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Restaurants Overview

The town of Steamboat Springs, in the heart of cattle country, has far more-carnivorous delights -- including elk, deer, and bison -- than you're likely to find in the trendier resorts of Aspen, Telluride, and Vail. The Steamboat ski resort, separated geographically from town, works toward a more-cosmopolitan mix with small sushi bars and Mediterranean cafés hidden among the boutiques.

The usual chain restaurants (Olive Garden, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse) ring Grand Junction, but they're joined by eclectic gourmet pizza joints and authentic Mexican restaurants. Look for made-from-scratch delicacies at mom-and-pop bakeries -- especially worth seeking out during summer fruit harvests. In season, Palisade peaches, Olathe sweet corn, and Cedaredge apples find their way onto menus, paired with the multitude of increasingly mature local wines. Still, there's nothing wrong with a great hand-battered chicken-fried steak smothered in creamy gravy -- which you can still find in just about any town in the area.