Regular Joe's Guide

First visit: Jan 2024 This wasn't part of the plan. As noted on the George's entry, we had intended on having ice cream at Charlie's Market in La Veta. When that got thwarted, Mrs. RJG was frustrated that her food selections weren't going as she'd hoped. OK, let's see if Walsenburg has an ice cream shop. Up came Gub Gub's. We have to go back through Walsenburg anyway to get home, so let's try it. Gub Gub's sits inside of the Walsenburg Mercantile, a renovated warehouse, with a gift shop, deli, restaurant, pool table, and... pizza and ice cream provided by Gub Gub's. Nice atmosphere and very clean. Thing is - they don't have ice cream. They have soft serve like Dairy Queen. Except it's not near as good. In fact it was quite bad. Tasted like frozen milk, or perhaps it had melted and refroze? The homemade waffle cone saved the day, as it was crunchy and tasty, unlike the soft serve which was flavorless. So would we go back to Gub Gub's? ...

Latest visit: Jan 2024 First visit: Mar 2021 After lunch we headed into town and visited a few of the antique shops. Mrs. RJG and I each had some success finding good items for our respective hobbies. After finishing up at the last shop, across the street sits Crafty Canary. My original plan was to go to La Veta, then have a beer back in Walsenburg on the way home. But we were both thirsty by then, so let's go now. As you can see, we'd been here at least once before, and it was just as the pandemic was beginning to slow down. As such they only had one of their own beers on tap. I expected they'd have more this time, but they only featured two - but different than the one three years ago. Mrs. RJG enjoyed an IPA while I quaffed a brown ale. Both very good. They do feature guest beers, including from Phantom Canyon here in the Springs. It's a nice spot - two rooms, with a lowkey environment. A quality neighborhood/village/town brewery. Just what you hope to find while tra...

Latest visit: Apr 2025 First visit: Jan 2024 Both of us had wanted to return to George's Drive Inn after last year's visit. As you can see below it seemed more like we ordered the wrong thing versus a restaurant that wasn't for us. This time we did go for lunch as noted below. Location: Easy access on and off of I-25. It's a bit hidden, and they don't advertise, but Google Maps will quickly show you that George's is convenient. It's also the exit for La Veta, and that's where we usually go after lunch anyway, as we did on this day. The restaurant itself is a throwback to the simple American diner, though no solo stools. It seems to be always crowded too. They're a breakfast and lunch place only and closed on Sun / Mon. Food: Eclectic American diner fare, with a focus on Mexican and even Italian. The latter is a feature of this part of southern Colorado and you see similar in Pueblo and Trinidad. Likely a vestige of an industrial past. On this visit I...

1764 Uinta Way C1, Park City, UT 84098 - only visit 20 Dec 23 Had a couple (well, maybe 3) beers with a fried chicken sammie with a friend & former coworker during a ski trip Dec 2023. Beers, I think, were Powder Buoy Pilsner, Silver Creekwater Amber, then a seasonal DIPA - Kickturn, I think. Beers were excellent, food was solid, gal behind the bar was rock solid. Worth a visit if you are planning a stop in Park City already (or are meeting a friend there). It's pretty far away from the other Utah resorts (of which Alta is prolly my fave). - Rude Dante review

325 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 sole visit 17 Dec 23.  A bit more high-brow of an American grill format. Went there with ski friends when my stomach was doing flips, so I opted for a soup (French onion, not much broth). Others seemed to enjoy their short ribs and sammiches. Great bar, chock full of a wide array of beer, wine & spirits. Curious to go back on a better stomach. - Rude Dante review It appears they have a location in the airport as well. They call themselves an American Brasserie. Craft Tavern covers that, but nice to see the concept being embraced here. Those are the RJG's go-to establishments while in France.

