Day One: Denver, Colorado

April 21, 2010

Over the past few years, Denver has been the midpoint of many of my vacations. I’ve had several layovers there but never stepped foot outside the airport. Last weekend Keenan and I decided to take a short weekend trip to Denver to visit his sister, Stephanie, and finally check out the city.

Steph picked us up at the airport and we headed straight for lower downtown Denver (better known as LoDo) for some much-needed dinner and drinks. Based on a recommendation from a friend, we decided to check out a Caribbean Restaurant off Blake Street called Eight Rivers. This restaurant, named “The Best of Denver” by Westword in 2008, was warmly lit and filled with the sounds of Jamaican music. The wall behind our table was appropriately adorned with a mural of the legendary Bob Marley.

We each ordered a different dish off the menu so we could sample each others (this has become a habit of mine so if you don’t like to share…you may not want to grab dinner with me!). Steph had her eye on the Eight Rivers Jerk Steak, Keenan got the Smoked Jerk Pork Medallions, and I ordered the Smoked Pineapple Pork Ribs — a dish I normally wouldn’t order because they tend to be so messy but it sounded too good to pass up! I didn’t regret my decision. Although they were messy (as I expected), these ribs were awesome…sweet, smoky, and tender. Steph’s steak was pretty amazing too. The jerk spices resonated all the way through juicy, medium cooked meat. Keenan’s medallions were really tender and perfectly marinated in a spicier jerk. Overall this place was a hit – the atmosphere was laid back, the staff was friendly, and the food was really amazing!

After dinner we went to a funky little bar called Double Daughters (a suggestion from our waiter at Eight Rivers). When we walked through the huge gold doors we were greeted by a gothic themed bar with red, futuristic booths covered by a dark tree lit with white lights and birds strung across the ceiling. My first thought was “this is so strange” but it ended up to be a really chill bar. The high walled booths were elevated off the floor and set up in a manner so that you could have a private conversation with the group you came with — which is just what we were looking for.