Evergreen is one of my favorite small towns in the Foothills of Colorado.  I got to spend a gorgeous fall day with my friend Adeina Anderson in this cool and quirky town.  Adeina and I go way back to my days in San Antonio, Texas.  It was a day of fabulous food, great weather, a lovely walk by the lake, and wonderful wine by the creek.

Ever heard of the world famous Little Bear Saloon?  The rustic roadhouse is a western saloon with swinging doors, walls covered in license plates and names, and bras hanging from the rafters.  It has the reputation as “Colorado’s rowdiest mountain bar” and features live music Tuesday through Sunday.

First stop on our Evergreen adventure was a late breakfast at Wildflower Cafe.  I found this tiny space several years ago and it’s my go to spot for breakfast or brunch in Evergreen.  Their Bloody Marys are spicy and delicious, but I went for a mimosa to compliment my pick of Papas y Queso Skillet.  It’s wild potatoes topped with avocado, salsa, sour cream, cheddar and jack cheeses, and two eggs done your way.  My favorite part – it’s served in a small cast iron skillet.

Needing to work off some of what we ate, we walked up to Evergreen Lake.  It was as perfect of a fall day as you can get and we definitely took advantage of it by strolling around the lake and soaking in the sunshine and stellar scenery.  We even found a couple of patches of left over snow from a storm earlier in the week.  There were a couple of folks fishing, some walking and running, and a few just sitting lakeside and enjoying the day.  It was so nice to not be in rush and just relish in a gorgeous day as we leisurely strolled around the lake.

I can’t go to Evergreen and not make a stop at my favorite winery in Colorado.  My friend Michelle Cleveland is winemaker at Creekside Cellars.  It was fun to catch them in full crush mode as we stopped in to sip some wine and enjoy a few nibbles.  While waiting for a table on the patio, Adeina and I tasted the 2015 Viognier.  The Rhone varietal has a crisp minerality with a bouquet of peaches, pineapple, and apricot and hints of clementines and honeydew melon on the palette.

Sipping wine on the patio overlooking Bear Creek is a happy place for me.  As a special treat for my recent move back to Colorado and being on this journey to joy that I’m on, Michelle brought out a Robusto from her secret stash.  It’s my favorite and sells out fast every year.  Adeina and I savored the sips of this bold red wine with hints of black currant, black cherry, and caramel.

We paired the wine with two appetizers.  The Tre Formaggio is asiago, harvarti, and provolone cheeses with dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and crostini.  We also did the Grilled Bruschetta served with a trio of spread, which change daily.  We got to enjoy olive tapenade, roasted beets, and roasted Marconi almonds spreads.  All three spreads are delish!

There are some really cute and unique shops in Evergreen too.  So after wine and apps, we strolled in and out of a couple of the boutiques.  My favorite is Marmalade.  They have artisan jewelry, handbags, and scarves and hats galore.  Of course I had to get a cute forest green poncho and multi-color infinity scarf as my takeaway from a fun fall day in Evergreen.