Florence,Colorado: Hardly A Tweet or Twitter

Oh my! Florence, Colorado is a beautiful little town, not far from the Arkansas River. It's the antiques capital of Colorado AND it is also home to many artists, craftsmen, authors, agricultural folks and many all-around talented people.

I've been operating on the theory that we have a multitude of talented people hiding out in Fremont County--the Royal Gorge Region, and particularly in Florence. In Florence, we have lots of public artwork. Great architecture. Great shops. Fantastic restaurants. And mostly friendly people.

And I'm not the only one who thinks this--and says it. And writes about it. OK, not that many people write about Florence. I occasionally work in an antiques mall--and I've heard hundreds of people from near and far--make the same comments I do.

Why just the other day a woman from Colorado Springs literally ran up to me and smiled and yelled,"I love Florence! Florence is my HAPPY place!"

Yes, Florence is MY happy place too. I was just talking to a friend who moved here from Colorado Springs last year. I moved here from the Springs (and Denver) a few years ago. We were talking about how when we moved here we thought we'd be in our beloved Colorado Springs and Manitou every week mourning the loss of culture, shopping, food and the bustle.

Not so, we both agreed. We still go to the big city every month or so--and love it. BUT we are happier in Florence than we ever thought. My friend said it's so quiet here. So peaceful. And I commented (as we were enjoying a world-class lunch at Ito's Japanese Restaurant on Main Street) that we had good restaurants and didn't need to run to Pueblo or the Springs that often to chow down.

OK, so Florence is great. All my friends here are transplants and we all talk about how cool it is is here. I speak to dozens of customers weekly about how they LOVE Florence--even if they are from Canon City or Westcliffe.

So, why when I go to Twitter--do I see less than 50 Tweets in the past six years about Florence?

Shocking!

We have our own hashtag. #FlorenceColorado

It turns out that I am the primary tweeter of Florence, Colorado. And I didn't plan it that way. So, come of everyone. Share the news about Florence on Twitter--or wherever. We shouldn't be hiding our lights under a bushel.

Who Says Antiques Can't Be Fun? ITO'S Japanese Restaurant

Who says antiques can't be fun? Hardly anyone I've ever known. Rather, working in an antiques mall can be fun.

This week--Confessions Of An Antiques Store Worker--is about a fun encounter I had recently.

A gentleman and his wife came into ye olde antique shop and announced they were from Woodland Park and come to Florence every six months or so, to find out what treasures there are.

But they hadn't been to Florence in over a year. It was a Monday and most every restaurant was closed. He said they were faint from hunger and could I recommend a place that was good--and, um, open.

Why yes I could! Ito's Japanese Steak House at 106 W. Main St. For those True Story Club readers that missed my review on Ito's, you may read it at: http://truestoryclub.blogspot.com/2015/04/eating-our-way-across-colorado-ito.html

                                      BENTO BOX AT ITO'S JAPANESE IN FLORENCE

The man found a book on an obscure subject in ye olde antiques mall that he thought he would never find in Florence, or most anywhere for that matter and then they went to Ito's.

The couple returned to ye olde antiques mall over an hour later and told me they came back just to tell me that Ito's was--FANTASTIC! And to thank me for the recommendation. My pleasure.

It turns out the lady had been a Japanese foreign exchange student many years ago--and was very familiar with authentic Japanese food. How did Ito's stack up? The miso soup--just like Japan!

She told me the owners of Ito's are actually Indonesian and they chatted about authentic Indonesian cuisine, and the lady from Woodland Park hopes they will add an Indonesian dish or two to the menu.

This couple, were world travelers. So I asked how this restaurant, tucked in a tiny, semi-isolated location stacked up. For those blog readers who missed my post--I asked one of my friends, also a world traveler, how Ito's stacked up. Here's that previous post: http://truestoryclub.blogspot.com/2015/05/what-first-time-visitor-thinks-of.html

The Woodland Park couple said they would be dragging every friend they knew to Ito's--it was that good. Actually the man said, "no dragging" would be involved after their friends ate at Ito's.

