Las Margs: A Foodie Hot Spot for Your Mexican Craving 

Downtown Denver 

Recently, while in Denver, my family & I got a craving for some tacos. So, I took to Yelp to find a high rated restaurant in the area so we could indulge ourselves until we were content. Up popped Las Margs. With a 4.5/5 star rating we figured we found the spot. Las Margs did not disappoint! We ordered some Chips & Salsa, Guacamole, Nachos, the "Poblano", Tinga Chicken Street Tacos & Churros and OMG it was heavenly. I don't think I've ever had better Salsas. They weren't just "hot" - they had flavor & depth. The "Poblano" was my absolute favorite thing on the menu and I highly recommend you try it. It is a roasted Poblano pepper that has been stuffed with their signature Tinga chicken, topped with green tomatillo salsa, crema & queso. It has a bit of a crunchy top, a well balanced center and the perfect roast so it's not too soggy. The entire experience was so amazing that I asked the waitress if the manager was available because I had to tell him how much I loved the food. She did one better and brought the owner himself, Octavio. Octavio was as much of a delight as his food. I had to ask him if I could come back within the next few days to interview him so I could write about his restaurant and share this little gem of a place with the world - and here we are. 

Octavio has been in the food industry since 1972 and has incorporated some old time family recipes into Las Margs with some dating back 80 years. The Chicken Tinga recipe belonged to his wife's grandmother and the (amazing) Salsa Verde belonged to his grandma. The family inclusion doesn't stop there. His son-in-law, Zachary has been there for 25 years & is now Octavio's partner. Emmanuel, his nephew, is head Chef along with a lovely woman named Virginia. Both of whom are passionate about cooking and it is shown by the time and effort they put into Las Margs to make sure your food is delicious every time. 

Octavio's theory is to make everything as fresh as possible. A lot of local produce is used and he brings red & green chiles in from New Mexico (he informed me this is where you will find the BEST red & green chiles). The Tamales, Salsas and Beans are made fresh daily and the Churros are cooked to order from a fresh batch of dough. The Flan is the best Flan I've ever had (and let me tell you, I've had my fair share). It is house-made with a special recipe that is more than 30 years old. Octavio told me the secret to a good Flan is to check it frequently to make sure it does not overcook. His passion & the passion of the Chefs shine on each plate that leaves the kitchen. I always say you can tell the difference between a cook & a chef in one bite because the love they have for their food will come out on the plate and this proves true at Las Margs. Octavio is very picky as far as what is served at his restaurant, he says "If it's not right, it will be done over." 

Look at these beautiful peppers being roasted for the Salsa

The Flan cooking in a water bath, no frozen desserts here!

The decadent finished Flan, I'm craving it now!

The staff is a direct reflection of the leadership in any restaurant and everyone we encountered at Las Margs was friendly, cheerful & fun. Octavio informed me most of his employees have been there for a while and a few who had left came back and have now been there for several years. 

The building brings so much character to the atmosphere. I learned it is a historic building and used to be a car garage as is seen in the roll up door on one of the walls that must always remain due to a grandfather clause to mark the building in it's original state. 

Overall, Las Margs will be a memory that we will keep for a long time. I'm still craving the Poblano dish! Anytime we are in the Denver area we will be making a point to stop and get our Mexican fix at the much loved Las Margs and I recommend you make a point to try it out!

Las Margs

1521 Marion Street 

Denver, CO 80218

720-366-4160

http://www.lasmargsdenver.com/

Octavio, the owner, what a sweet guy!

 

Contact me at thewannabegypsy@yahoo.com with questions and comments.

 

 Notre Dame Cathedral

Address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II 75004 Paris
Cost: FREE for entry to the church; Audio guides are 5 Euro per person; Entry into the treasury is 3 Euro for adults, 1 Euro for children ages 6-12 and FREE for children under 5; to walk up the towers is 8 Euro for adults and FREE for anyone under 18.
Hours: 9:30 am - 6 pm; Sundays from 1:00 pm - 6 pm
Website: http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?rubrique2 

Notre-Dame de Paris or "Our Lady of Paris" is a French Gothic Cathedral that sits on an island known as Ile de la Cite in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Construction of this church began in 1163 with the remaining elements completed in 1345. During the French Revolution in 1793, the cathedral was taken and rededicated to "The Cult of Reason" and many artifacts and treasures of the church were destroyed as well as the building itself being widely damaged. In 1845, a 25 year long restoration occurred only to be damaged again during World War II and finally in 1991 another restoration began and lasted until 2010.Today I imagine it is as beautiful as it has ever been.

Below the Square in front of the church lies The Crypt. It was discovered during the excavations in 1965 and holds the remains of buildings erected on the site during ancient times through the classical era. Move on to the church itself and you will be amazed by the experiences that lie ahead. If you are up for the 387 stair climb of the bell towers you will come face to face with the famous gargoyles and some breath taking views of Paris. For an additional fee you can visit The Treasury where holy objects are housed. The Treasury is interesting but it seemed poorly labeled to me as most times we didn't know what we were looking at. A little research prior to going would help out a great deal. Some of the precious relics include one of Christ's original nails and a fragment of the true cross. It is said that a portion of the original crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus at his crucifixion is kept at Notre Dame and is put on display the first Friday of each month. For more info click here http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/Veneration-of-the-Crown-of-Thorns 

Overall I say that to miss out on Notre Dame Cathedral would be to miss out on Paris. This is where the city of Paris literally began, it is the heart and soul of this vibrant, unique and romantic city. The beauty you see here will last a lifetime in your heart. 

