Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Sustainable Table
The most interesting, tasty - and perhaps most overdue - movement in Colorado dining is
the general drift toward high-end farm-to-table cuisine. It's been a grass-roots movement
inspired by a widening interest and dependency on farmers markets as a whole. From May
(at the latest) until early October there are terrific weekly farmers markets in towns such as
Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Telluride, Vail and tiny Minturn - and that doesn't even scratch
the surface. It was only a matter of time before restaurants embraced the local breadbasket,
too.
The 'eat local' ethos is grounded in the philosophy made famous in Michael Pollan's
The
Omnivore's Dilemma:
that food loses both nutrients and flavor the further it has to travel.
In other words, food is always healthiest and most delicious when mileage is limited. Plus,
without huge distances to cover, it's (theoretically) cheaper, and untold pollution linked to
freight is mitigated.
The problem for food-producing states such as Colorado has long been that out-of-state
demand has trumped local dollars. For years much of the best-quality beef, lamb, pork and
vegetables left town. No more. Denver's Root Down, in the chic Highlands area, is one ex-
ample of a New American farm-to-table restaurant, and the Squeaky Bean is the city's
second-best option. In Boulder you can dine at Salt or Kitchen; Vail's Kelly Liken leans
heavily on local suppliers.
A FORK IN THE WILDERNESS
One Colorado dining experience could never be replicated in New York or Paris: the wilderness restaurant. In the
high country, there is many a hidden gourmet table accessed only by ski trail, a gondola trip, a sleigh ride or hike.
Your reward goes far beyond an appetizing plate and a bottle of wine. Picture a summit panorama, a roaring log
fire and the true hunger spawned by being out in the fresh mountain air.
Some of our favorites:
»
The Tenth (
Click here
)
»
Allreds (
Click here
)
»
Game Creek Restaurant (
Click here
)
»
Beano's Cabin (
Click here
)
»
Pine Creek Cookhouse (
Click here
)
»
Tennessee Pass Cookhouse (
Click here
)
