Romance Floats the ‘Boat

Romance Floats the ‘Boat 
Crisp mountain air and a bluebird sky make the perfect backdrop for a day of romance. With its bubbling hot springs, quaint downtown and acres of snow-covered trails, Steamboat Springs has everything to get hearts thumping on Valentines Day.  Rex’s Family of Restaurants loves any reason to celebrate, and we have a table for two set for any time of day. We asked a handful of locals to divulge their favorite pairings on a day meant for sharing.  

‍Breakfast at Creekside Café
‍Kick start the day in a Steamboat breakfast staple, where brick walls and picture windows exude a timeless ambience. Go hearty or save space for later.  For him, the overall go-to is the Cowboy Downhill, a hearty feast of smoked beef brisket, charred onions, and pickled jalapeños, washed down with the Diamante Bloody Mary with pepperoncini-infused vodka. For her, a hands-down winner is the sweeter option of homemade granola topped with fresh fruit and vanilla yogurt, served with a Mimosa or a ‘Wintertime’ mocktail of brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and a choice of steamed milk. 

 Lunch at Salt and Lime
‍Snuggle up in a booth inside one of Steamboat’s hippest dining venues. Keep it hot with Caliente Margaritas made with jalapeño infused silver tequila, triple sec, sugar, lime, and chili salt. Avoid making decisions and opt for the You Call It Taco Combo, where fillings include slow cooked Barbacoa beef, Carne Asada, fiery chorizo, Colorado bison, fish, shrimp, Tinga chicken, bacon, or veggies. Top with naked guacamole and finish up with a plate of churros dipped in Mexican chocolate or dulce de leche.  

Dinner at Mazzola’s 
‍Below street level, the cozy atmosphere of this long-running Italian eatery is a dinner time magnet. With couples in mind, Chef created a Valentine Menu for two intended for sharing. Diners start with Tortellini Soup in a vegetable brodo, Mazzola’s or Caesar Salad, Cheesy Arancini, Spaghetti Farouk, a delectable dish of shellfish and a lemon cream, finishing with Panna Cotta.  Order lighter with a pizza to share. Locals love the Figura, a flavorful explosion of gorgonzola, asiago and mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, black mission fig, truffled crema and arugula. Perfectly paired with a bottle of chianti. Italy is the land of romance after all!