GREETINGS FROM BOULDER COLORADO (Pt.2)

Each time I visit Colorado, I think about a socially departed friend of mine, Bob Ferrante.  Bob was part of the group that drove coast to coast in 1973, in a Chevy Malibu and an MG Midget - a trip that created several entries in my list of near-death experiences.  We were fresh out of college and poor. We camped out in an old Boy Scout tent that had no floor, and slept on the side of the road when we weren't near a national park.  One night in Colorado, in Rocky Mountain National Park, while we were sitting by the fire and drinking and playing acey-deucey, Bob took a current John Denver song, Rocky Mountain High, and reapplied it to us, giving new meaning to the words  "...sitting round the campfire and everybody's high".

Wonder where Bob is these days and how is he doing. 

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Wednesday afternoon at 4 became HAPPY HOUR at DOLANS - a local restaurant that Helen and Bob enjoy, and a happy hour that they have been telling me about for years, but never working into our past visits. This time, I suggested - if they were up for it - that we wander over.  It was a calculated strategy to stimulate some activity for them and to help Bob get out again. I left it up to Helen to say that she felt good enough to do it.  And except for the incident with the chef, It went perfectly and seemed to work like medicine for them!  It was their first time out in a while and they both enjoyed the outing, talking about it repeatedly later.

Mike Dolan (the owner) and the staff came over and of course, fussed over two of their best customers. Helen and Bob ate it up and jumped right into a dozen oysters. Mai Tai for Helen (which she declared was too sweet), Pinot for Bob (which he loved).  While Mike sat and talked with us, he called for another glass of wine for Bob - a 100% Grenache that he was bragging about discovering. Bob gave me a taste and Mike asked me what I thought. Hey, I don't mind being put on the spot. I thought is was really good for a Grenache - smooth, lightly fruity, nicely balanced but had a short, slightly off finish. 

Anyway, wine critiquing aside, I started with a Beefeater Tonic followed by a local brew (the name was never clear, nor was the type - supposedly a Belgian ale). Too "thin" for me. Helen agreed. However, the next pint of Anchor Steam was perfect.  To eat, I had an open face ahi quesadilla with pickled ginger and a fresh salsa (I was wary of ordering it but it was surprisingly good), and a "surf & turf" pair of sliders - a buttery crab cake and a colorado beef burger (both excellent). 

Cross one more thing off the list.

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Gotta go... The Farmer's MArket is calling. I know I promised some news on Zombies and my flying companions. Have to save it for later.  I'll also make sense of the elk picture above later.