Where to find eggcelent eggs benedicts
While nobody seems to agree on how or who invented eggs benedict (hint: it wasn’t traitor Benedict Arnold), Steamboat locals and guests agree that it’s an essential part of fueling our outdoor lifestyles. So be a traitor yourself and veer away from your typical omelet or scramble by sinking your fork into one of the following top eggs benedicts in town from area eggsperts. Just make sure to wipe that extra dollop of hollandaise off your chin before hopping in the gondo.
Creekside Cafe
Want benny by a brook? Make your way to Creekside Café, tucked away on the corner of 11th and Oak Street downtown with a deck along Soda Creek, for their BLT-style eggs benedict. Creekside’s bestselling benny, the BAT is layered with avocado, tomato and a local cut of thick bacon. Or, need just a light bite before trekking up Mt. Werner? Order Creekside’s Naked Benedict, a simpler, fresher take on this classic breakfast comprised of a layer of creamy ricotta, fresh sliced tomato, greens and hollandaise on request. Paying homage to town’s annual rite of skiing passage for area cowboys, the Cowboy Downhill is popular, and just as messy, as well. “It’s one of our latest creations,” says manager Dusti Dunham, adding it includes in-house smoked and braised brisket made from 100% Colorado-certified angus beef and onions, and is topped with pickled jalapenos to cut the richness of their house-made hollandaise. “We use 100-year-old applewood from an orchard dating back to the 1800s.”
Winona’s Restaurant
Winona’s on Lincoln Avenue downtown is winning when it comes to benny’s. Case in point: its uber-popular Cop the Coppa’. A fancier, brunchier ode to the classic Italian sub, this eggs benny starts with a rustic slice of sourdough, a pair of eggs––poached, naturally––grilled onions, tender microgreens, and topped with sizzling capicola straight off the grill. Of course, it wouldn’t be an Italian-themed benny without the signature curtain of hollandaise and a thick balsamic reduction. The global benny tour doesn’t stop there. Decide on the Philly Jalapeño? Expect thinly sliced steak, onions, fresh and hot jalapeno peppers, and a little avo as a garnish. Or head south down the Atlantic coast and sink your claws into Winona’s Crab Benedict, including Maryland blue crab, cream cheese, parmesan and green onions.
Freshies
Hankering for some southwestern flavors? Located between town and the mountain, Freshies is a local’s favorite for both breakfast and lunch, with its popular Southwestern Benny a true Georgia O’Keeffe medley of flavors. They’ll mix and match on your palate just like paints did on hers. Served divorciados style (separated), one English muffin-poached egg duo smothered in pork green chile, the other with veggie green chile, this Southwestern Benny cures all. Pair it with their crispy, soul-feeding breakfast potatoes or the beloved green chile cheese grits and this hearty dish will whisk away all melancholic sentiment…well, at least cure a nasty hangover. For you gym rats out there, swap the poached egg with just-the-whites.
Yampa Valley Kitchen
Dine at Yampa Valley Kitchen for a benedict that’s off main street but of the charts when it comes to flavor. Each component of their Reuben Eggs Benedict is reformed and refined. This take has a housemade buttermilk biscuit as the base for 7X Wagyu pastrami, a spicy and tangy layer of kimchi next, 1000 Island hollandaise and finally chives to garnish. It’s a true testament to their commitment to sourcing quality local and sustainable foods. Not ready to go that far? Order the Classic Eggs Benedict to savor the simplicity of just high-quality ingredients slathered in awesome sauce.
The Egg
The Hikers Benny really goes ham. No, literally. Loaded with salty ham, roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, asparagus, a housemade dill hollandaise and two crispy bacon strips placed neatly on top, this is the ideal Sunday breakfast for before you head out on the hill. “Our Hikers Benedict is all the things you could want in a benny to help fuel a great day outdoors,” says owner Aaron Clayton. Have something against the English? Order the Parisian, a benny sans English muffin, “inspired by the French countryside.” This one piles on high smoked ham, roasted cremini mushrooms, and melted Swiss on a buttery flaky croissant topped with The Egg’s decadent creamy hollandaise and an assortment of fresh herbs.
By Ivy Gerber
