Austin Hope & Margherita Pizza

Someone gave me this bottle of wine for Christmas and told me to drink it with a really good meal. 

So I did. 

And it was spectacular.

Trader Joe's Crispy Dried Watermelon

Honestly? Kind of disappointing. 

Way more bitter than I expected. 

Trader Joe's Teriyaki Mushroom Mini Bao Buns

If you like mushrooms, you will like these. 

I don't like mushrooms, so I didn't like these. 

Why did I even buy them? 

I dunno. I'm an idiot most of the time.

A Pleasant Enough Way To Spend An Afternoon, All Things Considered

Sendy Mountain Town Hot Sauce

I found this in Colorado. I didn't need it, but how could I NOT buy it?

It's good, but a little too spicy for the kind of hot sauce I consume these days. 

Trader Joe's Double Cream Amarena Cherry Goat's Milk Cheese

I like most new cheeses at Trader Joe's, but once a year or so, they hit a home run.

This was it for 2025. 

It is fantastic.

Trader Joe's Sprinkle Cake Bites

Dangerously delicious. 

What a Waste

This is one of the five most beautiful beer cans I have ever seen. 

Such a shame that they would waste it on an IPA. 

Now I Can Get Sick To My Stomach At Home

Without having to watch sports or look at pretty girls. 

Sign me up!

Doritos Golden Sriracha

Very good. They start a little sweet and end up spicy. 

Handy Old Bay Breaded Shrimp

I didn't really taste any Old Bay - unless the extremely salty seasoning was supposed to be Old Bay, which is certainly possible. 

Regardless, they were still fried shrimp, so I liked them. 

A Beautiful Girl and a Dark Lager in a Converted Gas Station on a Cold Night in February

Private Selection Margherita Pizza Cream Cheese Dip

I have mentioned this before, but the Kroger stores in Colorado (King Soopers) are MUCH better than the ones in New Mexico (Smith's). 

I've never seen this in New Mexico but I grabbed it in Colorado. 

It's a very good snack, but not quite great. 

This made it great, though. 

Smoked Brisket Sausage Bites

I acquired these brisket sausages from a specialty butcher in Albuquerque. 

Then I smoked them for two hours. 

Then caramelized them in this sauce I got in Colorado. 

I sent a photo to Murph. 

"I NEED those!" he wrote back. "If I go to Pavilions, what do I look for?"

Sigh. 

My Valentine

Goodbye, Durango. I love you. 

Nordic Goddess

My mom has crippling arthritis in her hands and has tried a not-small number of CBD balms. This is the only one she says works and it's only available in Colorado. So I got her one at 9 AM, as soon as the dispensary opened. 

Durango Bagel

I had some time to kill. 

Before going to the dispensary. 

For my mom. 

Derailed Pour House

I was 11 beers into the evening, thanks to that session at The Oxford, so I cannot give any critique one way or another here. 

I had a pint of Mountain Time, boneless wings in bourbon BBQ sauce, and house-cut waffle chips. 

I wish more places offered house-made chips - especially waffle cut. These were so freaking good. 

I think. 

The Diamond Belle

I know what I said about loving how much Durango appreciates its history... but this place has the employees dressed in 19th-century attire. 

That's a bit much for me. 

At a living history museum? Cool. 

In a bar? Not so much. 

The Oxford

“I've seen you, beauty, and you belong to me now, whoever you are waiting for and if I never see you again, I thought."