Estes Park Dining Guide

Dining GuideDining GuideEstes Park Trail Gazette’sEstes Park Trail Gazette’s

www.eptrail.com

Estes Park

63 YearsBest Food,

Drink and ServiceUnder the Sun.

Full Bar

Breakfast ‘till NoonLunch and/or Dinner ‘till Close

Fresh TroutHomemade Soups • Prime RibChili • Viennese GoulashHot Jalapeno Chili Rellenos

Steaks • BuffaloWe carry wines from the Award Winning Boulder Creek Winery

970-586-9832970-586-9832www.SundeckRestaurant.com

At the Junction of Moraine Ave. (36 west) & Marys Lake Road

Coming home to Estes

By Debbie HolmesEstes Park Trail-Gazette

S aying that the keyswere handed overand they hit thefloor running would

be an understatement. Withthe keys to one of EstesPark’s most popular restau-rants now firmly in theirhands, new owners Andy andCindy Morgan are officiallythe new owners of the Dunra-ven Inn, located out on Hwy

66.

“To us, it‘s like cominghome, “ said Andy. Havinglived in Estes since he was infifth grade, Andy grew up inEstes while his father, EdMorgan was the Episcopalpriest for St. Bartholomew‘sfor many years. Cindy is thedaughter of Dr. Jim and JudySerino, and she too had livedhere all of her life attendingthe Estes Park school‘s sincekindergarten.

These high school sweet-hearts now have three beauti-ful daughters who will beginschool in Estes next Fall; Kae-lynn (12), Molly (10) and Sa-die (5). The family hopes thattheir Denver home will sellquickly so that Cindy and thegirls can move up to Estes assoon as possible.

See DUNRAVEN, pg. 7

Owners of theDunraven feel

they have‘come home’

DEBBIE HOLMES / ESTES INSIDE & OUT

Guests asking to add their dollar to the wall of memories afterenjoying their meal.

All this and much more, complimented by an array offine wines, delectable desserts and a unique mountain atmosphere

~ House Specialties ~Filet Mignon • Lobster • Elk • Ruby Red Trout

New York Strip • Ribs • Salmon • Duck • Pastas

Fine Dining in the rustic ambiance of a 1920’s log homestead

Completely Smoke-Free

Open Daily at 5 p.m.Reservations & Information

970-586-9344www.TwinOwls.net

Located at the Black Canyon Inn800 MacGregor Avenue

Just One Mile from Downtown

Wedding & Banquet Packages Available

12011 — Trail Dining Guide...

A touch of old west atmosphere


I f you are looking for his-tory of a building, discov-ery of treasured photo’s,a truly “old west” atmos-

phere and a delicious meal,then you must be looking forthe Grubsteak Restaurant.The Grubsteak has been inEstes Park since 1990 and iscurrently owned by AllieJones. Jones had previouslyowned a deli in the DenverTech Center for a number ofyears when deciding that shewanted to move to a smallermountain community. That’show she and her husbandCharlie Leonard discoveredthe Grubsteak in Estes Parkand in 1994 they decided tomake it their own.

“When we were renovatingfor our Pub Room, we weretaking down an old shed that

was on the back corner of theproperty. Inside the shed wediscovered boxes full of oldphotos and negatives taken byL.E. Grace (Grace Kraft Pho-tos) between the years of1904-1935, “ said Jones. “Partof this building used to betheir home and they ownedthe photo store just nextdoor.” It was a real treasure tofind.

The history of the Grub-steak building begins with itbeing Estes Park’s first hospi-tal, the first bowling alley,Mame’s beauty parlor for 20years, Granny’s GrubstakeRestaurant (during the flood),Isabella Bird’s Mexican Res-taurant and then the Grub-steak since 1990.

“The discovery of the oldphotos was great. We did getthem back to their rightfulowners after we found them,and we were given permissionto reproduce a bunch of themwhich you’ll find hanging allover the restaurant, “ saidJones. Along with the discov-ered photos, the Grubsteak isalso loaded with other collect-ible treasures from all aroundEstes Park and the RockyMountain National Park.

Making it her own is exact-ly what’s been done. TheGrubsteak staff has become afamily after working togetherin the restaurant for a numberof years.

“Most everyone here hasbeen with us between fourand eight years.” Abel, whoworks as the main chef forthe Grubsteak has been withJones for over nine years andis one of the masterminds be-hind creating the deliciousdishes that the Grubsteakcontinues to offer.

