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Gaylord Rockies Completes Phase Two Transformation

Gaylord Rockies Completes Phase Two Transformation

by | Feb 19, 2025 | Travel

In Just Two Years: Five New Dining Outlets, An Enhanced Grand Lodge, And Mountain View Event Space Redefine The Resort

by Mark Smiley

Old Hickory Steakhouse Bar

Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center has completed Phase Two of its multi-year enhancement plan with the debut of Garden + Grain, Copper Table, and the reimagined Old Hickory Steakhouse Bar in November 2024. These new dining outlets represent the final elements of a transformative investment that has redefined the culinary and guest experience for Colorado’s largest combined resort and convention center.

Garden + Grain, a first-of-its-kind concept within the Gaylord Hotels brand, delivers a whole-food-forward dining experience rooted in top-quality, organic ingredients and sustainable practices. Avoiding fryers and refined foods, the restaurant emphasizes nutrient preservation and bold natural flavors.

The menu features fresh grain bowls, stone-fired pizzas with seasonal toppings, and vibrant salads — crafted without seed oils, refined sugars, or processed elements. Sustainability is central to Garden + Grain’s mission, reflected in its commitment to sourcing the finest fish, lamb, produce and other ingredients from trusted suppliers who prioritize humane treatment and sustainable agriculture. The restaurant further supports sustainability through initiatives such as composting food waste, harvesting honey from on-property hives and sourcing from local farms like Superior Farms and Hazel Dell Mushrooms to minimize its carbon footprint. Guests are welcomed into a greenhouse-inspired space with a stone-clad bar, an exhibition kitchen, custom murals, and a signature stone-fired pizza oven.

Paying homage to Colorado’s rich history, Copper Table delivers a con

Garden + Grain Entrance

temporary twist on classic Western dishes. The menu delivers signature dishes such as bison meatloaf and burger, rotisserie duck, and Superior Farms lamb, complemented by artisanal cocktails and craft beers from local breweries including Telluride Brewing Company, Dry Dock Brewing Company, and Prost Brewing Company. The restaurant’s design showcases a striking bar at the entrance, leading to a conservatory-inspired dining room illuminated by a grand skylight. At the rear, an open exposition kitchen with its cornerstone copper hood serves as a tribute to the restaurant’s namesake. Throughout the space, warm wood, and copper accents, along with locally sourced art and furniture, echo the themes of Colorado’s agricultural roots.

The newly reimagined Old Hickory Steakhouse, Gaylord Rockies’ flagship upscale dining destination, blends opulence with regional character. The refreshed space includes a wrap-around bar, intimate seating areas, a striking fireplace, bold belt-buckle inspired lighting, and a stunning mural made from dyed bison hides.

Staying true to its roots, Old Hickory continues to serve expertly prepared premium steaks, with an expanded menu that highlights prime-grade beef from Greater Omaha and domestic Wagyu, dry-aged in-house and carved tableside for an unforgettable presentation. The menu also fe

Copper Table Bar

atures elevated takes on nostalgic classics, including truffle creamed spinach and the Mile High Roller Baked Potato, topped with luxurious caviar, truffles, Nueske’s bacon, mornay sauce, and crème fraîche. Old Hickory Steakhouse takes pride in crafting its own salts, alongside a carefully curated selection of cocktails, premium wines, and cheese boards featuring both domestic and imported varieties.

The opening of these new dining concepts has added over 60 jobs to the local community, supporting a diverse range of culinary and hospitality talent.

“Each new concept was designed with intention — from the ingredient-driven menu at Garden + Grain to the refined Western flavors at Copper Table and the reimagined elegance of Old Hickory Steakhouse,” said Suzy Hart, General Manager of Gaylord Rockies Resort. “This marks a defining moment in our resort’s evolution, elevating the guest experience while setting a new standard for hospitality in the region.”

Phase One investments at the resort were completed in April 2023, featuring a redesign of the outdoor lawn spaces and the addition of dining terraces for Old Hickory Steakhouse and Mountain Pass Sports Bar. Phase Two enhancements began in June 2023 and progressed through 2024, with highlights including the successful openings of Embers Lodge Bar, The Fortunate Prospector, and the event space Mountain View Pavilion in mid-2024. The phase culminated at the end of the year with the debut of Copper Table, Garden + Grain, and the redesigned Old Hickory Steakhouse.

