Steaks and Chops in Winter Park, CO

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Chris

Strip & Tail Winter Park, Colorado

Had a chance to get out and visit one of the new restaurants here in Winter Park. Strip & Tail opened about three weeks ago in the space once occupied by The Sushi Bar and before that was home to Lost Boys Hamburgers.

Strip & Tail remodeled the space and it turned out magnificent. There are two large screen tv’s behind the bar and the bar has been completely redone. The color scheme is now tasteful off white and homey wood. In short the space is very classy with a mountain feel.

I started out with some happy hour calamari that was served with cocktail and bbq sauce. The entree was a double cut pork chop with steak fries and creamed spinach. The entire meal was very tasty as was the bottle of Emeritus Pinot Noir. Owner/Barkeep Steve provided great service and conversation about Timmy Tebow, the Broncos and the NFL in general. I had a flan for dessert with a dram of tawny port… delicious.

Strip & Tail has a great happy hour with food and beverage specials. They serve a kobe/wagyu strip steak that looked fantastic that I will need to return for. The meal was one of the best I have had in Winter Park and I highly recommend Strip &Tail.

Strip & Tail is on the Winter Park Lodging Company VIP discount card. Make sure to stop by after you hit the slopes or after your mountain bike ride. Great steaks and chops in the town of WInter Park with a great brew and wine collection.

Strip & Tail Contact Info:

Address
78259 US Hwy 40
Winter Park, Colorado 80482

Phone
970.363.7047

Email
ssbromberg@comcast.net

Recipe of the Month From Winter Park Lodging CO – Dec 2011

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Valarie

Recipe of the Month From Winter Park Lodging CO – Dec 2011

Holiday Raspberry Jello Salad
One of our favorite holiday family recipes (that I’m allowed to share) is a festive, fruity jello dessert that’s always the only dessert like it at a holiday party. With raspberries, marshmallows, jello and more fruity additions, this sweet dish has plenty of fans in my family. Share it with yours this holiday season.

Ingredients:

3 oz package of raspberry jello
1 cup boiling water
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 3 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 10 oz package frozen raspberries, partially thawed
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
2/3 up sour cream
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preparation:

Dissolve jello in hot water, add frozen raspberries and stir to thaw. Add 1/2 of the celery and all of the apple. Pour half of this mixture into a casserole dish or decorative bowl of your choice and refrigerate. Leave the other half of mixture at room temperature.

Mix cream cheese and sour cream together, then add marshmallow and remaining celery. Add this to the top of the firmed jello mixture, then pour the remaining jello mixture on top. Chill and serve.

Winter Park, Colorado Thanksgiving Dinner Options

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Chris

Thanksgiving Dinner in Winter Park, CO

The weather has taken a turn here in Winter Park and we are on our way to the opening of ski season and then we are at the favorite of all holidays, the day of giving Thanks. Thanksgiving this year is November 24th and that is eight days after the of Winter Park Resort. Hopefully, we will be giving thanks to all the snow that is on the ground this year (Thank You La Nina).

There are a whole lot of options this year for those wanting to get out of the house and let someone else stuff that turkey and make those candied yams.

The Lodge at Sunspot on top of the Winter Park Resort slopes will again offering a spectacular spread. The meal starts with a lovely gondola ride to the top on the Zephyr Express chairlift.

Buffet Menu:

Salad Station – chef tossed to order Caesar and/or field green salad w/ champagne vinaigrette and ranch dressing. Served w/ fresh bread & butter.
Chef carved turkey and prime rib w/ a jus and horseradish sauce.
Mashed potatoes w/ giblet gravy and sweet potatoes.
Soup du jour.
Herbed stuffing.
Sautéed baby carrots and green beans.
Desert Bar – pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate trilogy and assorted mousses.

Thanksgiving Buffet: $49.95 Adults / $19.95 Children 10 and under (Buffet Only)

For reservations, call 970.726.1446.

Price includes gondola ride, buffet, non-alcoholic beverages, and dessert. Sales tax and gratuity will be added. Alcohol and specialty beverages are additional.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch will also be offering traditional Thanksgiving Dinner in one of the most beautiful settings in Colorado. If you are looking to be pampered let DTR make Thanksgiving a snap. Give a special Thanks at Devil’s Thumb. Hang up the apron and let Chef Evan do the cooking this year. Besides a gourmet meal, you’ll get to relax and enjoy the day. Now that’s something to be thankful for! Advance Reservations Required.

Dinner at Heck’s 11:30am – 8:30pm $49
Dinner at the Ranch House Restaurant 4pm – 9pm $59

- A la carte options also available
Looking to stay intown for your Winter Park Thanksgiving?

