Above: The salad I waited months to eat. Grilled romaine Caesar salad for Zeal. It's kind of become a game for me to see how many AIP-friendly places I can find when we are traveling now. My previous "Where to Eat" posts were on San Francisco and Dallas. Up today, I've got some recommendations for where to eat AIP/Paleo in Denver and Boulder. Any time we have the chance to go to Denver or Boulder, we jump at it. Not only are there so many amazing outdoor activities, there's no shortage of AIP/Paleo-friendly restaurants. It is so easy to eat out and my favorite restaurant in the world is in Boulder. I would eat there every single day if I could. For every single meal. That's how awesome it is. So for starters, here's my recommendations for eating out in Denver: Linger Linger was our favorite restaurant before I was following AIP/Paleo. The menu is based on street food from around the world; there are tapas-sized plates from the Middle East, Asia, South America, etc. While they don't have anything on the menu that is specifically AIP, they clearly mark each dish for dairy, eggs, and gluten. In addition, they are open to modifying dishes to fit allergy requests. The last time we were there, the waiter brought out their recipe binder that lists EVERY INGREDIENT IN EACH DISH! Sometimes at restaurants I get so nervous that perhaps there is an included ingredient that the waitstaff has overlooked. Not at Linger. You can check the ingredient list yourself. Even with the modifications, everything I've ever eaten here has been amazing. And even better, they have a dessert that is safe for me to eat: Taiwanese Snow Ice. I had never tried this before, but it is delicious. Kind of like eating sweet snow. They have at least two dairy-free flavors and they can top the snow ice with simple fruit and coconut flakes. For those who love dessert but can't ever order an AIP-safe dessert, it always makes me happy to know when I am at Linger I get to have my dessert. Tom knows to order his own snow cause at Linger, I don't share. Below: My coconut Taiwanese Snow Ice with pureed raspberries and my compressed watermelon-basil salad. City O City City O City is just cool. Effortlessly cool. But if you are just starting out on your healing journey and in the most restrictive phase of AIP, this might not be the place for you. They are very sensitive to people's allergies and all of the items on their menu are marked as vegan, gluten-free, or soy free, but none of their dishes are specifically for AIP'ers. You CAN eat here on strict AIP, but you might not have as many options as you would at my next recommendation. I am recommending it though because their salads are incredible AND if you are someone who can tolerate alternative gluten-free flours, they make their own "bread" products. They offer gluten-free chicken and waffles and have all sorts of creative combinations for gluten-free pizzas and pastas. If you are traveling with people who aren't AIP/Paleo, this restaurant is a great compromise because the food is delicious for everyone and the vibe, as I said, is just plain cool. Stop here for brunch, dinner, or happy hour-- they have inventive cocktails for those who imbibe and kombucha on tap for those who want to feel like they are imbibing. Zeal This is it. My mecca. If I could eat every meal at Zeal, I would. No trip to Colorado is complete without a visit to Zeal. In the entry way of this restaurant, they have Dr. Amy Myers' book, Dr. Perlmutter's books, AIP cookbooks! Everything on their menu is clearly labeled for dairy and animal products. The entire restaurant is gluten-free. The first time we visited Zeal, I teared up because there were so many options for me on the menu. I could order an appetizer, a salad, a soup, multiple entrees, and dessert-- Tom had to help me refrain from ordering about 15 things. Their meats are grass-fed, their veggies are organic, their chocolate is soy-lecithin free, let the angels rejoice!! Maybe you, like me, used to enjoy going to restaurants. It was a fun social reward where you could relax, enjoy good food and drink, and spend time connecting with others. Of course, on AIP, eating out now feels like you are navigating a landmine as you try to determine the waitstaff's ability to communicate clearly to the kitchen for fear of accidentally getting poisoned and thus spending the next few days incapacitated in bed. Now eating out is an anxiety-ridden Russian roulette game where you are embarrassed by how many times your waiter has to go ask the kitchen a question before you can actually order anything (if you can order at all). Fellow-AIP'ers, dining at Zeal is like the old days. You can sit down, order from a knowledgable waitstaff who will not silently judge you for special requests, and then rest easy, knowing you won't get "glutened." My favorite things to order include: the grilled romaine Caesar salad, the Build-Your-Own-Bowl with cauliflower rice, bone broth, grass-fed beef or bacon, avocado, and veggies, their fresh-pressed red juice (beets, carrots, apples, ginger), or any of their sandwiches in a collard wrap. They also have several AIP-friendly desserts. If you can handle chocolate, I recommend their flourless chocolate-date cake, but if chocolate is a problem for you, they have a light avocado creme brulee that makes me glad I don't have a blow-torch or I would be making it every day. There's a reason that when we land in the Denver airport, this place in Boulder is usually our first stop. Below: My build-your-own-bowl, Tom's ginger carrot soup, Tom's bison collard wrap-- he ate half of it before I had a chance to take a picture. Leaf
Leaf is across the street from Zeal, so in all honesty, I don't know why you would go to Leaf when you could just go to Zeal. But, in the rare case that you don't love Zeal as much as I do, Leaf is one of the most zen, calming restaurants I've been to. The food is actually vegan and most of it is raw; I recommend it because the kitchen and waitstaff are knowledgable about all ingredients used and also, where most ingredients are sourced from. Because they use a lot of nuts, you may need to ask for modifications on some dishes, but this place is perfect if you are looking for a light, fresh, and healthy dish. The ambiance of this place is another reason to visit-- there's tons of light and the minimalist decor feels just as balanced as each dish. If you can't find a dish that accommodates all of your allergies, just tell the waitstaff and the kitchen will make you something delicious according to your requests. If you are on AIP and worried about traveling because of the difficulty and fear that comes with eating out, the Denver/Boulder area is a great place to vacation. I've just listed my four favorite places here, but in addition, there are tons of fresh juice bars, healthy grocery chains, and ingredient-conscious restaurants. Plus, we know following an AIP lifestyle isn't just about food— we also have to manage stress, and the Denver/Boulder area has so many options for relaxing at a local spa, meditating in one the many yoga studios, or seeking some alone time on the beautiful trails in mountains and parks.
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