Best Coffee in Winter Park, Colorado

Best Cup of Joe in Winter Park, CO

Coffee, it seems to be every man’s early morning addiction. It makes the morning a little better, a little warmer and cleans the cobwebs out of the noggin’.  Well, we have a few caffeine dealers here in Winter Park, CO and we thought we would share Winter Park Lodging Company’s favorites place to get a steaming hot cup of coffee.

Sooo, here is the top three list of best places to get a cup of coffee in Winter Park, CO.  These are in no particular order:

Rocky Mountain Roastery is one of the local shops here in WP and is a favorite of the WPLCo girls.  The Roastery has two stores one in Winter Park and the other down the road in Fraser (this store is the locals choice).  Here is what the Roastery has to say about themselves:

Rocky Mountain Roastery and Coffee Company was founded in 1993 in Fraser, Colorado, near the famous Winter Park ski resort. Since then we have become known for our unique high mountain roasting process, which allows more flavor to develop in each bean we roast. Each batch is slow roasted by hand at 8,550 ft. to ensure that your coffee is the very best it can be. We are family owned and operated business and always strive to outperform your expectations. We guarantee that you will love this coffee, or simply return it for an exchange or full refund!

RMR offers a $1 cup of coffee if you bring your own cup.  Great deal but they do charge for wireless internet.

Mountain Grind is another local choice and they are headquartered in Winter Park at The Cooper Creek Square.  Serving great coffee, fudge and creamy Italian gelato.  Lots of food items and serving beer, liquor and wine.  Here is what Mountain Grind has to say about themselves:

Come see Mountain Grind for free unlimited wifi, breakfast, lunch, dessert, coffee, or catering and treat yourself to something special! Visit us fountainside at Cooper Creek Square. You’ll love Winter Park’s friendliest (and lots more) coffee shop!

Lastly we have Starbucks.  Two locations in the Winter Park/Fraser area.  One at the Winter Park Resort Village and the other at Safeway in Fraser.  I won’t go on as anyone who drinks coffee and most who don’t have been into a local Starbucks.

Wakeup! Have a cup of coffee.

Thanksgiving in Winter Park, CO

Winter Park Resort Thanksgiving

Looking to spend turkey day Thanksgiving,  up in the high country of Colorado?  Well look no further for in Winter Park, Colorado Thanksgiving is a dream come true.

A Thanksgiving getaway throws some vacationers and skiers off because there is a choice to be made between turkey, skiing and football.  Well, you can have it all ways at Winter Park Resort and Devil’s Thumb Ranch.

The best of both worlds is to dig into a turkey and the trimmings in ski country after a good day on the snow. Thanksgiving will fall just four days before a full moon, so if you dine someplace with a view and the sky is clear, you may get the bonus of silvery snow and mountain-scapes bathed in moonbeams.

Sunspot, pictured above with a full moon, offers a dazzling spread of all that is Thanksgiving.  Take a gondola ride up the Winter Park slopes and get million dollar views of the continental divide and the Fraser Valley.

At the Ranch House Restaurant just 10 min up the road  at Devil’s Thumb Ranch a traditional Thanksgiving dinner can be expected with a modern twist.  The Ranch House is a 1930 original homestead with stunning views of the Indian Peaks Wilderness.  The food here is exquisite and will be the talk of future Thanksgiving for years to come.

One option for visitors who can’t miss Thanksgiving Day football is to have dinner delivered to their condo.  Or make a trip to City Market or Safeway and make up your Thanksgiving meal as you would at home.

Whatever your desire for a Thanksgiving up in the Colorado Rockies is make sure to let Winter Park Lodging Company take care of your lodging needs.  WPLCo is offering a Thankgiving/Ski season kickoff sale trough August 2010:

Our Ski Season Kick-off Sale offers you 20% savings at any of our Winter Park vacation rentals, including at ski-in/ski-out condos, down town cabins & homes or any other vacation rental you desire. Get ready for the skiing and snowboarding fun to begin in Winter Park! The 2010/2011 ski season is fast approaching, come to Winter Park to help us celebrate.

Thanksgiving/Ski Season Kick-off Sale Details:

• Stay with Winter Park Lodging Company between Nov 16th and Dec 16th, 2010
• Enjoy 20% savings on your entire stay.
• Offer expires August 31st, 2010
• Call 877-328-1383 or email us to take advantage of these savings

Winter Park, CO Breakfast

Sharky’s Grill Winter Park/Fraser, Colorado

I had a chance to finally get out on a weekend morning try the local eatery Sharky’s Grill after a early morning mountain bike ride.  I have been meaning to head over and try Sharky’s after several people had told me they have great green chili and a killer breakfast burrito. And I now whole heartedly agree.

