Hello from our soon to be home, Athens, Georgia! Here’s some of the meals we ate this week at East West Bistro, Cali N Tito’s, Last Resort Grill, and Butt Hutt BBQ.

Wordless Wednesday: Hey y’all from Athens, GA! #wordlesswednesday is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I recently attend Applebee’s blogger summit, Behind the Menu, at their Kansas City headquarters. I was reluctant to go at first because I hadn’t been to an Applebee’s in years and don’t care for their food all that much. I’d rather go to a mom and pop Asian restaurant and have a bowl of pho, frankly. After discussing the opportunity with a friend, I decided to go as the would offer good insight into the trend of chain restaurants offering healthier menu items. Also, since KC is so close to Denver, it would be an easy and quick trip.

Applebee’s PR agency put together a small but intimate group of blogging veterans and newbies who blog in several niches from healthy lifestyle to food to family. While most of us flew in from around the US, several bloggers were KC locals:

• Army Wife 101
• About A Mom
• Dine & Dish
• Real Mom Reviews
• RM – Making Geek Look Good
• Roni’s Weigh
• Our Kids Mom
• Kansas City Mamas
• Fat Fighter TV
• Mommy of Two Little Monkeys

The Behind the Menu summit

The objective of the summit was to give us a behind the scenes look at the Applebee’s brand, their history, and their food. The highlight of the trip was meeting Chef Shannon Johnson, VP, Culinary and Menu Strategy and Jessica James, Executive Chef. They were with us the whole time explaining menu development, food sourcing, quality controls, and training.

They also cooked up dishes off the new U550 (under 550 calories) and Weight Watchers menus. We had a chance to taste many of the U550 and the three new Weight Watcher entrees that premiered in restaurants on Monday, February 20. The dishes were really tasty and the portion sizes were generous.

Frankly, I had been under the impression that all their food – even the healthier stuff – is just reheated in the restaurants. They proved me wrong when they took us in the back to the test kitchen to show us exactly how the dishes are made in the restaurants from scratch using fresh ingredients.

Recipe development

It was very interesting to learn how Applebee’s comes up with their new dishes. Chefs Shannon and Jessica explained how they develop new menu items, a lengthy process that takes 12 to 18 months. For the U550 menu they come up with 60 ideas on paper, pick the 20 strongest dishes, and prepare a food show for Applebee’s executives, marketing people and franchise chefs to get their feedback. After the food show, three to five dishes are then tested by groups of consumers.

For their Weight Watchers menu, they create slimmed down versions of their regular menu. They also travel around the country to try regional dishes, a process they call “dine arounds.”

Applebee’s also collaborates with their vendors to create items used in their dishes, like hamburger buns or desserts. Their vendors create items especially for Applebee’s and made to their exact specifications.

Seasonal influences play into menu items as well especially for the Weight Watchers dishes since they are packed with fresh vegetables. The U550 items are also veggie heavy and focus on bold flavors, sauces, seasonings, onions and garlic. It’s hard to believe that they’re under 550 calories.

Healthing up the Applebee’s menu

Applebee’s philosophy is to offer a variety of items to fit people’s needs and wants whether that’s healthy or decadent. In fact, they’re working on providing more vegetarian versions of their popular dishes. They also offer online allergen information on common sensitivities like soy, egg, dairy, peanut, nut, gluten, and seafood and understand how dietary needs, allergies and food sensitivities make dining out a challenge.

Applebee’s Culinary Team is concerned about healthing up their menus as well, and look at every ingredient to improve nutrition, quality and taste. That’s why Weight Watchers only works with Applebee’s. It’s also why starting in May 2012, Applebee’s will be part of the Kids Live Well program. Their plan is to add more whole grains and vegetables to the kids menu, but still make the food palatable to kids.

The reality of the situation

All in all I have a new appreciation for Applebee’s and was impressed with their generosity in sharing their processes. The culinary and marketing teams truly care about quality, seasonal foods, healthier dishes, company history, and their brand’s mission. I was also impressed that dishes at Applebee’s are made from scratch from quality ingredients.

