mountain getaways
Historic Strater Hotel
Durango, Colorado
The name conjures up images of the Old West, of an
era when rugged people carved lives in the challenging Colorado Rockies. Anything proved to be possible
in Durango – and it still is. BY INDIANA REED
W
hile the miners, madams
and marauders depicted
in old Spaghetti Westerns
are long gone, modern-day Durango
does celebrate its heritage, blending
history with contemporary comforts
– and the finest of foods. Indeed,
Durango has been lauded for having
more acclaimed restaurants per capita
than San Francisco.
Officially chartered in 1881 with the
construction of the Durango & Silverton
Narrow Gauge Railroad, an authentic
28 FOOD TRAVELER | WINTER 2013
railroad that still runs today, Durango and surrounding La Plata County’s
lush river valleys and mesas yielded
hearty crops and livestock that supported a strong and independent rural
ranching and farming culture. They
ate well then – and they eat well today,
as many of Durango’s restaurants have
embraced the farm-to-table concept,
finding creative ways to incorporate
seasonal produce and locally-raised
meats in their offerings, all the
while utilizing the latest in culinary
techniques. “Agri-tourism” is not just
a platitude in Durango.
Visitors are always surprised at
the breadth and quality of Durango’s
varied eateries. These restaurants
provide guests an opportunity to give
into a venturesome spirit and sample
elk (which are readily visible roaming wild in the Animas Valley, but the
restaurant offerings are farm-raised),
fresh trout (fly-fishing on the numerous rivers is a popular past-time), or
even smoked and cured meats (as
Durango enjoys its own harvesting
facility – so many items are right off
the ranch).
The historic downtown buildings (circa 1880s) have been lovingly
maintained or restored, or when new
structures have been built, they are
specifically required to utilize contemporary architecture (to avoid the
amusement park syndrome) but all