I wrote a piece about Winter Park breakfasts and specifically breakfast burritos about a year ago.  There were a couple of comments on that blog about not including Sharky’s on the five best list and I said I would check them out.  Well about nine months later I have finally had a breakfast at a restaurant in the area (2 year old twins seem to make restaurant trips not so fun).

Anywho, after a day biking with Ed Raegner, Mike Ayers and Dr. Steve up on the Broken Thumb and Twisted Ankle trails back behind old Idlewild ski area Ed and I were able to have a bite at Sharky’s.  I had the special, a chorizo breakfast burrito, and Ed had corn beef and hash.  Ed’s looked very good and my burrito was just awesome.  Big, spicy and topped with fresh avocado, sour cream and a great green chili sauce.  We sat outside at a nice little two top and service was efficient.  Food took a tad long but it was a Sunday at brunch time and there was a wait for tables.

Overall the food was great, probably the best breakfast I’ve had in Grand County, and the service and atmosphere were commendable also.

Give Sharky’s a try for a truly great breakfast burrito. You can check out their Sharky’s Facebook Page or find them on their Google maps page.

Winter Park, CO Memorial Day

Winter Park, Colorado Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is here.  The start of official summer season and the weatrher is going straight from winter to summer.  The weekend weather looks good with no precipitation in the forecast and almost all of the winter snow melted.

Looking for something to do up in Winter Park?  Well there are lots of options this year with the weather looking the way it is.  Here are some of your choices:

Fishing in Winter Park Lakes - We have a bunch of lakes here along US 40 and almost all are stocked with fish your you and the little ones. These small lakes are perfect for the kids to try to hook a big one.  They are also good for the young at heart to try to snag a few.  The one lake at the entrance to Rendezvous is supposed to be a Rendezvous owner only lake but it seems to me anyone can just walk on up and catch a few (it is a very well stocked lake).

Mountain Biking at Rendezvous – Some of the lower elevation riding here in Winter Park and the snow is all gone, there is a little mud though. This is my favorite riding in Winter Park with some rllong hills and some great flat trail along streams and a few water crossing spots.  It is some very fun biking for just about all levels depending on what trails you take.

Take a Drive Over Trail Ridge Road – The road will be open by the Friday before Memorial Day and it should make for a spectacular day to check out Rocky Mountain National Park.

Come and enjoy a Winter Park Restaurant with lots of deals going on.  Deno’s, The Sushi Bar, Back Country Grill are all offering big discounts and some great food. 

Yes summere is officialy here so come on up to see all the beauty up here.  Winter Park Resort base are operations do not open until June 12 but the a lot of stuff do do up here until then. 

Winter Park, CO Recipe of the Month|Halibut Fish Sticks

Halibut Fish Sticks with Dill-Caper Tartar Sauce

This month we have a Bon Appetit recipe from the June 2010 issue, Halibut Fish Sticks with Dill-Caper Tartar Sauce.  Yes fish sticks.  With a set of two and a half year old twins in the house this is just the thing for a kid friendly satisfying dinner.  So here is Winter Park Lodging Company’s recipe of the month.

Winter Park Mud Season Pasta

Winter Park Colorado Recipe of the Week

It is officially that inevitable time  year after ski season ends and it is too darn muddy to hit the mountain biking trails: Mud Season.  Well this got me thinking today about what to eat for dinner tonight and that clicked in my head that I should start doing a Winter Park Lodging Company recipe of the week.  So here goes the first of hopefully many Winter Park, Colorado recipes of the week.

I am a huge fan of Bon Appetit Magazine and this recipe is on the cover of the current, May 2010, issue.  I am also a big fan of pasta, what is better than after a day of skiing or biking than a big dish of yummy pasta?

Thinking of this Winter Park could use a good pasta restaurant, something like Jimmy Seas Pan Pasta on Martha’s Vineyard.  Maybe that could be a future undertaking?? No… Sarah will have none of that!  Anywho, here is the WP recipe pf the week: Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta.

St Patrick’s Day in Winter Park, Colorado

Winter Park Resort St. Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day is coming upon us quickly.  What are your plans to celebrate that little bit of Irish that we all have in us? Well, there is always a good reason to ski a few runs and have a few  green beers in Winter Park.  This year St Patrick’s Day is Wednesday March 17, 2010 and there is plenty to do celebrate the all that is Irish.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Wednesday, March 17

Join Winter Park Resort for some toe-tappin’, hand-clappin’, good drinkin’, “gotta get up and dance” renditions of traditional and original Irish tunes!

• Discovery Center Plaza: 2:30-5:30pm
• Cheeky Monk: 8:00-10:00pm

Get Your Irish On!

In the town of Winter Park there is no shortage of things to do.  Head to the Winter Park Pub and have a green beer.  Or head over to Randi’s Irish Saloon for some traditional Irish Grub and nip of Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Come on up to the Colorado Rockies and celebrate this St Patrick’s Day Winter Park, CO style.