However, I see a disconnect at the franchise level. For example, one blogger from Pennsylvania complained that her local Applebee’s was awful – cold food, overcooked nasty steaks, rude servers, etc. Shannon said that he’ll be going out to visit that location soon and often makes unannounced visits to Applebee’s around the US to make sure that the franchisees are keeping up with quality and training their staffs properly.

To test my theory about HQ food vs. franchise food, I took the $25 gift card I was given at the event and took my family out to the Applebee’s in Longmont, Colorado. The wait staff was great – super friendly and helpful. My “SkinnyBee” margarita (only 100 calories) was even more delicious than the one I had at HQ. My son, Nathan, and I had steak and both were perfectly done. The substitution I asked for (no potatoes, double the veggies) was done to my satisfaction. Good portion sizes, too.

Still, the food didn’t look as pretty as it did at HQ and on the menus. The food tasted good at the restaurant, but it wasn’t as good as what we were served at HQ. There’s definitely a difference between the highly trained and experience chefs at HQ and the line cooks at the franchise restaurant.

Even so, I’m happy to promote Applebee’s healthier menu options to my readers. Americans need healthier choices when going out to eat, and Applebee’s provides that.

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Disclosure: Applebee’s provided transportation, lodging, meals and a goodie bag including a $25 gift card. All experiences and opinions are my own.

Behind the menu at Applebee’s #behindthemenu is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I’ve now had the pleasure of dining twice at Udi’s Pizza Café Bar in Olde Town Arvada (Colorado). The first time was last December when my husband and I went there on a date. To start, we shared a large roasted beet salad with goat cheese. To drink, I had a gluten Raspberry Ale from New Planet (I prefer their regular ale) and my husband had a couple of beers from Udi’s extensive drinks menu.

We both had pizza. My husband Paul had the ham and cheese pizza with caramelized onions and I had the squash and goat cheese pizza on Udi’s gluten free pizza crust. I really liked that my husband, who isn’t gluten free, didn’t have to have gluten free food just because I was having it. We didn’t have dessert because we were too full – the portions were really filling.

Udi’s Vegan Supper Club

Most recently my children and I attended Udi’s once a month vegan supper club. First, if you have a nut allergic child like my daughter, Lucie, don’t go to the vegan night. I forgot how much vegan recipes use nuts – a real stellar parenting moment on my part. Luckily, Udi’s waitstaff was extremely accommodating and brought my daughter food that didn’t contain nuts, including a few extra cookies that really won her over. Also, they told me that their gluten free bread is not vegan since it contains eggs, but were happy to supply it since I’m GF.

The dinner consisted of four courses (appetizer, pizza, entree and dessert). You had the option of ordering more of any course except for the dessert. The meal was $24 per person and $5 for kids under 12. The reasonable prices, especially for the kids, explained why the place was packed with families.

In addition, you could also order a four course wine pairing for $18 per person or drinks from Udi’s special cocktail menu. I ordered a virgin Maharaj – a carrot juice drink that also contained ginger, lime, coconut milk and agave. Nathan had a Tennessee Cowboy mocktail, which contained pineapple, orange, cherry and mint juice mocktail. Both were $6 – and delicious.

Winning the kids over one vegan dish at a time

At first, my 11-year-old son, Nathan, was apprehensive about the vegan menu calling it “not real man food.” (Where does he learn this stuff? His father, of course.) He was quickly won over by the cashew cheese with fig compote that he liberally spread on his bread. (The picture of the cashew cheese is at the very top of this post.) He also loved the shitake arancini meatballs with tomato basic sauce – we all did and ordered more.

The kids weren’t too excited by the sage pizza with olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, and kalamata olives. The flavors were rather strong, and of course, all kids want cheese on their pizza. I thought it was delicious, but I could see their point and wondered why Udi’s didn’t try to incorporate almond, rice or soy cheese with their pizza.

