Restaurant Spotlight: Corridor 44 - Denver, CO

Restaurant Spotlight: Corridor 44 - Denver, CO

A few weeks ago I had one of my close friends visiting me from Arizona. Yes, she luxuriated in the sheer coolness that is Colorado, over the torrid heat of Arizona - even in October!

During her short visit we were able to enjoy a nice, hip, restaurant spot in Downtown Denver called Corridor 44; which is known for its Champagne, as they have a plethora of selections (over 100+); it is not only a Champagne bar, but also a delectable restaurant.

In my friends generous nature, she treated me to a lovely dinner there, and we dined on creamed spinach and pancetta; pan roasted organic chicken breast w/mashed potatoes, mushrooms and white truffle oil, and filet mignon w/mashed potatoes, asparagus and a (rich) veal demi-glaze.

We started our evening with a flight of three (3) Rosé Champagnes. They were a divine selection of Rosé from light to fuller body. I failed to secure the card that spoke of their vintage, but they were delicious and since my traveling to Paris, I've grown a profound fondness and familiarity to Rosé's.

I enjoyed the crispy bits of the fried pancetta along with the smooth, and not overly creamy spinach. My friend dined on her pan roasted organic chicken breast w/mashed potatoes and she enjoyed every bit of it. I had a medium well filet mignon that was perfectly executed, with asparagus that still retained a bit of their crunch without being over cooked and mushy; however, we both commented on the richness of the mushroom and truffle oil that was a part of her chicken dish, and the veal-demi glaze that was the base of my filet mignon and mashed potatoes. It was not unpalatable, but both sauces were a little rich for our tastes. I would have been fine with a simple red wine reduction sauce for my filet.

All in all, we were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy an unhurried time together in order to catch up on old times and sip on some scintillating libations.

Pour la santé.

Petite Parlour area off of the bar and main dining area

Main booth seating area across from the bar

Our delicious Rosé flights served in this whimsical set-up

Organic pan roasted chicken over mashed potatoes

Creamed spinach w/crispy pancetta

Filet mignon w/asparagus and mashed potatoes w/veal demi-glaze

After dinner cocktail - mmmmmm

Small corridor just past the main lobby and sitting area

Incredible sitting room where you can have private events & gatherings

The sitting room has multiple seating areas that are both intimate and functional

*photos taken by That Chick Té

(www.chicksthattrip.com)

Update on Mexico Currency!

Update on Mexico Currency!

I posted about this a week or so ago, but I thought I would add the information and the link because this is very important for those who travel to Mexico on a regular basis (or even on an irregular basis):

Traveling abroad means converting to the local currency, right?

While Mexico has had a very liberal acceptance of US dollars for decades, the Mexican Government passed new laws beginning September 14, 2010.

With this new law, the use of American Dollars (CASH) to make purchases in Mexico will change. Other payment methods such as credit cards of all types and all issuing banks, Travelers Checks, Mexican pesos and non-American foreign currencies (such as Euros or Canadian Dollars) are NOT affected in any way by this new law.

The most noticeable differences to your customers will be:

• Hotels and Exchange Booths, and Local Banks will only be able to change a maximum of $1,500 USD CASH per person per month into Mexican Pesos. Previously there was no limit.
• Businesses (including restaurants, shops, and DMC's) will only be able to accept a maximum of $100 USD CASH per transaction - but the number of transactions per customer is not restricted.
• Certain businesses may not be able to, or may choose not to accept American Dollars for any purchase at all (this may include shops, etc), however still accepting Mexican Pesos.
• If a customer wants to purchase an excursion (for example) that costs $150 US dollars per person, customers will only be able to pay $100 of this amount in USD CASH and the remainder will need to be in another form of payment (credit card, Mexican pesos, etc).
• Airlines are advising that within Mexico, they will only accept Mexican Pesos and credit cards for any fees (including baggage fees).

Vacationers should never carry large amounts of American dollars with them abroad, but instead they should consider either using a Credit Card, taking or locally withdrawing Mexican Pesos from an ATM (very easy and convenient), or use Traveler's Checks (of any currency).

*Information taken from: http://www.magicofmexico.com/magic_US_Dollar_Policy.html

(www.chicksthattrip.com)

No! I'll NEVER Go There!

No! I'll Never Go There!

We all have personal biases about places we don't think we would ever like to visit, but I'd like to offer a bit of advice - STOP! When you limit yourself to that sort of thinking you could miss out on one of the best experiences of your life.

I have a friend who was able to visit several places through her prior job. She went to Poland and Israel, and she had to admit that while those are places she never would have imagined visiting on her own volition, she was better for it and was glad to have been afforded the opportunity to visit these very different and unique places.

I bring this up because I was having a conversation with some friends, and I indicated I wanted to go to Abu Dahbi. Well, you would have thought I said I wanted to do bad things to tiny, cute little baby seals. The uproar was astounding. I pretty much chalked it up to ignorance. Not that they are ignorant people, per se, but having an extreme bias about a place you've never been is debilitating to broadening your own horizons and enriching your own life. There are some places I've recently added to my "Dream Trips" list. They were not initially a part of my list because they were not glamorous places like Paris, Prague, Rome, etc; however, I realized that by NOT going to some of these unique countries/continents, I was cutting myself off to some once in a lifetime experiences. So, I had to put a STOP to it too! Bangladesh, here I come!!!

(www.chicksthattrip.com)

Part 12 Of Series: 101 Reasons To Use A Travel Agent

Part 12 Of Series: 101 Reasons To Use A Travel Agent

Everyday there are changes in the travel industry, and the most recent are several big items that should be on everyone's radar. The top two are the Continental & United merger as well as the Southwest & Airtran merger; however, there is another very large change in travel for those who travel to Mexico, and that is the usage of pesos over U.S. dollars.

Initially reading this, a lot of people may think that's not a big deal - but it is. I've been to Mexico on numerous occasions and I'm one of those people who feel it's important to have some of the money to the country you are traveling to, but there are countless people who have traveled to Mexico and never purchased a peso in their life, unless it was given as change. Well now, they really won't have a choice. In order to get more information on this, I would recommend checking out the Mexican Embassy website for any additional information prior to travel.

• Advice on Where to Go if You Get Sick - If you happen to be unfortunate enough to get hurt or fall ill while on your trip, your travel agent can help find you somewhere clean and safe for medical attention. (Travel Insurance - just a side note from That Chick Té)
  
• Trust - If you should have any questions after booking your trip you know how to reach your travel agent and can avoid the FAQ section on a website.
• You Know How to Reach Them When You Need Them - Problems at the airport? Reservation issues at the hotel? Your travel agent is a phone call away from getting your problem solved.
• Tips and Tricks - How early do you really need to be at the airport? What are the quickest ways to get through security? Your travel expert can advise you of the airport security levels the day of your trip and any new security checkpoints you may have to worry about.
• Is the Upgrade Worth It? - Your travel expert can help you save money by helping you decide if certain upgrades at hotels are really worth the extra money.
  

*Source Information Provided by ASTA

(www.chicksthattrip.com)