Since I will be spending so much time up here over the next six months or so, I thought I would start a thread for restaurants up here. I will add to it as I find restaurants of note, in either a good or a bad way.

Mike

A relatively new restaurant up here that has received a lot of buzz. There is an extreme shortage of good Mexican restaurants in the mountains, so a new one is always worth a visit.

They advertise themselves as the "True Elegance of Guadalajara in the Heart of Dillon." That was my first clue that this is not a taco and burrito kind of place. However, being Locals Appreciation Week, they are offering 50% off all entrees, which presents a thrifty way to try the restaurant.

I showed up without a reservation at 6:30. I figured it would not be a problem. Since mud season is here, the tourists are not, and even many of the locals have skipped town for warmer climates. Besides, I am only a party of one, how hard could it be to get me seated?

My first clue: the hostess said "we are all out of tables except for the very large ones. Would you like to have a seat in the bar since you are by yourself? We can bring you a dinner menu in there, if you like." Um, no. Strike one, and I will be happy to take the smallest table still available.

Quite the attitude on her part, as she gave a heavy sigh and asked me to follow her. As I look around the restaurant is maybe three quarters full. Most of the tables are four tops, with two people sitting at them. So I don't feel too bad about asking for a table. "Is this table OK sir?" Wow, a two top. With two empty two tops next to it. And one two top with another lone diner. I bit my tongue, after all, I am on vacation and trying to relax.

A very fancy decor, a mix of Baja and old Mexico. No black velvet paintings here. Very attractive, they obviously put a lot of money into the restaurant. A view to the east, across Highway 6, towards the Continental Divide. Well, OK, there would be if not for the blowing snow and low hanging clouds. I could be in Ohio for the lack of view. Quite the dichotomy between the warm tones and tropical feel to the restaurant, juxtaposed with the falling snow outside.

At first glance, the menu looks pretty good. Should I go with the puree of black been soup with lime crema and shrimp fritters ($7) or the clam chowder with chorizo ($8)? My decision is made when the couple next to me (at a four top...) starts raving about the black bean soup, which they both ordered.

Ah, here is Jennifer. I will take the House Margarita (Cuervo Gold for $6) with no salt. Next, a bus boy brings my basket of chips and some salsa. While a relatively mild salsa, it was obviously homemade, and very fresh.

For my entree, I order the filet with Mexican truffles, on a bed of Oaxaca cheese mashers, smothered in wild mushrooms and a red wine butter reduction sauce ($25). Hardly Mexican sounding, but it sure did sound good on a snowy night. And by the way, do you have a copy of the menu on paper? I would like to take a copy home to my wife." It seems like she would enjoy the restaurant, with nine different fish entrees and eight different meat entrees. "Sure, no problem. They are upstairs in the office, but I will get one for you."

The margarita finally comes. Pretty large in size, but it has salt on the rim. I did not even get upset about it, nor bring it to the attention of Jennifer. After all, that is what straws are for in a fancy restaurant, right?

The chips and salsa go pretty quickly once the margarita arrives. But no refills. Did anybody else ever notice that the small, family-owned Mexican restaurants replace your chips before they are half gone, and continue to bring new baskets on a regualr basis, while the expensive Mexican restaurants make you beg for more? Not worth begging, bite tongue and let it go.

The soup seems to be taking an extraordinarily long time to come. With the chips and salsa gone, I spend most of my time looking out the windows at the snow. But when my attention turns back inside, I see somebody at the next table making something tableside. What is that? Ah, they are making the salsa tableside. Patrons must be friends of the owner. Sure looks good though.

Then the waiter moves on to three other tables within view and prepares the salsa tableside. Dang, I wish I had that waiter instead of Jennifer. Where is she anyway, and where is my soup? Oh, there she is, two tables behind me. Making salsa fresh at tableside. Before I can get her attention, she moves to the next table and makes the salsa tableside.

Not worth watching that anymore, need to stay calm. The next time I see Jennifer, here comes my entree. "Well, I guess this means I am not getting my soup, doesn't it?" She is very sorry, but I can see the way this is going, so I decide to pass on it. The entree is very good, though hardly with any Mexican flourishes. Jennifer disappears again.

