Historic Hearthstone
Tucked away on South Ridge Street in Breckenridge, Colorado, is the Kaiser House. You could easily walk by this historic home decked out in Victoria period decor. It was a family home in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As you walk in from the cold, instantly see it’s a cozy, yet elegant home of a bygone era. Tourists and locals alike flock to the Hearthstone Restaurant.
My friend Melissa and I wanted something really good and found ourselves at Hearthstone. We didn’t have a reservation but luckily found two spots at the bar on the second floor. It’s just like sitting in a secret bar around 1900. I decided on a sparkling rose and Melissa went for their Pomegranate Margarita. We’re both foodies and love ordering smaller plates so we can try a few items. First up for us was the Beets “Carpaccio.” We dubbed them beet tacos since the purple haze goat cheese mousse in the citrus marinated red and golden beets looks like tiny tacos. The pistachio dust and mission fig balsamic jam added nutty and sweet flavors, but it was the balsamic pearls that added a real zing to the dish. Next we went for the seared tuna appetizer special. Served with a wonderful polenta and garnished with pomegranate seeds and micro greens this appetizer was a hit with both of us. Melissa decided to try the Hazel Dell Organic Mushroom Soup. Honestly it’s one of the best mushroom soups I’ve ever tasted. Must be the truffle parsley oil drizzled on it! I went for the Pan-Seared Sea Scallops appetizer to finish off our meal. They were wonderful with the lemon tarragon lobster sauce (and I’m not a sauce person!), fennel fronds, and topped with a tiny dopple of caviar. It was the braised fennel cheek that was the biggest surprise to me. Delicious!
Go to Giampietro
Real good Italian food is just plain bliss on a cold winter’s night. On a recent trip to visit Melissa and her husband Carl, Melissa and I went to Giampietro Pasta & Pizzeria while Carl was working late. Both of us were really hungry since we hadn’t had lunch. We were going for “linner” – late lunch/early dinner. The food is traditional Italian comfort food and everything from the balsamic vinaigrette to pizza sauce is made in house. We had a plan – order a couple of appetizers and then two entrees, knowing we would have plenty to take to go for Carl to eat when he got home. There are two appetizers here that in my book are “must orders” – calamari and arancini. I like to get more rings than tentacles in calamari. That’s exactly what you get here. The calamari is lightly fried and served with marina and aioli. Arancini is fried risotto and mozzarella. These are balls of ooey gooey yumminess sprinkled with parmesan and parsley and served with marinara sauce for dipping. Both of us were already pretty full at this point but ordered two of their hearty entrees. Melissa went for the Spinach Stuffed Shells and I went for the Manicotti. We happily left in an Italian “abbiocco,” or delightful food coma, with plenty of food to take home to Carl, and for us to enjoy round two of Italian food later that evening.
Dine at Doma
If you’re looking for a place for breakfast, brunch or lunch, head to Doma 1898. Doma means “home” in Czech. The restaurant is housed in the historic Gaymond Residence. Oren K. Gaymond was elected to the Colorado State Senate in 1898. On the day we went for brunch, Melissa and I decided to splurge with brunch cocktails and both ordered the Blood Orange Bellini with peach schnapps, lemon vodka, and blood orange peregrino served on the rocks. It’s light and refreshing making it a perfect brunch cocktail. We paired the cocktails with the Herbed Truffle Fries. Bellini and fries make a wonderful pairing to start brunch….well in my opinion anyways. The shoestring fries are topped with grand Padang cheese and sea salt and served with chimayo mayo. Melissa went for the Avocatini “Green” Sandwich. It’s a scrambled egg, pesto, avocado, sprouts, cilantro, and jalapeño on their house made rustic bread. I immediately decided on the avocado toast topped with their house cured salmon. We splurged on the Bellinis and fries, but went healthy on our entrees to make for a perfect brunch!
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