That evening, Udi’s vegan menu also featured several delicious vegetable dishes like the roasted root vegetables with miso “butter” and parsley. (The “butter” was amazing.) I especially enjoyed the roasted broccoli with toasted raisins and caraway seeds because of the addition of a tangy balsamic vinegar reduction. I ate the entire plate by myself since the kids wouldn’t go near it.

To learn more about Udi’s supper club go to the Ud'i’s website and click on Special Events. For reservations and more details email them at vegan@udisfood.com. You can also chat with them on Facebook or Twitter.

Udi's Pizza Cafe Bar in Olde Town Arvada, 7600 Grandview, Arvada, Colorado

Phone: (303) 421-8000

Monday 11am – 3pm 
Tuesday 11am - 9pm or later
Wednesday 11am - 9pm or later 
Thursday 11am - 9pm or later 
Friday 11am - 10pm or later 
Saturday 10am - 10pm or later 
Sunday 10am - 9pm or later

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Disclosure: As a Udi's Gluten Free Community Leader I'm compensated for my time and efforts on their behalf. Also, my meal and my children’s vegan supper club meal were complimentary, but my husband and I paid for our dinner. All opinions are our own.

Dining at Udi’s Pizza Café Bar in Olde Town Arvada #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Smorgie.com is a new website devoted to sharing lists of your favorite (and maybe not so favorite) restaurant online with like minded food folks. Recently, I had the chance to join Smorgie to test drive it. Here are some of my thoughts.

Smorgie, interesting but not quite fully cooked yet

• It was very easy to join Smorgie.com and set up a profile.
• The Smorgie.com website is very attractive and fast loading.
• As soon as I joined, I immediately started to add restaurants by searching on a city nearby me. However, when I searched on the town’s name nothing came up. Instead, I had to list both the town and the restaurant name. I would like it if a bunch of restaurants would come up when I searched on just the city, so I could pick and choose from that list.
• Once I searched on and found a restaurant I liked, it was easy to add it to my favorites. It was also easy to create a list and add the restaurant to the list.
• I liked that the restaurant information (address, phone, etc.) and the Yelp.com listing came up instantaneously.
• I also liked that I could share the link via email, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. However, the Pinterest link doesn’t work as it takes me to someone named Kate’s Pinterest profile.
• While adding a picture is easy, adding more than one is cumbersome since you can only add one picture at a time. As a food blogger who loves taking pictures of my dining experience, this is a huge inconvenience.
• Sometimes when I was uploading pictures, I’d come out of the website interface and get a primitive looking upload page. I could only get back to the restaurant listing by using the back button on my browser.
• Browsing lists is interesting but problematic. You cannot search on the lists, so if you’re looking for restaurant lists in a certain area or of a certain type (for example, Japanese restaurants in Seattle) you’re out of luck. There are 43+ pages of lists, so I’m already overwhelmed before I click through them all.
• The only way to find and friend other members is by viewing the lists. Again, either a search function or a listing of members would make it easier to find like minded foodies.
• Smorgie would work better as a smartphone app. After all, you’re not at the computer when you’re dining out! However, you probably have your phone with you to take pictures, download photos, and write short reviews. Seems redundant to go home, download your photos to your laptop from your phone or camera, then upload them to Smorgie.

Smorgie’s a cool idea, but it needs more time in the oven before it’s ready to serve.

What’s your favorite restaurant dining app?

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Disclosure: This sponsorship’s brought to you by Smorgie.com who I’ve partnered with for this promotion.

Serving up restaurant lists at Smorgie.com is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Some of the fantastic meals I had at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant while I was staying at The London West Hollywood. I was in LA courtesy of Frigidaire to film a cooking demo with Chef Suzanne Goin and a Thanksgiving discussion with Jennifer Garner.

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Disclosure: Travel, meals and lodging were provided by Frigidaire.

