rich to complement the subtle flavor of ricotta.

Asparagus Gnudi “Cacio e Pepe”

My wife ordered the asparagus gnudi “Cacio e Pepe” ($21). Gnudi is similar to gnocchi, but the dumplings are made of ricotta cheese and semolina instead of potato flour. These were very light and served in a Vermont butter sauce with asparagus. It was a very flavorful dish, despite the simple presentation. I think I enjoyed the tortelloni better, but both are worthy of ordering again on a future visit.

My wife and I recently stopped at Tequila Modern Mexican for dinner. This is a newer restaurant over in DeSales Corner of East Walnut Hills. It’s a bit upscale for a Mexican restaurant, a trend that seems to be pretty popular these days.

Inside

I ordered the enchiladas fridas which is three fresh tortillas stuffed with chicken, smothered in green tomatillo sauce, garnished with sour cream, onion, and queso fresco, and served with a side of rice and beans ($17).   This was a lot of food and it all was pretty tasty. The sauce was very good and there was a lot of cheese on top to give some balance to the meal.

Enchiladas Fridas

The enchiladas filled an entire plate, so the beans and rice are served separately, which is actually kind of nice, though I would be fine without the side dishes at all. The real star of the meal were the enchiladas.

Rice & Beans

My wife ordered the spinach chicken, served as a bed of vegetables with a chicken breast, spinach, and melted mozzarella on top ($19). She got some tortillas on the side to eat it sort of like you would with fajitas. Again it was a lot of food and the flavor combinations were good.

Spinach Chicken

We also tried their spicy margaritas ($12) which had a spicy rim and fresh jalapeno included. A pretty spicy combination but delicious as well.

My family and I love checking out breweries during our travels. Country Boy Brewing started out of Lexington, Kentucky in 2012. They opened a production brewery in Georgetown, Kentucky in 2017 and added a kitchen to the large space in 2018, called The Kitchen at Country Boy Brewing.

Pretzel Bites

We (2 adults and 2 kids) split a variety of food items. The pretzel bites with beer cheese, along with celery, carrots, and mustard ($8.99). I must say the addition of celery and carrots to this dish is a little strange, but the pretzel bites were flash-fried and delicious with the dipping sauces.

Cheese Flatbread

There isn’t a cheese flatbread on the menu, so we just ordered the pepperoni without the pepperoni ($9.99). This is a large serving of relatively thick crust flatbread pizza. Pretty plain, but that’s the way the kids like it.

Hot Brown Flatbread

For a not so boring choice try the hot brown flatbread ($10.99) with oven-roasted turkey, cheddar, bacon, Roma tomato, and cheese sauce. This was pretty good. Not nearly as great as a traditional hot brown, but a pretty creative take on the dish.

Chicken Philly

We also ordered a chicken philly, which doesn’t appear on the online menu currently. Not sure if it is no longer an option, but it was actually one of my favorites of the meal, served with crispy tater tots. We definitely way overordered and had a ton of food left over. The prices are fantastic, the service was quick, and there are a ton of different beers on tap. It’s hard to go wrong!

Food halls have become quite popular and there are three within a short drive of my house. The newest is Gatherall at Factory 52. This location has over a dozen food stalls plus multiple bar options. The first food stall I tried was Phat Bánh Mì.

Food Hall Stall

The staff working was very friendly and helped explain the menu as needed. I watched from a nearby table as orders were quickly prepared and text messages sent to hungry patrons.

Lemongrass Chicken Bánh Mì

I tried the Lemongrass Chicken Bánh Mì with lemongrass chicken on a toasted baguette with pickled daikon, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro, jalapenos, and Vietnamese mayo served with potato or shrimp chips ($13). This was a good sandwich and very filling. I’m not an expert on Bánh Mì but I really enjoyed the flavor combinations, especially the pickled vegetables and the mayo was a nice touch.

Upland Brewing Company is based in Bloomington, Indiana but they have expanded with 4 restaurants in the Indianapolis area and 1 in Columbus, IN. My family and I had stopped at the 82nd Street location in Indianapolis for dinner. They have more than a dozen of their beers on tap, including the year-round Dragonfly IPA and Wheat Ale, but they also have seasonal selections and a handful of sours.

Nashville Hot Chicken

For dinner, I enjoyed the Nashville hot chicken sandwich with Broad Ripple chips ($15). The giant piece of fried chicken was topped with blue cheese slaw and horseradish pickles on a toasted brioche bun. This was a really good sandwich, not overly spicy, but with a subtle heat that I enjoyed thoroughly.