The Gaylord Rockies Resort is located at 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard. For more information about the resort or to make a reservation, visit www.gaylordrockies.com.

Quality Coffee Machines For The Home

Quality Coffee Machines For The Home

by | Jan 16, 2025 | Uncategorized

by Mark Smiley

Ratio Six: This coffee maker is a high performing automatic pour over brewer that can make eight 5-ounce cups of pour-over quality cups of coffee.

It is said that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. Many believe the most important drink is coffee. According to The National Coffee Association, 7 in 10 Americans drink coffee every week and 62% drink coffee every day. The average American coffee drinker drinks just over three cups per day.

With prices soaring inside coffee shops, many turn to brewing their coffee at home. Why not have that cup of java be of the same quality as one you purchase away from home? Two coffee makers that hit the mark in different ways are the Ratio Six and the Capresso Coffee TEAM Pro Plus.

First, the Ratio Six is a company founded by Mark Hellweg in 2012, with the goal of creating “a solution that married beauty, simplicity, and quality into a single experience.” The Ratio Six is one such machine which produces pour-over quality cups of coffee. And, it was designed in Portland, Oregon.

In its simplest form, pour-over coffee involves pouring hot water over ground coffee that’s held in some form of filter. The steaming water brews the coffee grounds, and the coffee drips through the filter into a pitcher or directly into a cup.

This takes a bit of time and many morning commuters and parents don’t have the time to devote to this type of quality cup of coffee. The Ratio Six coffee maker is a high performing automatic pour-over brewer that can make eight 5-ounce cups of pour-over quality cups of coffee.

The Ratio Six features quality premium materials and a high-end, sleek look. It performs well with its wide dispersion shower-head and heat shield. At first, it is tough to get used to and can be a little messy. Once you get the hang of it, the process is straight- forward and simple.

The Ratio Six features one button to press when brewing but lacks a programmable timer. If set up with the grounds and water the night before, pressing one button and having pour-over quality coffee ready in less than five minutes is a small price to pay.

“Makes fantastic coffee,” said Andrew Fuqua. “Super easy. Super simple. I’m a min­imalist. I wanted a well-made coffee maker that wouldn’t break and be thrown in a landfill in three years. The Ratio Six is that. It brews really quickly. The coffee tastes outstanding. The materials and build are top-notch. It’s got a 5-year warranty.”

Capresso Coffee TEAM Pro Plus: This machine has a built-in conical burr grinder and produces freshly ground cups of coffee.

Overall, the Ratio Six coffee maker is a well designed high performing brewer. From its sleek look and quality premium build, to high end shower-head, heat shield, and blooming functions, the Ratio Six delivers hot and flavorful coffee consistently.

The parts are not dishwasher safe but with a quick rinse and an occasional wash with dishwashing liquid, this machine should last a long time.

The Ratio Six comes in three colors: stainless steel, matte black finish, and white finish. At the time of press, the Ratio Six retails for $285 with free shipping. To learn more or to order, visit www.ratiocoffee.com.

Another coffee maker to consider is the Capresso Coffee TEAM Pro Plus which at the time of press retails for $269.99. This machine freshly grinds whole coffee beans directly into the filter then automatically brews up to 10 cups of coffee in a thermal carafe.

The quality is almost undistinguishable from the Ratio Six but it does take up more real estate on the kitchen counter. It does however have the ability to schedule to brew coffee up to 24 hours in advance.

It features a permanent gold-tone filter which eliminates the use of paper filters. The claim to fame on this machine is the built-in conical burr grinder. It will grind the appropriate amount of beans based on the amount of cups you select prior to brewing.

The grinding size of your grounds can be adjusted. Choose a finer option for light roasts and go coarser for darker or oily roasts. Oily roasts setting ensures you get the proper dose by increasing grinding time. The grinder can also be removed and has an air tight lid.

When you add the all stainless steel exterior, automatic shut off, and the water filter in the tank, this machine will suit most people’s needs who want a quality cup of coffee to wake up to in the morning.

Visit www.capresso.com for more information or to purchase.

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