Wordless Wednesday: Eating at Gordon Ramsay’s @TheLondonWeHo #wordlesswednesday is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Earlier this summer, my family and I were invited to attend the the Second Annual Snowmass Culinary & Arts Festival in Snowmass, Colorado. The event brings foodies, wine and spirit connoisseurs, and art lovers together in one beautiful location to sample some of the best of Colorado food and art.

Celebrity chefs for 2011 included:

• Chef Richard Sandoval, internationally recognized as the “father of modern Mexican cuisine.”
• Chef Hosea Rosenberg, Bravo TV’s Top Chef 2009 Winner.
• Chef Alex Seidel, Food and Wine’s 2010 Best New Chefs in America.
• Chef Frank Bonanno, owner of six restaurants and bars in Denver.
• Chef and host of PBS Texas Cooking & Lifestyle series host, Christy Rost.
• Diane Hendericks, a food and nutrition specialist, personal chef, cookbook author and on-air contributor for Good Morning America Health.

Due to family obligations, I was only able to see a few of the food demonstrations and was unable to attend the alcohol tastings. However, the cooking demos I did attend were worth sitting in a hot tent all day.

Christy Rost was lovely and I appreciated her healthful, colorful and delicious home cooking. If you’re a home cook who wants to serve healthy and delicious food using fresh and local ingredients, you must check out her show and her cookbooks.

Chef Rosenberg was incredibly down to earth and generous. He shared not only his cooking expertise, but his experiences on Top Chef. He had no problems answering embarrassing questions about the show’s “make out scene” or the trials and tribulations of being a reality show contestant. He’s a very humble guy.

I was also inspired seeing how easily Chef Seidel made fresh ricotta. Really, there’s no excuse not to make it yourself. I also loved hearing about his farm and goats and made a mental note to make a reservation at his restaurant, Fruition, soon.

Affordable, yes. But family friendly?

Compared to other Colorado food festivals like Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic or the Denver International Wine Festival, the ticket price for the three-day event was a reasonable $65, which included all the demonstrations and the Palette of Pairings on Saturday. Separate event tickets for Tequilas & Tapas were available for $30, and Palette of Pairings tickets were $45. The Viking Stage Kitchen Cooking Demonstrations on Friday and artist exhibition were free with your pass.

The promoters told me the low ticket price was to keep the event more family friendly. However, children are not allowed at any of the alcohol tastings and could be bored at the cooking demos. My advice is to bring someone along (grandparents, a teenage babysitter, or a non-foodie spouse) who will occupy the children while you watch the cooking demonstrations.

Lots of stuff for families in Snowmass

There were many fun things for families to do outside of the festival, such as visiting the Snowmass Mall and seeing the Ice Age exhibit about the mastodon, mammoth and other bones they found recently in the area. I think I enjoyed the exhibit more than the kids.

There’s also hiking, mountain biking, golf, fishing, horseback riding and other outdoor activities in the area. We went on a gondola ride up the mountain, and the views were gorgeous. Of course, there’s the pool at the hotel, which my kids loved and hated to leave.

The Sweet Life

One place you may want to bring the kids to is The Sweet Life restaurant in Snowmass. (They also have a place in Telluride.) It features typical ‘50s diner fare like burgers and fries. But if you have a picky kid who only eats corndogs or if you’re dying for a delicious ice cream shake, this is the place for you. (Luckily, they did have several salads on the menu if you’re trying to eat healthy.)

Nathan got a Ultimate Mushroom Burger with a “shooter” of the milkshake of the day. (Nathan thought the shooter was really cool.) Lucie insisted on getting corn dogs bites since they ran out of corn dogs on the kids menu. Both kids had milkshakes, which they loved. Nathan said it was one of the best burgers he ever had and Lucie was happy with her bites. I had the Double Scoop salad with egg salad and tuna salad. It was delicious, very filling and the greens were very fresh.

