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DOWNTOWN

LOVELAND © Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

June 20, 2013

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Northern neighbors looking up

By Susan Richards The Surveyor

Businesses in Northern Colorado have been on a roller coaster ride in past years, between the recession and on-again, off-again talks of the technology campus, and other economic turbulence. However, some recent developments in downtown Loveland have a glimmer of optimism, and it’s caught our eye here in Berthoud.

The historic feed and grain building, which was saved from the wrecking ball in 2006, was eventually chosen by Artspace as a potential live/work space and community arts center. The Minneapolis-based developer has been working with the city for several years and finally got word last month that the project will receive crucial low-income housing tax credits from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority in order to move forward.

Artspace will first build Loveland Lofts adjacent to the feed and grain, consisting of 30 units of affordable space for eligible artists. Then the plan is to turn the old building, so rich with history and character, into a community creative space of shops and galleries. Groundbreaking is expected to take place as early as this fall.

One of the best things about this organization is their mission to utilize local contractors and businesses in the process, so everyone benefits. You can read more about the developers and the Loveland project at artspace.org.

Several other housing projects have

either been completed or launched this year in the downtown area as well, and hopefully the long-vacant retail space in the Lincoln Center will finally find steady tenants. A temporary art plaza is going on the corner of Third and Lincoln, where a dry-cleaning business stood for years.

While a few businesses have inevitably closed their doors, new ventures have opened or existing ones have found new life. Anthology Book Co., a popular independent book store and coffee shop, had a closing date established in May, when a Weld County business joined efforts and convinced the owners to re-think the closure and increase their dining menu.

The Inglenook restaurant on Cleveland Avenue is currently remodeling and expanding a bar area.

New restaurants that have opened in the past year or so include mo’ Betta Gumbo, Next Door, Generations, and the Cactus Grille — a past local favorite — has recently re-opened on Fourth Street.

You’ll find reviews of some of these in this issue of Savour, if not already covered in the past. Loveland just celebrated its eighth anniversary of A Night on the Town, a community art walk held the second Friday of each month.

Besides offering a variety of dining choices when you’re venturing north of home, the upcoming changes, additions and construction projects in downtown Loveland can only mean good news for the region.

Bon appetit, Berthoud.

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Next Door food & drink, raising the bar T

he addition of Next Door food & drink to downtown Loveland was a highlight in 2012, and ever since their doors opened the restaurant has been received with open arms by area residents. In fact, owner Jim Edwards gets thanked four to five times a week by happy customers.

Surveyor “They say, Columnist ‘thank you for opening in Loveland,’” he said.

In 1998, Jim and Jennifer Edwards opened the Twin Owls Steakhouse in Estes Park.

After moving to Fort Collins five Heidi years ago, they sold the Twin Kerr-Schlaefer Owls last year.

Their original intent was to open a restaurant in Fort Collins, but when the opportunity at 222 E. Fourth St. came up, they jumped on it.

“I think people really appreciate the quality of food, the atmosphere, and the use of reclaimed, repurposed materials in the restaurant,” said Edwards.

The restaurant features light fixtures made from recycled wine barrels, train box-car flooring, barn beams from Denver, and repurposed items from the

former businesses in the building, Monaco Trattoria and Quality Shoe Repair.

The Edwards also saved the 100-year-old tin ceilings from the original building and reused the tin in the bar area.

Next Door food & drink hosts beer dinners on the last Wednesday of each month. These events have become popular, with the most popular beer dinner to date featuring Berthoud’s own City Star Brewing.

“We really like to promote and use as much locally-sourced goods as we can, whether it be food or alcohol,” said Edwards.

Next Door food & drinks’ menu is brimming with delicious options, and it’s hard to make a decision. Thankfully, they have an extensive small-plates or tapas menu, so you can choose several items.

A friend and I visited on a Wednesday evening for dinner.

I’ve been to Next Door many times and I love the ambiance. It’s sort of, mountain chic meets contemporary city style. My friend opted for a margarita, while I decided to order the City Star Red Necktar, one of many local microbreweries on tap.