“We’ve really becomeknown for our perfectly char-broiled steaks. We do a fan-tastic job with all of our beef,buffalo and elk menu items.Our number one seller is ourribeye, “ said Jones. “We slowroast several items; we’ve gota great brisket and very popu-lar tender ribs.” Looking atthe menu, you’ll find a buffaloNew York strip, elk sirloin,baby back ribs, buffalo meat-loaf and buffalo ravioli.

Something else that isunique to the Grubsteak isthat they make several home-made desserts daily, some-thing that Jones enjoys.

Homemade doesn’t stopthere; most everything on themenu is homemade. “One ofour signature appetizers arewhat we call ‘Shrimp-Cigars’which are very popular andanother homemade, uniquedish.” Chef Abel also makesevery sauce to order, so whenyou choose one of their deli-cious pasta dishes the saucewill be made especially foryou.

In May 2004, the Grubsteakadded on a large, familyfriendly “Pub Room” to theback of the restaurant. It is abeautiful, bright and fun roomthat expanded the seating ca-pacity and social options ofthe original restaurant.

“The best addition was add-ing our Pub Room in theback. We use that room foranything and everything thatour guests need. It’s availableall year, and it really workswell for those big parties andlarge groups that want to so-cialize and enjoy a meal or cel-ebration together.” It’s greatfor families too. The Pub-room is adjacent Estes Park’slargest out-door shaded patiowhich is a favorite summerand fall place to enjoy a meal.The Grubsteak also offers afull bar selection, along with alarge variety of local micro-brews and a great selection ofwines.

During the remaining ofFebruary, the Grubsteak is of-fering two-for-one dinners forlocals who dine with themover the weekends, Fridaysthrough Sundays, which givesyou extra incentive to headdowntown for lunch or din-ner. The Grubsteak is openon Thursdays for lunch andover the weekends for lunchand dinner throughout therest of the winter. Check outwww.grubsteakestespark.comto see their menu and call ifyou’d like to find out moreabout their schedule and spe-cials (970) 586-8838.


Located on the south side of Elkhorn, The Grubsteak is a long standing restaurant with a lot ofEstes original history.

GrugbsteakRestaurant

makes its markin downtownEstes Park

2 2011 — Trail Dining Guide...

Dining with Central American flairTies to Sister

Cities programentices ownerto Estes Park


D ining at Pura Vidaincludes home-made recipes, tra-ditions and a lot of

“Sister-City” connection toEstes Park. Serving as a trus-tee and even the Mayor ofMonteverde, Costa Rica, thefounder of the restaurant,Carlos Delgato was part ofthe committee that set upthe “Sister City” relationshipbetween his hometown and

Estes Park.

Delgato and his wifeowned and operated a familyrestaurant for 20 years calledDaiquiri’s and still has busi-ness connections backhome, despite living in EstesPark for six years. The Del-gato family thought thattheir days in Estes Parkwould only be on a part timebasis, until the opportunityto open “Pura Vida” cameinto their lives. Prior to open-ing the restaurant, Delgatoand his wife worked in otherrestaurants in Estes Park in-cluding Marys Lake Lodgeand Penelopes.

Bringing their 20 years ofrestaurant experience to

See PURA, pg. 5The dining room at Pura Vida is brightly colored andwelcoming.

• Succulent Steaks - Beef, Buffalo & Elk• Juicy Burgers - Beef, Buffalo & Elk • Trout

• BBQ Baby Back Pork Ribs• Chicken • Pastas • Sandwiches • Salads

• Cocktails & Colorado MicrobrewsSummer Hours: 11am-9:30pm

Call for Winter Hourswww.Grubsteakestespark.com

Parking lot in the rear134 W. Elkhorn 970-586-8838


The history of Twin Owls Steakhouse


W hen was the lasttime you trav-eled down Mac-Gregor Ave. and

enjoyed a meal at the TwinOwls Steakhouse? This mag-nificent restaurant is off thebeaten path but not off theregistry of one of EstesParks best restaurants intown. Most locals enjoy theTwin Owls Steakhouse whena special event brings them

into the restaurant. Well, notany more! Twin Owls is aspecial event all in itself andyou need absolutely no spe-cial occasion to enjoy a won-derful meal with them.

Originally the home of theStacey family and built in1929, the original log build-ing is what brings the steak-house its continued ambi-ance and beauty.

“I love the history that thisbuilding has and the beautyof the log cabin feel, “ said

owner Jim Edwards. “It‘s gotsuch a warm, candlelit ambi-ance to the restaurant. It justalways feels wonderfulhere.”

The home became theBlack Canyon Inn in 1965when Dr. Meyers purchasedthe property and developedthe Meyers 3M GuestRanch. Meyers named therestaurant after the viewsthat are enjoyed while visit-ing the guest ranch and din-ing in the restaurant.

