Steve's Snappin' Dogs

I thought it would be fun to start a regular addition to the Blog-

"The Inexpensive, Hopefully-Sometimes-Maybe Healthy, Denver Area, Small Restaurant Review"

The first edition is Steve's Snappin' Dogs, 3525 E. Colfax. I'm starting with my favorite guilty pleasure, hot dogs! I had to check this place out when I saw they featured the Chicago Style Dog. I was skeptical when they had the audacity to offer a Chicago dog that didn't have a poppy seed bun, their wiener wasn't all beef and gasp the heathens used brown spicy mustard not yellow. Well, as the old song goes- "I closed my eyes, I held my breath, I took a ...". To my surprise, it was great!!! The wiener is made by Thumann's- not a Vienna Red Hot all beef dog, but it works with a different consistency and not as salty. I never would have tried brown mustard on a Chicago dog. I must admit, I thought it would be like photo shopping the Mona Lisa. This hot dog tradition can stand a facelift. They are delicious.

They also offer ten other hot dogs including a dog that features bacon (Hey Joel, this place is a half mile away).
I skipped the bacon dog and opted to try the "Bronx Dog". It comes with New York onion sauce, yellow mustard and... yuk, cheddar cheese. Please! Even a Wisconsin cheese head can't put cheese on a hot dog. I ordered it without cheese. It was quite good but no match for the Chicago dog. No surprise- Chicago dogs are better! One last comment, at $3.85 per dog, they qualify as inexpensive for this review. However, it is a little high for hot dogs. They should put some french fries in the wrapper with the hot dog the way a good Chicago deli would.

*I rate Steve's Snappin' Dogs 3 1/2 (e.g. Yum-yums, belly pats, belches) out of 5.

*Send me your best idea for a rating scale. Email to davecomeau33@gmail.com. I'll buy the winner a wiener.

Dave's Busy

More pictures

Mrs. Wonderful at Lucy's Place Diner in Sedgwick, CO on our trip to retirement. When the girls were young it was a tradition to stop and have lunch on at Lucy's Place while on vacations in Estes Park. Seeing Lucy's meant we were almost there!

Reliving the Road Trip to Remember (from May 2011)- Scenic overlook from Iowa looking towards Nebraska beyond the Missouri river on our roadtrip to Colorado.

Living the Dream
Three weeks into it and retirement is everything I hoped it would be. The adventure has begun.
When I heard people tell their retirement story over the years, my ears perked when they talked about hopping in the car and driving cross country. Our first adventure came two weeks ago when I got a message from my new employer. His text said, "where are you and when can you get to Denver". A position opened for me to work in the Pro shop and starter for the the City of Denver's Kennedy Golf Course. The text came at 7:30 a.m. After a serious discussion with Mrs. Wonderful, the decision was made to go. We were on the road by noon! Add spontaneity to a road trip- Perfect!

Since arriving in Denver, everyday has involved family, especially those beautiful grandchildren. Memorial Day was spent at a picnic in Wash Park with family, friends and the grandpuppy. Thank you Bria for the pictures. I have to remember to bring a camera! I've been golfing almost every day, fly fishing in the South Platte river, fending off more rattle snakes and working at the golf course from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 four days a week.

I have heard some of you are thinking it's time to retire. Here is a must read- several of my friends have purchased the book "Retired Wild, Happy and Free". It should be mandatory reading for any age.

Sorry for this partial post- my computer is in the hands of "The Geek Squad". I can't down load pictures, access my blog or anything for two weeks.

Dave's Busy

Why I Can't Wait to Get Out of Bed in the Morning

Months ago, when I would daydream about retirement, leisurely mornings was near the top of my list. Sitting on my deck with a cup of coffee, NPR on the radio while reading the newspaper seemed to be a perfect way to start the day- well, it is! Only now I can add sitting on my deck overlooking Highlands Ranch Golf Course and the spectacular Rocky Mountains. This is why I can't wait to get up in the morning. I often get up before the sun. I really am Retired Happy and Free.
Dave's Busy

Fun Stuff in Colorado

Here's the first edition of fun stuff in Colorado. Last week I went fly fishing on what locals call the "dream stream", which is a ten mile stretch of the South Platte River. This is a famous area between Spinney and Eleven Mile reservoirs. I can't begin to tell you how magnificent this area is. It's in South Park (I didn't see Cartman and the gang, but I saw a kid with his hood pulled over his head and tied tight around his face standing in the road. I went over to tell him to look out for the truck, but it was too late. SPLATT! I yelled at the speeding truck, "HEY- you killed Kenny! You bastard!!!") But seriously, South Park is a fifty mile in diameter high country plateau surrounded by snowcapped mountains. I saw pronged horn antelope, buffalo and trout. No, I didn't catch any. I feel like the beginner I am- but what a great classroom in which to learn the art of fly fishing!

I saw an opportunity to report on another adventure on my list when I passed the Double D Platte Ranch on the way to fishing. The ranch is in Fairplay, CO near South Park. I have always wanted to go high country, open range, gallop like a cowboy, horseback riding and have dinner on the trail. Until then...
Dave's Busy

P.S. click on the pictures to enlarge them for your viewing pleasure.