Bad Elmer’s Fav

My wife noticed that any of their burgers can be subbed for grilled or fried chicken, black-bean patty, local bison, or impossible meat. She had the Bad Elmer’s Fav with fried chicken, sharp cheddar, applewood bacon, Bad Elmer’s Porter BBQ, lettuce, tomato, and onion along with a side of brewery fries ($16.50). This was an enormous plate of food! I think the Nashville hot was the better choice, but still, this was really tasty.

Our kids enjoyed their selections from the kids menu. Our service was wonderful and the meal was pretty quick for a Friday evening. We would definitely return when back in Indianapolis.

A great place for a meal in historic Park City is The Eating Establishment. I made a reservation for my family for a Sunday evening dinner. Having the reservation was great as it allowed us to travel into the heart of the historic city with no worries about finding a table at any of the restaurants.

Manhattan

They have a stellar drink menu, including a very good Manhattan. There is also a great beer list, though only a few choices on draft. If the Red Rock Elephino is available, give it a try if you are into IPAs.

BLTA

For dinner, I went with the BLTA with heirloom tomato, green leaf lettuce, bacon, avocado, and roasted garlic aioli ($20). I had this with a really good side salad and you must try Grandma Mary’s vinaigrette with any of the salads. Delicious!

Fish Tacos

My wife had the fish tacos, the most popular item on the menu, which combines grilled halibut with a creamy cilantro dressing on flour tortillas with black beans, chips, and salsa ($23). She really enjoyed the fish and the salsa was surprisingly good for it not appearing anywhere else on the menu.

Red Rock Elephino

One of our kids enjoyed the buttery noodles from the kids’ menu ($12) while the other loved that they had breakfast all day and went with a tall stack of pancakes ($15), which was indeed a stack of 3 very large pancakes.

Another awesome breakfast during our trip to Denver was at HashTAG. The menu was large and had something for every member of our family. I thoroughly enjoyed the French ‘wich with bacon,   ham, and jack cheddar cheese between French toast served topped with powdered sugar with bacon syrup and hashbrowns on the side ($15). Pretty much a Monte Cristo but the bread they used for the French toast is very good, thick and chewy.

French ‘wich

My wife loves green chili so it was obvious that she would order the pork green chili omelet with adobo pork shoulder, Anaheim green chilis, mushrooms, caramelized onions, green chili, and jack cheddar cheese served with hashbrowns ($16.50). Wow, what a plate of food she had and I’m told it was all very good.

Pork Green Chili Omelet

Our son went big with his large hot cake topped with powdered sugar, butter, and chocolate chips ($8.75). I mean just look at the size of that thing! Maybe next time a small might be in order.

Hot Cake

We had a great breakfast as HashTAG and would definitely stop by again on future trips.

We had a couple of great breakfasts while out in Colorado. The first was at Four Friends Kitchen in the Central Park neighborhood. This family friendly spot serves up a wide variety of breakfast and lunch offerings including benedicts, omelets, and overnight grits.

Southern Fried Chicken & Waffle

The southern fried chicken and waffle with apple coleslaw and smoked chili caramel syrup was served as a sandwich and came with a side of fruit ($13.50). This was a very filling and the flavor combinations were amazing, a bit on the spicy side but the caramel flavor really helped keep it balanced. Also loved having pickles on the side, even if not a traditional breakfast item. I would absolutely order this again.

After many trips to Copper Mountain, we finally made it to JJ’s Rocky Mountain Tavern, and I’m sad it took so long. We have always stayed in the west village and the fact that JJ’s is in the east village always made it sound like too much effort to get to. But we finally took a ride on the Copper shuttle system and found it to be easy to use and dropped us right at the back door to JJ’s. We made a reservation for our group of eight and arrived to find our table waiting.

Standard Chicken Sandwich

I had the standard chicken sandwich ($16.95) topped with your choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle on a baked roll. This typically comes with seasoned waffle fries, but I opted to substitute for the onion rings, which were a great choice, though the waffle fries are also good. The chicken sandwich was good, nothing too crazy. Next time I would probably try one of their other options like the New Mexican version with cheddar, cotija, green chiles, and ancho chipotle sauce. Also worth ordering are JJ’s Drumsticks which are huge! The draft beer list is solid and has something for everyone. We will definitely be back to JJ’s in the future.