Century House Restaurant Opens in Palisade

For a sleepy little town, Palisade offers several high quality-restaurants that are patronized by the entire Grand Valley. The list that includes Inari's Bistro, the Red Rose Cafe and the Palisade Brewery just got a little longer as the Century House enters the fray. The eatery is a steak and prime rib joint in an authentic Victorian farm house.

The staff at the Business Times of Western Colorado writes:

"A restaurateur has opened a second operation in Palisade, offering what he bills as a fine dining experience at affordable prices.

"Bruce Jensen has opened the Century House at 349 W. Eighth St. The restaurant is open for dinner from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are accepted for parties of eight or more by calling 970-464-9202."

"Jensen also operates the Packing Shed Restaurant, located adjacent to the Century House, which he opened in June 2004. The Packing Shed serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday in a diner-style setting."

"From the time I opened the Packing Shed Restaurant, I had a vision of renovating this building into an upscale restaurant," Jensen said. "After four years of planning, hard work and persistence, my vision has now become a reality."

'The Century House originally was constructed in 1905 as a farmhouse. Much of the original wood has been preserved in the flooring, windows and cabinetry. The decor blends turn-of-the century ambiance with warm wood tones and antique finishes."

"Jensen said the menu offers value and variety with such featured entrees as chicken, prime rib, pork, steaks and vegetarian lasagna."

"Dinners are priced at $9.95 to $19 and include a choice of soup or salad. Beers, liquors and wines are available."

"Jensen earned a bachelor's degree from the hotel and restaurant management school at the University of Denver."

Smuggler's Brewpub Now Open for Business

For those of you who prefer handcrafted beer over wine, the Grand Valley offers plenty of choices: the Rockslide, Palisade Brewery, Kannah Creek, Ale House and now, Smuggler's Brewpub and Grille.

According to the Grand Junction Free Press:

"Smuggler’s originated in Telluride over 12 years ago, expanded to Montrose 2 ½ years ago, and Mesa Mall will be their third location.

"Smuggler’s Brew Pub & Grille will offer loft and outdoor/beer garden seating, live music and an original line up of 14 handcrafted ales and lagers, an original root beer and crème soda. Their menu boasts a wide variety of fare from sandwiches to fresh salads to steak and shrimp, all at moderate prices."

"Smuggler’s menu is online at www.smugglersbrew.com. Check out its award winning brews located on page 7 of the menu; the Colorado influence is evident with names like Shred Betty Raspberry Wheat, Rocky Mountain Rye, Wildcat Wheat, and San Juan SkyHop."

"For more information, reach Metz at (970) 729-1910."

Development Sought For Palisade’s Distillery/Brewery District

According to the Palisade Chamber of Commerce, Castle Rock Construction is constructing commercial projects in Palisade. They are looking for unique businesses interested in relocating or starting up a business that will synchronize with surrounding retail.

“The building will be a tremendous asset to Palisade’s Distillery/Brewery District, and will be an architectural fit with existing buildings,” said Robert Melot, owner. “The architecture consists of heavy timber, rock/stucco and rusty metal roof, with continuous courtyards co-joining a distillery. It will have a nostalgic feel of nature with the organic materials used for construction.”

Businesses they are seeking include a café featuring buffalo burgers or oven-fired pizza, trending toward organic local products. Other business that would fit well with Palisade’s new hotel client base would be a massage therapist, acupressurist, and chiropractor.

“With Palisade’s new lodging tax, the development of the new 80-room Wine Country Inn, recent publicity in the Denver press and the New York Times, and the Town’s commitment to aggressive marketing, now is the time to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Melot. He will be willing to work on a sliding rent scale to foster the right entrepreneurs wanting to expand.

The new building is located at 125 Peach Street along the north side of downtown Palisade, just behind Peach Street Distillers and DeBeque Canyon Winery’s warehouse. An entry way and courtyard will connect Peach Street Distillers to the complex.

For more information, contact Castle Rock Construction at 464-0188 or e-mail Robert Melot at croc@qwestoffice.net.

More Brewpubs Tap into Grand Valley

The Grand Valley has its own fair share of microbreweries. There's the the Rockslide, Palisade Brewey, Kannah Creek and the Ale House. Move around to Moab or Montrose, and there's still good homemade beer on tap. Another brewery plans to open in the old Krispy Kreme building on the fringes of Mesa Mall by Thanksgiving. Back in August, the Grand Junction Free Press wrote this article under the headline, "Smugglers Brewpub prepares to tap into Grand Junction." Reporter Josh Nichols wrote:

"The owners of a Telluride-based microbrewery that’s been serving up beers for more than a decade have wanted to tap some kegs in Grand Junction for several years.

"They recently discovered their opportunity — in the form of what used to be a doughnut shop.

"Michael Metz and Scott Strong, owners of Smugglers Brewpub in Telluride, hope to have their Grand Junction pub opened by Thanksgiving in the former Krispy Kreme Doughnuts building, which has sat vacant since the doughnut shop closed its doors in August 2007."

You can read the rest of the article here.

Sodas Into Ice Cream? Palisade Brewery's Proposed $100K Expansion

There's room for beer and soda in Colorado's Wine Country. Heck, there's even room for ice cream. If the Palisade Brewery has its way, it will be able to deliver on all three treats.

In order to keep its clientele seated in the winter months, the Palisade Brewery is proposing a $100,000 remodel of its facilities. The local brewpub is dreaming big. The owners dream of, "doubling the size of its kitchen, making their own Oktoberfest brew and turning some soda flavors into ice cream," says the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Read about it here.

The Palisade brewery has teamed up with Jackson Hole Soda Company to produce hand crafted soda pop. Their Sarsaparilla soda pop has been featured on the Food Network's "Unwrapped," while their Huckleberry soda pop won a bronze medal from the North American Brewer's Association.

Limited seating and a wish to expand its menu are driving the brewery's remodeling plans. Drop by for dinner sometime after you check into the hotel.

Our First Online Review -- We've Got 'Posh Beds'

Life is full of firsts. There are first kisses, first cars, and first jobs. But how about our first online revie w? Among other things, a guest who booked with us through Expedia.com, wrote on that web site: under the headline, "very enjoyable:"

"The beds were very comfortable and the six pillows and bedding were very posh! As a physical therapist, I noticed some interesting features: the beds were more elevated than most hotel beds, as was the toilet, which makes it easier for the elderly and people with back/hip/knee issues to get up."

We were rated a perfect 5.0 out of 5. Not bad for the first spin around the block.

The anonymous reviewer also gave a shout out to a local eatery, saying under the headline:

"Traveler's tip on dining"

"The Palisade Brewery was very simple yet good food - more of a local hangout and down to earth!"

Hey, we'll take guest praise wherever we can get it. Congratulations, Palisade Brewery.

And look out, TripAdvisor and Yahoo! Local, here we come.