High Country Valentine’s Day Sampler

By Tom Lambrecht

2/10/2005 - Men, if you get a curious sinking feeling reading the title and viewing the accompanying photo, you need to act fast. (This is not sexist, it’s supported by intensive research revealing that 99.997% of all females remember V-Day and a significant number of males forget or procrastinate). Monday IS Valentine’s Day.

  If this is news to you for some reason (big project at work or just a bad memory for holidays with lace, flowers and hearts), it’s not too late. We did a little Q&A of area restaurants and businesses and came up with a number of tempting options. One theme that was repeated over and over was “make reservations…like, yesterday.” In some cases, advance reservations are absolutely required.

  Here’s what our little survey came up with:

  Annie’s Café will be staging two seatings of a special four-course dinner, the first at 5:30 and the second at 7:45, reservations required by February 11.

  The Black Forest Restaurant will be offering lobster as well as the game and wild fowl dishes they are known for. A three-piece band will entertain and there will be complimentary roses for the ladies

  First Street Pub and Grill is serving up steak and seafood specials, as well as their regular menu on Monday.

  Fans of Neapolitan’s will find their regular favorite dishes as well as a few special V-Day desserts.

  New Moon Bakery will offer some special baked items and chocolate-dipped strawberries (“if the fruit is good”, emphasized their spokesman).

  Pete’s Beaver Park will be serving a Prime Rib and Crab Legs Valentine’s dinner on Monday

  Pink Flamingo in their new location (the former Tungsten Grill) is closed-mouthed about their plans for dinner, but promises something special

  Pioneer Inn is celebrating the holiday in their own slightly perverse fashion with their annual Hooker’s Ball on Friday the 11^th.

  Sundance Café continues with their tradition of lobster dinner for the occasion and will be rolling it out on both Saturday the 12^th and Monday.

  Rhapsody’s at Clear Creek is also offering special seatings for dinner Saturday and Monday.

  If you wish, you can hop a few gullies over and 100 years back in time to the Peck House in Empire which promises their fine regular menu, supplemented by special appetizers and drinks for two from Friday thru Monday.

  While not exactly hearts day material, ski and board-oriented couples might want to check Guru Sports’ Winter Carnival which will start at 12 noon on Saturday the 12^th in the Nederhaus parking lot outside the store. 

  Of course, you’ll want to swing by Blumen and pick up a bouquet (they’re normally closed on Monday, but, Sue assures us, Valentine’s Day is of course, the exception).

  And Nederland Feed and Supply will have loose carnations and roses available on Monday for purchase by the harried shopper who’s stopped in for the usual bird seed and dog food.

  A number of venues are featuring live music…get on the phone if you want to shake a leg. The Acoustic Café is showcasing a sweet acoustic duet betwixt Billy Nershi of String Cheese Incident and his wife Jilian…the bad news is, it’s sold out (remember what we said in the first paragraph?).

  And if our your tastes should tend towards, ummmm…shall we say “diaphanous undergarments,” Denim and Lace is featuring 20% off on jewelry and lingerie.

  Finally, the Gilpin Community Center is hosting their Father/Daughter Sweetheart Ball on Saturday the 12^th, with refreshments and dancing. Also included are a photo and a corsage for the young lady. And the couples massage class on Sunday the 13^th might be just the place to practice before the holiday.

  Of course, we males here at the GCN planned our little V-Day surprises months in advance. (Phew!)