Mountain-Top Dining in Colorado

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Are you ready for the highest foodie experience in the US?  Colorado truly is a magical state and you won't want to miss these great places to dine while you are there.  You may want to bring your binocularsArticle credit:  Colorado.com staff writer; January 22, 2018

With our snow-drenched valleys, charming ski towns and cozy mountain resorts, it’s hard to deny: Wintertime is magical in Colorado. Continue the experience well into the evening with dinner at one of these alpine restaurants, which can be reached by sleigh ride or gondola.

ALPENGLOW STUBE

Hop on Keystone’s gondola and glide above snow-dusted trees and powdery runs all the way to the top of North Peak, where you’ll find this secluded AAA Four-Diamond restaurant. The open dining room feels formal and casual all at once, outfitted with white tablecloths, softly glowing lights, colossal log support-beams and antler chandeliers, while the extravagant prix fixe menus showcase contemporary Bavarian cuisine.

RAGNAR’S

What’s a Steamboat winter escape without a little “dashing in the snow”? Bundle up for the trip to this casual restaurant, which includes a nighttime gondola trip, followed up with a snow cat-drawn sleigh ride beneath starry skies. The restaurant’s simple décor sets the scene for homey Scandinavian fare, such as succulent beef filet or flaky puff pastry smothered with seafood and brandy cream sauce.

ALLRED’S RESTAURANT

Oh, you wanted a table with a view? Try sweeping vistas of steep, jagged mountains covered in snow — a scene that comes standard at this mountain-top restaurant, accessible only by gondola above Telluride. Filling, wilderness-inspired dishes like elk short loin and wild salmon are sure to satisfy after a long day of skiing and snowboarding.

GAME CREEK

If anything can make a night feel special, it’s exclusivity. This private facility in Vail’s Game Creek Bowl is normally reserved for members only, but at night, the restaurant opens to the public. It’s just a gondola and a snow cat ride away to reach this internationally influenced dining destination, nestled among towering evergreens.

CLOUD NINE ALPINE BISTRO

A cozy cabin tucked away in Aspen’s snowy mountains, Cloud 9 harnesses all the charm of a Swiss chalet — only instead of the Alps, you’ll get picture-worthy views of Colorado’s famous Maroon Bells. Ride the snow cat here and nosh on warm fondue, flaky strudel and thick European stew.

ZACH’S CABIN

More “mountain chateau” than “quaint cabin,” this expansive Avon eatery features icicle-adorned eaves, blazing fireplaces, rustic log furniture and exposed beams. To get here, take a snow cat-drawn sleigh ride (naturally) and spend the evening indulging in French-influenced dishes made from tender meats, fresh seafood and gourmet vegetables.

Four Food Trends to Savor in San Fransisco

Article found in National Geographic Travel Magazine; Eat It San Fransisco; Alanna Hale From upscale dining halls to cocktail lounges, here's how to eat your way around the bay.

  1. Healthy Cafes - Seed and Salt is among several area kitchens taking local and organic to new levels.  The clean-eating spot in the Marina district features plant-based, gluten-free bites like the popular veggie burger - a blend of beets, walnuts, oentils, and mushrooms.  A former fine-dining exec co founded Hayes Valley's Little Gem, a destination for veggie bowls and flatbreaeds free of dairy and refined sugar.  Michelin-starred Al's Place spotlights seasonal produce and fermented eats in the Mission district, dishing up meat items as sides.
  2. Fresh Food Halls - The three-floor culinary emporium China Live debuted this year, bringing an Asian tea cafe, a restaurant with cooking stations, and an eight-course fine-dining venue to Chinatown.  Last August the Tartine Bakery team opened Tartine Manufactory, a 6,000-square-foot Mission production space and dining hall.  The chic outpost houses a coffee counter, ice-cream bar, and restaurant.  In the Castro, the Myriad is a neighborhood market hall and entertainment stop with pinball machines, comedy shows, and game nights.

  3. Cocktail Dens - Local chefs are shaking things up with cozy cocktail lounges tucked inside restaurants.  After Liholiho Yacht Club's 2016 James Beard nomination, its owner unveiled Louie's Gen-Gen Room in the Club's basement.  The tavern serves tropical drinks and highbrow pub snacks, including a rotating waffle selection.  Expect cocktails, champagne, and seafood at the Hideaway, a Financial District retreat inside Leo's Oyster Bar.  At Union Square's Benjamin Cooper, above 398 Restaurant, a spirited cocktail menu gets updated weekly.
  4. Modern Mexican -  Dogpatch neighborhood's Glena's opened in February introducing seasonal tacos, tortas, and crispy churros.  Over a Cow Hollow, Flores offers family-inspired recipes, corn tortillas made daily, and playful

    drinks - including rum-based Tostiloco served with crushed corn chips on the rim.  Mexico City chef Gabriela Camara chose Hayes Valley for her first U.S. restaurant, Cala.  Dine on local produce and seafood in the hip main cafe, or get casual lunch-hour tacos and aguas frescas from the adjacent Tacos Cala.