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.

 

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 

Elisa's #1 place to eat in San Diego:

THE MISSION

My family and I are frequently in San Diego since it's only a few hours away. Sadly I must admit to everyone out there reading this that, yes...we have made a special trip out there occasionally just to eat at some of our favorites restaurants. We literally decide Saturday morning to head out to California and then drive back home Saturday night...for food. I know what you're thinking, but we aren't ready to admit our culinary disorders just yet so we will continue to live in food addiction. Anyways, one of the places we are most guilty of doing this for would be The Mission. Before you judge my previous statements, let me explain why The Mission Restaurant is worth a 3-1/2 hour drive one way just for breakfast or lunch...

This is the J street location in downtown SD, it's our favorite one

The Mission's food is simple: Healthy, fresh food made with love and care that is plated so stunningly the only reason you don't dive in right away is so you can take a pic of it to upload to your social media page (just to make everyone else jealous). The Mission, as a restaurant, does a great honor not only to the customer but to the food they serve. Their menu items are creative (Banana blackberry pancakes? Yes, please!) and yet give you a sense of hominess that you begin to crave. My favorite menu item you ask? PAPAS LOCO - this dish consists of Rosemary potatoes, grilled jalapeños, black beans, cheese, avocado slices, sour cream, salsa and I add 2 scrambled eggs with some green onions! They make their salsas, breads and salad dressings fresh....no canned goods here and your palette will taste the difference. Their eggs are locally sourced from free range, non GMO chickens and all the chicken served at The Mission is a type known as Jidori.  Just a brief explanation of Jidori so you can understand the passion the owners have to deliver quality food to their guests: Jidori literally translates to "chicken of the Earth" it is the freshest form of chicken one can buy. All chickens considered Jidori are free range and vegetarian fed. The chicken is usually described as having a fresher taste, a more pleasant texture than store bought chicken and a more natural chicken flavor. Overall, I've never had anything here that even comes close to tasting processed or low quality. It's one of the few restaurants I can honestly say provide a healthier and better meal than I can make at home. 

Papas Loco <3

Mission French Toast

The satisfaction and feelings of just plain goodness doesn't stop at the food but continues even beyond your meal - The Mission supports many local charities and donates time, money and effort to give back to the San Deigo community. They also support local artists in a big way...one exciting thing about this restaurant is the atmosphere is constantly changing! All of the artwork displayed on the walls are made by local artists and are for sale if you're interested in buying a piece. The Mission doesn't take any commission on these pieces...that's right 100% of the purchase price goes to the artist. So as art is sold, new art is brought in and displayed creating an ambiance that is ever changing.

There's no way to ever explain how much our family loves this place and why...it must be experienced! I would strongly encourage anyone visiting the San Diego area to make it a point to eat at The Mission and relish in all the goodness that this restaurant has to offer. I've provided links below to their 3 locations and a link to the menu (they also offer a gluten free menu). When you do go, come back to this page and leave your comments below to tell of your experience!

They are open everyday for breakfast & lunch from 7 a.m.-3p.m.
Menu: http://www.themissionsd.com/menus.html
Locations: http://www.themissionsd.com/locations.html