3 Unique Restaurants in Colorado
A one-of-a-kind dining experience in Trinidad, Colorado last week inspired this post, but more on that later. If you want more from your meal than the conventional restaurant outing, check out these Colorado eateries.
DIAMOND BELLE SALOON
Durango, Colorado
This Western-themed bar and eatery, located at the Strater Hotel, offers up a little eye candy with your steak. Step into the Diamond Belle and be transported to the Wild West—Wild West without the gunfights and with much better sanitation.
Waitresses dress in dance hall girl garb, complete with lace and feathers. Male staff members look smart in crisp black and white attire.
The Diamond Belle Saloon offers up entertainment in the form of ragtime entertainers who frequently grace the saloon’s stage. In fact, I’ve been to this establishment twice, and both times someone was belting out tunes accompanied by the piano.
In addition to all the Wild West fun, the Diamond Belle serves up historic drinks like the Gin Fizz, and their bartenders know what they’re doing. The saloon also has a full menu of American cuisine at reasonable prices.
THE FORT
Morrison, Colorado
What’s unique at The Fort is what’s on the plate. Opened in 1963, The Fort is one of Colorado’s most famous landmarks. Its design was inspired by Bent Fort, a real fort in La Junta, Colorado along the historic Santa Fe Trail. And the food at The Fort is influenced by what folks along the trail ate, specifically mountain men and Native Americans.
The Fort specializes in “food and drinks of the early west,” and patrons will find cuisine here that they’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. How about a plate of roasted bison marrow bones? Or maybe you’d like the Historian’s Platter, which includes Rocky Mountain oysters (bull testicles), buffalo tongue, and an assortment of other unique items.
A meal at The Fort is a meal one does not soon forget. The Fort is located in the foothills west of Denver just off of Hwy 285.
RINO'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT & STEAKHOUSE
Trinidad, Colorado
“When the moon hits your eye like a big piece of pie, that’s amore.”
When you dine at Rino’s, you may leave with this song in your head. Why? Because Rino’s serves up their food with a song. Lots of songs, in fact. This was our first experience at a restaurant with singing waiters, and we loved every minute of it.
Everyone at Rino’s sings. A gal from the kitchen even took a spin on the mic, belting out a Patsy Cline tune. Rino’s owner Frank Cordova and a waitress brought me to tears with their duet of “All I Ask of You” from Phantom of the Opera.
For our entrees, we both ordered pasta dishes, which were delicious. Ryan’s lobster ravioli was especially divine.
If you’d like a song with your supper, you must put Rino’s on your list. Plus, it’s located in a historic church, so the architectural ambiance is also unique.
Trinidad is located in Southern Colorado along the Santa Fe Trail, an area steeped in history.
