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Janet Day – Keep up with restaurants on the move

Janey Day/ Talk of the Valley
Grand County, CO, Colorado

Tourist Time: Snow sports season is officially upon us and restaurants are scrambling to put the finishing touches on new and updated venues and events.

Mountain Grind is almost done with the remodel at its Cooper Creek Square store and applying for a tavern license in order to serve alcoholic coffee drinks and gelato-based adult beverages. Yum. The remodel more than doubles the space of the old shop and includes table seating and a bar. The familiar fudge and gelato are still available.

Across the plaza, Wild Horse Gourmet Shop is open and looking great. The new store has many more retail items, including kitchenware and home decor, as well as gourmet food to go. Look for Wild Horse’s delectable appetizers upstairs at Verso Wines on Dec. 17 when the tasting room hosts a wine and gift event to raise funds for CASA, the Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in Grand County and northwestern Colorado.



Changes also are in store up on the third floor of Cooper Creek, in the former Green Olive space, and the new venture is bound to please locals as well as visitors to the area. Details coming soon.

Across the street, Backcountry Grill is the latest Winter Park restaurant to get on Facebook and to start publicizing new menu items and daily specials such as half-priced bottles of wine for its Facebook fans.



Down the road, the Winter Park Sushi Bar has introduced new menu items, including green curry and Asian-inspired ribs.

Executive Chef Fernan DeLeon expects to have his Cosmic Dog Mexican Grill open in mid-December. Bring in a can of food for the Grand County Food Bank and he’ll buy your first burrito.

Farther down the road, the Tabernash Tavern has reopened after a couple weeks off and, to my absolute joy, has Paella back on the menu. I love steaming bowls of fish stew, especially the saffron-infused Spanish dish that includes rice, peas and abundant tentacles.

I’m sorry I’ll have to miss this one: Pole Creek Golf Club and Bistro 28 will host an open house on Sat., Dec. 5, from 3 until 6 p.m., offering light appetizers and holiday cheer.

And congratulations to Sue Callahan and her Bear Paw Inn, which was the only local lodging to be included in 5280 Magazine’s just-released Mountain Getaways issue. The magazine noted that the inn “may not be big, but it’s long on Rocky Mountain charm” and took special notice of the homemade hearty breakfasts.

All that food have you a little lethargic? Get out and move on Thanksgiving before sliding up to the table. The 2nd Annual Fraser Creative Learning Center Turkey Trot starts at 9 a.m. on Thursday at the Fraser rodeo ground parking area. The 3.5-mile course is open to runners, walkers and pets on a leash. For details, call the learning center at 970-726-5681.

In a non-restaurant move, Michaels Audio and Video is going into new space at the Fraser Valley Shopping Center and expected to open by the end of the month. The larger space, formerly occupied by Grand Mountain Bank, allows the store to increase its inventory and thus increase offerings at prices that still rival those in the Denver area.

Keep in Touch: What’s got your attention around the area? Let me know. I’ll try to find the answer or spread the news. Send it all to JDayQuilts@msn.com. Follow me and local tidbits at http://www.twitter.com/DayJan or http://www.twitter.com/DayDreamCrafts.


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