Our server recommended one to two plates per person, so we started by ordering three plates. The most popular item on the menu is the Serrano Ham wrapped peppadew peppers stuffed with goat cheese and served with balsamic reduction. Wrap anything in ham and it’s bound to be good, but the flavor of these

bite-size morsels really does explode in the past I’ve paired my tapas with their your mouth. very good selection of house wines.

Next up we tried the chicken and ManWe ended our meal with the chocolate chego croquettes over a smoked paprika peanut butter pie, and I will only say that aioli. These are the perfect combination the beautiful plating wasn’t a façade. It of crunchy and smooth, with just enough tasted even better than it looked, and zing from the paprika to give them a little Next Door is now on my list of places for a kick. I had to resist licking the aioli off decadent late-night dessert. the plate.

In addition to tapas, Next Door food & We then turned our attention to the drink serves full entrees and has a lunch braised short ribs, which are popular with menu as well. They are located in central the wait staff at Next Door and even Eddowntown Loveland in the Rialto Center. wards admits that they are his favorite.

Open at 11:30 a.m., seven days a week, I put one on my plate and unnecessarily you can make a reservation online at picked up my knife. The ribs, braised NextDoorLoveland.com. with jus and served with cotija cheese, pickled onion and horseradish, melt in your mouth. The meat, slightly pink, falls apart, and I know now why Next Door’s shortrib grilled cheese is a lunchtime favorite of many of my friends.

The City Star Red Necktar paired nicely with all the plates, however, I think it was most delightful with the ribs. Next Door has Photo by Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer a comprehensive The patio is a plus at Next Door when you want to dine al fresco. wine list, and in

It’s a Cactus comeback D owntown Loveland, especially Fourth Street, has seen a resurgence of activity in recent months. This includes more dining options.

The Cactus Grille is one of these new choices. Career restaurateur Mike Severance has watched the changes. He, along with his business partners, Geoff Fleming and Chrissy French (Mike’s daughter), felt it was time to come back Surveyor downtown.

Columnist The history of the Cactus Grille from its start on Fourth Street (where the Chop House is now) to the Thompson Valley Towne Center, before returning downBob town, have been McDonnell well chronicled.

For a while, Severance ran the Baja Fish Company in the location where the Cactus is now — 119 E. Fourth St. Severance says most things at the Cactus are “basically the same.” The menu at this venue is very similar to

the 1992 version. He thinks it has “the strongest of all the previous stuff on it,” and some new items.

A couple of the signature dishes are the fish tacos (a holdover from the Baja Fish days) and the chile rellenos.

Severance says the customers call the rellenos “as good, or better than any they had.”

On the day of my visit to the Cactus Grille it was lunchtime. From a previous visit, I knew the lunches are all priced at $7.88. This menu is used daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The choices on the lunch menu include platters with a choice of burrito, chimichanga, sopaipilla and tacos.

There is also something called the kitchen sink. It is big, and contains both chicken and beef, among other things. The fish tacos mentioned above are also on the lunchtime menu.

If you are not in the mood for Mexican food at lunch, a wide variety of burgers are also available. Besides the usual burger fare, there is Adam’s burger (grilled jalapenos, Cajun spices and Swiss cheese.) A couple of the hamburgers are topped with guacamole.

On this visit, I had the coyote burger that is served open-faced with green chili and cheese. It came with a big order of fries. My dining partner had the chicken chimichanga that came with rice and beans.

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We chose to eat inside, but there is a small patio in front of the restaurant and a larger outside seating area in Painter’s Alley between the Cactus and Kitchen Alley.

In the evening, the Cactus offers entrees priced in the $10 to $12 range. They have various appetizers and combo platters. Along with the fish tacos mentioned Photo by Bob McDonnell above, this restaurant also Many dishes at the Cactus Grille has grilled mahi mahi and come with beans and rice. a crab-mix enchilada. can-eat from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The price For those interested, the bar serves a variety of margaritas in flavors to suit is $10.95 for adults and $5.95 for those under 12. any taste. The wait staff wears shirts Happy hour at the Cactus is from 3 that proclaim the margs as “wicked.” to 6 p.m. daily, with two-for-one on all The menu says of the margaritas, bar drinks.

