Rocky Mountain elk runs leaner and sweeter than beef, and Fort Collins treats it as an occasion cut, seared rare with Colorado whiskey close at hand.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Game has fed the Front Range since long before the city had a name for itself in beer, and farmed Rocky Mountain elk keeps the tradition on modern menus. In Fort Collins, The Still Whiskey Steaks pairs its elk steak with a list of more than 100 whiskies, over 50 of them Colorado-distilled, in a log-cabin room on North College Avenue. The meat's low fat means kitchens serve it rare to medium-rare and let the mineral sweetness carry the plate.
Tip from the editors. Pull elk at 52C internal at most; past medium the lean muscle turns to liver-textured disappointment.
The Still Whiskey Steaks pours over 100 whiskies with elk steak and risotto on North College Avenue in Fort Collins, log-cabin room, flannel-clad staff.
Tip: Dine-in only and the phones go unanswered by design; book on Resy. Over 50 of the whiskies are Colorado-made.
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