After several owners, itwas Ed Grueff who took overthe Black Canyon Inn in1999 and brought his magicinto developing it along sidehis daughter and her newhusband into the Twin OwlsSteakhouse.

“I had just finished my de-gree in marine biology andthen moved to Estes Park in1998 with Jennifer. Yes, Imarried into the restaurantbusiness,” said Jim.

Now with two beautifuldaughters and his wife, he iscompletely enjoying the res-taurant life. “Every day is dif-ferent, the challenges thatarise daily always keeps uson our feet.”

They host around 150events a year, ranging fromlarge events to simple par-ties.

“One of the great thingsabout Twin Owls is the won-derful staff that has beenwith us for a long time,” saidEdwards.

Their events manager hasbeen with the restaurant for11 years and their chef be-hind the scenes, Brant Pricehas been with them for 6years.

Price and Edwards togeth-er have developed the menuinto what it is today. Togeth-er they offer daily specials

along with the menu that hasmany favorite dishes.Theirmost popular item continuesto be the Filet MacGregor,which has been on theirmenu since it became TwinOwls Steakhouse. They havealso added a bunch of newitems all priced under $15 toenjoy.

“We really wanted to addsome more casual dinneritems to our menu,” said Ed-wards.

Now you‘ll find some deli-cious burgers, sandwichesand pizzas. “These newmenu items have been wellreceived.” If you want a treat,then save room for one oftheir flambé desserts also of-fered every night.

“We tend to stay local andorganic as much as possible.We then prepare our dinnerspecials according to whatwe are able to get,” said Ed-wards. Which is another waythat the job and challengesare always fresh for the TwinOwls staff.

Twin Owls Steakhouse hasone of the most beautifulbars in Estes. With the ambi-ance of the log cabin feel,Edwards has brought one ofhis side hobbies into the res-taurant and bar. “I enjoygood wines and I have funstudying wines. Yes, we havea great selection here forpeople to enjoy too, “ saidEdwards. So if you are look-ing for a great location for asimple meal, great drink andfun dessert, then Twin Owlsjust might be what you arelooking for.

Twin Owls will be open ev-ery night during the Holidayseason and is available tohost your special occasionsor parties. Reservations arerequested, but not necessaryand they can be made on lineat www.twinowls.net or bycalling (970) 586-9344.


The bar area in Twin Owls continues hosts a full bar and along list of specialty wines.

Steakhouse has one of themost beautiful bars in Estes


pura from page 3 Estes Parkrestaurant nuggets

Estes Park the family cele-brated many of the Costa Ri-can traditions with their ev-er-growing population offriends and customers thatthey’ve met through the “Sis-ter-City” organization andtheir Pura Vida restaurant.

What’s the difference be-tween Costa Rican cuisineand other international cui-sine’s? It’s cooked with a lotwith rice and beans, and thefood is not spicy,

Pura Vida has a completemenu that is exactly like theplatters and meals you’d findon any given night at theDelgato home.

Another one of their mostrecent brags includes PuraVida winning two-first place

awards for two of their menuitems in a Longmont “Diabe-tes Friendly Recipe Competi-tion” in November of 2009.They submitted their seabass and pumpkin flan andwon first place with both.

If you’d like to order ameal or to check in on theirwinter and spring specialsgive them a call at (970)586-3686.

Pura Vida also has an on-line newsletter, which youcan subscribe to at www.pu-ravidaestes.com. Last, butcertainly not least, Pura Vidais currently collecting booksfor their “Sister-City” inter-change for a school in Mon-teverde. Check in on theirwebsite or give them a callfor details on the book col-lection.

Dining out in Estes Park? Here’s what

to look for at these fine restaurants

The Sundeck Restaurant915 Moraine Ave., Estes Park, 970-586-9832, www.sundeckrestaurant.com

Restaurant Details: Open 7:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., seven days a week from the middle ofMay until the end of September. Family owned for over 62 years. Reservations arerecommended.

Dining Experience: Specialize in fresh Rocky Mountain Trout and serve a variety of Mexican.American, and German foods. Always guaranteed a quality meal with superb views. Familieswelcome.

Recommended Dishes: You must try their Rocky Mountain Trout, Forelle Blau, VienneseGoulash, Prime Rib or Chilies Rellenos. You can‘t go wrong with any of their breakfast menuitems with fresh fruit options too. Soups are homemade.