10160 Little Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Alta, UT 84092 - first / last visit 18 Dec 23 (located inside The Goldminers Daughter's Lodge). Home of the Alta bomb (double-shot of espresso dropped into a PBR). It sounds like a really bad idea, but to be fair it is something of a balanced diet. Enough said. - Rude Dante review

2820 E 6200 S, Holladay, UT 84121 - our visit 19 Dec 23 Another classic dive bar recommended by a local, this is a perfect burger joint for after the slopes / trails when you are in the area. Get the specialty Garlic Burger (or double if you are famished). The novelty: Garlic Burgers are served on a chunk of French bread. Good greasy burger, had a salad to assuage the guilt of eating crap food on a questionable stomach (Greek salad - pretty good). Paired with a cheap beer, a great find amidst various high-brow apres-ski joints. - Rude Dante review That logo rules. Looks to be owned by the Bar X Group. This is the only location with this moniker though.

3200 E Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121 - visit 18 Dec 23 Recommendation from a local who has not lived here for years (translation, this place has been around for a while), this bar / tavern / smokehouse delivered pretty well on RJG standards - for Utah, at least. Good selection of local & other taps, my dining companions described the smoked meats in favorable terms, while I opted for a sandwich that turned out to be just fine. Rumor has it this place has live music regularly; we saw none in our visit. Worth checking out! - Rude Dante review

2217 E 21st Ave, Denver, CO 80205 Not generally a fan of 'brunch' places, these guys specialize in crepes but also have a handful of more traditional breakfast & lunch options. Feels like a Paris cafe, but the owner is Moroccan and names the place after his daughter. The go-to is a great Pulp Fiction reference: Royale with Cheese, a crepe filled with prosciutto, fig and brie. All crepes come with a side salad - green or fruit - and they have a great list of alternative sides if you happen to be hankering for, say, beets. Further impressed with the fact that they serve and resell coffee from my local favorite roaster (Kaladi). A can't miss place. Better in summer as you can hang on the sidewalk / patio and watch foot traffic to and from City Park. - Rude Dante review

2019 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80206 A coffee shop I have been frequenting longer, perhaps, than any other in the metro area (since the closure of the last Peaberry, that is). They bake their own pastries, including some pretty good savory croissants (ham & cheese is my go-to). Coffee consistent, service generally pretty good. Great place to hang and catch up on work, news or RJG updates (ed: Especially the latter). - Rude Dante review

638 Madison Ave, Covington, KY 41011 Only visited once - for a beverage at the bar - but have gotten stellar reports on the hotel side of the business from clients and personal friends. If you are looking for an alternative to the big chains, check this place out. Appears to have good food and the bar was top notch from my one visit. - Rude Dante review

Locations: 5 in the Cincinnati area. 800 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Long-standing deli with a corned beef / pastrami bent. Huge sandwiches, provided with the apropos brown mustard (none of that yellow shite), great pickles and beverage of choice. Mine - for a late morning brunch / lunch - was a Reuben with coffee. One beef, corned or otherwise, was that my sandwich came on rye BREAD rather than toasted or grilled rye. Seems like a pretty basic thing to me - will ask specifically next time. - Rude Dante review

629 Main St, Covington, KY 41011 The only reason to go here, IMHO, is to have a whisky (or whiskey, or however your region chooses to spell it). They have a phenomenal selection of bourbon, plus a respectable list of Irish, Scotch and even Asian varietals. One of the little-known side benes of the place is the handful of barrels they buy directly from distillers and sell in full bottle increments over the counter. A worthy addition to the local scene since I left in the mid-90s, and a worthwhile stop while having dinner in Covington. - Rude Dante review

10 Seventh St W, Cincinnati, OH 45202 The answer to the question, "Where can I get a late-night beverage in downtown Cinci." Some other redeeming features: popcorn and some crappy fried food. Occasional live music. Generally surly barkeeps (but not bad people, deep down). - Rude Dante review

