Colorado restaurants serving wild game like buffalo, elk, quail and more

Anthony Perez vividly remembers the primary time he tasted the Colorado delicacy Rocky Mountain oysters. Perez was 16 years previous and had simply begun working at Buckhorn Alternate, an iconic Denver restaurant that first opened its doorways in 1893. Its menu harkens again to the Previous West, showcasing the kinds of sport that might have been accessible to indigenous tribes and settlers of that period.

As locals know, these oysters don’t come from the ocean. They’re really bull testicles that cooks at The Buckhorn Alternate slice skinny, bread after which fry. They’re served as an appetizer with three home sauces for dipping.

“They had been actually good,” Perez remembers of his first expertise, “till they instructed me what they had been.”

Perez wasn’t deterred, nevertheless. At the moment, he’s the overall supervisor of Buckhorn Alternate, the place he delights in pushing diners outdoors their consolation zone with its array of bizarre meats which can be emblematic of Colorado’s historical past. And he’s not alone.

Wild sport is one thing of a regional specialty and standard amongst vacationers, restaurant house owners say. Opposite to its moniker, wild sport like buffalo and elk is now farmed all through the U.S. and a few Colorado locales even serve meat raised domestically.

Craving a style? Listed here are eight eating places the place you may dig into the wild facet.

Buckhorn Alternate

Along with Rocky Mountain oysters, visitors at Buckhorn Alternate can strive entrees that includes buffalo and elk steaks, quail and Cornish sport hen. Perez recommends the blackened buffalo prime rib, which comes with garlic mashed potatoes. He described buffalo, often known as bison, as leaner, sweeter and extra tender in comparison with beef. “When you style it you’ll be transformed, I’m 100% positive of that,” Perez mentioned.

These searching for only a chew can go for apps just like the buffalo sausage, fried alligator tail or the sirloin sport ideas plate that features alternative cuts of beef, bison and elk sauteed with mushrooms. The restaurant additionally serves rattlesnake seasonally in the summertime. However lately there’s been a scarcity, Perez mentioned, so if it’s accessible, don’t miss your probability.

1000 Osage St., Denver. 303-534-9505. buckhorn.com.

The Fort Restaurant

The Fort Restaurant in Morrison takes visitors again in time, from the ambiance to the menu choices. Proprietor Holly Arnold Kinney’s household constructed The Fort – a literal reproduction of Bent’s Old Fort trading post – in 1961. As she tells it, building on the property drained the household’s financial institution accounts and impressed them to open a restaurant in 1963 to pay again loans. Given the household amassed a library of three,000 historical past books, together with cookbooks from the Previous West, The Fort focuses on Nineteenth-century eating.

Buffalo is served some ways right here, impressed by the indigenous individuals’s dedication to utilizing the entire animal again within the day. Dishes embrace buffalo prime rib, buffalo empanadas and buffalo bone marrow. The Historian’s Platter additionally options buffalo tongue alongside buffalo sausage and different accoutrements. The most well-liked dish is The Fort’s Recreation Plate, which comes with a bone-in elk chop, a buffalo sirloin medallion, and grilled teriyaki quail. The restaurant additionally serves a sampler of sport sausages that includes rabbit, rattlesnake, and antelope, and crisp, bite-size Rocky Mountain oysters for any event.

“We’ve even had some girls come up celebrating their divorce with platters of Rocky Mountain oysters,” Arnold Kinney mentioned.

19192 CO-8, Morrison. 303-697-4771. thefort.com.

Cafe Jordano

An Italian restaurant could appear to be an uncommon place to seek out buffalo, however it’s been on the menu at Lakewood’s Cafe Jordano since opening in 1991. Proprietor Elisa Sicuranza and her ex-husband didn’t need to serve veal due to moral issues about how the animals had been raised. Being within the Mountain West, they determined to substitute buffalo and put together it as they’d veal – pounded skinny – for quite a lot of conventional pasta dishes like Buffalo Parmigiana and Buffalo Alla Cocciatore. Cafe Jordano additionally developed some unique recipes, for instance, the Buffalo Royal that includes a cream sauce made with cognac and mushrooms.

11068 W. Jewell Ave., Lakewood. 303-988-6863. cafejordano.com.

Elk Avenue Prime

Recreation is especially standard in Colorado’s mountain cities, the place guests are surrounded by the pure wilderness, mentioned Cody Penton, senior government chef of Elk Avenue Meals and Beverage. Three of the corporate’s 4 eating places in Crested Butte presently serve sport in some respect, however its steakhouse, Elk Avenue Prime, boasts probably the most choices. The highest vendor is an elk strip loin, however Penton mentioned to not sleep on the buffalo strip that’s dry- aged for twenty-four days. Although the menu typically rotates seasonally, Penton expects he’ll all the time characteristic some wild sport. “We’re in a position to get our arms on some fairly distinctive merchandise right here whereas additionally giving individuals what they need,” he mentioned.

226 Elk Ave., Crested Butte. 970-349-1221. elkaveprimecb.com.

Appaloosa Grill

Endearingly generally known as The Horse, Appaloosa Grill is a 24-year-old Denver traditional serving sport with a facet of dwell music. Bison is available in quite a lot of dishes, from chili to burgers and even a bison pastrami Reuben sandwich. Craving a steak? Select from bison filet, T-bone and New York strip. There’s additionally an elk burger that comes topped with goat cheese, cream cheese, serrano ham, grape compote and arugula.

535 sixteenth St., Suite 110, Denver. 720-932-1700. appaloosagrill.com.

D’Deli

Diners searching for one thing extra informal than a steakhouse can strive buffalo and elk between bread at D’Deli in Golden. Each meats come “corned and smoked” and dressed to mouthwatering delight. The Buffalo Reuben, that includes the normal sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, is an efficient gateway chew. Extra adventurous eaters can go for recipes just like the Oxford – buffalo with blue cheese aioli, mozzarella, tomato, basil, blended greens and olive oil – and The Huge Boy, an elk sub with baked beans, barbecue Dijon, celery, coleslaw, onions and cayenne honey.

1207 Washington Ave., Golden. ddeligolden.com.

Edwards Meats

Although Edwards Meats in Wheat Ridge is primarily a butcher store, it additionally has a deli that gives corned buffalo and corned elk as meat choices. You’ll need to construct your individual sandwich, however workers may also help information you thru the flavors. (Consider it as a superb substitute for corned beef, with an identical remedy and seasoning, one particular person lately advised.) Edwards sells many different kinds of sport to take residence, together with buffalo, venison, elk, rabbit, pheasant and quail.

12280 West forty fourth Ave., Wheat Ridge. 303-422-4397. edwardsmeats.com.

The Wapiti Colorado Pub

Wapiti is a local phrase for “elk,” initially from the Cree or Shawnee languages which means white rump. The namesake of this Estes Park eatery, elk are sometimes seen hanging out downtown and are a quintessential a part of the mountain neighborhood. As an ode to the wilderness, visitors will discover a Centennial State Burger on the menu, that includes both an elk or bison patty topped with provolone cheese and grilled onions. The restaurant additionally serves fried Rocky Mountain oysters with cocktail sauce.

1350 Fall River Highway, Estes Park. 970-586-5056. thewapitipub.com.

Bonus: Wild sport for ingesting and grilling