Dining out in Breckenridge, CO

The following post is a re-print of a post I did for another blog. It was posted in 2014, but having just spent another glorious Independence Day in Breckenridge, CO, I thought it was worth posting again. I'm loving life in the High Country. And, for your next vacation, you might too.


There is no better place in Colorado to spend the 4th of July than in Breckenridge, the perfect mountain town.  In fact, in my perfect world, I may never leave Summit County. From the historic to the shopping to the cultural to the recreational, Breck has something for everyone, and it has been my family's Independence Day destination for the better part of a decade.  Breck hosts one of the best parades in Colorado, followed by a fun concert on the plaza and a water fight hosted by the fire department.  And, of course, we always follow the festivities with a happy hour trip and some fine dining.  This year we tried a few new places - well, new to us, but standard Breck - and we were not disappointed.  We enjoyed excellent meals at Modis and The Warming Hut.

After a trip down from Peak 7, I left the gondola lot and took Main Street, noticing The Warming Hut for the umpteenth time.  But this time we decided to stop in.  It was a pleasant surprise.  Noticing the website information on "Wine Wednesdays," I was hooked.  The theme was Chilean wines, and even though the promotion wasn't supposed to start for a week, the owner was happy to oblige me with four pours of some excellent South American wines.  For the first round, I sampled the Bodini chardonnay which is their house wine.  It was truly buttery with a great oak and a richness of citrus.  And, then I was in for a treat - the Crios malbec rose literally blew my mind.  Fearing the sweetness of anything called rose, I was impressed with the dry, crisp flavor that was a real twist on malbec.  The carmeniere from Chile was one of the oaky-est wines I've had, and the Chilean cab was rich as well.

For my "fifth" pour, I was offered a full glass of my favorite - which was a tough choice, but I went with the Bodini.  In addition to the wines, I was also treated to the boar's sausage appetizer, and the entire deal was a simple $15.  I can't imagine a better deal in wine in the high country.  For happy hour, my family also enjoyed the trio of sliders, the bison-chorizo chile, another boar's sausage, and two orders of ridiculously tasty sweet potato fries.  The Warming Hut establishment is truly adorable - or elegant if you will - and we enjoyed great Peak 7 views from the patio.

Let's hope The Warming Hut - which just passed its one-year anniversary - garners a following, because it is a great compliment to the town of Breckenridge.