“Careful, it bites.”

The Cactus Grille also does catering.

The Cactus Grille at 119 E. Fourth Call Chrissy at 970-481-5623 for inforSt. has specials, including burger mation or go to www.cactusgrilleloveMonday with all hamburgers costing land.com. $4.88 with the purchase of a beverage.

Severance says the Cactus “wants Tuesdays are Taco Tuesday, where you to be a draw” to downtown. He says he can have all the tacos you can eat for “wouldn’t do it,” referring to opening, if $8.95. it had not been downtown.

On Sundays, the brunch is all-you-

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Generations Wine and Martini Bar

By Susan Richards The Surveyor

There was a time not too long ago when few downtown Loveland business owners would consider setting up shop on Fourth street west of Railroad Avenue.

The traffic was mainly in the two central blocks eastward to Lincoln.

No longer the case … now the “cool kids” are enjoying a beer at Loveland Aleworks or dinner and a martini at Generations Wine and Martini Bar. Generations opened in January 2012 after owner Erin Borsdorf looked around and saw that most eateries and clubs had a more historic decor and feel, so decided to try something different.

“It’s a little more contemporary,” she said. Borsdorf had managed restaurants and bars for about 15 years — most recently at the Pourhouse — and felt she was ready to go on her own.

Something different was definitely

achieved.

Generations is a small intimate lounge with couches, low cozy seating, and elegant upholstered stools at the bar. It has a cool 1970s vibe without the kitsch, and the atmosphere is perfect for either romantic dinners or Mad Man-esque business meetings. I loved it immediately.

Besides an enormous selection of martinis, beer, wine and cocktails, the establishment offers a wonderfully surprising menu of “small bites” and “big bites,” as well as sandwiches, salads, desserts, and a Sunday brunch that includes a bottomless Bloody Mary bar.

Borsdorf recommended we sample the popular bacon-wrapped dates and the stuffed mushrooms. The dates were indeed delicious, tender and sweet, with a rich sherry sauce. I loved the mushrooms, as the stuffing of bacon, gorgonzola and green onions didn’t

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overpower as some fillings can.

Another great appetizer is the petite grilled cheese sandwiches with a surprise inside, of bacon candied in butterscotch schnapps. Generations loves bacon and you won’t argue.

For a light summer entree we tried the crab-stuffed avocado, but the menu also includes fare as varied as flank steak, smoked salmon and gnochi with chicken. The crab stuffing had a tease of citrus that proved to be an ideal balance with the avocado.

Accompanying our meal were the requisite namesake refreshments — a divine chocolate martini and a red blend wine that was on happy hour special but tasted much pricier. Both were delicious.

Generations could stop there and be a superb addition to downtown, but they up the ante with great service, catering options, free Wifi, wine dinners, outdoor seating and live music. They’re open at 2 p.m. each day except Sunday, when brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and they’re closed on Mondays.

Check out all they have to offer at generationswineandmartinibar.com or call 970-619-8294. They’re located at 127 W. Fourth St., or as their motto says, “Where being from the wrong side of the tracks never looked so good.”

BERTHOUD DINING A & W Restaurant

120 Bunyan Ave. 532-2272

Brick Oven, The

269 Mountain Ave. 532-4747

Da Bean

434 Mountain Ave. 532-1451

Derby Grille

110 Bunyan Ave. 532-0986

Grandpa’s Cafe

239 Welch Ave. 532-2254

Lighthouse Café

250 Mountain Ave. 532-9886

Mi Cocina

400 Mountain Ave. 344-5022

Nonna Bella

335 Mountain Ave. 532-0224

New China Chan Restaurant 506 Welch Ave. 532-3895

Pizza Hut

821 Mountain Ave. 532-1111

Subway

307 Mountain Ave. 532-9818

Tito’s Mexican Grill 405 Fifth St. 532-5500

Whistle Stop Tavern, The 535 S. Third St. 988-9257

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