919 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 A true throw-back joint - lost in the vast array of trendy and/or chain restaurants in downtown Cincy. Huge menu - advise seeking guidance from neighboring tables and/or waitresses.  Generally large portions, and they are not averse to mix-and-matching sauces and/or pastas to suit your palate. But first, the decor. Imagine, if you will, a collision between a truck carrying miscellaneous tile fragments with another containing the darkest, most color-absorbing grout on the palate. The resulting flotsam and jetsam falls into a smallish cave and covers the walls. Then add a bunch of chianti bottles with melted wax (either from candles or crayola, hard to tell) topped with candles for ambiance. You are now firmly ensconced in Scotti's! This is a place that appears to have changed *not at all* since I lived in the area and worked 4 blocks away in the 80s and 90s. In truth, I bet it has not changed much since they opened 110+ years ago! Have found 1-2 pla...

311 Delta Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45226 Although the ownership and basic concept is not much different from the flagship Jeff Ruby location downtown, I find the Precinct much better for an "occasion". Our reason for visiting was execs from our German client in town for a week, and eight of us enjoyed a pretty good dinner at the oldest / longest operating Jeff Ruby restaurant in Cincy. We started at the bar, where I bought a round of Old Fashioned's (4) for $90. That was my contribution to the festivities. Dinner for 8 - best guess, with wine, etc - was probably $2,500-$4,000. My steak was huge and really good (Hatchet steak - Collinsworth). Good thing I skipped lunch. Sides & salads are also good, large and pretty expensive ($15 or so each). Somehow I find this place less off-putting than the downtown flagship restaurant. And my recollection of the Ruby operations go back to the 1980s. It was my first valet parking experience in my life, and my last big project meal when ...

Locations: Cincinnati, Columbus, Lexington, Louisville, Nashville 505 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Will make this short and sweet as I only got into this place one time in the year plus of walking by it every other week. It is really good food, and the service is professional - but it is priced at such a ridiculous level that I could not in good faith submit my dinner bill as reimbursable to my client (instead I cut it in half). Don't come here on a whim or on a budget. - Rude Dante review

318 Greenup St, Covington, KY 41011 An old-school steak joint / tavern that does not take itself too seriously. Ate here many times in the latter half of 2023, always good, occasionally loud. Not the high-end / aged beef the Jeff Ruby charges $150 a la carte for a petite filet, rather a nice slab of meat with ample sides and a bill that won't raise eyebrows with the client. Also enjoyed brunch here when working off shifts - this was also good. Limited beer taps, but pretty broad wine list if you are a wine-with-steak guy like me. - Rude Dante review

129 E 2nd St, Covington, KY 41011 Somehow not what I expected on first visit, but still a worthwhile place to eat. Although they have a bit of down-home sandwiches and such, this is more a salad and pizza place. They have a decent beer & whisky selection, and also have carry-out options (good for local hotel dwellers). Worth a try. - Rude Dante review

755 Buttermilk Pike, Crescent Springs, KY 41017 Local grocer & meat market that has all the traditional German specialties (where else do you find people who know the difference between liverwurst and braunschweiger? (certainly never to be confused with blood sausage!) My experience with Kremer's was largely take-out lunches from their deli counter. Everything made fresh, and occasionally would grab an extra sandwich for the flight home the next day. Top faves include:   Pretzel Reuben Kremer's BLT Urb Chicken Panini Also loved their soups - all homemade, never needed salt, pepper - just perfect as is! - Rude Dante review

1036 Delta Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45208 A burger place and tradition that is almost 100 years old. It is home to one of my favorite cholesterol bombs on the planet - the Girth Burger (burger with a split mett on top). It's really a neighborhood joint on Mt. Lookout Square, and parking can be a pain. But it's consistent, sometimes crowded, a great place to bring the kids (train above the bar has been running since my adult kids were little, probably decades longer). Closed Mondays & Tuesdays at last visit. - Rude Dante review

