On the Town – Paso Robles, CA

Located on California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles is surrounded by over 200 wineries and vineyards and is quickly becoming one of the country’s premier wine regions.  Dubbed ‘The Next Napa’ by Forbes a few years ago, as well as being named the 2013 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast, Paso Robles has grown into a great food and wine destination.

La Cosecha Bar & Restaurant – Afternoon Cocktails

La Cosecha Bar & Restaurant was our first stop, conveniently located on the square in downtown Paso Robles. The weather was perfect, so we grabbed patio seat overlooking the park.

On the Town – Cocktails in Denver

Whenever we go to a new city, we always check out the cocktail and food scene.  Each city has its own flair, bringing in local traditions and ingredients.  Some cities are on the forefront of craft cocktails, others are still finding their way.  The same with food.  Obviously, cities like New York and Chicago are well in front of the pack.  But we were excited to see what the Denver scene had to offer us in terms of cocktails.

A good evening on the town starts with a good pre-dinner cocktail.  We did some research before departing our hotel and found that a Denver cocktail bar had made a few ‘best of’ lists on both a local and national scale.  The Green Russell was going to be our first stop!

Cocktail Corner – The Negroni

Our go to cocktail of late is The Negroni.  A simple cocktail, found most commonly in Italian restaurants, but is now making its way into craft cocktail bars across America.  The Negroni is best known as an aperitif due to its bitter notes brought on by the Campari.  Bitter flavors help us get ready for a meal by stimulating the appetite and the palate.

Besides being delicious, here are a few other reasons why when the bartender asks what I’ll have, I regularly say, ‘a Negroni please’.

Iron Bartender at Cicchetti

There is no shortage of good food and drink here in the Pacific Northwest. So what could be better than spending a Saturday afternoon watching Seattle’s best cocktailers let their imaginations run wild, dazzling us with their wicked craft. Oh wait, how about pairing their liquid cuisine with delectable bites from local up-and-coming epicurean master Chef Brian Clevenger. Remember this name as I am sure he’ll be among the elite on the Seattle scene. And to top things off, let’s throw in the opportunity for these spirit tastemakers to be recognized by peers and admirers alike as top dog o’ the day. Yup, we’ll take two tickets please!