When she next returns, she asks if she can bring me my check. Not even an offer of dessert, though I would not have ordered any. "I will take the check, and can you get me that menu copy?" "Oh sure, I already went upstairs and got it for you. I will be right back."

Of course, she is not right back, but eventually she returns. With the check in hand, no menu. "Can I get that menu copy?" "Oh yeah, I forgot it, I'll be right back."

You can guess the rest. She never returned except to bring me my change. I waited 10 minutes after that, and still no menu. Finally, I leave 10% tip (10% of the reduced bill,not the full price bill) and walk out. Of course, as I am walking out, the hostess is there. She looks up and starts to say something, but stops herself when she sees who it is. She looked back down, and did not say a word.

Based on this visit, you will not be surprised that I do not recommend the restaurant. However, I may give it another chance in the future. The food was very good, but the service was atrocious. Maybe the next time it will be better. If there is a next time.

Mike

Sorry you got wound up instead of unwinding. Try a few runs in the morning and hope that the kinks work themselves out.

While we have had some snow last night and tonight, there is not enough to make it worthwhile...yet. I still have my hopes up for the week though. A Basin is listed as SP conditions right now, so I want a dump first, if it all possible. Thanks for the passes though.

Mike

great story, i can just imagine Jennifer the waitress saying "gee thats a small tip" and then remembering the paper copy of the menu you asked for numerous times.

oh well maybe next time will be better

if you get a chance to ski if i remember how to spell it correctly there was a black diamond run called PALAVACINI which runs right down the front face of the mountain that is sure to excite you. enjoy colorado

rich

zinner, I doubt she would even remember based on Mike's narration!!!

Zinner:

Not sure of the spelling, but I do know Pauly. Not that I like Pauly, you understand. IIRC, it is about 4 foot wide, on about a 92 degree vertical, or something like that.

Now that I think about it, the last time I was at A-Basin, I blew out my right knee on the West Wall. Ah, the memories.

Mike

yep, thats the run

i think it's pronounced "pala va chini" but not sure on the spelling either

it is very narrow and straight down with a few twists thrown in for extra measure

have a great time

rich

The actual spelling is Palivacinni. The owners have trail maps for all of the Summit County resorts framed on the wall.

Now, to go rehang the "artwork."

Mike

It was hard to believe, but it actually was not snowing at dinner time tonight! Time for another excursion.

I decided to go to downtown Frisco and go to the Blue Spruce Inn, a restaurant I had not been to for a few years. However, they were closed for some remodeling, a common occurrence during mud season.

But what did I see? A new wine bar, just a block and a half east of the Moose Jaw. Being a Moose Jaw kind of town, this new place stuck out like a sore thumb. But I had to try it.

While talking to my waitress, Christine, I found out they just opened three weeks ago Monday. Being that this is the dead time of year, it seems curious. However, at least it would give them a chance to get any kinks worked out before the tourists arrive again over Memorial Day weekend.

For a Colorado wine bar, this place was very reasonable. Most wines were priced 1-1/2 to 2 times retail, which is pretty reasonable for here. The wine list was pretty eclectic, to say the least. Most all of the wines were the recent vintage, or at most another vintage or two older. Being Frisco, there were no bottles priced at more than $70 on the list. While the list was weak in some areas, usually because of vintage conditions, it was far broader than I would have ever expected. My guess is there were 100-150 selections by the bottle, and about 25 available by the glass.

They also have a wine cellar on site, roughly 10 by 10 by 12 feet high, complete with VintageView racking. That gives me some comfort as to storage conditions for wines that do not turn very fast.

The wine bar was a very comfortable enviornment. Everything from regular four top tables, to leather chairs around coffee tables, to a couple of long bars for fraternizing with the other customers. Wood floors throughout, tons of brickwork, a wall of windows facing to the north and east, etc. A very classy, if dark, environment.

I ordered the artisan sausages from the menu for $8. It consisted of three different sausages and mustards: Veal, pheasant and Spanish chorizo sausages, with stone ground, dijon, and champagne mustards. The sausages were also covered with a Cornichon relish, served on a plate with six indentations, so every ingredient had its own home.