The church still regularly holds services for times and dates click here http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article310

The Louvre Museum

Address: Very hard to find an accurate one...so I'll post the map!
Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Louvre+Museum/@48.860611,2.337644,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x47e671d877937b0f:0xb975fcfa192f84d4
Cost: 16 Euro per Adult; children 18 and under are FREE
Hours: Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Friday: from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Closed on Tuesdays
Website: http://www.louvre.fr/en

Wow, the Louvre has so much history in it I couldn't help but fall head over heels for her. Originally built as a fortress in the 12th century, it once served as a Palace to the royals but fell to the common people during the Revolution and in 1793 the Revolutionary government opened the first portion of the museum to the people. Upon it's public opening date it housed 537 paintings that were mostly confiscated property from the royals and churches during the Revolution. The collection has certainly grown in the last 200 years to house more than 35,000 pieces of art and more than 380,000 objects displayed in this 652,000 square foot building! There are several collections to view including Egyptian Antiques, Sculptures and my favorite The Greek, Etruscan, and Roman collection.

The Louvre has several iconic pieces it has acquired over the years such as the Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory of Samothrace and the beloved Mona Lisa (which let me burst your bubble now...the original Mona is only 30 in × 21 in - yea, I was shocked when I saw it).

The Louvre provides maps upon entering that give information on the displays and their locations in the museum but here is a link for an interactive floor plan so you can plan ahead and make sure your "must see" things are made priority http://www.louvre.fr/en/plan. 

There are places to eat inside as well and enough rooms and collections to easily fill a complete day or two. For parents with young kids, it's a little hard to maneuver a stroller around and paranoia is all but contained as you watch your little ones walk by these priceless objects but it is well worth it - just plan to move a little slower than most and keep a close eye on the kiddos. This is a wonderful chance to educate tweens and teens on art, culture and history. Here is a link for a book to help kids get educated on the pieces in The Louvre before your big trip http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811855104?ie=UTF8&tag=parmus-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0811855104 

 For the latest exhibitions & events click here http://www.louvre.fr/en/evenements

Rue Cler 

 Hours: Weekdays - all day; Saturday and Sunday mornings.

  Many of the stores are closed on Mondays.

     Located in the 7th arrondissement this street market is the must see for any food lover. There is everything from fruit and vegetable stands (Halles Bosquet) to flower stands to my favorite CHEESE (La FermetteFromagerie) there are cafes, bakeries, butchers and chocolate shops! A one stop shop for anything and everything you could possibly dream of. Shopping a market like Rue Cler is not simply shopping in Paris...it is an experience. It's a time to socialize, to purchase groceries for that day (lets face it, kitchens are small in Europe and that equals small refrigerators so a lot of things are purchased daily or every other day to ensure freshness), to smell the fruits and vegetables and get a euphoric vision of how to treat them and love them in the kitchen. The food in Paris is just...well, better. The French actually refer to our American strawberries as "plastic" - at first I didn't understand this but when we actually bought some of their strawberries - well, lets just say I don't really eat them here in the states anymore. The strawberries in Paris are deep red in color, all the way through...no bitter white center and the tops look like fresh little trees, not wilted and dead. They were sweet and delicate - AND THAT'S JUST THE STRAWBERRIES!

You could easily spend a half a day strolling Rue Cler trying samples, buying items to take back home (I bought some fresh vanilla beans, Herbs de Provence, jams and jellies - just make sure everything over 3.4 oz is in your CHECKED bags at the airport.) or picking up items to keep in your hotel or flat for snacking late at night. I found all the shop owners to be very pleasant and they just loved and adored that I was an American trying my best to speak French. They would laugh with me, talk to me about their food and why it was such good quality and share samples. This was where I tried my first authentic baguette...when you're in Paris walking around you will notice an abundance of people literally carrying a full size baguette in a paper sleeve that they picked up from the bakery minutes ago and just taking bites out of it as they get to where they're going - when in Paris, do as the Parisians do...I bought a fresh baked baguette from the bakery and I do believe it was love at first bite. I'm embarrassed to admit that I refused to share (even with my son - way to teach him how to share mom!). As if the baguette wasn't filling enough, we found an outside cafe to sit and had lemon and sugar crepes and people-watched as all the Parisians went about their busy day buying groceries and socializing with the fish monger over a table of freshly caught fish from the English Channel. I really could go on about Rue Cler for a couple more paragraphs...but I'll spare you from it. As you could probably tell, I absolutely adored this famous little street and everything it contained. It makes for a tranquil afternoon of enjoying company and stuffing your face with everything delicious.

For a list of all the shops on Rue Cler click here http://www.parismarkets.net/RueCler.html