Just about a year ago, I moved to Fort Collins, CO, a delightful little city (or big college town, depending on how you look at it) that’s as good a place to live as it is to visit. There’s a lot of great local culture here and plenty of things that make this a fun place to be.
One of the best features of this town, (and one that we’re well-known for) is an unusually high number of great restaurants. We have one of the highest per-capita numbers of restaurants of any city in the country, and it’s hard to find one that isn’t at least pretty darn good.
But with so many choices in great places to eat, it can be hard to pick, especially if you’re only visiting us for a little while. So as a resident, and someone who has plenty of time to sample what Fort Collins has to offer, I’ve compiled a list of my 10 favorite restaurant picks. Some of these are good for fast, cheap eats, some are gourmet dining, most are somewhere in-between, but all are delicious and unique!
Rasta Pasta
Rasta Pasta is Jamaican/Italian fusion. Yes, you read that right. This restaurant has a special place in my heart because of the atmosphere and because I’ve never encountered food anything like this in my life and man, is it tasty. A mixture of Caribbean Jerk seasonings and traditional Italian pasta (with a surprising amount of fruit – it may seem strange, but its wonderful), this is a great place for people who like it spicy. There’s even a “Wall Of Flame” challenge where you can get a free meal by finishing the spiciest stuff on the menu.
PS – This place has the best garlic bread I’ve ever had!
Suehiro
This is, quite simply, an exquisite sushi restaurant. You can enjoy their sushi bar or dine traditionally in a room where you’ll be seated on the floor and expected to remove your shoes. This place somehow has an atmosphere that’s both formal and fancy and yet, still very relaxing and fun. The sushi is to die for, but so is everything else on the menu. Particular favorites of mine are the mochi balls, the miso soup (which I normally don’t care for), and the selection of sake.
The Melting Pot
The Melting Pot is the ultimate in decadent dining. It’s a fondue restaurant, with cooking and dipping right at your table. Your options are cheese fondue, chocolate fondue (both of these come in several varieties and flavors) and a main course of meat and seafood selections which you cook yourself and enjoy with dozens of delectable dipping sauces.
The wine and drinks list will complete your evening. Even the more cheaply priced wine selections here are surprisingly excellent.
Al Salaam
Al Salaam is an interesting, fairly casual middle eastern restaurant that’s impossible not to love. The food is traditional and though you’ll find it quite educational and different, it’s also easily enjoyable for a western palate. Please note, alcohol is not served here, but there’s a great selection of imported, non-alcoholic drinks.
Star of India
Enjoy Indian food, but are looking for a place to get it quick and inexpensive? Star Of India is a buffet with very reasonable prices, and the food’s as good as most menu-order Indian places I’ve been to. This is a great place for people new to Indian cuisine, as you can try small amounts of items to see what you like.
Avogadro’s Number
Avo’s is a great place for food and entertainment. This unique bar and sandwich shop features great décor, lots of fliers and postings about local culture, and both indoor and outdoor performance venues where you can catch some of the best local music sounds. The food is a selection of meat and vegetarian sandwich options, and though I’m a carnivore, I often find myself gravitating towards the latter here because they’re just too tasty. The tempeh burgers are highly recommended.
D.P. Dough
This restaurant is actually a chain, but a fairly limited one, so I decided to include it on my list. This place sells made-while-you-wait calzones. They’re very tasty, but the really fun part is that there’s an enormous selection of ingredients.
Woody’s Fire-Grilled Pizza
This is a pizza buffet with a lot of variety, but the real fun is that it’s baked in a fireplace oven, which you can see when you come in. The result is a wonderful chewy, tasty crust, which is such a great feature all on its own that the restaurant offers honey to eat them with (very good).
Jasmine Garden
We have an embarrassment of good Asian fusion restaurants here in Fort Collins, but Jasmine Garden has to be my favorite. Located in the heart of Old Town (downtown) with outdoor dining, the dining environment is optimal. The food has a very original flavor to it and it not just a repeat of other similar-themed restaurants in town. Don’t miss the dumplings, their’s are the best I’ve had.
Stonehouse Grill
This is a British pub with great authentic food – you can even get haggis, though I confess I haven’t yet been that brave. I prefer things like the Scotch eggs and the great beer selection. This place has rooftop seating with an outdoor performance venue where I’ve heard some of the best jazz musicians in town.
