TAHONA Taqueria+Tequila Bar can be found in downtown Loveland, just a short stroll from the bike trail. I was excited to try a newer (to me) restaurant, though I already have a couple of favorites in the area. Orders are placed at the counter, items are quickly prepared, and then brought to your designated table.

Tacos

For lunch, I had the chicken taco and the pork carnitas taco ($3.85 each). For starters, I wouldn’t get the chicken again. It was a really bland mix of chicken, tomatillo-chimichurris sauce, and queso fresco, and the microgreens on top did little to help. The pork carnitas combined barbacoa sauce, corn and poblano pico, cotija cheese, and cilantro. This was a lot better, though still, I have had many better tacos now that the Cincinnati area is full of taco options.

Salsa Bar

They do have a fresh salsa bar, which I appreciated to try to spice up the chicken taco. But with all of that said, there are better meals to have in Loveland. However, if you are in a hurry, there are worse places you could go.

Bluegrass Brewing Company is a staple of Louisville. They helped to pioneer the microbrewery scene, and since 2010 they have occupied a former bank space downtown.

Inside

When in Louisville you have to try a hot brown. The hot brown at BBC features sliced turkey, tomatoes, bacon, mornay sauce, cheddar jack cheese, and smoked paprika served open-faced over sourdough toast ($17.90). This is a great example of this famous Louisville dish and the serving size is large enough that it could be shared.

Hot Brown

Bluegrass Brewing Company is worth a stop for great pub food and while you are there try a dank IPA.

Sinners & Saints is close to my house, but it’s on a stretch of road that I rarely travel. When going to or from downtown I almost always use Columbia Parkway and rarely go along Riverside Drive. Sinners & Saints is one of only a few restaurants along this nearly 4-mile stretch. One evening I made a special trip down Riverside to visit. I really enjoyed this stop and will have to make a special trip again in the future.

Smoked & Stuffed Jalapeños

For starters, their smoked & stuffed jalapeños are delightful ($10)! Sausage, cream cheese, and cheddar are all inside, wrapped with bacon and smoked. They come served with house BBQ sauce on the side, but you may not even need it. The smoke flavor is really there on the bacon and mixes well with the creamy filling.

Naan Street Tacos

For dinner, the naan street tacos are a solid choice. Pulled pork, peach BBQ, source cream, pickled onion, and green onion are packed inside of garlic naan and served taco style ($16). This is served with a very large side of mac and cheese. It is quite a filling meal! The tacos were great and the naan holds up really well to the juices and sauces, as compared to a soft corn shell.

If you haven’t had an empanada from Ché, stop what you’re doing and go! These delightfully fried pastries are Argentina’s favorite street food. Ché started as a food truck, then they opened in Over-the-Rhine in 2016, and a couple of years ago expanded close to my home in O’Bryonville.

Outside

My wife and I have visited multiple times recently. Each time at least one of us had the mushroom and feta, the chicken salsa verde, and the jerk chicken. These are good ones to start with. I’ve also heard great things about the short rib. They also have more interesting flavor combinations such as buffalo chicken or even a Cuban. They cost $4.75 each, and I think two or three make for a good meal.

Empanadas

The menu at Ché also features tacos, sandwiches, salads, and more. Plus a full bar with some awesome cocktails and a great draft beer selection.

I really enjoyed Warped Wing beers and was hoping the same would be true about their Brewpub & Smokery in Mason. We stopped by during a soccer tournament for lunch and found immediate seating available both inside and out. The space is very large and can host quite a crowd.

Beers

You can’t go wrong with a tall glass of Gamma Bomb IPA. But they also have a wide variety of drafts on their two dozen or so taps. In colder weather, you cannot go wrong with Whiskey Rebellion, their barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout.

Chicken Sandwich & Grits

For lunch, I had the chicken sandwich, which combines smoked chopped chicken with Swiss cheese, Carolina gold bbq, and fried onion straws ($14 with choice of side). The smoke flavor of the chicken was great, and the Carolina sauce was on point, sweet, and tangy with just a bit of spice. On the side, I chose the jalapeno grits, which were a little soupy for my liking. The flavor was good though. Overall it was a good meal and we will be back I’m sure during another soccer tournament.

Since my time living out in Denver, Oskar Blues has always been one of my favorite breweries. It’s hard to go wrong with their Dale’s Pale Ale. When I realized that they now had a restaurant in Denver, it was time for my family to stop in for dinner one night while on spring break. Oskar Blues Grill & Brew is located just off the 16th Street Mall on Market Street, just a few blocks from Union Station. There was a good crowd when we arrived, but the spacious restaurant space allowed for a table to be had right away.

Inside

Obviously, you will find Dale’s Pale Ale on draft, but they also have a ton of other beers that aren’t so common, especially out in Ohio. If barrel-aged Ten FIDY is there, be sure to give that a try! Other popular beers include Mama’s Little Yella Pils and Old Chub. The restaurant also features a full bar and signature cocktails.

