Amy and Adam Get Married

Casa Bonita

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:52:21 +0000

Everything you've heard is true.

When we announced that our wedding would be held in Denver, many of those who spent time with us there jokingly asked if it was because of Casa Bonita.

The answer is yes.

Hosting a wedding in a city that boasts one of just two (and, from experience, the better of the) Casa Bonita locations relieves a ton of planning pressure, because if you visit this place, regardless of how the events on Sunday pan out, you’re going to feel like you got what you came for. A couple of hours at Casa Bonita will fulfill everything you expect from a decent wedding:

A Halfway Decent Wedding	Casa Bonita
Hot, single guests.	High school-aged cliff divers.
Enthused band that takes requests.	Mariachi band that takes requests.
Food that’s not so good that you spend the whole night eating, which would cut back on room for wedding cake.	Food that’s so bad you should not eat it, which leaves lots of room for the free, hot, unlimited sopapillas brought directly to your table. (Insider trick: Your waiter will also bring cinnamon and sugar, if you ask.)
Public fight between members of the wedding party.	The Sheriff and Bad Guy Black Bart shoot-em-up.
That one little kid who knows how to breakdance, and does so in the center of the dance floor, and even the people who insist they don’t dance come out to see what’s going on, and at some point he disappears and his mom finds him asleep under a table somewhere.	A gorilla who’s always escaping his captors, and even the people who are pretending not to notice that there’s a dude in a gorilla suit loose in the restaurant have to pay attention when he swings by (narrowly avoiding the man with the net!) to steal a sopapilla (which he can’t eat, because he has no mouth), and at some point he makes it back up onto the cliff, where you think he may, finally, this time, fall into the water…but his stealth maneuvering wins the hour, once again, and it’s the net guy who meets a watery fate.
A friend-of-a-friend who’ll let you bum a cigarette three hours into the reception. And who will have a light.	Flame jugglers.
Some sort of wedding favor stamped with the names of the bride and groom.	Gran Vista Casa El Mercado—“a shopper’s delight”—where you can purchase a keychain with your name on it, tins of mints that declare you “Gangsta,” an electronic dog, sombreros of all shapes and colors, and feather boas.
Centerpieces to steal.	Fanky Malloon, the automated helium balloon-dispenser.
A romantic place to lure a bridesmaid.	Black Bart’s Cave.
Uncomfortable toasts.	Really bad acting leading up to someone falling off a cliff.
Speculation as to why that guy lurking in the corner was invited.	Speculation as to why the obviously male gorilla is named “Chiquita.”

www.casabonitadenver.com

Burrito Cart

amy — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:30:17 +0000

There’s nothing worse than waking up hungry and waiting in line for a fancy-schmanzy breakfast at some “brunch” place place where everyone’s happy and smiling and glad to be alive on a Sunday morning, while your stomach yowls in protest and it’s all you can do not to snap at your wedding date for taking you somewhere you can’t be fed immediately.

That’s why you gotta fuel up before you get in line. The breakfast burrito cart outside 1560 Broadway is the answer to all that ails you. The burritos are small, gummy, pre-made, re-heated, filled with Colorado’s ubiquitous green chile — and just a couple bucks. You’ll love them in the same way you love Taco Bell drive-thru — delicious as a pre-meal snack, but nothing you’ll want to brag to your fellow diners about.

City O City

amy — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:18:04 +0000

Where the magic began.

This is the place where Amy got Adam drunk and made her move. He was practically begging for it, obviously, as this is a vegetarian restaurant and therefore there was no chance of bacon. There IS an incredible pizza there, with apricot jam, green olives and brie, which sounds gross but is incredible. (It’s also impossible to recreate at home with a Boboli, but that doesn’t mean we don’t try.) The drink of choice there last summer was, embarrassingly, a wine billed as tasting like strawberry Jell-O (and it DOES). If you’re too snotty to drink it, you’re too snotty to come to our wedding.

www.cityocitydenver.com

Denver Botanic Gardens

amy — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:08:08 +0000

See? Brides running into each other.

Ann Stice and Grandma love this place, and if our wedding’s not weddingy enough for you, swing by to see brides practically running into each other on weekend days–they stack the ceremonies like circus freaks in a phone booth out here.

www.botanicgardens.org

Buckhorn Exchange

amy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:38:26 +0000

It's kind of like when you go to a sushi place and there are pictures of all the types of rolls you can order.

Have you ever heard someone use the word “gamey” and not really known what it meant? You probably haven’t eaten an elk, then. When Denver tries to get all sophisticated by hosting things like biennials, with ne’er a Rocky Mountain Oyster in sight, all you have to do is hop on the ol’ iron horse (RTD train, which picks up near the Convention Center) and get down to where the décor is stuffed cougar and Bambi’s on the menu. If fur doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, this place is for you. Bring your push-up bra and your stretchiest pants—if the amount of food doesn’t distend your belly, the ostrich-bloat will certainly getcha.

(Train stop: 10th and Osage station.)

www.buckhornexchange.com

Waxing the City

amy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:35:56 +0000

Only recommended if you're planning on attending the ceremony shirtless.

You know we’re hiring a professional photographer, right? We’re gonna tell her to zoom in on your unibrow if you don’t get that thing taken care of. Waxing the City has a no-tipping policy, an excellent magazine selection, gives you mints as you leave the salon, and circulates a monthly e-newsletter with super-explicit advice about body hair. If nothing else, swing by the place and leave your e mail address. Seriously. You won’t believe what they’re doing with wax these days.

www.waxingthecity.com

Peaks Lounge

amy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:33:58 +0000

Sedate. Like the glory of the majestic Rockies.

This one is obviously a cop-out, as we’re basically recommending you take a trip to the local Hyatt, but if you’re staying in the city and not renting a car, it’s worth shelling out for a single pricey drink to see the view of the Rockies at sunset from this “rooftop.” (And the bar snacks include those little sesame sticks…and if you gave us the choice between a rented Mustang and all-you-can-eat little sesame sticks, it’d be a tough decision at the very least.)

Lakeside Amusement Park

amy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:28:53 +0000

The last time the park was renovated.

Lakeside would be a great place to bring children, if they carry excellent health/life insurance and/or you hate them. If you’re a grown-up who already owns a neck brace and laughs in the face of danger, you should give it a shot. Our friends from Little Rock would call Lakeside “hood.” When we went, the rides were operated by 17-year-olds. You should be fine as long as they’re not high.

www.lakesideamusementpark.com

Cru: A Wine Bar

amy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:23:36 +0000

The twinkly lights outside represent the twinkly feeling inside, after a couple of glasses.

Just order the fried brie. You can figure out the whole wine thing later.

www.cruawinebar.com

Denver Beer Fest

amy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:13:27 +0000

All he wants is a drink.

The Denver Beer Festival: So much more than just driving your hotel prices up for the weekend. It’s also a ten-day extravaganza that piggybacks on the Great American Beer Festival, which wraps up at the Convention Center that Saturday. (The Blue Bear gazes in longingly, apparently underage.) Denver, proud of its Coors ties, keeps it going for a week and a half more with tastings and beer-themed menus at what looks to be every restaurant and pub in the greater metro area. (Coyote Ugly is offering beer pong AND something called Port-O-Pong, which we think you should research and bust out at the wedding reception, if it doesn’t involve portable toilets.)

If you’re into it, you might need to book tickets early; “Pints for Prostates” is already sold out, and today’s date is March 20.

www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com
www.denver.org/denverbeerfest