The only small glitch was when a different server brought my plate out. He did tell me the three different sausages, but I had to ask what kind of mustards were on the plate. Certainly not a crime, but I do think it is something they should volunteer.

Consider the food to be like that at a small plate restaurant. This is not a place for a large, rib-sticking meal, but merely accompaniments/appetizers to enjoy with your wine.

All of the sausages were very interesting, and very good, though I admit to laughing to myself about the Spanish chorizo sausages, which looked like the little one inch long weenies served at low class establishments. They did not, however, taste low class.

The wine I ordered was a 2001 Peter Lehman Barossa Valley Shiraz. A little bit too much oak for my tastes, but certainly acceptable at $5 per glass and $21 per bottle. It did not, however, pair well with the mustards. I did decide to order a second glass after the sausages were gone, and despite the heavy handed oak, it was an acceptable (restaurant) value.

Overall, a very nice place. It would be a fun place to go to with a few people, or as a romantic little get away. I think I will try that later this summer.

Mike

The search for a good Mexican restaurant in Summit County continued last night. Upon recommendation of some locals, I ventured over to the Old Dillon Inn for dinner last night.

The original structure of the restaurant is believed to be 130-140+ years old, nobody seems to know for sure. Of course, it has been added on to since then. In addition, the structure was originally located at the original townsite of Dillon. It was disassembled piece by piece and relocated to Silverthorne when old Dillon was flooded, and the original townsite now lies at the bottom of Dillon Reservoir.

(Arapahoe Cafe in new Dillon has a similar history, having also been disassembled and relocated when old Dillon was flooded).

Think of the place as a honky tonk bar, that just happens to serve Mexican food. Well, a honky tonk bar that also has big screen TVs. You walk through the bar to get to the restaurant seating.

I ordered a combo plate, consisting of a beef taco, bean burrito, and cheese enchilda, with frijoles and Mexican rice also included. Chips and salsa were provided, of course. The chips were very fresh, the salsa not particularly hot. Maybe a slight excess of cilantro, but the tomatoes were very fresh. I would have preferred it to be hotter (I think of hot as a food group), but it was still acceptable.

My first glance at the plate had me worried: they served everything with a red sauce, instead of green.

The taco was pretty good, stuffed with almost too much ground beef. The only small complaint is the amount of cheese, which was hardly noticeable.

The bean burrito was acceptable, if somewhat bland. The paste was a little too smooth, and seemingly without any spices to jazz it up. The frijoles and Mexican rice also seemed a bit bland.

The cheese enchilada was good. A nice mix of cheeses, and stuffed to the gills.

The quantity of food was certainly there, but a little bland. And I do prefer to have everything smothered in a green sauce, as opposed to the slightly ponderous red sauce they used.

Another small issue: It was quite apparent that after arranging the food on the plate, the kitchen nuked the entire plate. This was obvious from the tell-tale crispiness on the edges of the burrito and enchilda tortillas.

Service was certainly acceptable for a bar/restaurant.

The entire check came to $16, including tip and one Cuervo Gold margarita (no salt, $4.50).

Overall rating of acceptable, only given its mountain location. Probably two stars on a five star scale if it were in the city. As bad as that is, it is still the best Mexican I have had up here. Which just means I have to eat Mexican food before coming up to the mountains, not when I am here.

Saturday plans: Alpenglow Stube, with Mr. and Mrs. davidandrose.

Mike

Guess I never did keep this thread up. But per the request of SG, here is the PM I sent him on Breck/Keystone dining for anyone headed out this way.

Quote:

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Some to consider. Be aware that though prices are mountain prices, there are no restaurants in Breck that I would consider high-end fine dining, though you will have some very good meals.

Cafe Alpine - I had an extremely poor experience there maybe 5-6 years ago, and swore I would never go back. But others I know rave about it. Ameircan cuisine (steaks, maybe game and lamb, etc.).

The Cellar - small plate mostly, very good. Likely the most reasonably priced wine list in the county. Join their "club" (can't remember the name). If the deal is the same as in the spring and summer, pay $50 and get an instant $50 gift certificate, and 10% off everything after that. Good for a year.

