Where to Stay

The Crawford Hotel: We were madly in love with our hotel, located in lower downtown Denver. The lobby is designed like a train station terminal, but a super fancy one. The “terminal” includes an ice cream shop, a bar, shops, and a coffee shop. Guests at the hotel get a coupon book which includes free coffee, beer, and ice cream at the shops in the lobby, as well as discounts at local bars and restaurants. Sound amazing? It gets even better! The rooms are gorgeous, with a high ceiling and pristine glass-enclosed showers, and guests can reserve a complimentary tesla, complete with a driver, to visit local spots. The location and amenities served as the perfect backdrop for our weekend in Denver.

Where to Eat and Drink

Cholon: Dynamite South Asian fare is featured at this chic downtown venue. Don’t miss the scallion pancakes, the crystal dumplings, or the fried rice. The three of us ordered a handful of appetizers and entrees to share and it was the best way to sample a bunch of items. Be sure to compliment your meal with a cocktail!

Kachina Cantina: As you can probably tell, Denver offers a variety of cuisines. This Mexican spot is cute and charming, with a colorful décor and wall murals. The restaurant serves brunch, lunch, and dinner; we went for Sunday brunch and had a fantastic meal. There are many delicious options, from chilaquiles to cauliflower tacos to warm vegetarian pozole. A mimosa is definitely a good idea, or a bloody mary if you prefer!

The Bindery: Located in the trendy Lohi neighborhood of Denver, The Bindery serves up fresh Italian fare like burrata including seasonal vegetables, beet ravioli, oysters, and risotto. The restaurant is contemporary and sleek, and it provides a gorgeous spot for a luxurious meal.

Lady Jane: For bold, bright, delicious cocktails in a stylish bar, visit Lady Jane. It’s a great place for drinks with friends, with the added bonus of plenty of eye candy for people watching!

Pigtrain Coffee Co.: Hot coffee and breakfast pastries are available all day at this coffee shop in the lobby of the Crawford hotel.

The Terminal Bar: The Crawford Hotel’s bar serves up 20 local craft beers, and features plenty of seating where you can sip your beer while watching the bustling activity of the hotel. I highly recommend the tater tots or pretzel bites as a bar snack to accompany your beer!

What to Do

Visit the 16th Street Mall: Don’t panic, this is no ordinary mall. Denver’s 16th Street Mall is a mile-long promenade with shops, cafes, and restaurants. Free shuttles go up and down the promenade, but we preferred to just stroll along so that we could peruse the shops and stop for coffee.

Visit the Denver Milk Market: Located on the Milk Block, where the original Windsor Dairy Farm of Colorado was once situated, the Denver Milk Market is a super fun food hall with a cocktail bar, a pizzeria, an ice cream vendor, and more. This was one of our favorite spots to visit in Denver, it’s definitely an iconic local venue.

Visit the Union Station Farmer’s Market: Filled with vendors selling freshly squeezed juices, croissants, live music, and artisanal goods, this is a lovely local market to visit. We had a great morning appreciating the goods of the different stalls, stuffing our faces, and absorbing the scene.

Weekend in Denver: The Verdict

Rocky Mountain National Park is an epic, iconic place to visit in Colorado but don’t pass up the opportunity to have a whirlwind weekend in Denver where there is food and drinks galore.

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The View from my Room at Millennium Harvest House Boulder

Where I stayed:  I stayed at the Millennium Harvest House Boulder.  The hotel has a very cozy mountain feel with its dark colors and wooden accents. Some of the areas are outdated such as the lobby, breakfast room, and bar but the hotel is currently undergoing a series of renovations to improve these areas.  My room was in the north tower, which had the most gorgeous view of the Rockies. Every morning, I made it a point to wake up early and take in the view for a few minutes. The location was walking distance to shopping and restaurants and a short drive to Pearl Street. Interestingly enough, the hotel has Salsa night on Saturdays and it’s free for guests ($6 for visitors).  I had fun dancing Salsa on my final night at the conference.  A highlight of my stay was the service, from the conference staff to the front desk searching for a car ice scraper for us, everybody went above and beyond.

Modmarket:  Walking distance from the Millennium Harvest House Boulder, it’s a great spot for breakfast and coffee.  I had whole grain Belgian waffles topped with a delicious apple pear compote.  The compote was not too sweet, which paired perfectly with the maple syrup.  I was having breakfast alone and checking my emails when the manager showed up at my table with a bowl of fresh fruit. The friendliness at Modmarket during my first breakfast in Boulder set my trip to a great start. I was thrilled to see that there was also a Modmarket at the Denver Airport.  I would love to have one in DC!

Oak at Fourteenth: I was fortunate to be able to link up with a dear friend Dan who came from Denver to visit.  We headed to Pearl Street to Oak at Fourteenth.  As you walk into the restaurant, you can smell the oak fired oven, admire the pretty picked veggies on mason jars lining up the bar, and see the attractive wait staff in crisp white shirts and jeans.  I had the pulled BBQ pork sandwich, which was served on a crisp baguette with fries. I paired it with a deliciously dark espresso flavored stout.  We concluded our lunch with a piece of the tropics in the mountains: coconut panna cotta, mango sorbet and guava sauce.  The  dessert was as delicious as it was beautiful.  The panna cotta was not overly sweet, it paired perfectly with the mango sorbet and the light guava sauce. You can see the tiny specs of the vanilla bean in the panna cotta, which shows me that the pastry chef did not cut corners.

Pizza at Pizzeria Locale

Cappuccino at Pizzeria Locale

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