This is my review of the restaurants we went to on our recent trip to Colorado Springs and Breckenridge, Colorado. First of all, I have a few general comments. I was very pleasantly surprised by the beer selection on this trip. Most every place we went, (including bars on the mountain in Breckenridge), had a great selection which included several microbrews. This really made for a great trip - sampling great beers wherever we went. Colorado Springs: Old Chicago. This is a chain restaurant/bar. I liked the huge beer selection, with 3 sizes of beers (glass, pint, liter) available, we were able to sample a few without a problem. We each had a calzone (vegetarian and all meat) and both were quite good. They have pool tables, trivia and sports on the many monitors and other bar type entertainment. For a quick bite or a place to hang out and watch a game, I’d recommend this place. Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. - 2 East Pikes Peak Avenue. We just stopped in for a few beers, but the menu at this place looked fabulous. So good in fact, that I kept a copy. They serve lunch and dinner. A few items on the menu that caught my eye are: Hot Artichoke and Asiago Dip with Garlic Beer Bread and Veggies for dipping; Smoked Duet of Salmon and Trout served with Beer Bread, Capers, Onions and Cream Cheese; Crimini and Portabello Mushroom Pizza with Peppers and Jack Cheese on Black Olive Pesto; Pan Fried Trout with citrus Avocado Salsa; and many more.... On The Border - not sure of the address. Being a Southern California native, I was quite skeptical about eating Mexican food on this trip. On The Border was a pleasant surprise. The carnitas plate was super - great green chile sauce. The Chicken and Beef fajaita salads were great - the meat must be marinated for quite a while and it takes on a great mesquite flavor from the grill. The margarita selection was good, and they have specials nightly. Homemade tortillas added to a very pleasant meal. Craftwood Inn - 404 El Paso Blvd, Manitou Springs. We choose one nice restaurant to take our hosts out and spoil them. I chose the Craftwood Inn because it’s an historic site and because I was anxious to try interesting game dishes. The building was once a coppersmiths’s shop where the owner created beautiful pieces throughout the arts and crafts movement (the full explanation of the place was on the menu). We had a table by the fireplace which was quite cozy. We ordered two appetizers, both made from venison. The first was a venison carpaccio, served with corn and zucchini relishes, toast points and roasted garlic. It was pretty good, but nothing special compared with the rest of the meal. The second was venison roulades with artichoke hearts and a peanut, cilantro, chili sauce. This was excellent, we all agreed and scraped up every bit of this sauce - fabulous! We each ordered a different entree. Here’s a list of what we ordered: Medallions of European Red Stag with a juniper and lingonberry sauce; North American White Tail Dear with a chestnut - applejack glacee; Noisettes of Caribou with fresh rosemary, orange juice and cognac cream sauce; Grilled Loin of Wild Boar with red chili crepes, and green chili sauce. All four were great - the juniper/lingonberry sauce was my favorite; the Wild Boar had the most unique taste, the red chili crepes had a wonderful smoky taste; the Caribou was the most tender but the sauce was a little too subtle - hard to pick out the various flavors. The wine list was pretty good - they had lots of California choices as well as some imports. My only complaint is the lack of Pinot Noir choices (Pinot pairs well with most food and with such a unique menu this would be a good addition). We all shared one dessert, an award winner at some Colorado food fest - Jalapeno and White Chocolate mousse in a pastry crust with raspberry sauce. The mousse was too heavy/thick for our taste, the jalapeno added a unique rich flavor to an otherwise boring dessert. The port/sherry/single malt scotch selection wasn’t the greatest, but we made do. The service started out great, but by the end was very lacking. We understood why when the ONLY waitress started kindling the fire and filling the water glasses. It seems they only have three people working the floor at a time - bummer. I highly recommend this place to anyone who is curious about big game, there wasn’t a dud to be found! Breckenridge: Texas Bar B Que: On Main Street. What a great surprise. We chose this place because it was affordable, but what a great treat to find! We had a party of six and everyone left satisfied and happy! The ribs were excellent, as was the Pork Butt, baked beans,.... just about everything! The beer selection was super - and kept us happy. The wait for a table was a while - but there is one pool table next to the bar upstairs - which not many people know about and makes for a great time waster. The wait staff were friendly and they even refrained from charging us the obligatory %15 for our party of six and let us calculate ourselves. This is a great bargain for Breckenridge - the bill for all of us came to about $60 without tip. The Alligator Lounge - On Main Street. This little dive had great music! The beer selection was good too. We paid $5 cover, but it was well worth it. There were tourists and locals both hanging here. While we were there we heard Sugar "Blues Daddy" Bear who were great! The nightlife in Breckenridge seems to center around overpriced bars - this was a great find for those of us who enjoy good music! Rasta Pasta: On Main Street. Small, crowded, tasty place. Reggae playing, strange waiters waiting, excellent food cooking on the range. We choose this place for price and proximity to our hotel. We couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised. The menu has about 15 items on it. All are pasta, all are unique. Carribean flair added to spicy pasta dishes made for a great meal. Bread and salad are included in your meal and all are under $10! I’d recommend reservations - it’s worth it! Tokes and Joes: On Main Street. This was my favorite find of the trip. We asked the waiters at Rasta Pasta, where they would recommend for hanging out after dinner. They suggested we go across the street and warned us that most bars would be over crowded.... What a great choice. This place has two rooms. There is a wine/scotch bar with a humidor in the back for the cigar savvy. The next room has a full bar and three pool tables. The tables were rented by the hour ($5 during the slow time / $7 during rush hour) and we didn’t have to wait to have a table. It was a very relaxed and local atmosphere, but also very young. I had the feeling that there was some underage drinking going on - but to each his own - they looked like local kids. For those who enjoy a cigar and cognac but without the snobbery that sometimes is tacked onto the experience - this is a cool place.
Colorado