While we had a lovely view of the mountain, the place did seem a bit run down (not dirty, just worn out). For being in a higher end resort and after looking at the pictures on their website, I was surprised by that. With the prices they charge ($11 for my salad), it could have been a bit nicer.

Staying at The Viceroy

The highlight of our time in Snowmass was our stay at The Viceroy Snowmass. First, I couldn’t believe the room rate - $125 for a suite that included a full kitchen, a living room, a master bedroom and bath, a second bathroom and a den. Both the den and the living room had pull out sofas, so my kids had their own rooms and flatscreen TVs. (No fighting over what they wanted to watch!) I had a bedroom all to myself and a tub I could do a few laps in. (Well, almost.)

We also had a balcony, which made me sad since my husband, Paul, was unable to join us as he was on a business trip that weekend. After putting the kids to bed, it would have been lovely to talk and enjoy a few glasses of wine together while sitting outside.

Of course, the kids loved swimming in the pool and hanging out in the hot tub. The pool was surrounded by chaise lounges and sunning platforms. There was also cocktail and food service by the pool if you needed a drink or snack.

Dining at The Viceroy

Dining at the Viceroy was wonderful, too. One night the kids had room service while I attended a media dinner at the Eight K Restaurant upstairs. (My kids are old enough to stay in the room by themselves. Even so, I instructed them to call the desk in case of an emergency and not let anyone in the room but me, a police officer, or a firefighter.)

If the gorgeous rooms didn’t sell me on the Viceroy, the food did. While, I’m sure they went overboard since it was a media event, I was very impressed by the fare, the presentation, the variety, the taste, and the knowledge of the staff. Definitely a place for a romantic meal (great views!) while the kids stay in the room.

Making Snowmass Culinary & Arts Festival even more family friendly and affordable

It looks like we’ll be moving out of state sometime this year and leaving our beloved Colorado behind. However, if we were staying, I’d definitely attend the Snowmass Culinary & Arts Festival again next year, but I’d do things differently.

First, I’d bring my husband along to keep the kids busy with outdoor activities during the day. Yet he loves to cook and watch cooking demos, too, so maybe we’d bring his mom along to babysit. I know she’d enjoy the trip and spending time with her grandkids at the pool while we attended the festival and went to the wine and spirits tastings. (Frankly, all the kids wanted to do was watch TV, swim in the pool and take rides up and down the mountain. The cooking demos were completely lost on them.)

I’d also take advantage of having a kitchen and stop along the way up to Snowmass to buy groceries. (I did bring some food, but not enough, which is why I had to order dinner from room service for the kids.) There’s no point in spending money on breakfast and lunch when you can easily make them yourself and save your appetite (and money) for the food at the evening tastings or at the Eight K Restaurant.

If you don’t have the advantage of having a babysitter to bring on the trip, the Viceroy also offers children’s activities and full day summer camp. (Call the hotel for details.)

Or you can leave the kids at home, get a smaller room, and enjoy a romantic weekend taking in the gorgeous views of Snowmass and the delicious tastes and sights of the Snowmass Culinary & Arts Festival. The festival would also make a great Girls Getaway Weekend for you and your foodie gal pals.

Hope to see you next summer in Snowmass!

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Disclosure: I was provided with a room, an invite to the media dinner, gondola ride tickets, festival passes, and a meal with my family at The Sweet Life. All opinions are my own.

Best of Colorado summer: Snowmass Culinary & Arts Festival is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

All photos taken with my iPhone 3Gs.

Wordless Wednesday: My Labor Day dinner @Larkburger Edwards, CO #glutenfree #wordlesswednesday is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

  All photos taken with my iPhone 3Gs.

Wordless Wednesday: My #glutenfree dinner @bjsrestaurants with @lucretiapruitt & @chaotic_barb #wordlesswednesday is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

When Mom Central gave me the opportunity to to try out Starbucks’s new Bistro Boxes, it couldn’t have been better timing. School had just started, which meant stopping off for a healthy snack before black belt karate classes. While we loved stopping at Panera Bread, we were all up for something different.