They marveled that such a world-class restaurant was in Florence. I didn't take offense. I knew exactly what he meant. Florence is a burg of about 3,900. But there is a lot of talent in this town, that is totally unexpected. NOT that we don't expect to find talent in small towns--we just don't expect such talent-based enterprises to get the attention (and revenue) they deserve due to a lower population base, and/or being located off a major thoroughfare.

This couple brought me a menu to thank me for helping them discover a jewel that not only was great in its own right--but also reminded them of their times in foreign countries.

I thanked them for the menu--and for reminding me about Ito's. It's been at least a month since I've been there--and that has to be remedied.

But here's something I did learn recently from another antiques dealer, who is a huge Ito's fan--Ito's makes a wicked green tea latte. My friend brought me one from Ito's--and yes, it was delicious!

Florence, Colorado: Makes National FOX News

On Oct. 13, we and an out-of-town guest, were sitting in one of our favorite restaurants (ITO'S  Japanese) on Florence's Main St. when we noticed someone with a huge video camera. Being the nosy (um, curious person) that I am, I left my shrimp tempura bento box behind for a moment and ran to the window.

I saw the fellow pack up his camera in an unmarked SUV, so we couldn't figure who was in town.

Apparently he was part of FOX News, because this morning the story about Florence was all over the national FOX News channel, and then on the local evening news.

The story was about Pentagon officials coming to Florence to scout SuperMax (and the state penitentiary) in Canon City to possibly relocate Gitmo prisoners.

Interesting.

I won't comment on the wisdom, or folly, of that possible action.

I will comment on the fact that it was nice to see Florence's lovely Main St. in some of the shots. There were shots of people strolling down the street and some glimpses of Spirit Riders, The Iron Gate Antiques Mall and Florence Flower Shop.

Yes, we are home to Supermax. But we are also the antiques capital of Colorado and home to some wicked awesome eateries. And it was nice of FOX News to interview someone on the streets of Florence and also to give a balanced picture of this town. Supermax AND charming shops and eateries.

Eating Our Way Across Colorado: ITO Japanese Steak House in Florence, Colorado

Yes, our goal here is to eat our way across Colorado and write about it. First on our tour of culinary delights is ITO Japanese Steak House, Sushi And Thai in Florence, Colorado.

OK, ITO's is less than a mile from our house--but it still qualifies as eating our way across Colorado.

ITO's opened in early Dec. of 2014 at 106 W. Main St. From my vantage point (across the street working at various antiques stores) with my binoculars focused on this restaurant or loitering on the streets of Florence because I have nothing better to do, I can honestly say there has hardly been a lull in business since opening day.

My husband and I have a tradition (on birthdays) of attempting to eat out three times on our birthdays. Since we are getting older, the tradition is down to two birthday meals eaten out. Oh, and I wonder why my waistline is just a touch out of control.

Anyway, since it was my husband's birthday we decided to make ITO's the twice-in-one day destination. It was just a few days after opening day, and many restaurants when newly opened have a few glitches to work out. Not so at ITO's. The food and service have been perfect from day one to the present.

After our second trip in one day, most of the staff chuckled and yelled, "See you tomorrow!" They weren't far off. We've been back several times and have never been disappointed.

Full disclosure. Japanese cuisine has never been among my favorites. And after ITO's--Japanese food is one of my favorites.

My husband has always enjoyed Japanese food, as it was part of his childhood. His parents are from the Big Island of Hawaii, where the Japanese culture and cooking is dominant. His mother is a pro at making sushi and other Japanese delicacies.

While I always enjoyed my mother-in-law's cooking (because my husband slipped me a $20 bill and an elbow nudge to the ribs and insisted I act like I adored sushi and other Japanese food his mother cooked) I never did enjoy it in restaurants, until ITO's.

Come on! I had Sicilian food in my childhood and we were the types who giggled if someone made a comment about someone making someone swim with the fishes--and not the types to eat raw fish.

Most of us know, sushi is not all about raw fish. It's about artistry and most of it is delicious.

But we got more hooked (no pun intended) on the bento boxes.