Randi’s is offering a traditional Thanksgiving dinner . They will be open 11-8 serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner & several select menu items for those who are not into the Thanksgiving grub. Randi’s is also a great place to catch those Thanksgiving NFL games or to escape from the family overload. If you haven’t seen the new bar at Randi’s you are missing out. It’s a great place to catch a game and have a cold brew.

Deno’s is also offering a Thanksgiving Dinner and selections from it’s menu for those that are opposed to turkey. Check out their menu below:

Lets give thanks to what a wonderful place that we have here in Winter Park, Colorado? Looking to have a Winter Park kind of Thanksgiving? Check out Winter Park Lodging Company’s Winter Park, Co Thanksgiving Lodging.

Best Bars in Winter Park, CO

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Chris

Winter Park Resort Area Best Bars

Beers and skiing go hand in hand like ski condos and hot tubs. We have finished, finally, the best burgers review for Winter Park, CO and since ski season is just about here we thought we would do what are the best bars here in Winter Park and the surrounding Fraser Valley.

There as many kinds of bars as there are beers and there is a place for each and every one of them. Local pub, restaurant bar, shot bar at the ski slope, sports bar, bar at the pizza place, the night club bar …. lotsa bars and we have them all here in WP.

What is your favorite and why is the question? Is it the selection of beers on tap, great location and view, the hotty slinging the swill, the bartender hooks you up with with free suds, great people watching (both sexes), what gets you to head out and plop your dollars on that bar?

I did a best place to get a beer in Winter Park a couple of years ago and all those places are still around but they are places to get a beer not necessarily bars (splitting hairs maybe?). So we are doing this top five bars for the start of this ski season. Remember we have some new places here in WP so lets not leave them out of the competition. Emilie’s wine bar, The Library Sports and Grill are two of the newbies that should be in consideration. We also have an older list of best patio to get a beer in Winter Park, CO. Lets not leave these, mostly, Winter Park Resort watering holes out of the equation either.

So here is how this works, I will post this blog on the Winter Park Facebook page and you all can recommend away either on the FB page or in the comments below this blog. I will take the top five and give those top five the old college try.

So here goes: What are the best bars in Winter Park, CO?

Best Burgers in Winter Park, CO

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Chris

Winter Park, Colorado’ s Best Burger

It has taken awhile but we have completed the best burger competition in Winter Park, CO. I have eaten enough burgers to be fairly sure that I will not be ordering a burger in a restaurant for the next couple months. The positive is I have learned we have some killer burgers here in Winter Park.

The original competition was going to be a contest of the top three recommended by our Winter Park Lodging Company Facebook Fans but there were more than three recommendations. I tried all five different burgers in addition to the ever present McDonald’s franchise here in Winter Park, CO.

I have seen some burger reviews break down a burger almost scientifically in how they rate the burger. I was not very scientific at all. If the meat was flavorful and the bun had a good texture and consistency I pretty much thought the burger good, from there it was deciding what burger had the best flavor combination overall.

The restaurants that we visited were Deno’s, The Library Grill, Heck’s at Devils Thumb Ranch, Randi’s and Sharky’s. There was not a bad burger at any one of them. I am a blue cheese lover and most if the time I ordered some kind blue cheese burger sometimes with bacon. At Hecks they had a burger with a nice slice of pork belly that can be seen in the pic on the far right. YUM!!!!!

So the top burger in Winter Park, Colorado goes to……… drumbeat please……..

Deno’s. As I said the competition was close but if I had to rate the five burgers I would go in this order:

Deno’s – great meat but it is the bun that really makes this burger.
Heck’s at Devil’s Thumb Ranch – you can not go wrong with putting a slab of pork belly on a burger. They might even be 1a
Randi’s – may have had the best meat but the bun was “stiff”. Still a really good burger and had some awesome onion rings to go with.
The Library – ordered the Paul Bunyon which is a two patty behemoth that will satisfy any large appetite. The sweet potato fries sound great but are pretty much mediocre.
Sharky’s – don’t know why they are last as the burger was really good but a tad small. They have a homemade bun that is fantastic.

So, there are the best burgers in Winter Park, Colorado from my humble opinion. You can and will not go wrong with any one of these. If you are in a rush, or hungover, you can still hit McDonald’s for that Big Mac or Q/Pounder with cheese but you would be much better off hitting one of these local stops here in Winter Park and Fraser.

Here is the original post for the best burger competition in Winter Park , Colorado.

New Restaurant and Consignment Sports Gear Shop in Winter Park, CO

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Chris

Winter Park Trading Post & Strips and Tails

There are always some store shuffling after and before ski season and this year has been no exception.

This summer we saw the opening of The Library and Emilies Wine Bar right on Highway 40 here and they both have been great additions to the restaurant choices in the WP and the Fraser Valley.

Now leading up to the 2011-12 Winter Park/Mary Jane ski season opening the Winter Park Trading Post sports gear consignment and Surf and Turf Restaurant, Strips and Tails will be opening before start of ski season.

