Appetite City by William Grimes

In the midst of reading Appetite City by William Grimes. Good read about the history of gastronomy in NYC! Learning all about the local oyster bars that are now extinct. Wouldn't it be cool if someone opened a restaurant that was a throw back to the early days with local menus, and the old decor? Oh looking for a good xmas gift for a Food Hopper you know? Try Food Journeys of a Lifetime 500 by National Geographic.

Central & Upstate NY... Starting January ,09

I will be starting to Food Hop around central and upstate New York starting in January 2010! I want your input on where I should start! Please give me your feeback right on my blog by clicking on comments! And stay tuned for my Food Hop selections for my NYC trip in December!

December '09 New York Trip

I will be heading to Manhattan in December! Make sure to suggest where I should Food Hop next. Magnolia Bakery & Matsuri Sushi have all visited my blog and invited me back for special events!

Estes Park Food Hop #2: The Estes Park Pie Co.

370 East Elkhorn Ave

Estes Park, CO 80517

"You need pie!" is the theme of this local Estes Park pie company. When you put it that way, it easy to walk in the door. Homemade pies greet you in the cute glass display cases, and they serve up some very unique pie combinations. I chose the apple ginger peach with crumb topping, and my friend had the triple berry. Yummy! Food Hop here and savor the pie from local owners Valerie & Rick Thompson. I was surprised to learn that even brides are giving up their wedding cake to serve up their creations. Grab a forkful of pie and walk around downtown. Remember Colorado has 300 days of sun a year!

Estes Park Food Hop #1: Ed's Cantina

390 E Elkhorn Ave

Estes Park, CO 80517

Ed's Cantina greets on your way into downtown Estes Park, CO, the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. This is the only restaurant open downtown in the middle of October, and is a reliable "late night" pick. I had the fish tacos with rice and beans. The cucumber coleslaw with spicy cilantro was the highlight of the meal. This Food Hop is one you may need in your back pocket if you plan on eating in Estes Park after 8pm. If you can afford the Stanley Hotel, however, head on up the hill and Hop past this stop.

Boulder Food Hop #3: Tee & Cakes

1932 14th Street

Boulder, CO 80302

I was greeted by an employee wearing a BACON t-shirt and I soon learned why. Chocolate bacon cupcakes.... genious! Maybe not so good for you.... but oh wait! They have tasting cakes; small sweet experiences of all Tees & Cakes has to offer. As the BACON employee packed up my tasting cakes (strawberry milkshake, bacon chocolate, and butter cream) she was more excited than I was in how cute they looked in their pink cardboard box! Delightful, delicious, and very Boulder this Food Hop is one you cannot miss. And with small tasting cakes you get to try more then one!

Boulder Food Hop #2: Sushi Tora

2014 Tenth Street

Boulder, CO

So I was ready for some sushi, and Sushi Tora served up a very unique Japanese experience. I have had a lot of sushi, but this was the first menu that served up an orgasm! Oh... I meant an orgasm roll consisting of a california roll baked with salmon and creamy sauce. Just Food Hop here and order it ladies. I don't think you will need much convincing.

Boulder Food Hop #1: SALT the bistro

1047 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO

New to the Boulder, CO scene in August 2009 I took a chance and decided to eat here over the acclaimed The Kitchen restaurant in Boulder. It was well worth the risk! I picked the grilled flatiron steak served over top a forest mushroom pumpkin bread pudding. This savory and cozy meal helped me settle down for my drive to the rocky mountains! I recommend the seating at the kitchen bar where you can view the chefs cooking in their trendy open kitchen. Food Hop here and you won't be disappointed!

Denver Food Hop #4: root down

1300 West 33rd Ave

Denver, CO 80211

Hands down this is the best restaurant in Denver, and I have a Food Hopper Stephanie to thank for the recommendation! From its open kitchen to its throwback 1950's decor, root down knows they have it going on. Not to mention that everything they used to build the restaurant is recycled. The menu is designed for tasting and highlights all local Colorado food & drink. The meal started off with a Colorado sourced Cabarnet. Everyone at the table ordered two tasting plates, and each were passed around encouraging a social dining experience. I was so excited to eat that I forgot to take a picture so I apologize if some of the pictures are half eaten.... but still beautiful! Some of the star dishes included perfectly cooked seared achiote rubbed Colorado lamb, golden beet risotto, King Canyon Ranch buffalo sliders, and organic hazel dell mushroom bruschetta. The finale of the meal was an unforgettable banana "creme brulee" pie with peanut butter crust. This Food Hop was one of the best I have visited to date! Put this on your itinerary the next time you visit Denver.

Denver Food Hop #3: Tamayo

1400 Larimer St

Denver, CO 80202

Order the guacamole and dig in! Otherwise hop right past Tamayo, a modern Mexican restaurant in Larimer Square. Not many of us at the table could taste our meals because our mouths were on fire! Believe me when I tell you... all Mexican does not have to burn the palate. My chile relleno stuffed with shrimp, and topped with crema fresca was good in a painful kind of way. For me I would hop past this food stop, and try another memorable Denver restaurant from my blog. Oh did I mention the watery margaritas!