Category: colorado

Black Bear Restaurant

June 13, 2008 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

While I was looking for a place for us to celebrate our 30th anniversary as well as Jack’s birthday, I came across the website for the The Black Bear Restaurant, a four-star restaurant a short distance from Colorado Springs of which I had never heard. The Chef’s Table (a fixed price meal) seemed interesting, so Jack made reservations.

I thought it slightly odd that there was no photo of the restaurant building on the website, and when we made the drive to Green Mountain Falls, I could see why: it certainly didn’t look like any four star restaurant I had ever seen before. Stated bluntly, it looked like a dive.

Appearances are deceptive. We chose the six course meal, and it was some of the best food I have ever had. We had fennel salad, which was very spicy; bison stew; caramelized onion frittata; a creamy pasta dish; Limousin steak and potatoes; and chocolate. I think it may have been the best steak I’ve ever had. The portion sizes were quite restrained, so we were full when we left, without being stuffed.

Tower

June 03, 2008 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

Colorado Springs has many old Victorian buildings downtown, most of them subdivided into multiple living spaces now. Many of them are wood frame houses, but there are some like this one in brick.