Beer and Food Tasting Winter Park, CO

Cheeky Monk Winter Park, Colorado

The Cheeky Monk in the Winter Park Village is having a beer and food pairing Thursday February 25th.  The tating will start at 6PM and go until close.

The Cheeky Monk is  featuring Trappiste Ales & “Southern Influenced” food .  As always, seating is limited & tickets go fast!  Please call 970-726-6871 to secure your reservation today!  What a great way to end a day of skiing – great Belgium beer and some Southern style food.

Email Michael Patrick, the manager at michaelp@thecheekymonk.com for more info and pricing.

Come on out and support our local Winter Park Restaurants and enjoy some great beer and food.

Ziggy’s Donuts Winter Park, CO

Winter Park Donuts

Looking for some good coffee and donuts in Winter Park.  Well, Ziggy’s donuts has now been open for a month here in Winter Park, CO.  Ziggy is serving up custom made donuts and some superb coffee right in downtown Winter Park.  Located in the Kings Crossing Shopping Center, right off of US Highway 40, Ziggy’s is the place for your doughnut fix.

Ziggy’s offers custom made donuts that come right off the conveyor belt and are custom hand dipped in whatever topping you chose.  There are five or six tables to enjoy your treats or a couple of counter spaces to watch the donuts being made.  The twins above, enjoying the first donuts of their lives, were mesmerized by the doughnut machine and the dipping in the custom toppings.

Ziggy’s also has coffee,  from espresso to cappuccino you can any coffee that you like from Ziggy’s magical Italian coffee machine.  They also have various Polish confections on the shelves for you to enjoy on the slopes up at the resort.

Just stop off on your way to Winter Park Resort and enjoy some fresh coffee and donuts.

Five Best Restaurants in Winter Park, Colorado

Winter Park Colorado Best Restaurants

Top five favorite restaurants in Winter Park, Colorado.  I guess you could say the Winter Park, Fraser, Tabenash area because they are not all in town proper of Winter Park, CO.  This list is of actual full service restaurants and does not include Winter Park breakfast restaurants or Winter Park walk up restaurants.  It also is focused on food even though a couple here are also my favorite Winter Park places to have a beer or cocktail.  The list is in no particular order and is definitely not exhaustive.

**** ENTER TO WIN TWO FREE NIGHTS OF LODGING! Comment below with your favorite dinner restaurant in Winter Park and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win two free  nights between June and August at a two-bedroom condo.  Must comment by Feb 28th with winner announced March 2nd****

Winter Park Top Five Restaurants

1. Tabernash Tavern – Right on US Highway 40 in our home of Tabernash.  The Tavern describes themselves as: “A wine bar in beautiful lower downtown Tabernash, Colorado, serving Chef Alberto Sapien’s international culinary creations”.   As the description says it is a mix of very different styles of food and they haven’t missed every time I’ve been there.  The Tavern has opened an Italian eatery in the town of Winter Park under the name Alberto’s.
2. Hernando’s Pizza Pub – Probably the most popular of all Winter Park Restaurants and one of the most consistent.  The pizza is very good and their salads are fantastic.  A great bar to watch the tourists and the locals alike with some great bartenders.  Be sure to arrive early or call before heading over because Hernando’s is usually very busy.
3. The Sushi Bar – Yes, sushi up here at over 9,000 ft in the Colorado Rocky Mountains is pretty darn good.  The Sushi Bar is located at the end of WP on US 40.  The Sushi Bar has some great food and a very friendly waitstaff.  With $1.50 bottles of beer everyday you can’t go wrong with some WP style sushi a a cheap cold one to wash it down.
4. Mirasol Cantina – Located on US 40 in the Conoco Shopping Center.  Mirasol is a taco bar with great tacos ( try their lamb tacos) and the best margaritas in Winter Park.  Chips and Salsa are fantastic and their salsa bar has some of the best salsas I have tasted.  They have a small bar of about five seats that is a fun place to spend an evening eating and drinking.  Mirasol is not open for lunch so make sure to join them for dinner.
5. The Ranch House Restaurant at Devils Thumb Ranch – Located in Tabernash at Devils Thumb Ranch.  The room is spectacular and the food is just as good.   The Ranch House serves New American Mountain Cuisine  – which means real food, cooked with real ingredients. Organic and locally grown whenever we can. Always fresh, always delicious.  Probably the most expensive restaurant on this list but also maybe the best with the highest level of service.

Maybe I should have done a best ten of Winter Park because there are some I definitely left out.  The above list of five should most certainly include The Cheeky Monk, Fontenot’s and The Back Country Grill.

Our little town of Winter Park has some very good restaurants.  Check out Winter Park Lodging Company’s restaurant discounts to get some great grub and drinks for a little bit cheaper.