Mama Louise's
In order to celebrate the triumphant return of our from Julie from the distant and dangerous shores of Kuwait (does it even have any shores? I don't know), I mustered up my gumption and got us to Mama Louises. OK, all I really did was send out a text message and then a FB event, Megan did the actual picking of a place, and calling for a reservation, ie. all the hard work.
It was far afeild from my own house, in a strip mall of all places, but the restaurant was warm and inviting once inside.
Julie was excited to get her first taste of non-Middle-Eastern pizza, so she went with a white pizza with olives and other veggies. I had a hard time deciding between the pastas, so went with the Half-n-Half of home-made spaghetti and ravioli.
(Holy Crap, I almost broke the library's computer. Everything is fine now. Pheww!)
The Half-n-Half came with a choice of "meatball or sausage?" I went for the sausage. I was too engrossed with Julie's stories of peril to ask if the sausage was made onsite as well as the pasta, so that I can't tell you. Or tell for that matter what anyone else ordered or if they liked it.
The spaghetti was pretty good, thick, but not gummy. The ravioli probably came from a supplier because it was fairly indistinct. The sausage was good, spicy. The whole affair was served up in the funny, homey fashion you'll get at these family owned restaurants. The soup that came with the meal was fine, the salad though was hilarious. They just ripped up a couple leaves of Romain lettuce and laid them on a plate, with a slice of cucumber and one of pepperoni sitting to the side. In fact, my sausage, which I had assumed (wrongly) would fill the ravioli was plopped atop the spaghetti, but covered by the sauce. Well, maybe more charming than funny, but I enjoyed it.
For dessert, we all partook of the seasonal Pumpkin cheesecake. I think cheesecake does make everything better, don't you?
If in the area, I'd go back. We never wanted for filled water glasses, and except for the illegibility of the waiter's handwriting, the service was pretty good. The prices were mainline and it is a family owned business, so... yeah.
(P.S. I'm not spell checking this, so any mistakes, blame my public education.)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
July 2009
The Oven
Following a suggestion from one of our regulars, I decided to not only try a new restaurant, but explore the neighborhood as well. I set the time a little earlier for those who would like to do the same, though that turned out to be only two of us. I chose The Oven pizzaria not only because it was in a new area (Belmar shopping area) but also because there was scheduled to be a live band playing that night in the quad.
Belmar is almost directly west from my house, so the drive over at 6 p.m. was like being braised alive, minus the cooking broth. When I finally got there, passing the stretches of more affluent areas and other more colorful neighborhoods, I grabbed the first spot I found. i didn't bother looking for covered or free parking. What's a dollar for a space right in front of the restaurant? So what if free parking was only a block away behind the gym or two blocks away behind the sporting goods store? It's that darned automatic meter that ticked me off. Wouldn't take my coins but happily accepted my credit card. ( I think there's a scam working there somehow.)
During a brief stroll around the outdoor mall, we stumbled on an artsy clothing and accessory place. My friend decided she needed a new (and decided to later buy) purse. Then we meandered across a couple other cute places to eat to keep in mind for a later time. Unfortunately, the live band that was scheduled to appear didn't. There was an amp and a chair and a good crowd built up but no one taking advantage of them.
The Oven had outside seating that we took advantage of. I liked the place, it was slightly pretentious but not so hip I felt like a schmuck. We were seated next to two older couples on a double date. A snippet of their ordering process: "Maybe we could get one women's pizza and one man's." I was shameless eavesdropping, got caught and gave the woman a thumb's up for her suggestion.
The menu is heavy on pizza, with some random things available as toppings, but nothing too weird. There was also a healthy sized salad list and an "appeteazer" spread. I would have happily got the "Bowl of crazy good mozzerlla" but thought all that cheese might prove foolish. One of us did get the "oven roasted vegetable salad" which came with a nice sized parmesan cheese wafer which she sweetly shared.
Our orders went, from left to right, "the Basic Margerite", the "Spicy Buffalo style chicken", the "Fresh tomato" and the "Good Earth" (at least I think it was the Good Earth. I was concentrating really hard on my Fresh Tomato, trying to work around green olives.) I enjoyed the fresh mozzorella on my pizza and the giant leaves of basil. But if I went again, i would definately order the Crazy good mozzarella and then maybe a salad. One of our other neighbors got it and it looked amazing, all melty and delicious.
I wanted to see what the place looked like inside, just for a peak. There were long community style tables rather than little single party tables. The kitchen was open for all to watch the adorable little cooks in their matching hats work. The one complaint I would make is that, in the bathroom, there was only a single light and it wasn't near the mirror. I guess that's good, since my face was glowing from all the sweat accumulated from my drive.
So, what else. A good enough experience, and I'd go again if I was in the area or in the mood for watching roving bands of teenagers wasting an evening. (can you count the gerunds?)
http://THEOVENPIZZAEVINO.COM/
Following a suggestion from one of our regulars, I decided to not only try a new restaurant, but explore the neighborhood as well. I set the time a little earlier for those who would like to do the same, though that turned out to be only two of us. I chose The Oven pizzaria not only because it was in a new area (Belmar shopping area) but also because there was scheduled to be a live band playing that night in the quad.
Belmar is almost directly west from my house, so the drive over at 6 p.m. was like being braised alive, minus the cooking broth. When I finally got there, passing the stretches of more affluent areas and other more colorful neighborhoods, I grabbed the first spot I found. i didn't bother looking for covered or free parking. What's a dollar for a space right in front of the restaurant? So what if free parking was only a block away behind the gym or two blocks away behind the sporting goods store? It's that darned automatic meter that ticked me off. Wouldn't take my coins but happily accepted my credit card. ( I think there's a scam working there somehow.)