Oh, bento boxes. There's my husband attempting to put some soy sauce on his California roll.

I didn't order the bento box this visit, but I have a half dozen times before--so I snatched a roll and a dumpling (Gyoza) before he could object.

Mmm. Washabi. My husband likes to smear that over everything for a hot kick in the gums--so I had to snatch a few samples away before he did so.

This time around, he ordered the shrimp teriyaki box. Sweet ecstasy. You bet my fork was reaching for one of his shrimp.

On the left of the picture is the vegetable tempura. Years ago, in several of the many Japanese restaurants in California my husband drug, I mean took me to, I had bad experiences with tempura. The batter was thick and spongy. So, I was expecting the same here. Not so. The tempura is light and crunchy and cooked to perfection.

Everything is perfectly seasoned and fresh at ITO's.

The miso soup and salad come with the bento box. Delicious!

You'll notice my husband's shirt is different from the last picture. No, he didn't run to the restroom and make a change. We visit ITO's often and this review is based on many visits.

The tempura shrimp bento boxes are just as good as the teriyaki ones. Even the shrimp and vegetables look perky and artistic.

The fried rice in the bento boxes defies description. It is better than any fried rice I've tried in  any Chinese, Thai or other Japanese restaurants.

On one visit I tried the beef and Soba noodles. Soba is thin buckwheat noodles. The beef was melt-in-the-mouth tender. The noodles were cooked correctly and the sauce and vegetables were excellent.

ITO's also boasts a full-service bar and a huge selection of fresh seafood for the sushi and sashimi.

The menu at this Florence eatery is vast and complex, we have not yet scratched the surface of all the delicious offerings such as their hibachi menu or steak, lobster and other seafood. Hopefully I can get back to ITO's a couple of dozen more times and try all those things before I snap the elastic on my stretch pants.

ITO's has a good selection of ramen and Thai dishes. I tried the Pad Thai, which consisted of noodles stir fried with eggs, bean sprouts, green onions and crushed peanuts. I had the shrimp, but the Pad Thai may also be ordered with beef, chicken, vegetables or tofu.

For the freshness and quality of the food, the prices at ITO's are reasonable. Most lunches fall in the $6.95 to $9.95 range.

Dinners can range up to the high $20-range, but the dinner bento boxes are larger than the lunch offerings and range from $9.95 to $16.95.

ITO's get the True Story Club's highest rating: Four forks up! Or in this case, four chopsticks up!

 The rating system is: One fork up (call the health department). Two forks up (not bad, but my taste buds could be happier). Three forks up (quite delicious). Four forks up (beyond delicious). I wanted to base the rating system on the FORK YOU restaurant review system, but my husband told me I was naughty and this was a family-friendly blog. But recently I read something in a reputable local newspaper where a rubber duck derby was referred to as the CLUSTER DUCK. I immediately asked my husband if that meant what I thought it meant. He said yes. And he dared scoff at my initial FORK YOU system of rating restaurants. The man simply has no vision.

ITO's is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 to 9 and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 to 9:30. They are closed on Sundays.

The restaurant accepts cash and major credit cards, but no checks.



All restaurant meals that are reviewed are paid for by the blog owner. No restaurant owner or staff is informed that the restaurant will be reviewed or publicized. True Story Club NEVER accepts any type of compensation for writing about a restaurant or any other subject on this blog.

The blog owner is NOT a professional restaurant reviewer or photographer. (Like she needed to tell you that). The Fremont County Foodie is a pen name (among others) for the blog owner, who is a former newspaper reporter and magazine writer. She knows nothing about fine dining or cuisine and her only experience with fine dining was coming in third place when applying for a job as a restaurant reviewer at a major Colorado newspaper and when she slightly ticked off celebrity chef, Lidia Bastianich at her swanky Manhattan eatery, Felidia's. I guess that's what poor Lidia gets for allowing such riff-raff into her restaurant. If you dare, you can read about the Fremont County Foodie's total lack of manners and restaurant review qualifications in this blog post: http://truestoryclub.blogspot.com/2015/04/eating-my-way-across-colorado-fremont.html