For some of us, coffee does not rule. Based on the number of coffeehouses to teahouses, I know who is winning, but it’s not a battle I’m overly concerned about. I’ll keep on drinking my tea, thank you. And for those of you who have the same preference, or have found that your local Starbucks was closed down, give Capitol Tea a try. You can get lunch and a great selection of teas to choose from. And then, since you’re in the neighborhood, check out a few antique stores. Capitol Tea is located at 1450 S. Broadway and in the midst of the south Broadway antique row. And for you guys, go ahead and prove that you aren’t intimidated by stereotypes and partake in tea and antiquing.

You can always check out their web site before you go and print off the coupon at the web site for a free cup of tea, www.captea.com.

No, not camels. Cameras. Didn’t you hear? Photography is the new terrorism! And here to save us from it is Burger King!

(Photo taken at the Burger King in Gunbarrel, on Spine Road. I changed my mind about eating there.)

What exactly happen to make these signs go up? Did they buy the line about terrorism–and they thought that their fast-food restaurant was a prime target? Were they afraid that someone would plagiarize their menu? Did a photoblogger catch a worker in the act of doing something unspeakable to those flame-broiled patties?

In any case, I guess if you were thinking of holding your five-year-old’s birthday party at Burger King (do parents still do that?), maybe you’d better think twice. That’s all I’m saying.

No doubt you all heard that Starbucks is closing 600 of its stores nationwide. I overheard on the elevator this morning that the one closest to my work (at 16th and Wynkoop) is one of the victims. This doesn’t really affect me as I usually opt for the budget-saving coffee club at work. And, if a need for the ‘bux ever strikes me, I suppose I can manage walking an extra two blocks to the one at 16th and Blake.

Here’s the full list of stores closing in the Denver area.

Is your local Starbucks safe?

So first things first, yes I’ve been here two years and some change, and yes last night was my first time to Wash Park. In my defense, from Highlands Ranch it’s a drive and I was never motivated. Now that it’s 5 miles from my house, less a problem. Though parking is a problem, as in there’s virtually none.

Our friends invited us to hang out in the Gaylord st shopping area, so since it was the last night before a long weekend, and work was done, we were game.

We stated at the Wash Park grille which has some very cool atmosphere. The food, meh. They recently (we were told) switched up the menu and so things like calamari were in the Tapas menu, ‘Tapas’ is spanish for pay a lot, eat a little, and the appetizers that remained were uninspired and not tasty sounding. So we got a pizzeta which was good and not too expensive, not at all filling.

Thursdays are lady’s night so my wife and our friend enjoyed inexpensive wine and martini’s and I drank over priced heinekens. Our waitress was nice, though she forgot our calamari order, and a drink for our friend, and had to be reminded. The upside, she took both things off the tab, so that was a good gesture and redeemed a lot for us.

I’d definitely go back to the Wash Park Grille, for drinks, but I’d eat first or have dinner plans for after.

We decided to abandon the Grille, and move across the street to Reivers. the chips and salsa are pretty good, and our friend Doug said the burger was incredible, so that’s something. The wait staff was certainly more attentive, which was nice. and we were able to sit on their back patio/courtyard so it was very comfy out.

I’d probably hit up Reivers before Wash Park Grille, the next time I’m in Wash Park. I’ll also probably ride my bike if I can and avoid having to hunt for parking, that’s sorta whack.

A couple weeks ago we were in Manitou Springs for their wine festival, where they featured wines from across Colorado. We didn’t get a chance to try many wines because we brought our 1 year old beagles, Charlie and Howie, who are in training to be therapy dogs. This was there first festival environment and they did wonderfully, although Charlie was caught dipping his head in the waste bucket. They got more attention from the crowd than we were able to spend on the wine though. So we are off tomorrow, without the pups, to the Boulder Wine Festival.

I read on the festival website that wine making started on the Western Slope a century ago. Also, many vineyards were turned into orchards during prohibition. An interesting piece of state history. Now we have more than 60 wineries. Read more…

Colorado is really moving up in quality of wines. A year ago there was a blind taste test done with California wines, and Colorado won!

I’m really looking forward to Boulder’s wine fest. They’ve done a pretty amazing job of paring the wine tasting with the top local restaurants, so the experience should be flavorful. Any opportunity to head up north to Boulder is also a treat!

My wife and I went for a walk tonight, the original goal was to walk down to 16th and pit stop at Baskin Robbins. Since she’s not feeling well we only made it to 22nd and Buenos Aires Pizzaria for some excellent gelato. Hard to go wrong with yummy gelato and Buenos Aires serves it up well.

After that we walked down larimer to a pizza place my wife has been watching move in on her way to work in the mornings. The intent was to peak in the windows of Marco’s Coal Fired Pizza, but Marco himself whipped open the door and welcomed us in for an impromptu tour of the joint, w00t!! The place is incredible, the decor is awesome, they’ve got these sweet concrete tables with neat inlaid tiles, very cool. There’s a nice patio in the back, with room for 40. We got to see the coal stove and wood stove (very cool looking, imported from Italy), where true neapolitan pizza’s will be churned out from.

Turns out their opening this coming Wednesday (I know where I’ll be), so if you’re in the area come on down and say hello to Marco and company and enjoy some “high end Pizza and casual atmosphere” oh and they have wine too :)

See ya there!

It used to be Cafe Boba, named for the tapioca beads patrons happily slurped up through the extra-wide straws through which they enjoyed their “pearl teas.”

