For our second day in Denver, we decided to take in some nature, so we headed down to Colorado Springs to check out Garden of the Gods. Insert gratuitous nature shot here!!! This place is free, yo. And stunning. I love stuff colored like this, because it’s just unbelievable. And curiously enough, it was recommended to us by the car rental dude that helped me out. So thanks Enterprise guy!
Before we headed south, we stopped by the Five Points neighborhood to check out a cool little coffee shop called Crema Coffee House. It’s got cool stuff on the walls. It’s got a little loungey area too. And some outdoor seating.
See mr. barista here? He’s not just the barista, he’s Noah, the owner, operator, coffee extraordinaire. He was super nice and helpful. He even told us a spot for good tacos and where to go to check out some unique shops (1st and Broadway). The sticky bun we snarfed was also tasty. He warmed it up for us too. And not only was he nice, he was super patient when S wasn’t sure what she wanted to drink. So he gave her several samples so that she could figure out what to order. Ok, so we were the only ones there at the time. But still, the point is, he rocks.
And they had toddy coffee! You know I love me some cold brew, so I had to get it. And the weather was warm and sunny so it was perfect for an iced toddy. We loved this spot! If I was a local, I’d certainly be a regular!

On my way to a crazy and impressive dance performance for the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, since I was near the neighborhood, I hopped over to the newly opened Lola Bean to check it out. It’s so cute! It looks like there’s a new condo building and this is in the downstairs. While the condo building is modern and sleek, the Lola Bean is quite whimsical.
The place is nice and colorful inside. There’s even a little loungey area with these funky upholstered chairs and tree stump tables. It’s owned and run by two women, and what can I say, it’s definitely got a feminine flair! I think it’s lovely.
The menu is not extensive, just a few select coffee drinks, and they have a few sweets as well. They will be adding more substantive food, like sandwiches and soup.
I was here the weekend that it opened, and the weather was actually cool enough to be able to enjoy a hot coffee. Here is my lovely latte, which I enjoyed immensely. And it was quite reasonably priced! It’s a great addition to the neighborhood.

After our illustrious indonesian meal, we wanted to get some dessert. We wanted to go to Golosa, but it was closed for the summer. So instead, we ventured elsewhere in south philly and ended up on Mifflin at South Philadelphia Taproom. I’ve been here before for food and really enjoyed it, but had never had dessert before.
We got the strawberry shortcake to split. We also wanted to try the pot brownie, but when we tried to order both, they told us not to do it, as the pot brownie is apparently ginormous. And so is this strawberry shortcake! This is plenty for two people to share. The shortcake itself was fresh and still warm! It was a tiny bit burnt on the bottom, but who cares, we just left the burnt bits. The whipped cream was not from a tub or canister, it was freshly whipped, and you could just tell. I loved it! It was made with love.
We were going to try to see if Ultimo / Brew had any dessert options, but the pickins were slim. It was late, so that might have had something to do with it, but even if it was early, the dessert pickins are probably slim. It was the first time I had been there in a long time, and the first time since there was actually beer there. So I perused the coolers of beer and was very impressed with the selection, as well as the prices! If I didn’t live so far away, I’d happily pick up my bottled brews here.
I did pick me up a 6-pack of the Joe Coffee Porter, by Philadelphia Brewing. There’s a slight coffee taste, it’s not that overt, but I loved it. I highly recommend it!