Buckhorn Exchange, Denver, Colorado

Going to the first steakhouse in anywhere can be like a mixed bag. On one hand, you have to respect the tradition but on the other, you risk getting caught in a tourist trap. That's why I was little suspicious at first when I stepped towards the Buckhorn Exchange; the oldest steakhouse in Denver, Colorado.

I was soon calmed by the decor. Apparently the original owner was an avid hunter and his trophies are proudly displayed throughout the dining hall.

The breads were served and although I'm not really into breads, these were very tasty. Soft and fluffy with a light and crisp crust, these paired very nicely with the warm, whipped salted butter.

The appetizer was a a game stew which was a medley if elk, buffalo and beef mixed with gravy and sauteed mushrooms. This was pretty tasty, the only drawback was it was really hard to distinguish which meat was which when everything was doused in the gravy.

One of the soup specials of the day was the cream of cheese soup. That's right, cheese soup! I had to try this out of curiosity if more than anything. Thick, creamy and cheesy, this was excellent for dipping the bread into. Great for anyone out there like me who loves cheese.

But ultimately, this is a steakhouse, so what does one do at a steakhouse? They order the biggest slab of animal on the menu. 24oz of boned in porter house cooked till medium rare. It's always such a beautiful sight to see the steak spilling over the edge of the plate.

Aged just long enough for the flavor to mature and with enough interstitial fat to make this a delectable and succulent bite, this was indeed good meat.

Another one conquered. Although I thought it rather funny it was paired with crisps and a funky fruit salad, the tart pineapple and berries actually helped me kept going at this slab till there was none left.

A good steak begs a good dessert. The homemade apple pie with a huge scoop of Haagen Daz vanilla was definitely a good finale to this tasty dinner.

Despite my qualms about Buckhorn being a tourist trap, most of the diners here seem to be regular locals. Decapitated animals, good steak. Nice to know that some traditions still stand strong.

D

Artichoke Basille's Pizza and Brewery, Manhattan, NYC

There's a new pizza joint in town. It's so new that the address on their card is actually printed wrong, they don't do delivery yet and their website isn't up as well. But one thing's real, they're located on 14th street between 1st and 2nd ave and they do make a pretty mean slice.

Here's the square Sicilian slice, their crust is slightly thicker here and crunchier which is a little different from those ultra thin New York slices. Italian basil, fresh tomatoes and a generous topping of cheese, the taste of good ingredients was evident from the first bite.

The Neapolitan didn't lose out to her Sicilian sister. The simplicity of ingredients here was revealed in this fresh tasting pizza. The crust seemed a little too thick though but that's something you don't always have to finish anyway.

Ok, now this is the slice worth the wait. Fresh and bubbling from the oven, their signature creamy artichoke and spinach slice is really tasty. After the two slices of tomato tangy pizzas, it's great to chomp down on something creamy and extra cheesy. Not to mention for three bucks, this slice was simply gianormous.

Did I mention how big their signature slice is? Even though, I'm surprised I actually enjoyed three slices without any meat on it, I'm glad that there's a new pizza joint which can give the multitude of pizza places in Manhattan a run for their money.

D