Hunters Chop House1690 Big Thompson Ave., Estes Park, 970-586-6962, www.hunterschophouse.com

Restaurant details: Open every day at 7 a.m. for breakfast, lunch and dinner begins at 11a.m. and serves until 10 p.m. Located east on Hwy 34, directly next to the Estes Park Marina.Wonderfully unique rustic atmosphere with open, bright dining area and a more private fullservice bar.

Dining experience: it‘s more than just a Steak House. Premier experience with affordableprices, families and large groups are welcome. Patio seating available with beautiful lake andmountain views.

Recommended dishes: Chop House Platter, House Chops, Maple crusted Trout or their catchof the day. Their burgers are great, particularly with their string french fries. Save a lot of roomfor one of their abundant desserts.The Romeof theRockies LocallyOwned &OperatedTHE DUNRAVEN INNGREAT FOOD! GREAT SERVICE!

Come and enjoy our friendly, warm and relaxed atmosphere. See why weare a favorite of the locals! We proudly serve fresh fish, classic Italiancuisine, and prime-grade steaks. We also offer several vegetarian entrees.Homemade sauces, soups and awesome desserts!

We have added a private room that accommodates up to 30 people.

Enjoy a cocktail from our copper-topped bar, or perhapsa bottle of wine from our excellent wine list!

Reservations are appreciated. Open all year.Children are welcome.Dinner served nightly at 5 p.m.

2470 Hwy. 66 • 970-586-6409 • www.DunravenInn.com

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34

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Crags Lodge has the ‘View’


Y ou just get thatwarm, welcomingfeeling when youwalk into the Crags

Lodge. That‘s exactly whatgrabbed Kathy Kadlecek thefirst time she walked into thelodge. “I was a micro-biolo-gist and had come to EstesPark to visit. I basicallywalked into the Crags Lodgeand never left,” said Kadle-cek. “We moved to Esteswhen my kids were young, Ireally wanted them to live ina small town and be in asmall town school district.”

Kadlecek has been withthe Crags Lodge and TheView Restaurant since 1993,working in various capaci-ties. She started as the man-ager of the restaurant,moved into the being theGM for the lodge which ledto eventually owning the res-taurant. Today, she and co-owner Mike Miller are backinto owning The View Res-taurant and enjoy havingonly the restaurant to worryabout.

Joel Mills built the Lodgein 1914 and the restaurantwas added seven years later.“We are extremely fortunate

that this lodge is still theoriginal, “ said Kadlecek.The lodge and restaurantstill have so much originalstuff from when it was builtand furnished in the early1900‘s, which is really excit-ing. The furnishings andwindows are two of the firstthings that catch your eyethe minute you walk into thelodge.

An interesting story hascome from the furnishingsthat the Crags Lodge has al-ways had. In fact, there arepictures of the chairs and ta-bles being driven up to thelodge on an old Model-T byMills himself. Four yearsago, Kadlecek saw an articlefrom the Old Hickory Furni-ture Company and discov-ered that all the chairs andtables in the restaurant wereoriginal furnishings from

this company. Today theyare extremely valuable. Kad-lecek was invited to visit thecompany and to help start aspecific line called “TheCrags Line.” “It was reallyexciting to see that all thechairs in the lodge werehand made by this companyand they are still as strong asever, “ said Kadlecek. TheLodge will be putting thenew “Crags Line” of hickoryfurniture into all of its guestrooms.

The View Restaurant con-tinues to be one of the mostbeautiful locations to dine inEstes Park. The View is openfrom May 1st through Octo-ber to the public for dining.Even though they close theirdoors to nightly dinners, theView Restaurant continues tostay busy with parties andgroup functions throughoutthe Winter and Spring. “Wejust had a ‘Frat Party‘ hostedhere and today we are set-ting up for an afternoonbaby-shower, “ said Kadle-cek. “We have it all, but real-ly specialize in weddings, re-hearsal dinners, holidayparties, conferences, familyreunions, birthday partiesand simple dinner partiesamongst friends.” It‘s really agreat place to call your ownfor the evening with any cel-ebration.

The View Restaurant isgoing to host some socialevening events for localsthroughout the winter, withmusic and food. “We‘rethinking of bringing a ‘La-dies Night‘ to the Cragsand/or a ‘Couples Night, ‘”said Kadlecek. Dick Orleansis on board to arrange livemusic for these events andthey hope that they will bewell attended and a lot offun.

If you are interested infinding out more about theCrags Lodge or arrangingyour holiday party or event,give them a call at (970)586-6066.

The warm and welcoming feeling of the lodge.

