Avalanche Coffee House

Blair Street in Silverton

moring to afternoon/Friday night pizza

Beer/Wine pending. Porch.

No credit cards. $-$$.

The Grub: Coffee drinks, fresh pastries, fat sandwiches, hearty soups, and great pizza on Friday night.

The Digs: Laid back/cozy/funky. A warm refuge from Silverton's arctic winters where locals sit, get wired, and debate politics for hours on end.

Quel and Gordito say: After being closed for a torturous six months, the Avalanche returns with new owners and a new attitude. Good coffee, great sandwiches and soup, and don't miss pizza night--the crust is crispy and delightful and the conversation, well, it could be better.

 

Baskin Robbins

Town Plaza in Durango

$

The Grub: Ice cream cones and other ice cream related goods. The Digs: Probably similar to every other BR in the nation. Can be somewhat crowded and uncomfortable on a summer's day. Quel and Gordito say: The Good Grub Guide doesn't usually review franchise/chain establishments, but since this particular store has been around so long, and since Gordito has a strong penchant for ice cream, and since the hot weather is coming, we figured "what the heck, let's eat ice cream and call it a tax write off!" Gordito's been visiting this very same store since he was a very small lad. He originally fell for Pink Bubblegum and Rainbow Sherbet before moving up to Daiquiri Ice. At some point in his life, he moved on to fatter and better, like Peanut Butter and Chocolate, Gold Medal Ribbon, and Jamoca Almond Fudge, ALWAYS on a sugar cone. He avoids fancy flavors, but sampled the "Tax Crunch" (coffee ice cream with chocolate and rice crispy like things) and rather enjoyed it. Gorditita, his daughter, likes strawberry the best. This ain't fancy French Glacé or Italian Gelato. It's just plain old ice cream which is pretty damned good. Nothin's better on a hot, dry day.

 

Ben's Big Burgers 

14th & 2nd Ave., Durango 

lunch/dinner 

No alcohol. Outdoor dining only. 

$-$$ 

The Grub: Good, American Drive-in food. Huge burgers, battered fries, milkshakes, etc. The Digs: It used to be a Taco House and feels that way. Order your grub at a tiny window and wait in your car, in the parking lot, or in a picnic table on the elevated patio in the shade of umbrellas. Quel and Gordito say: "Now that's a real burger!" The Big Ben is 1/2 lb. of meat smothered with green chiles, fried onions, and cheese and it costs less than $5. Half burgers available for smaller appetites. Great fries (and a bargain, too) and a huge variety of milkshake flavors.

 

Bread

Corner of Florida and East Animas in Durango

early morn to evening

No alcohol. Patio.

$

The Grub: A real bakery with artisan breads, rustic pastries, sandwiches, cheeses, coffee drinks, and more.

The Digs: Hectic, noisy, and almost industrial just as a real bakery should be. Watch the bakers slave away in the back or go out to the patio for a quiet conversation. Morning crowd is an eclectic mix of Durango's upper crust and the contractors that build their houses. 

Q and G say: Hands down, the best bread in the entire region. Loaves are handcrafted with patience and little more than flour, water, salt, and natural yeast cultures to create complex flavors that stand alone, are delicious dipped in olive oil, and are perfect for sandwiches--which Bread has just begun selling. Pick up a loaf of sourdough, some cheese, some gourmet olive oil at Bread, then go next door to Star Liquor and get a great bottle of wine to create a luxurious picnic on a budget.

 

City Market Sushi

Seafood section of South City Market, Durango

3.2 beer in the cooler.

$$

The Grub: Sushi. You know, fish and seaweed and rice and stuff. 

The Digs: Supermarket style, with fluorescent lights, rows and rows of packaging, and a decent soundtrack that often features Steely Dan (with the words, even). 

Q and G say: Where else can you get a deep fried, beef and bean burrito and a tray Nigiri Sushi in one place? Q & G are from southwestern Colorado, so they are hardly born Sushi connoisseurs. But they know good grub when they taste it. They highly recommend the goods in the Sushi section of City Market. Quel likes the Combo Special ($8.99), which gives a good sushi sampler, containing everything from shrimp to eel. Gordito goes for the Nigiri Sushi ($7.49)--succulent pieces of raw salmon or tuna on rice. The folks who handcraft the Sushi are friendly and helpful, the food is good and reasonably priced, and you can pick up a tray of sushi, a pinto of Ben and Jerry's, and a sixpack of strawberry flavored wine coolers in just one stop and consume it all in a supermarket parking lot while watching the sun set. Or you can skip the wine coolers and call it good.

 

Cyprus Cafe

725 E. 2nd Ave. in Durango

weekday lunch, dinner.

Full-bar. Patio. 

Credit cards. $$$

The Grub: Mediterranean--which is a big category. From French to falafel, simple, elegant food with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients.

The Digs: The Cyprus is a small, converted, Victorian house and the homey feel has not been lost. The unpretentious yet elegant atmosphere is one of the most romantic in Durango. Q and G say: Ooo-la-la! One of Durango's top dining establishments. Always try the daily special, where the creative chef gets to show his stuff. Quel Fromage likes the warm duck salad with a glass of vino from the approachable, yet good, wine list, and one of the special desserts.

Owner Allison Dance has kept the Cyprus at the forefront of the movement to bring culinary variety to southwest Colorado.

 

Προσκλητήρια Γάμου

Main and 6th (College) in Durango 

lunch and dinner 

Beer. 

$-$$ 

The Grub: Pizza by the slice or the pie. The Digs: Small, sparse, young-energetic place with two televisions on which you can watch extreme ski/bike/skateboard videos accompanied by loud music. Q and G say: This place has some great, reasonably priced pizza and you can chase it with a cup of locally brewed, Ska beer in a plastic cup, and the young, hip, good-looking crowd can often be found here. What could be better? Both the regular and Sicilian--with a thicker crust--are choice. Try both.