Restaurants

Golden, Colorado: Where the West Lives

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Since it is in our backyard, we decided to visit the Golden History Center, Astor House and the Clear Creek History Park.  The Golden History Center is located off of 10th and Cheyenne Street in downtown Golden and has lots of historical artifacts dating from the Gold Rush to present day.

Founded during the Gold Rush in 1859, Golden had grown from a dusty mining camp to the capitol of the Colorado territory from 1862 until the capitol seat was moved to Denver in 1867.  The first Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil was found near Golden, it is home to Buffalo Bill’s grave and museum and of course home to the largest single-site brewery on earth, Coors.

During Prohibition beer production stopped and Coors started new lines of business to keep their employees working. Coors began producing porcelain dishes and malted milk, which they sold mainly to Mars candy company.

After visiting the history museum we crossed over Clear Creek and headed to the Astor House.  It was originally built in 1867 and was the original hotel in Golden, serving patrons from miners to Territorial Legislators who met nearby.  In its later years it turned into a boarding house and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Astor House stayed in continuous operation as a boarding and rooming house until 1971.  It has now been restored to it’s late 1800’s historic charm and truly is a walk in the past.  It had one of the first bathtubs in town and for $0.25 a traveler could take a hot bath; I am sure it was appreciated.  From the pull chain toilet to the water pump sink in the kitchen that still works, it is a must see.

A short walk behind the Astor House is the Clear Creek History Park.  This park encapsulates Pioneer life as it was in the 1800’s.  The winters were harsh, life was tough and it took sheer will to survive.  Some of the restored structures that are on display were moved from nearby areas of Golden and ranches outside of town.  There is a schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, cabins, barns and even a root cellar.  On select days there are costumed interpreters who help bring the area to life.  The park is about a block from Washington St, so it is another one for the list if you’re in Golden.

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Our walk through Golden’s history would not be complete without a stop at the Old Capitol Grill, one of Colorado’s most historic buildings and best restaurants.  It served as the capitol building to the Colorado Territory and was home to some of the first legislative sessions, until the move to Denver.  Over the years, the building has held many different businesses.  The Colorado School of Mines had early college sessions here, Colorado Central Railroad had offices inside and it served as a mercantile until 1971.  Ok, enough history, it’s time to eat.  K ordered the fish and chips and I had the Buffalo Melt, and both were very good.  I complimented my Buffalo with a Coors Batch 19, which is a pre-prohibition style lager, only available in select cities.  A true sports bar atmosphere in the original Capitol of the Colorado territory: Awesome.

Golden, CO: Home of the 2 Hour Vacation —> www.2hourvacation.com

Steamboat Springs

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“Well, when I was your age, I walked 4 miles…uphill…in the snow, just to get an elk loin steak….”

As most people do, the majority of our Christmas was spent eating…a lot of eating.  So, it was time to head out to Steamboat Springs and burn off a few of those festive calories.  Steamboat is a hip western ski town that has plenty of entertainment for the entire family.  Skiing, shopping, and relaxing in the hot springs are just a few activities that the town has to offer.

Just outside of Steamboat, there are lots of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling trails.  Snow levels in many parts of Colorado are currently about 30% lower than normal.  However, the Steamboat area has more snow than many of the neighboring ski towns, so it was a good choice for our day of snowshoeing.  We decided to spend our afternoon at the dog friendly trail, Fox Curve Loop.  It is just a few short miles from town on Rabbit Ears Pass/Buffalo Creek.  Fox Curve Loop is a 4 mile trail that provides some variable terrain…downhill, through the meadow, over the creek, up the mountain and through the woods.  There is no shortage of beautiful snowy scenery.  It was a fun and exhilarating hike, but at the finish line Furry B was ready to warm up from the breezy 28F temps.

At the hotel, the clerk was kind enough to provide a recommendation for dinner….Ore House at the Pine Grove.  We were the first diners in the door and ready to eat.  The Ore House is located in a 100 year old barn that was renovated in the 1970s and is full of western pictures and artifacts.  It is the oldest restaurant in town…and I’m guessing one of the busiest too.  In true western fashion, J ordered the peppercorn Elk Loin and I chose the Steak Bits.  All entrees include the salad bar, bread and cinnamon rolls (yes, cinnamon rolls!), and choice of potato – their specialty is the House Potato, which is shredded red potato rolled into a ball and fried, and then covered in a warm cheese sauce.  Trust me, order it!  This was one of the best dining experiences since arriving in Colorado.  The dinner was delicious…fresh salad, tender and flavorful steak, and the sides were divine.

However, the true test of restaurant greatness is of course dessert. At many restaurants desserts often look great, but the taste rarely lives up to their gourmet look.  So here it goes…Brownie Fudge Sundae please.  And then it arrives at the table…an extra large warm brownie (corner piece) covered in fudge sauce with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream garnishing this delicious ensemble.  Heaven on a plate and angels dancing on my tongue!

If you are ever in Steamboat Springs, Ore House at the Pine Grove is a must eat!!

Before saying our goodbyes to Steamboat, we drove downtown to visit F.M. Light & Sons clothing store.  Walking into the store, one takes a step back in time.  This historic store opened in 1905 and still uses many of the same display cases from when it originally opened.  Western clothing, boots, and Stetson hats fill the store.  Take a few minutes and read the fascinating story of this store’s humble beginnings: History of F.M. Light & Sons.

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Pizza on Ice

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We love the mountains….but this weekend we decided to enjoy the Christmas lights and winter festivities of the city.  Downtown Denver was calling our name.  We enjoyed an evening of twinkling lights, awesome pizza and ice-skating.

The 16th Street Mall was our destination and first stop was Mellow Mushroom for the Mellowteranean pizza – loaded with chicken, roasted red peppers, mozarella, feta and tzatziki sauce for dipping.  Mellow Mushroom is a national chain with a local feel. Their pizza story began on Spring Street in Atlanta, GA over 30 years ago. With now over 100 locations nationwide — if you are craving a good pizza in a unique atmosphere….look them up, I bet there is one near you.

After a great dinner, we were ready to brave the cool night air and try out the skating rink just around the corner.  The Southwest Rink at Skyline Park is definitely a popular Denver attraction and free to the public.  Under the Christmas lights and enjoying the music from the live band, we skated the night away….

Yak and Yeti

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We have passed this unique looking building many times and said we wanted to try it, well, we finally did last night. This is an Indian/Nepalese restaurant with the owner hailing from a small village in Nepal at the foot of the Himalayas.  Check out the website – http://www.yakandyeti.com/arvada – there is some cool history behind the building and it is supposed to be haunted… 

The first time I had Indian food was in another country, but it wasn’t India.  It was in Moscow, Russia and I loved it.  We also had a good place in Algeria we went to once or twice when we were not locked on compound.  I have to hand it to K, she has an open mind for trying new things.  She got the buffet and I had the Chicken Tikka Masala, which is one of my favs.  I think she tried everything on the buffet and the only thing she really liked was the chicken soup, ha.  As you know, Indian food is full of many different spices and can have a little heat to it.

They also brew their own beer on site, which turned out to be pretty good.  I had one of their India Pale Ales and an AbominAle, both were very good.  I know some of you are saying, “have you ever had a beer you didn’t like?”, well actually, I had one of their ChocoWheat beers, which I did not care for…  So, next time you come visit and your in the mood for something different, Yak and Yeti it is!!