Why I was intrigued Starbucks Bistro Boxes

I checked out the Starbucks website and looked over the eight different choices of Bistro Boxes. It looked like there was something for everyone, whether you were on a low carb, vegetarian or high protein diet. I was disappointed that there wasn’t a gluten free Bistro Box and that many of the boxes contained nuts. (My daughter Lucie is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts.) But it looked like there was enough variety to appeal to both my kids and myself.

I also liked the ingredients – things like fruit and vegetables, whole grain breads, cage free eggs, and even dark chocolate. The nutritional breakdown wasn’t bad on several of the meals either – most featured a good amount of protein and fiber. However, all were high in carbs and many were very high in fat. Two were really good for those doing Weight Watchers – 5 to 8 POINTS – with several more choices in the 8 POINT range.

Bummer

Off we went last Friday after school in search of Bistro Boxes. The first Starbucks we went to only had one Bistro Box left – and I had two kids to feed. We got back in the car and drove to another Starbucks nearby. They only had three boxes left. Unfortunately, the two varieties didn’t appeal to the kids. They were bummed as they’d been looking forward to having a meal at Starbucks, a special treat for them. Instead, we went next door and had dinner at Noodles & Co. for $15 - two plates of pasta and three fountain drinks.

Getting better

The next day (Saturday), I was coming back from at Front Range Food Blogger meet up and decided to stop off at the Starbucks by the freeway exit south of my home. It was 2 pm and they were completely sold out of everything in their refrigerated case including juice and milk. I used the bathroom and left without buying anything.

I got back on the freeway and got off at the next exit and found four varieties of Bistro Boxes at the Starbucks there. The grand total without any drinks for four Bistro Boxes - $27.06 including tax. The three meals were $6.95 each, and the one snack was $4.95. That seemed a bit pricey to me.

Impressed

I took them home and my husband and I tried two – the Sesame Noodles and the Chicken Lettuce Wraps. They were very delicious and surprisingly filling even though they were small. The packaging was clever and the flavors were excellent. I especially liked the teeny piece of dark chocolate included – a terrific way to end the meal. All in all, very satisfying.

The next day I had the Cheese & Fruit Bistro Box for Sunday brunch. Cheese for breakfast – decadent! My daughter Lucie had the Chipotle Chicken Wraps for lunch, one of the few boxes without nuts. She told me she liked it very much. I think the idea of making little wraps with the chicken strips, tortillas and cheese really appealed to her. I tried the salsa and coleslaw and we agreed that both were very flavorful.

However - my advice to Starbucks

If you’re going to recommend Bistro Boxes to moms looking for a quick, portable snack for themselves or their kids, you have to have enough Bistro Boxes in stock in the late afternoon between the time school gets out and afterschool sports begin. Until you do, moms will go to somewhere else to get a quick, portable and healthy snack or meal for themselves or their children.

Having enough food on hand always seems to be a problem at Starbucks. I’ve been there early in the morning and have been told they were out of the egg wraps several times. This drives me crazy and seems to be a problem at all the Starbucks I’ve visited across the US. I don’t understand why they can’t fix this.

Finally, the Bistro Boxes are too expensive – a dollar cheaper per box would be more reasonable for where I live and to be competitive with places like Subway or Panera Bakery. For big cities, upscale hotels and airports, the prices would be more in line. (I had an $8 latte at the Starbucks at the Marriott Marina in San Diego and nearly fell over. I pay half of that locally for the same drink.)

So, while I love the taste, variety and nutritional aspects of Starbucks Bistro Boxes, I can’t rely on them to be available when I need them. Sorry, Starbucks, but I’ll be taking my after school business elsewhere.

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Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Starbucks Bistro Boxes and received a gift card to facilitate my review and thank me for taking the time to participate.