Spicy Chicken Sandwich

For dinner, I had the spicy chicken sandwich which is tossed in honey sriracha, topped with coleslaw and pickled jalapenos on a brioche bun ($15 with fries and pickle slices). This was a really unique and good spicy chicken sandwich. It was pretty hot, so be sure you have plenty of Dale’s Pale Ale to wash it down with! My wife enjoyed the pulled pork, and the kids menu had just about everything our littles could want on it.

The Stanley Beer Hall concept is something I wish I saw more of at home in Cincinnati. You check in at the front desk and open a tab. The staff provides you a card to use during your visit to then use when you pour your own beer. You can get as much or as little of a taste as you want. It’s like a buffet of beer!

Pour Your Own Beer

Add to that some really good food. My wife loves pork green chili and found that theirs was spot on. Pork shoulder, Monterey jack, sour cream, cilantro, served with flour tortillas ($13). It had the right level of spice and plenty of chunks of pork.

Pork Green Chili

I enjoyed the B.L.A.T. with candied bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato, and mayo on brioche ($16 with a side). The candied bacon was perfectly cooked and I loved the addition of avocado to the sandwich. The only thing I should have done was added green chili to my tots for an extra few bucks.

B.L.A.T.

My only complaint would be that the prices are a little high, especially considering that you are often your own server. But overall a great experience.

We almost always stop in Idaho Springs either on our way to or coming back from the mountains. Often we stop at Beau Jo’s, but on this latest trip back to Denver we stopped at the Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub. I’ve been to Tommyknocker often when my wife and I lived in Denver a dozen years ago, but this was the first time we’ve been back since moving away. I forgot just how spacious the pub is on the inside. We had no trouble getting a table on a Friday afternoon.

Mountain Melt

For lunch, I went with the mountain melt, grilled sourdough stuffed with cheddar, jack, pepper jack, and American cheeses plus bacon and tomato ($15). On the side, I had a cup of tomato artichoke soup. The soup was awesome and paired really well with the grilled cheese. This is a great comfort food for the winter (or even spring break).

Charcuterie & Empanadas

My daughter ordered the charcuterie featuring select artisan cheeses, salami, beer brat, cranberry apple chutney, mustard, and her bakes crostini ($16). This was a large plate that was plenty to share. I would have liked to see more cheese on the plate, but what was there was good.

My wife ordered the spinach and cheese empanadas ($15) which were really good. Another solid recommendation for something to share with the table, as the serving size was pretty large for one person to try to tackle.

Overall we had a great visit to Tommyknocker and will make sure to stop back again soon.

Odell Brewing was always one of my favorite breweries during my time living in Denver. They still do not distribute anywhere near my home in Ohio. When visiting Colorado now, one of the first things I typically do is find an Odell beer on draft somewhere. On our latest trip to Denver, we decided to check out their Sloan’s Lake Brewhouse.

Art

This is a very casual spot with a great location with views of Sloan’s Lake. Orders are placed at the bar. There is a great variety of beers including beers that are made in-house on their 10-barrel pilot brewhouse. I always start with their flagship IPA and go from there.

Inside

My family and I split some food, starting with the chicken chopped salad. This featured Altius Farm’s greens, oven-roasted chicken, bacon, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and asiago cheese topped with honey mustard vinaigrette ($11). This was a pretty big salad, easily enough to share with a pizza. The dressing was really excellent!

Chicken Chopped Salad

We also had the Margherita pizza ($16) and a kids cheese pizza ($8). The crust was pretty thin, but still managed to be chewy with a light char to it. The toppings were fresh and overall we enjoyed the pizza.

Margherita Pizza

Odell has awesome beer and the food at their Sloan’s Lake Brewhouse was pretty solid. Easily worth a visit and I will return on a future trip to Denver.

Spring break in Colorado has been our go-to for a number of years. Before heading up to the mountains, we always spend some time in Denver. This time we stayed downtown near Union Station and ventured out for dinner one night. After a couple of strikes, we eventually ended up at D’corazon Mexican Restaurant, just a few blocks away. There was a little line out the door, but we were told that the wait would only be twenty minutes or so. Fortunately, it was more like ten minutes until our table was ready!

Inside D’corazon

D’corazon has been around for over 25 years. Their space is much larger than it appears from the outside. It’s not wide, but is quite deep and even has a bar in the back. Service is quick and efficient. They are able to turn tables over pretty quickly.

Chimichanga

When I see a chimichanga on the menu, nine times out of ten that’s what I will order. This particular chimichanga ($12.88) was among the best I’ve had. The star of the dish is their delicious green chile sauce.

Green Chile Plate

Similarly, my wife is a sucker for green chile, a staple dish of U.S. Southwestern cuisine. The green chile plate here ($14.88) is served with chunks of pork, rice, beans, and tortillas on the side. It is spicy but incredibly flavorful. No matter what you order from D’corazon make sure it comes with green chile!