This week, I had the opportunity to tag along with a group on a food tasting tour of Telluride.  The tour, Tasting Telluride, is led by Howie and Lois Stern, and covers multiple restaurants and includes a historical perspective of the town, especially from the 1970’s when the Sterns moved into town.

Tours dates are on Wednesdays and Thursdays or based on demand and include small and large groups of all ages.  This day, we had a group of 7 from Texas and a pair of couples.  Everyone was in the mood to eat, drink, and be merry. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it in time for the first stop, Oak – the New Fat Alley, but people raved about the food.  I did manage to join the group for a tasting at Brown Dog.  However, by the time I got there, the pizza had been devoured.  I managed to have a couple tastings of local beer, though.  Also, this stop included a tour of the kitchen and a brief talk about how Brown Dog makes its award-winning Detroit-style pizza. 

Our next stop was across the street at Caravan Middle Eastern Food.  I have to admit, even though I work less than a block from this restaurant, I’ve never tried it.  The food was excellent.  It was then that I realized that I wasn’t going home hungry.  We each received enough food for a full lunch, even though there were more stops to go.

One of my favorite parts of the tour was walking between the restaurants because Lois and Howie seemed to know the story behind every building.  The walk to the next stop, the Sheridan Chop House, was the most colorful part of the walking tour.

The Sheridan served us a tasty pistachio encrusted trout salad and then gave us a tour of the historic Sheridan Bar(normally closed in the afternoon).  Then, it was a trip across the street to the Telluride Olive Oil Store to taste some olive oil, where I tried ice cream topped with flavored balsamics.  That sounded quite strange, but it tasted great.

Our final stop was the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, which isn’t a restaurant.  However, Howie and Lois had arranged for wine and dessert to be served while the gallery manager enthusiastically described the various artworks in the shop.

Everyone on the tour had a great time.  The total tour lasts 3+ hours, and the Sterns kept us moving without rushing us.  I’d definitely recommend as something unique to do in Telluride.