BEEF: IT’S A NATURAL
The Brown Derby Cafe
618 First Ave., Deer Trail
303-769-4407
The circa-1917 Brown Derby Cafe fronting old Colorado 40 remains true to its frontier roots, serving natural beef raised on restaurant owner Glenn Kunkel’s spread south of town. They run through the home-grown cuts quickly, so if you’re a committed consumer, call before you go. And keep your fingers crossed that the fridge is full when Deer Trail, purportedly the home of the world’s first rodeo, celebrates the bucking season with huge town dances at the Derby starting around 9 p.m. Aug. 18-19.
SNUGGLE UP TO CHOCOLATE
Candy Quilts
candyquilts.com or 800-717-CANDY
Karen Carruthers had been making candy for a decade and had been a quilter for nearly two when she converted her Erie basement into a chocolate factory that churns out creamy candy blocks handpainted to look like quilts. Order online, or head to the Colorado quilting mecca La Veta to purchase these elegant sweets that taste as lovely as they look. They come in dark-, milk- and white-chocolate varieties, filled or solid, decorated with your favorite quilt patterns and available in two, four, six or 12-block sets.
STEPPIN’ OUT UP NORTH
Club Tico
City Park, Fort Collins
therhythmcompany.com
Club Tico, at the heart of City Park in Fort Collins, has been a lot of things to a lot of people since it was opened in 1921. But the pavilion’s longest history is as a dance hall. The tradition continues today, with Jumpin’ JiveCats teaching 30-minute East Coast swing and jitterbug lessons the second and fourth Friday of every month, followed by a live-band swing dance. Grab $6, your dancing shoes and head to Fort Collins on Friday night. Lessons start at 7:30 p.m., and Jumpin’ Danny and the Swing Train gets rolling around 8 p.m.
