Since I'm a total foodie, I thought I would write about something very dear to my heart. Food is life! I seriously love to try new things and explore and looking for restaurants is the perfect way to do that! I get to explore and then I get to find cute little places that I have never heard of or seen before and enjoy a flavorful experience. What more could I ask for? So here is a list of some of my favorite places to eat in the local Colorado Springs area:

1. La Dona
Thank you to my boyfriend for taking me to this place. My boyfriend is of Mexican heritage and since we've been dating, I avoided bringing up eating at Mexican restaurants because, let's face it, many "ethnic" food places in America change the traditional foods from their region to better fit the American cuisine. This is a crying shame for someone like me because I very much enjoy learning about and appreciating other cultures, especially when it comes to food. Well, I couldn't take it anymore, and I brought him some tacos from a local place that I know. He ate it, but right after he was done he looked at me and said "I'm going to take you to a real Mexican place." That's when he took me here and I fell in love with the food!!!!

2. The Wild Goose Meeting House
I learned about this place through my very good friend, Matt. He and I often used to go out and study at places on the weekends and one day he took me here. I've been back several times since then and it's one of my favorite little places to eat, drink tea, and study. The atmosphere here is so refreshing. Sometimes I just sit there and listen to the conversations around me (rude, I know), but I have yet to here a dull conversation. The people that visit this place have such personality, it's one of my top getaway places in the Springs.

3. Paravicini's Italian Bistro
Again, a special thank you to my boyfriend. He took me here for our first date. It was a bit pricey, but the food was fantastic! I can't speak to the authenticity of the food since neither myself or my boyfriend are Italian or have ever eaten genuine Italian food, but the food was still fantastic, will definitely be revisiting in the future.

4. Kura
This place was shown to me by my best friend, Jackie. I told her how much I love sushi and she took me here. She lived in Japan and knows what quality sushi is, so I definitely trusted her judgement and was not disappointed. I go to this place often, although a lot of my other friends don't like to go here because it isn't "all you can eat" (sigh). I know I can always count on my girl, Jackie, to come eat some good sushi with me!

5. Thai Mint
This place was shown to me by a family friend, Ashley. She took me here when I was a freshman at the Academy and hadn't had real food in a long time! It was very good! I go to this place a lot because the food is just awesome and the staff are super friendly, plus I love Thai tea and Pad Thai.

If you like to try new things, I definitely recommend trying one of these places! You won't be disappointed, but if you are, well that's the way the game goes, just get out there and look for a better restaurant! Possibilities to explore and try new cuisines are endless!