A foodie destination in the red rock foothills near Denver, The Fort has been celebrating Colorado history and cuisine since it opened in 1963. The adobe building housing the restaurant—designed to look like an actual 1830s fort in southeastern Colorado—offers sweeping views of the countryside including Denver’s downtown skyscrapers. Menu items inspired by the area’s catch-as-catch-can frontier days include elk, musk ox, ostrich, pheasant, wild boar and yak. The Fort is particularly known for its various preparations of bison, and one of its most popular appetizers is the Rocky Mountain oysters.
1822 Blake St.
Grilled meats take center stage at Vesta, a LoDo dining destination where you can choose from a list of a dozen dipping sauces ranging from sweet to savory. Beef, lamb, chicken, duck, pork and fish are, not surprisingly, on the menu, and vegetarians have options as well, but if you’re craving something a bit less conventional, try the pasta with elk sausage small plate or an entrée of grilled venison in a cherry port reduction.
iStockphoto.com / freeskylineWynkoop Brewing Company
1634 18th St.
Although you would never know it now, Denver’s LoDo area was once a seedy district most folks avoided after dark. That began to change in 1988 around the time Wynkoop Brewing Company, Colorado’s first brewpub, opened its doors in a historic, five-story brick commercial building across from Union Station. Today, the area is packed with bars, restaurants and other fun places to go, but Wynkoop Brewing still enjoys the reputation as the destination for beer lovers, especially those looking for something a little out of the ordinary. (One beer is made with Rocky Mountain oysters.) Bison also appears on the menu, delicious as either meatloaf or in a burger.
