September 15, 2022 Lunch - The Cafe, Trinidad. Dinner - Alys’, La Veta
What an interesting day of sights and food.
We started with a breakfast of Greek Yogurt and Suzette’s newest creation, Quince, raisin, and fig compote flavored with lemon juice, and sugar.super delicious with a firm texture of fruit.
Billy and Elaine drove to La Veta at 8:30, Billy to play pickle ball and Elaine to take an all day class in batik making.
Suzette and I left soon after and drove on Colorado 12 south over Cuchara Pass to Trinidad. We stopped at the Farley Overlook at the Cuchara Valley.
When we arrived in Trinidad we stopped at the Visitors’ Center. We were directed to the downtown area along Main Street.
We found a good parking space in a block of historic buildings where a number of Antique and thrift shops were located.
We shopped a bit but a bit after 11:00 we were hungry and decided to eat in the area. Across the street was the Cafe which the proprietress at the thrift store recommended. Since we wanted to stay in the area, we decided to eat at the Cafe at 135 Main Sreet.
I banged on the door and the owner opened. She had inadvertently left the door locked from the inside.
We split an Ave Maria sandwich which included cream cheese, strawberry jam, smoked Turkey, and Havarti cheese on a toasted batard with a side of gourmet greens and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. We enjoyed the meal. It was just enough to dispel our hunger. I drank a Dr. Pepper and Suzette drank an Avalanche Ale produced by the Boulder Brewing Co.
I read Plains of Passage while Suzette shopped. She bought a medium sized teddy bear for $2.00.
We then walked back across the street to the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art. The museum was located in what was once one of Trinidad’s best department stores, Jameson’s. Mitchell, who was born and lived in z Trinidad, was mainly an illustrator for Western pulp fiction magazines. The paintings for the covers are composed with mainly bright colors and lots of action, but he also painted many adobes and some landscapes.
We enjoyed the museum, which contains Mitchell’s studio as it existed at his death and many old Indian pots he collected.
We then drove around the Historical Museum and several historic houses. Trinidad was on the Santa Fe Trail and an important coal mining area.
It’s population in 1900 was 7500. Its population today is 8,000.
Its Main Street contains many substantial buildings that have yet to be fully repurposed.
We drove back to I-25 and drove north to Walsenburg where we bought milk, topical ointment for Billy’s knee, and filled up with gas before driving back to the cabin.
Suzette rested for two hours and showered and dressed. I rested for an hour until 4:00 and watched Ari Melber until 5:00 when I dressed for dinner.
Billy drove us to Alys’ in La Veta where we met Elaine for dinner at 6:00.
Alys’ is the best restaurant in La Veta. It is owned by Alys Romer. The first thing I noticed was the wonderful selection of wines. The next thing I noticed were the impressive paintings and prints on the walls. Alys takes the orders, so I asked where she got the Spirit Horse serigraph by Woody Crumbo and she replied, “Woody gave it to me”.
Alys recited the menu of dive or six items. Suzette ordered Beef Stroganoff. Elaine and I ordered the chicken breast and Billy ordered the 4 riblet rack of lamb. All dishes came with mashed potatoes and steamed crisp asparagus. I thought the chicken breast was the more interesting dish. It was a sautéed chicken breast sliced with the first wing joint cut off. The chicken was sauced with a sweet brown sugar, Pinot Grigio white wine, capers, dates, and cumin.
Suzette liked the stroganoff because the pieces of beef were cut into thin strips and the sauce had a strong paprika flavor. Billy’s lamb was cooked to medium rare as he requested (pink in the middle). We enjoyed our dishes and shared.
The chicken breast
I ordered a bottle of Figuiere Mediterranee Rose from Provence Here are the winemaker notes:
Winemaker Notes
Méditerranée Rosé is intended to be light, invigorating and easy-to-enjoy. Aromas and flavors of peach, orange skin and white flowers are accented by refreshing acidity and a salty minerality thanks to the influence of the sea.
The refreshing character of southern French rosé with its bright acidity and moderate level of alcohol make it the ideal partner to the simply prepared cuisine of the Mediterranean. Serve this wine with crudités and anchovy sauce, marinated red bell peppers and a crudo of sea bass with lemon and peppercorn.
We each drank a glass as an aperitif. Then Billy and Suzette ordered a bottle of Chianti Classico Riserva for their red meat dishes.
Each dinner was served with either a salad or a soup. The soup was Manhattan Clam Chowder, which Billy ordered. The rest of ordered the salad, which we all loved the crispness of and the large variety of vegetables, including red and white cabbage, cauliflower and zucchini slices with three types of tomato and crisp gourmet greens.
We also ordered desserts. Billy ordered the pecan pie. Alys described it as filling a pastry shell with pecans and then adding agave syrup and butter. I have never tasted such a delicious pecan pie because the pecans were roasted without the typical heavy gooey Caro syrup.
I ordered a Chocolate Whiskey Pudding which turned out to be a dark chocolate volcano cakes flavored with Jack Daniels’ whiskey.
We all agreed the salads and desserts were terrific.
After dinner we drove to the Mercantile Store for the open Mike night. We stayed about 45 minutes and heard three musicians and one story.
We then drove home and after some work on a 1000 piece puzzle by Elaine and Billy my and watching the news, we went to bed.
I liked Alys’ and would go back. In fact Billy and Elaine have a reservation for Saturday night.
Bon Appetit
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