Locations: Cincinnati, Columbus, Louisville (2), Detroit, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Pittsburgh 1342 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Came here with my nephew and his wife when we failed to check the hours on Zipp's tavern and were scheduled to meet for Tuesday dinner. It is a regional chain, and I never got clarity whether the OTR location was first or latest (ed: seems to have started in Cincy). It matters not. The Eagle specializes in Fried Chicken, but everything else I tried on the menu was equally yummy. Great selection of local taps (and a few from elsewhere), and a real quandary in trying to pick the right sides to go with your chicken (similar to The Post in Denver). Generally went for 2 sides - depending on whether solo or with company. As follows: A starch: either mac & cheese, mashers & gravy or shrimp & grits A veggie: either a salad, succotash or collards (Did I say 2? biscuits don't really count as a side) Biscuits! Their sandwiches are also bomb diggity: ...

438 W Pike St, Covington, KY 41011 After a night spent on a boat on the Ohio River - replete with beers, bourbon, maybe a UFO sighting (turned out to be Elon's satellite array) and some other questionable behavior, a greasy breakfast was in order. After one failed venture just off Eastern Ave in Cinti, my captain recalled a review of Anchor Grill. Exact wording of the review, not at my fingertips, but something about "floating in a pool of grease" followed by "explosive diarrhea" and capped with "I give it 5 stars!!" You get the idea. The place was formerly a 24-hour diner - like Pete's in Denver - now open something like 7 am to 10 pm, but they still feel like a late-night hole-in-the-wall. We ordered coffee and omelettes - sausage & cheese for me, goetta & cheese for him - with a side of biscuits & gravy to share. We could hear the sounds of arteries hardening as we munched, and we both pretty much cleaned our plates. Check came - cas...

Look who's back? After taking 2023 off from the RJG, Rude is back to bringing his unique perspective to our discerning audience! Of course yesterday's phone call laden with guilt trips may have had something to do with it. lol. Naw, always grateful for the participation. Next thing you know, Mr. Music will be back! ---5/25/21 It's an embarrassment of riches! Not only is Mr. Music back, but who shows up unannounced and all scruffy - Rude Dante! We last heard from him in 2018 roaming the streets of Montreal. It appears he has finally found his way out (via the back door of an Italian restaurant no doubt). Though a resident of Denver, up north about an hour from the RJG HQ, he is now prowling the streets of New York City and New Jersey. Get a rope. Here's a rare photo of Rude Dante enjoying a drink with friends (he's in the middle).

Closed Aug 2024 First visit: Jan 2024 Time for our annual winter visit to Westcliffe. Mrs. RJG and I wait for what appears to be the first sunny weekend day of the year and go for a last minute trip. Seemed a little risky on this cold brisk morning, as we did get a light covering of snow last night. After our run on the soft padded snow blanket trail, we decided to make a try for it. On the State 115 route to Canon City, the road was wet with snow melt, and it seemed we may have to turn back. But it was dry once we approached Canon City, and we visited a couple of thrift shops while there. Then we took the route south to Westcliffe (Hwy 69). All these years, and we've never gone this particular way in to Westcliffe, only out of. It's a different view altogether, but no less stunning. Whereas the other route has this "ta dah" moment as you head west, this one gives you miles of beautiful snow capped mountains to gawk at. I recommend the west route (Hwy 96) for out of t...

We continued our expansion of the RJG, and had our best year to date - by a long shot, at least from a personal perspective. Even surpassing last year. And I didn't have any help this year as Mr. Music and Rude Dante took the year off from writing. But they're still out there. :-) Ah wait - Mr. Music did contribute a few in March. As I look to 2024, I expect a small slowdown in posts for Colorado Springs. There will be plenty of "move forwards", i.e. annual updates as I revisit favorites. There were some restaurants from 2022 that missed last year, that I have circled for an update this year. Even with that, so many places will likely not see us for the year (or ever again). Inflation killed the market honestly. We're seeing more coupon activity, but it's still out of control. We're eating at home more and more as the years go by. And as I look to retirement soon(?), that will most assuredly increase. Travel, both personal and work, is the wildcard here. I...