Hearthstone - my fav in Breck. Small place in an old Victorian house, romantic. Reasonably priced wine list too. One block off main on Ridge at 1st or 2nd.

None will compare with Splendido, but all should be very good.

If you get into Keystone:

Alpenglow Stube: If you want romance, are willing to pay for it, and willing to get a bit cold. Have to ride two chair lifts, it is at the top of one of the mountains. Price of the lift included with price fixe menu. You will be greeted with slippers at the door. And riding the chairlift at night is a unique experience (like a chairlift on the moon). I think about $100 per plus wine, wine list expensive. Food was worth it for us, wine list less so. But great for the romance (we went with David and Rose of davidandrose, last summer I think).

Ski Tip Lodge: Near Montezuma. The locals favorite for high end. Price fixe, expensive wine, in a Victorian-type house. Unfortunately, I have not yet eaten there.

Keystone Ranch: Log "cabin" on Keystone Ranch golf course. Cuisine the same as the two above, wine also expensice, but a great experience. I have not been for a number of years, though Jill went last year and had a great meal. Some others I know (including JimmyV) have had spotty experiences. If you go, retire to the lodge after for some port, and a cigar if you so choose. But go there after even if you do neither of the above.

All three of these are run by the resort. Darn good, maybe not worth the money food wise, but worthwhile for the experience. Keystone is not too far from Breck.

Also, check the Summit Daily News (free paper in town). Oftentimes these restaurants will run specials in the slow times (January is one of those). In the summer they are often two for one, though I doubt they would run those in the winter.

Depending how long you are staying, consider a breakfast place too. Drawing a blank on the name right now, it is a log cabin at the intersection of SR9 (the road to Breck) and Swan Mountain Road (maybe 7-8 miles north of Breck). I think it may be the Swan Mountain Inn. Great breakfasts, spectacular brunches on Sundays.

There is a great bakery in Breck on Ridge (one block off main). Might be Breck Bakery, not sure. Easy to find, all the locals know it.

For a lunch, consider the Horseshoe II. In town on Main, Nothing fancy, food is average, but ask for a seat on the deck upstairs if the weather cooperates (looking at the ski slopes).

Need more info? PM me here, email me at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, or call me at work, xxxxxxxxxx or xxxxxxxxxxx. I will even be in on Tuesday.

Cell, which I often do not have with me, is xxxxxxxxxx. I can always return your call.

Mike

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Numbers available upon PM request for anyone headed out this way.

Moo

Hearthstone is probably the best restaurant we've been to in Breckenridge.

Another one of our favorites is called Top of the World in a hotel/resort halfway up Baldy mountain. (the mountain on the other side of the town of Breckenridge from the ski trails) You have to take Hwy 9 away from Frisco through Breckenridge and turn left at the light where the gas station is on the right. (just past Breckenridge Brewery) You then follow a windy road halfway up until you get to a resort (don't recall the name) with a wooden sign hanging from large pine logs. The wine list is ok, the food is nice, but there is an outdoor patio with absolutely fantastic views of the town and ski trails.

If you want pizza, don't go to Downstairs at Eric's, unless you have kids. There's a small, Italian place (again, I don't recall the name) kitty korner from Downstairs at Eric's that has much better pizza.

Finally, there's a restaurant across from Briar Rose (up the street from the previously mentioned Italian place) that's fairly new I believe. (again, I don't recall the name) The wine list had a lot of very good wines. The food was overpriced and bland, but if you want a nice bottle of wine--this might be your place.

Breakfast at the Blue Moose by Breckenridge Brewery.

Cheap eats and lots of it at Rasta Pasta.

Breckenridge Brewery makes some of my favorite beer although the food is bar food.

T

Hi all...

The Cellar in Breck is owned by the same people as Samplings in Frisco.

Giampetro's is the pizza place, and yes it's the best in town. (Full disclosure... our friends own the restaurant)

Briar Rose has been there for years. Would not recommend.

We also like Rasta Pasta for take out. DYOWAH! Low prices.

Swan Mountain Inn... closed. It's now an office.

Relish - located in the Riverwalk area (formerly Pierre's) - New restaurant, good food, resaonable prices ok wine list.

Jon