Foods in Colorado

Pat Olivieri, a Philadelphia hot dog seller, slapped some steak on a grill for a sandwich in 1930. When a traveling cab driver smelled the cooking steaks, Olivieri gained attention. The Philly Cheesesteak, a Philadelphia institution, was born.

Is there some other Colorado dish that is just as well-known?

After several years in Colorado, Texan John Battey's niece recently returned to the Lone Star State. As he assisted her in moving, Texan braggadocio took over when they discussed their mutual love of cooking.

Presently he wants to offer his niece a genuine Colorado experience.

Colorado Wonders has figured out where to begin, but there is no obvious winner. This is decision time for Battey and Coloradans nationwide. Historians and owners of some of Colorado's oldest restaurants identified eight candidates.

Chile Verde

If you've lived in Colorado for just about any length of time, you've probably realized that you'll get chile verde pretty just about anywhere in the state, whether in a cup or bowl, smothered burrito, inside the breakfast burrito. Its ubiquitous nature alone elevates it to the top of the list.

It is also very flavorful. It's a stew made with pig meat, tomatoes, and Pueblo green chiles that exemplifies the clash of civilizations in Southern Colorado.

Green chile is perhaps the primary cause of Colorado's lengthy rivalry with New Mexico.

Oysters from the Rocky Mountains

A playful title for a food item that is most emphatically not of the sea. These shellfish, also recognized as Outlaw Caviar and Grasslands Oysters, pertained to bulls until they were mutilated. Cooks such as Edgar Garcia at Denver's The Buckhorn Exchange sliced them apart, fried them, and served them with horseradish or cocktail sauce. The Buckhorn, in actuality, provides around 300 and 500 pounds every week.

The Pueblo Slopper

Try taking that delectable green chile stew and submerge it in a cheeseburger. You now have the Slopper. According to Dean Gray, owner of Gray's Coors Tavern, it also is a Pueblo creation. Gray's contends to be the origin, but many others assert the nearby Star Bar.

The Cheeseburger

Did you notice that in Denver, the cheeseburger was almost patented?

That's correct, the founder of the now-defunct Humpty Dumpty Drive-In at Speer and Federal experimented with cheese, peanut butter, and even chocolate on burgers in order to find the optimal blend. Just after cheese began to attract customers, Louis Ballast began but just never completed the patent documentation.

Mexican Hamburger

Coloradans love their burgers, but this one was unmistakably created in Denver, according to William Philpott, an ecological historian at The University of Colorado Denver. According to legend, a waitress at Joe's had the idea to put a hamburger patty inside a burrito that had been on the menu, and thus the Mexican hamburger was founded, covered in green chile in real Colorado style.

Denver Omelet

According to historians, this omelet of ham, onions, and green peppers — with or without cheese — dates back to the early days of the railways. It's also known as a Western omelet in many other areas of the nation. Moreover, because California had far more Chinese immigrants unlike Colorado, Miller believes the dish originated in California and spread to Colorado.

Brews from Microbreweries

This one is probably the simplest thing to prepare. Just pop a chilled one. We're not trying to get through the beer as a food controversy, but you can't deny that craft beer has been in some ways strongly associated with Colorado. The relationship developed with Germans who were attracted to the area by the initial gold and mining rush. Do you recognize the name Coors? Later, our passion for suds grew into something far more. Colorado is indeed a beer lover's paradise, and microbrew may claim to fame.

Quick and Easy Dining

This is more like a mental state than food. A spread of Chipotle best exemplifies Colorado's contention as "casual dining capital," and there are many franchises to add up.

The Centennial State gave birth to Noodles & Company, Tokyo Joe's, Quizno's, Good Times, Illegal Pete's, Mad Greens, and many more. The dining tone exemplifies how Coloradans appear to recommend anything healthful but fast so we can get out and about.

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