The Winter Park Trading Post will be housed in the old Caldwell Banker building right in US Highway 40 across from Fraser Valley Hot Dog. Strips and Tails is opening in the old Hideaway Bar spot at the end of US 40 across from the Winter Park Lodging Company new offices Pine Tree Plaza. Steve Bromberg is proprietor of Strips and Tails. Steve presently operates The Bistro at Iron Horse in the winter and Mackinaw’s Bar and Grill on Lake Granby in the summer.

I don’t have much word on the Winter Park Trading Post but it sounds like it will be like most sports gear consignment stores in ski towns. One of our favorites is Boomerang Sports in Steamboat Springs, CO. As I said Winter Park is definitely in need of a consignment sporting goods operation.

So, ski season will be here soon and we are ready for some new shops, eateries and a whole bunch of fresh snow.

Fraser Valley Hot Dog: Best Hot Dog in Winter Park

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Chris

Fraser Valley Hot Dog, Brats and Mixed Grill

On my search for the best burger in the Winter Park, Colorado area I came across absolutely the best hot dogs and brats. Fraser Valley Chicago Style Dogs serves some great dogs, brats and other tasty grilled vittles.

As I was planning on hitting the last of the candidates for best burger in WP I saw on Fraser Valley Hot Dog’s FaceBook page they were offering a $6.00 Elk Brat. What a deal and I had it Fozzy Dog style, that is covered with blu cheese, bacon and caramelized onions with a side of chips and a drink. Yummmm! Great lunch and very easy on the wallet.

We are still working on that best burger contest and hope to have that done by this weekend. But of you are looking for a killer dog done by a WP local go see Matt at Fraser Dog and get the Fozzy. You will not be disappointed.

Check out the Yelp Page for FVHD.

FVHD is on off season hours right now so check their FB page or drive by the dogs are worth seeking out.

Recipe of the Month from Winter Park Lodging Company – October 2011

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Valarie

Yummy Kale and White Bean Soup

Ah, the cool, refreshing autumn air is finally providing some relief from an incredible summer. And the splendor of fall is bursting with color in Winter Park. It’s just the right time to try out a comforting soup to transition through the seasons.

This healthy recipe is fairly easy to make and it is so good for you. Kale is the newest “hot” super-vegetable, chock full of fiber, calcium, antioxidants for the immune system, and phytonutrients that are believed to prevent cancer.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups of chopped fresh kale (about 1/2 a bunch)
3-4 carrots, sliced thin
1 med onion, finely chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 cups water
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried parsley
1 cup milk
salt to taste
2 cans of northern white or cannellini beans
Garnish: Sriracha sauce or other favorite hot sauce, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, chives, croutons, or whatever your taste buds desire.

Preparation:

Start off by heating the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, then add minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add water, bouillon cubes, kale and sliced carrots and cook for 20 to 30 minutes over medium-high heat, or until the kale is tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, drain and rinse the beans and put them in a medium bowl. Smash the beans using a pototo masher for about 3 minutes. Stir in the milk, turmeric and parsley to beans. Once the kale is about ready, add the beans mixture and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Serve with hot sauce (my favorite is the Thai Sriracha), feta or Parmesan cheese, chives, and/or croutons or toasted bread.

Recipe of the Month from Winter Park Lodging Company – September 2011

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Valarie

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pudding Please?

Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies. But what about award-winning chocolate chip cookies? With pudding in the recipe? MMMMM… The daughter of this recipe’s creator took these chocolate chip cookies to a contest and won. Win your loved ones over with them, too! They are so soft and delicious, you gotta try ‘em.

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

We found this recipe online at AllRecipes.com. Click here to read more reviews & suggestions.

Tasty New Eateries to Treat Your Taste Buds in Winter Park, CO

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Valarie

We’ve got some new exciting watering holes in town just in time for ski season 2011/2012. Here’s a sneak peak of the new food and dining options awaiting you in Winter Park, Colorado.

The Library:
This new restaurant and bar’s motto is “Don’t Lie To Your Mom, Tell Her You’re at the Library”. Delicious food and microbrews make this a good après-ski spot. We recently tried the Cobb salad and the Paul Bunyan burger. Yum! Located on the main drag in downtown Winter Park near Randi’s and Wells Fargo. Also, it’s right across from the Post Office, how fitting.

Emilie’s:
Located just as you enter downtown Winter Park, where BlueSky shoes used to be, this tapas bar has the town talking. It’s a little pricey, we hear, but we also heard the food is yummy as is the wine. Want something more filling? Go next door to Backcountry Grill for good steaks and atmposphere.

Coming Soon! Elevated Pizza.
Hot off the Press. The folks at Home James Transportation are going to expand their delivery service beyond just people moving. They will be delivering pizza out of their new pizza shop Elevated Pizza in the Alco Shopping Center.