Then it was Cafe Bravo, a wi-fi hot-spot serving fair trade coffee along with the pearl teas. Their couches would eat you alive and maybe spit you out again after a 50-year nap.

Then it was Bliss, taking its name from the local organic ice cream added to the menu. The couches went away, but lavender-honey ice cream more than made up for that.

Now? It’s the Purl Knit Cafe.

It’s still got Bliss ice cream, fair trade coffee, chocolate tidbits in the cooler, soups, Udi sandwiches, pearl “purl”* tea… but now it also has yarn. Lots and lots of high-end yarn. Sock yarn and sport yarn and bulky weight, oh my. Stuff you will not find anywhere else in Boulder (a conscious effort on the part of the founder to avoid stealing business from Shuttles Spindles & Skeins, according to the above-linked Daily Camera article). There’s a ball winder in the corner by the cash register so they can roll up the loose skeins. Also, there’s a spin-tree display of every size or style of knitting needle you could possibly want. And we’re not talking a Jo Ann’s size selection of nasty aluminum spikes. We’re talking a full spectrum of Crystal Palace bamboo double-pointers and Addi-turbo circulars.

*(It’s a knitting pun. Geddit?)

They’ve still got wi-fi, too. Wi-fi that even my husband’s Windows Vista laptop will consent to connect to. If you’ve got a Windows Vista laptop and have ever tried to reach the Internets at the Boulder IHOP, you know what I’m talking about. (And if you have and you don’t, email me. I wanna know how you’ve got that machine set up. The Vista wi-fi problem is driving my husband up the wall. It severely limits the places he and I can go out for coffee, tea, and Puzzle Pirates.)

Squee! Wi-fi and caffeinated beverages and knitting. If it weren’t for closing hours, I might never go home.

So I’m here on a Wednesday night because that’s when the knit-in happens. I’ve bought a couple skeins of Lana Grossa’s “Cambio” in bright orange, I’ve pulled out a set of #2 dps, I’ve had a bowl of the chicken tomatillo tortilla soup, and I’m ready to cast on.

[Pearl Knit Cafe in the Water Street Plaza, 2425 Canyon, between 28th and Folsom. Summer hours: 8 AM - 7 PM M-Th, 8 AM - 9 PM Fri, 9 AM to 9 PM Sat, 10 AM - 6 PM Sun. Wednesdays feature an after-hours knit-in. Stop by cafe for knitting class shcedule.]

It is with great sadness, and a sinking suspicion that I am not the first on the scene with the news, that I announce the passing of Cafe Play from the Hill.

Cafe Play was an excellent idea. To my knowledge it was Boulder’s only true LAN Cafe - there were computer stations you could rent time on to play World of Warcraft with your buddies - and it was certainly the only place you could rent time on a Wii, a Playstation, or an Xbox, and while away several hours playing the games of your choice on huge plasma-screen TVs. And of course it had wi-fi. The space was huge and comfortable, full of deep leather couches as well as office-style desks, and its walls featured the work of local artists. Plus there was live music on the patio all the time. Also coffee, tea, soda, Udi’s sandwiches, and at one time Global Chili offerings. And it was open laaaaate.

It was where I went when my own cable internet was on the blink. It was where I encouraged fellow Boulder NaNoWriMo participants to meet up for write-ins. And now it is gone, and I am a sad puppy.

Cafe Play, you will be missed.

(Oh, by the way, Lulu’s on the Hill is gone too. Has been since something like a month or two after their grand opening. It’s Album’s Bistro again, which is great for aficionados of Album’s, but not so great if you really liked Lulu’s. For what it’s worth, the first space they were in - the restaurant outlet in Steelyards - seems to be still available. Hint. Hint.)

I just returned from a trip to the Deep South where I discovered Moe’s Original Barbeque. It was delicious and satisfied my biannual BBQ craving and I know I’ll stop by Vail on the next trip to Glenwood Spgs for more. The sauce was different - a little thin without that tomato base. I’m trying to copy it at home but a mayonnaise-based “Alabama” recipe is all I’ve found to imitate. Don’t think that’s it.Is there such as thing as “Colorado BBQ”? I go to Brothers occasionally but what I remember most is the sweet potato pie and sweet tea. KT’s is pretty good but hasn’t ever instilled cravings for me.Anybody have any favorites? I tried to track down a place called Ethel’s once but it looked like it was closed. (Not sure if that was BBQ, thought). Ideas?

I’m leaving for Phoenix for a week with my current job, a perk if you ask me with the company I work with. We travel every 6 months for a week to different cities, I’ve been to Colorado Springs (the Broadmoor), Dallas, Salt Lake City and now Phoenix.

But this isn’t about my travels - it’s about leaving one of my favorite restaurants behind. It’s not like I eat here daily, but I have to give it a shout out none the less. :)

If you are up for something different in the pizza sense - then you must try out Sauce. Located in DTC near DTC Blvd and Belleview - their gourmet pizza’s are to die for. Of course, I’m one of the pickiest eaters in the world, but this place is just amazing with what they can do with a pizza. I will admit that a Prosciutto and Melon pizza may sound a little strange, and I’ll be honest I haven’t had it - but it did look good when a co-worker ordered it a month ago. When I went with another friend, she ordered the Chicken Caesar and Parmesan pizza and I had Pepperoni and Prosciutto pizza, we ended up sharing.

So if you are looking for a little something different, and you are in DTC, try Sauce. And if you get a little stain on your shirt, it just means the food was that good.