Starbucks Bistro Boxes Review is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Last month, I attended a Denver food blogger tweetup at the Edge Restaurant & Bar at the Four Seasons in Denver. The purpose was to introduce us to their “Business Quickie” lunch meals at their gorgeous facility in the heart of Denver's downtown on 14th and Arapahoe.

The Edge is known for their happy hour and dinners. However, they want to get the word out that you can stop by during the week for lunch and for only $18 get a fabulous meal off their prix fixe menu.

We were served samplers of four dishes (above from left to right)  – Summer Halibut Ceviche, Petit Steak Frites with House Cut Fries and Peppercorn Sauce, Heirloom Tomato & Mozzarella with Torn Basil and Aged Balsamic, and Sesame Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing and Crisp Wantons. It’s hard to say which lunch dish was my favorite. The steak was perfectly cooked and tender. The ceviche was spot on and tasty. The heirloom tomatoes were fresh and perfect. (I could have eaten a large bowl of just the tomatoes.) The sesame chicken salad was excellent - crunchy and spicy. (Note: since I’m gluten free and avoiding potatoes, I didn’t have the tortillas, frites, bread or wantons.)

The steak and the ceviche were my favorite. However, if you’re dinning with a friend or two, get a few entrees and share. They’re all terrific!

The Edge also treated us to two of their fantastic desserts. First there was the Organic Chamomile Panna Cotta and a Lemon Oat Crumble with Sweet Roasted Apricots, which you can see on the left. the Meyer Lemon Tart, Candied Kumquats, and Passion Fruit Gelee on the right. It was hard to pick which one I liked more, but if I had to, it would be the lemon tart. Sublime!

As take home gifts, were were given chocolate cow lollipops and a molten chocolate cupcake (with cute little Twitter chocolates), which I took home to the family. I really appreciated the special touch and the warm welcome the Four Seasons and the Edge showed the food blogging community. Can't wait to go back!

Budget conscious and family-friendly dining at the Edge

Just because the Edge is in the Four Seasons, it doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune or leave the kids at home. There are two weekend dining options that are perfect for families, and both are very reasonably priced for such a fine dining establishment.

The More than Just a “Sundae” Dinner For $28, the adults get a three-course dinner. Also, you can add a wine or beer pairing for $12. This is family friendly dining at it’s best. Kids can eat off a special kids’ menu and then go off to a special room set aside for them to play or watch videos in a safe, kid-friendly environment while mom and dad enjoy dinner in relative peace.

The Sunday Brunch A three-course specialty brunch menu which includes your choice of appetizer, entrée and unlimited trips to our dessert buffet for only $28 per person. Or you can order items à la carte and add the dessert buffet for $12. There are also endless mimosas or bottomless bloody marys for $10, though you may have to walk home after those! Also, kids under 12 can have their choice of kid's entrée with dessert buffet for $10.

You can also check in at the Edge on your smartphone using Foursquare and get a free drink on the house. (Ask your server or bar tender for details.) Of course, there are 50% off selected bar food & happy hour priced drinks during the week from 5 to 7:30 pm, too - $3 Draft & Bottle Beer Selections, $5 House Red & White Wine, $5 Well Drinks, and select items off the EDGE Bar Menu (many around $4).

There's also complimentary valet parking for all bar and restaurant guests.

And while you’re there, check out the wine room. I need me one of these!

More on the Edge

Address:
1111 14th Street
Denver, Colorado 80202

Hours of Operation:
Breakfast: 6:30am – 10:30am
Lunch: 11am – 2:30pm
Brunch: Sat & Sun 9am – 2pm
Dinner: 5pm – 10pm
EDGE bar: 10:30am – 12 midnight. Weekends till 2am

Phone:
303.389.3343(EDGE)

Check out the Four Seasons Denver on Twitter and Facebook, too.

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Disclosure: I was a guest of the Edge and received a complimentary meal and parking. All opinions are my own.

Dining at the Edge at the Four Seasons Denver is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!