Thursday morning, bright and early, my husband and I flew to Colorado Springs for the long weekend. Up at 4:20, in the car at 5:20, airport at 5:50 and we were boarding at 6:20. Thank goodness for this vegan sandwich at the food counter right across from the gate. Breakfast mid-flight!

We flew into Denver and rented a car to Colorado Springs.

We drove around some neighborhoods to get a feel for the city and then had lunch at one of the vegan-friendly restaurants on my list.

Adam’s Mountain Cafe is in Manitou Springs, which, turns out, is a super-touristy town. The restaurant is housed in a restored, historic building and is really lovely. It was a sunny day and we opted for outdoor seating (actually, it was our only choice, we arrived at 12:00 and had to wait 30 minutes for a table – the place was hopping!). My husband ordered a salad (the lemon basil vinaigrette was fabulous) and a non-vegan brunch dish. I opted for the soup of the day, which was confirmed to be vegan.

The soup arrived at about the same time as a huge gust of a cold wind burst upon us. That hot bowl of miso hit the spot!

There are many vegan options on the brunch and lunch menu and, after much consideration, I opted for a healthy and hearty tofu and veggie dish.

It was called a Tibetan vegetable dish and it was filled with cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, cashews and the beautifully sesame-seed crusted tofu. Positively divine.

The next day I started things off right with a gorgeous run along the Pike’s Peak Trail Greenway Trail. It was my first run after battling a nasty head cold all week and, even with the altitude, I felt amazing!

My husband was off doing his triathlon stuff (actually, mountain biking) and we hooked up later for lunch at TAPAteria in Old Colorado City.

The robust tapas menu is half vegetarian and many of the small dishes are vegan or marked as “can be made vegan.”

We were both pretty hungry so we ordered three vegan tapas that we could share and then I ordered a salad (also small) and Dave opted for two non-vegan tapas.

I enjoyed a lovely glass of a 2009 La Cartuja with this fresh, light and filling meal.

While Dave continued his triathlon stuff, I spent some time at the hotel getting work done for a client before taking a little time to explore Colorado Springs. Later that night we were off to TRiNiTY Brewing Company – after doing advance research on vegan-friendly restaurants I was obsessed with their seitan buffalo wings. Sadly, there were no tables and it’s a “seat yourself” joint; we weren’t interested in just hanging out until someone left so we made our way to Plan B, Caspian Cafe, for Mediterranean food.

The restaurant is right off of I-25, next to a typical highway hotel. I wasn’t so sure about the place. But when we walked in and saw the fun decor, filled tables and extremely friendly and efficient staff, we felt like it was probably a good choice.

From the menu:

Welcome to the Mediterranean! The flavors of our menu, presented by our chef, represent cuisine from all around this fantastic region. From Lebanon, Morocco, and Egypt to Greece, Turkey, and Spain. Please view our menus and come in to enjoy the flavors of the world!

We shared a starter.

I loved the presentation because instead of stack of bread the plate was filled with crispy vegetables and a small amount of pita squares.

I then ordered a salad and an appetizer for dinner.

This was a delicious salad! It was huge and I was grateful we opted for a small suite with a refrigerator at the hotel. Leftovers!

These tasty bites hits the spot.

So far so good as far as dining out in Colorado Springs!

***

Are you sick of hearing about this yet? Don’t worry, there are only two more days to vote for my Cinnamon-Ginger Seitan and Veggies in Coconut Gravy recipe

in So Delicious’s awesome contest. I hope you will vote for my recipe today … and tomorrow!