We took our visiting relatives up to Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park on July 4, where we saw some awesome scenery and some wildlife.
(Click the photo to enlarge if you want a better view of the elk/wapiti)
There's just nothing like getting out of the city...
After our communion with the great outdoors, we stopped in Estes Park, and had dinner at Mama Rose's. There were a number of vegetarian options on the menu. Diners seeking gluten-free or vegan fare can substitute shredded zucchini for pasta in several of the dishes.I tried the portobello mushroom ravioli which, although the restaurant purports to serve "homemade Italian" fare, were not made in house. In fact, they seemed strikingly similar to the frozen portobello mushroom ravioli sold at Safeway. The best part of the dish was the pesto atop the ravioli, which did appear to be freshly made. (The red wine tomato sauce, which also topped the ravioli, was average.)
While not exceptional, the fare at Mama Rose's was decent and reasonably priced for a resort town, and the restaurant was vegetarian friendly. If we were to return, I would order the basil pesto fettuccine, and perhaps substitute shredded zucchini for the pasta.
Mama Rose's
338 East Elkhorn Avenue (on the Riverwalk)
Estes Park, Colorado 80517
970-586-3330
4 comments:
Safeway seems to be the "wholesaler" of choice in and around Estes Park. We went hiking in RMNP on the Fourth and planned to stop at Villa Tatra to pick up some smoked salmon and trout (not appealing to vegetarians, I know). VT was closed, so we pulled into Trout Haven (west of Lyons on US 36) where smoked trout is also sold. Turns out the the fish is from Villa Trout, and with it in the refrigerated case was cheese that still bore the Safeway price tag.
Claire @ http://culinary-colorado.blogspot.com
I wonder if we passed each other in RMNP on July 4, Claire? My family stayed pretty close to the beaten path, though, while it sounds like you headed into the back country.
Interesting to learn that my speculation about the ravioli source might be right!
B
Beatrice;
Your photography is outstanding. I also want to say a meal I had prepared by a "Raw Foodie" served a marinara sauce over raw zucchine ribboned and then cut ito fine stips. I earlier thought I might have to psych myself for the dinner when I learned what was being served. It was amazingly delicious and not what I had expected. It was something I could eat frequently. Food & Wine magazine has an interesting article on Raw Foodies and recipes in the June edition.
Thank you, Donna.
I think that the idea of substituting zucchini for pasta is interesting, and I might experiment at home. Potentially, you could prepare an entire summer meal without having to use the stove...
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