This week has been a busy one. Last Tuesday night, I met a group of college friends for drinks at Forest Room 5. A couple days later, I scooped up creamy creme brulee with a friend at Capitol Hill’s Potager. And, today, I read that the beloved Mediterranean diet (olive oil, fresh produce, lots of fish) is more alive in fancy English restaurants than along the Southern European coast. Living a life of food is demanding. It’s constant movement and exploring. And, every time I think I’ve got a restaurant, recipe, or even cuisine pegged, I learn something that changes my perspective. I knew Forest Room 5 as a mojito destination. But on a busy night, my server told me, the bartender puts any drink that requires muddled mint after his long list of easily, pourable draft beers. Crème brûlée, my recipe collection implies, should be sweet, creamy, and room temperature. Yet so many restaurants, Potager included, serve it downright chilly in the center. And, Mediterranean food–well, that’s such a sad story, let’s leave it for another day. Each time one of these unexpected, new, or delightful experiences happens in the world of food, it sparks a question. Or if it’s really interesting, a conversation. Which is why we have created Tasting Notes. Once a week–or perhaps more, if I’ve been very hungry–I’ll share an insight into the world of food and dining. I may muse about Colorado iced teas or bad bar service, so that you can respond with your own stories and opinions–and we can carry on a discussion of the sort truly discerning foodies have.