During a brief stroll around the outdoor mall, we stumbled on an artsy clothing and accessory place. My friend decided she needed a new (and decided to later buy) purse. Then we meandered across a couple other cute places to eat to keep in mind for a later time. Unfortunately, the live band that was scheduled to appear didn't. There was an amp and a chair and a good crowd built up but no one taking advantage of them.
The Oven had outside seating that we took advantage of. I liked the place, it was slightly pretentious but not so hip I felt like a schmuck. We were seated next to two older couples on a double date. A snippet of their ordering process: "Maybe we could get one women's pizza and one man's." I was shameless eavesdropping, got caught and gave the woman a thumb's up for her suggestion.
The menu is heavy on pizza, with some random things available as toppings, but nothing too weird. There was also a healthy sized salad list and an "appeteazer" spread. I would have happily got the "Bowl of crazy good mozzerlla" but thought all that cheese might prove foolish. One of us did get the "oven roasted vegetable salad" which came with a nice sized parmesan cheese wafer which she sweetly shared.
Our orders went, from left to right, "the Basic Margerite", the "Spicy Buffalo style chicken", the "Fresh tomato" and the "Good Earth" (at least I think it was the Good Earth. I was concentrating really hard on my Fresh Tomato, trying to work around green olives.) I enjoyed the fresh mozzorella on my pizza and the giant leaves of basil. But if I went again, i would definately order the Crazy good mozzarella and then maybe a salad. One of our other neighbors got it and it looked amazing, all melty and delicious.
I wanted to see what the place looked like inside, just for a peak. There were long community style tables rather than little single party tables. The kitchen was open for all to watch the adorable little cooks in their matching hats work. The one complaint I would make is that, in the bathroom, there was only a single light and it wasn't near the mirror. I guess that's good, since my face was glowing from all the sweat accumulated from my drive.
So, what else. A good enough experience, and I'd go again if I was in the area or in the mood for watching roving bands of teenagers wasting an evening. (can you count the gerunds?)
http://THEOVENPIZZAEVINO.COM/
Monday, June 29, 2009
Watercourse
We tried several times to get things back on track, but it seemed the weather was always against us. Here in Denver, we've had the second wettest spring in recorded history. But we finally got there for a Saturday brunch.
It was a tough choice as to when to go: on the one hand, several people would be tied up in wedding business, on the other, an old 3T friend was in town and available for just one day. Finally, we realized that marriage doesn't necessarily mean permanent separation, and accomadated our soon-to-be foreign friend after all.
I was freshly showered when two Megan and Julie came to pick me up. So freshly, in fact, my hair wasn't combed. much less dried. Sans makeup, I braved the restaurant. This is kind of a hippie, earthy, alternative kind of place, so I wasn't out of place. The servers were tattooed and the other patrons were pierced, so no eye liner wasn't a problem. We took the corner booth, with a fine view of sunny 17th street and ordered a sweet potato cinnamon roll to share as an appetizer.
It was Delicious, really light, not too sweet, and strangely tasted nothing like sweet potato.
I braved the Vegan possibilities and ordered The Conejos plate with scrambled tofu. It tasted nothing like eggs, of course, but more like the curry it was spiced with. It was served over home fries with a little cheese decorating the top. Not nearly as bad as a dedicated meat-eater might think. My favorite thing was the wheat bread, though. Thick cut and toasted under the broiler then slathered in butter and raspberry jam.
Julie got the Banana bread French toast. Not French bread sprinkled with bananas and nuts. No my friend, banana bread, heavy and homemade, dipped in egg and fried up with a side of fresh fruit. I managed to steal a bite from the ravenous, home sick Julie and have to say it might be worth breaking your diet.
Our friend Alena joined us for the first time. Hurray! She and Megan both got free-range egg scrambles that looked pretty enviable, as well.
A nice place; bright, clean, neighborly, despite the paintings on the wall depicting scenes from Watership Down. If I hadn't been the chubbiest girl in the room, I would have been tempted to move right into the corner booth permanently.
It was a tough choice as to when to go: on the one hand, several people would be tied up in wedding business, on the other, an old 3T friend was in town and available for just one day. Finally, we realized that marriage doesn't necessarily mean permanent separation, and accomadated our soon-to-be foreign friend after all.
I was freshly showered when two Megan and Julie came to pick me up. So freshly, in fact, my hair wasn't combed. much less dried. Sans makeup, I braved the restaurant. This is kind of a hippie, earthy, alternative kind of place, so I wasn't out of place. The servers were tattooed and the other patrons were pierced, so no eye liner wasn't a problem. We took the corner booth, with a fine view of sunny 17th street and ordered a sweet potato cinnamon roll to share as an appetizer.
It was Delicious, really light, not too sweet, and strangely tasted nothing like sweet potato.
I braved the Vegan possibilities and ordered The Conejos plate with scrambled tofu. It tasted nothing like eggs, of course, but more like the curry it was spiced with. It was served over home fries with a little cheese decorating the top. Not nearly as bad as a dedicated meat-eater might think. My favorite thing was the wheat bread, though. Thick cut and toasted under the broiler then slathered in butter and raspberry jam.
Julie got the Banana bread French toast. Not French bread sprinkled with bananas and nuts. No my friend, banana bread, heavy and homemade, dipped in egg and fried up with a side of fresh fruit. I managed to steal a bite from the ravenous, home sick Julie and have to say it might be worth breaking your diet.
Our friend Alena joined us for the first time. Hurray! She and Megan both got free-range egg scrambles that looked pretty enviable, as well.
A nice place; bright, clean, neighborly, despite the paintings on the wall depicting scenes from Watership Down. If I hadn't been the chubbiest girl in the room, I would have been tempted to move right into the corner booth permanently.
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