The Secret Garden

Local friends, Carla and Kathleen, invited us to a summer celebration at The Secret Garden, a fine dining catering service here in Lovely Ouray. The Secret Garden blends impeccable landscaping with delectable food offerings and makes for a truly magnificent dinning experience. In a day and age of instant meals and fast food, they are a breath of fresh air. Food preparation is an art form. It takes more than a culinary school diploma to do what they do; it's about creativity and instinct.


And what a lovely outdoor garden setting, with brilliantly colored flowers of all kinds to catch the eye… and Christmas lights.  

If there is one thing I like about Small-Town Colorado, it is that "casual attire" is a universal dress code. So we showed up in our basic hiking outfits (freshly laundered, of course)—smelling of a unique blend of soap and Coppertone—and fit right in with the Levis, cowboy hats, and polyester. 

Of course there was music, and even though the musician was no youngster, he really rocked it out.

Being somewhat "socially handicapped" when corralled with a group of people I don't really know, I went into "wallflower mode" and tried to more or less blend in with the landscaping… not an easy thing to do for a goofy looking six-three sunburned guy in black socks and sandals. 

But after my second (or third?) dose of Shiraz-Cabernet courage enhancer, I sprouted social butterfly wings—flitted out of the bushes and made cursory attempts at "mingling." But here's the deal with drinking while meeting a bunch of new people. You walk away remembering not one single name (sigh). So now I'll have to duck into stores that I neither belong, nor want to be when I see one of my new friends coming at me on Main Street.

"Hi Mark."
"Oh, hi… uh… hey, how ya do'in? That was some shindig Carla and Kat put on, eh? Oh, did you meet my wife, Bobbie? Bobbie this is… uh… uh… uuuhhhhh… you know, from the party…"

I hate that, but staying sober at a social event is not an option for some of us (sigh). 

Tony Rosario played a bass drum with his right heel, a tambourine with his left, the guitar with both hands… while chewing gum, smoking, and singing... all at the same time. Now that's talent :) I had forgotten his name, too, but looked it up on our Official Invitation that we RSVP'ed on.

We had a great group at our table, most from Ridgway it seemed. We got caught up on all the gossip from our sister city, stuff you wouldn't believe.

Anyway, a big thanks to Carla and Kathleen for a real gourmet experience! Next time, if there is one, I promise to drink three-two beer, remember everyone I'm introduced to, and eat only one desert instead of four.