Experienced restaurateur Claude Lucas is keeping it simple and delicious in Fort Collins.

La Creperie of Fort Collins has already staked out its corner on the college town’s busy Mountain Avenue restaurant row. With warm-hued interior walls hand-painted by owner Claude Lucas, who grew up in Brittany, this cheery restaurant serves authentically French crepes, cocotte brioche (poached eggs in buttery popover breads), onion soup and omelets.

The authentically French portions will seem slight for diners used to overflowing platters of food. But the lacy sweet crepes and the heartier but still-delicate galettes (savory buckwheat crepes) make up in flavor what they lack in size. Round out the meal with a bowl of French onion soup ($5.50) and a salad tossed with the house vinaigrette and sunflower seeds ($3.25).

(more…)

Roll barrel-style at the Stranahan’s-attached Rackhouse Pub.

It’s become so common, it’s almost a cliché: the microbrewery with attached restaurant. Fresh beer, big burgers and unpretentious relaxation — how often have we seen this? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, of course. There should be more brewpubs in the world. Colorado is blessed with a huge number of such establishments, too, from Oskar Blues to the Rock Bottom Brewery.

At times, though, a change of pace might be nice. Beer is fantastic, but it’s good to kick it up a notch here and there. A belt of fine whiskey is good for the spirit, but too much whiskey without food and there’s big trouble. That’s where Colorado comes through in the clutch yet again. In October, the Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey distillery started sharing its space with The Rackhouse Pub (208 S. Kalamath St.).

(more…)