It's been almost three months since we
bought our home in the Congress Park neighborhood of Denver. Our house is
historic; it was built the year Grover Cleveland was President and 4 years
before the Spanish-American War- so it's old. At first we were nervous
about things going wrong and being responsible for repairs- all of which I
think is perfectly normal for home buyers of historic homes. But I've got
to tell you, now that we’re settling into things, this house just feels right.
I love the character, the details and the charm. We've also been working hard
at making the space feel homey, which is a bit of a challenge considering the
size. But we purchased a few good pieces of furniture and I scooped
up some terrific finds at a vintage shop on the outskirts of town. I've also been diligently scouring the antique/used stores on Colfax too. Slowly our
pictures are getting framed and we've begun to hang mirrors and artwork on the
walls. In short, the house is beginning to have our imprint. And that feels
great...
One of the things that I love about our
neighborhood is its walkability factor. My husband and I own one car, so
when he drives to work (usually 1 or 2 days a week) I've still got plenty to
do. I can walk to Congress Park (which has a great public pool in the summer), and City Park (which has awesome free Jazz
concerts in the summer), and the Botanic Gardens too. If my kids are well-behaved, I can
also walk to the Museum of Nature & Science and the Zoo.
The Shoppe (cupcakes) on Colfax
There are tons of great places to eat close
by-- cupcake shops, taco shops, speciality bakeries, Ethiopian food,
sushi, Greek restaurants, music venues, wine bars, the Tattered Cover
bookstore, an independent
movie theater, bistro-style cafes, a bicycle shop that carries Dutch cruisers, a few
independent coffee shops, a yarn store, and
the a weekly farmers market on Sunday (etc. etc.). In other words, there's a
lot going on.
I've met a lot of my neighbors and our kids
all play together outside. And in addition to the families in our
neighborhood, there are also lots of artists, chefs, designers,
musicians and gardeners. It's really a great mix of everything...that's why we
like it so much. I'm happy to say, that after a long and
winding road to home ownership and stability, Congress Park feels like
home...
The architectural mix includes (primarily)
1890s-early 1900s Denver Squares, turn of the century Victorians, and early craftsman (American bungalows). There are some deco buildings from
the 1920s and 30s as well, and a few row houses are scattered throughout the
neighborhood too. But unlike this
Denver neighborhood, there aren't many modern structures in our part of town.
Congress Park also has some pretty spectacular mansions as you head toward 8th
Avenue and over into Country Club.
And this (below) former fire station has since been converted into a family
home. It's awesome!
Pinche Taco, amazing happy hour and...tacos. (Colfax)
East High School, built in 1921
Fat Sully's, Atomic Cowboy and the Denver Biscuit Company, all under one roof on Colfax.
Glaze's Mini Baum Cakes: layers of lemon cake with limoncello glaze and strawberry mousse. Their baum bites with green tea and white chocolate is also amazing. Congress Park, Madison off 12th Avenue.
* * *
And a spring time soup...
Asaparagus Bisque with Fresh Dill (Courtesy of Anna Thomas,
Love Soup)
Ingredients
1 1/4 lbs. green asparagus
2 medium leeks
1 large fennel bulb
zest+juice of a lemon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (you
could substitute with olive oil)
3 tablespoons arborio rice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
2 1/2 cups light vegetable broth
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill, plus
more to taste
white pepper (I used black)
cayenne
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
Directions
Using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, thinly peel the bottom
2 or 3 inches of the asparagus stalks, then snap off the toughest bits at the
bottoms (peeling the bottoms first allows you to keep much more of the stalk.)
Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces; you should have about 4 cups.
Wash the leeks and chop the white and light
green parts only. Trim, wash, and chop the fennel bulb. Grate the zest of the
lemon, making sure to get only the yellow and none of the white pith.
Melt the butter in a large skillet or soup
pot and cook the leeks over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are
soft and begin to take on a hint of color. Add the asparagus, fennel, lemon
zest, rice, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for about half an hour, or until all
the vegetables are tender.
Add 2 cups of vegetable broth, the dill, and a pinch
of each pepper and cayenne.
Puree the soup in a blender, in batches, until it
is perfectly smooth. (I usually use an immersion blender for pureed soups, but
asparagus is fibrous, so you might want to use that blender in order to get it
really smooth.) Add broth if the soup seems too thick. Return the pureed
soup to a clean pot and stir in a couple of teaspoons of fresh lemon juice,
more if you like. Bring the soup back to a simmer, taste it ,and season with
tiny amounts of pepper, and more salt if needed. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of
cream if you are making the asparagus a bisque (or more
precisely a "cream soup" as traditionally bisque refers
to smooth, cream soups, based on a broth from crustaceans).
Ladle and enjoy!
