Steamboat Springs and Northwest Colorado Restaurants

Once restricted to chicken-fried steak and burgers, the region's dining scene has expanded far past the Old West. The usual chain restaurants 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.