Restaurant known forfine dining, unparalleled

views of Estes Park


dunraven from page 1Andy has been in restau-

rants all of his working life.While growing up in Estes heworked in Poppy‘s, at the maltshop and Mama Roses. Forthe past 16 years, he has beenworking at the Rio GrandeMexican Restaurant in Den-ver, serving as the generalmanager the last six of thoseyears. Cindy is currently a pe-diatric intensive care nurseand nurse educator at Chil-dren‘s Hospital in Denver.She hopes to utilize her skillshere in Estes when theirmove is complete.

“We want Estes Park toknow that we are not chang-ing anything. Dale and Laurelhad a great thing going andhave done an unbelievable jobwith the Dunraven Inn, “ saidAndy. You will still find thesame delicious menu and

they will continue to havetheir fresh fish, the melt-in-your-mouth steaks and all thefavorite Italian dishes. Thefantastic staff that the Dunra-ven is known for is still withthe Morgan‘s and the samecooks continue to work theirmagic in the kitchen.

“Don‘t worry, we‘re keepingthe dollars on the walls, “ saidAndy. “They are such a partof the Dunraven experience,we can‘t pull them off the wallnow.” The many Mona Lisa‘sand Dale‘s fish tank are stillthere too.

What is new, is the newlyremodeled dining room withexpanded ceilings with somefun new art on the walls. Theroom looks as if it has dou-bled in size. The “Bird” roomor the back room, which was

added over a year ago, is thebest spot to have a largegroup dinner or a party. It‘sbeautifully lighted and a littlemore private for those specialfunctions. The Hatchers hadrecently completed remodel-ing the restrooms, which area wonderful addition to thenew Dunraven.

The Morgans have addedsome new things to the menu.You can now enjoy a Caesar‘ssalad with homemade Polentacroutons. They‘ve added aRissoto Bianco, which is awhite sauce made with whitewine and garlic. You‘ll nowhave garlic mashed potatoesas a side dish. There is an eggplant vegetable lasagna and apasta primavera. Fried calam-ari is also now on the appetiz-er menu.

The Dunraven has a “glu-ten free” menu available aswell, which includes a glutenfree dessert.

“We‘ve got some futureplans that we‘d like to makehappen, “ said Andy. He in-tends to add some more com-fortable seating in the bararea, he is considering beingopen for lunch, they want tooffer more varieties as dailyspecials and “I‘d like to add anoutside patio for dining.” Butfor now the Morgan family istaking one step at a time, atfull speed continuing the out-standing service and deliciousmeals that everyone expectswhen dining at the Dunraven.

Andy and his family are ex-cited about their new opportu-nity and they hope that EstesPark comes out to the Dunra-ven Inn to meet them and tosee that it‘s still the same won-derful restaurant that you‘vealways loved. They are openevery day at 5 p.m. and reser-vations are always encour-aged by calling (970)586-6409.



1. Dunraven Inn2. Sundeck Restaurant3. The Grubsteak4. The View Restaurant at

the Historic Craigs Lodge5. Twin Owls Steakhouse6. Pura Vida Costa

Rican Restaurant7. Hunter's Chop House

1 Dunraven Inn

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Hwy 34 Bypass ~ Wonderview Ave.

W. Elkhorn Ave. E. Elkhorn Ave.

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Highways toHighways toHigh CountryHigh CountryCuisineCuisine

Highways toHigh CountryCuisine Estes Park and the beautiful area

surrounding it are known for itsfine restaurants. Our high altitudeenhances the appetites and ourrestaurants welcome you as youare—straight from hiking, or, ifyou wish, dressed to the nines.Whether you’re looking for anaffordable meal for your wholefamily or a special place for anintimate dinner for two, you havemany choices in our area.

Offering a Premier Experience at anAffordable Price

Come & Enjoy Our Patiowith a Lake View

Succulent SteaksExquisite Game Cuisine

Fresh SeafoodOversized Salads

Incredible Burgers & Desserts

Serving Lunch & Dinner in aUnique Rustic Mountain Setting

Lunch & Dinner11 am - 9 pm Weekdays & Weekends

Kids Menu ~ Full Bar AvailableLarge Groups Welcome

1690 Big Thompson Ave. 970-586-6962www.hunterschophouse.net

Open Daily for DinnerBanquet Facilities • Wedding Receptions

Night or Weekly Suite ReservationsConference/Business Meetings

The Historic Crags LodgeOfficially placed on the

National Register of Historic Places.Located at 300 Riverside Drive, Estes Park

970-586-6066www.cragslodge.com

DiningDiningDiningWITH THE

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A FA FAMILYAMILY TTRADITIONRADITION SSINCEINCE 19141914A FAMILY TRADITION SINCE 191420-17036

Estes Park Dining Guide

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