GF Lunch and Dinner on the Slopes

Alpenglow Stube in Keystone, Colorado

I don't ski, and yet nearly every winter I find myself at the Keystone Resort in Colorado. This year we decided to have lunch at the Alpenglow Stube at the top of the Gondola at Keystone. I had not eaten there since being diagnosed with Celiac disease, but it is a beautiful restaurant and a fun ride to the top of the mountain – 11,444 ft! They have a prix fixe lunch menu with a two-course and three-course option.  Everyone at the table ordered salmon, and the salmon itself was really really good!  However, the asparagus it was served with seemed a little on the old side. I also ordered a pear and arugula salad as my appetizer and I kind of wish that I had gotten the little scallop appetizer instead. The person who did order the scallops said they were good, and the greens in my salad were not as fresh as I would have liked. The total effect was kind of ho-hum. I really don't mean to discourage anyone from going to the Alpenglow Stube. It is beautiful; the surroundings are magnificent; the staff are gracious; and many of their dishes are very good. They had many GF choices and the server had a list with her, so there was no running back and forth to "ask the chef."  There was also a very good flourless chocolate cake for dessert with raspberry coulis and fresh berries.  I shared with a friend and we both liked it very much.  Go, please. It is worth the gondola ride or the ski over. When they are good, they are very very good. And when they are not, it is still worth the trip.

Salmon at Alpenglow Stuben

For dinner we drove over to Breckenridge to The Hearthstone. When we go to Colorado, we almost always eat at The Hearthstone and they have never disappointed us. Great staff with funny ties, a warm atmosphere, and terrific dinners. Although I almost never order beef when I am out, this time I did. I had the Harris Ranch Filet, Black Angus tenderloin with a Malbec demiglace and Yukon Gold Anna Potatoes, with some sauteed garlic spinach. Wow! The beef was very tender and very flavorful. Great food. Great atmosphere. The Hearthstone has its own separate gluten free menu too, which makes it very easy to order.

Breckenridge also has an Ice Castle a few blocks away, which you can walk through after dinner and walk off the calories you just consumed. At night it is lighted and the colors change as you go through it.  

Cathy