Last Thursday I was up in Breckenridge at Mountain Outfitters, doing a signing of my new book, Powder Ghost Towns: Epic Backcountry Turns in Colorado’s Lost Ski Resorts. My friend, Maury, was in town from Vermont with a group of skiers from the Green Mountain Valley School.
We met up at the end of the Mountain Outfitters event and planned to go out to dinner in Breck, Maury’s old stomping grounds. She’s a vegetarian, and I’m gluten-free, but we were able to find a place to eat with relative ease. Maury recommended Mi Casa, a great little Mexican place not far off Breck’s Main Street. I’m always good for Mexican, and over time, I’ve generally found it pretty easy to eat gluten-free at Mexican restaurants.
As we sat down at our table, our server brought out a basket of tortilla chips with a trio of salsas. I started asking some detailed questions about the ingredients in the chips and how they were prepared, when the server said, “Is gluten a problem? We have a gluten-free menu.”
Wonderful! It was an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. I hadn’t even thought to ask, because I (wrongly) assumed they wouldn’t have a GF menu in this small mountain town. At such times it’s a pleasure to be wrong.
Mi Casa’s gluten-free menu was extensive. They started by bringing out a separate basket of GF tortilla chips, along with my own set of salsas, to avoid cross-contamination. For dinner, I had a delicious chicken fajita. The chicken came out on a sizzling skillet of peppers and onions, a generous portion of steamed, 100% corn tortillas, and a plate of Spanish rice, refritos, pico de gallo, and guacamole. I ate until I couldn’t eat anymore, and life was good.
If you’re ever up in Breck, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend stopping in at Mi Casa. At a time when I’ve become increasingly wary of dining out at restaurants because of some recent problems with gluten contamination, Mi Casa proved a diamond in the rough.
– Pete
I love good Mexican food. How great to see a place like this offering a gf menu.
Hey Steve,
Have you ever done Las Montanas in Telluride? Over the last year they’ve revamped their menu with the help of an acclaimed chef from Mexico, and the food is awesome. If you’re down that way, give it a try! (Not sure if they have a dedicated GF menu, but I was able to talk to the server without any problems…)
Cheers, Pete