Fort Collins: The Taste of Colorado
A local takes you on an insider’s tour of what you can savor in the city
Gather your friends and meet up in this Colorado town, which is gaining a reputation for its craft beer and quirky eateries.
You don’t have to drink beer to love Fort Collins, Colorado, but if you do, prepare to meet your new soulmate city. Fort Collins could be called the Napa Valley of craft beer; we drink it, we cook with it, we plan entire meals around it. And for good reason: Odell Brewing Co. and New Belgium Brewing Company call this city home, as do dozens of brewpubs and smaller breweries. The Budweiser Plant sits at the north end of town and offers tours, tastings and sometimes even a chance to see the famous Clydesdales.
But beer isn’t the only standout. The Fort Collins restaurants and their chefs are innovative, creative and eager to engage diners with new experiences. Beer- and wine-pairing dinners happen almost nightly at some of the hottest restaurants in town, including the Mainline Ale House, Cafe Vino and Sonny Lubick Steakhouse. Each experience is unique and planned around a seasonal event, a new brew, a visiting chef, or a local farm-to-table experience.
Yet the ultimate farm-to-table experience is in southwest Fort Collins at Locality Kitchen and Bar. The entire menu, crafted by executive chef Matt Smith, is as locally sourced as possible, and it changes often. I’m a creature of habit and a picky eater. I resist spontaneity whenever I can, and I still happily eat whatever Locality puts in front of me. While the menu constantly changes, you will always be able to get a cardamom fig martini. And you should.
See and be seen at Social, where the apps and the cocktail menu draw crowds.
More in the mood for a speakeasy? We have one of those, too. A trip down a dark staircase just southwest of Old Town Square will take you to the hippest (yet somehow not at all pretentious) libation station you’ve ever encountered. Social doesn’t just have cocktails beyond your imagination; its appetizer menu made even this recovering vegetarian try their beef carpaccio without an ounce of regret. Bar manager Raffi Jergerian is a local treasure, and when you don’t know what you want, he does.
Restaurant 415, just outside of Old Town, is known for its extensive bar and distinctive menu of small plates. I want to be buried in their mac ‘n’ cheese. Or at least have a bucket of it for my last meal. With a lengthy cocktail menu and truly the best steak in town, 415 is a local favorite and verified hotspot.
For a more casual experience, hit up Music City Hot Chicken, which pairs Nashville-style fried chicken with craft brews from the neighboring Black Bottle Brewery. You’ll almost certainly have to wait, and it will be worth it, but be cautious—they don’t mess around with the spice. (I’ve had to pair my dinner with milk just to get through the heat, but when it’s that good, you do what you gotta do.)
The Odell Brewing Co. pours seasonal beers, year-round easy sippers and limited-release brews.
Too trendy? Maybe a dive bar is more your style. If so, head to Town Pump. This tiny, cash-only hole in the wall is the oldest—and possibly smallest—bar in Fort Collins. Odell brews ales just for The Pump, and they’re perfect for beer snobs and omnivorous drinkers alike. You’ll have to fight for one of the two dozen or so seats, but you will be welcomed like family.
During the summer, the food truck rallies near Old Town in City Park are where it’s at. Held several times a week, the rallies feature dozens of Colorado favorites. Try gourmet mac and cheese from Mac’n, or waffles any way you can imagine them from The Waffle Lab. You can satisfy your entire group with one stop.
I often joke that I’ll move as soon as I am done eating my way through this town. It’s starting to look as though I’m here to stay.
Written by Lynsey Peterson
Ready to explore the Fort Collins culinary scene? Find hotels here.
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