I just got invited to become one with Denver's Yelp Elite Squad! Check out my reviews if you're interested. I travel a lot for work and I rely on Yelp to find the good food spots and am glad to share my finds for future out-of-towners. Finding the non-chain places adds an hour of adventure to my necessary on-the-road work. Joining this trend-setter group and following the popular crowd is not something I usually do but there are some pluses to being the leader in social circles.

1. Forces You to Explore
• I love trying new things. I've eaten raw quail egg, cooked donkey, fried chicken feet, and duck liver (froi gras). When you are the leader, if you say eww then those behind you will likely follow suit and stay away. If you try it, then you give the option to those behind you to make their own choice. It is encouraging to watch someone else try the unknown first and give other confidence to follow suit!
2. Describe in Detail
• You better quickly tell me why this is a 5-star place, especially if my first impressions walking in are not that great. Ambiance, quality, flavor, anything can make remove/add a star. Like if they deliver and it is soggy when you get to your room. Or the knowledge of the server on wine pairings. Maybe what you like isn't the same as others so you need to be specific about what drew you in or drove you away.
3. One time wonder or becoming a regular
• There are some coffee shops that are fun and then there are those that you return to again and again. If I travel and visit a place more than once, it is definitely a keeper. If you start being recognized and there is consistency in temperature and taste from visit to visit, they may earn a picture. :-) There is something really special about these places and my goal is to find them everywhere!

Thanks for visiting!