Lucile’s Creole Café
544 Briggs St.
Erie, CO 80516
720-484-5469
https://www.luciles.com/

Creole | $

With seven locations around Denver, chances are you are close to an awesome breakfast. We enjoyed their location in Erie, CO.

My morning started  with an excellent cup of coffee. Full-bodied yet smooth.

Who isn’t going to order Beignets in a Creole restaurant?

Perfect, as good as you will find in New Orleans.

Blueberry Hoe-Cakes griddled in bacon drippings.

Peach Shortcake Pancakes layered with Macerated Palisade Peaches and topped with Marsala Whipped Cream, Pecans, and Peach Syrup. My wife loved the peaches.

I had to go with the Carlin County—Chef Mikey’s Sausage Gravy over a Buttermilk Biscuit with Grits. The dish, off the menu, comes with red beans but I’m not a beans for breakfast kind of person so I got extra grits. The grits were buttery and needed just a hint of salt. The sausage gravy was off the charts. The sausage was super flavorful with just a little spice to it. The biscuit was perfect and reminded me of the ones you find in hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop restaurants across the South.

Owner Michael Micer, Chef Angelica Bautista, and Sous Chef Quinn are crushing it in the kitchen.

The staff was super friendly and everyone pitched in to get it done. Our hostess cleared, checked on us, poured coffee, and fetched things guests needed all the while keeping a watchful eye on the door. It is pretty clear the staff’s goal is to get you great food in a comfortable setting and get you out talking about coming back.

There is a great outside seating area weather permitting. Come early. We got there around 0800 and were seated right away. Within 15 minutes there was a wait building. I am sure all their locations are great, but I highly recommend the one in Erie.  It’s a great place to start your day.

High Mountain Pies
115 W Fourth St.
Leadville, CO 80461
703-486-5555
https://www.hmpies.com/

$ | Pizza

A block off the main drag in Leadville, CO, is the best pizza around. At 10,154 feet, Leadville is a funky little oasis and the highest incorporated town in the country.

Popular with the locals, they’re not kidding when they say the “line is out the door.” That’s where they put their menu.

It’s not a large space; there are just a couple of tables inside. The staff is awesome. They work well together and are always checking on us.

We ended up with a couple of medium Carnivores—a bit much for four people. One large would do the trick. But the leftovers later that night were great. This pepperoni, ham, bacon, and sausage pie was cooked perfectly. Watching the kitchen, everything coming out—wings, salads, and submarine sandwiches—looked great. The chef told me all the ingredients are fresh, and the dough is made in-house.

If you are anywhere near Leadville and looking for fast casual dinning you want to make sure you drop by High Mountain Pies. You won’t be disappointed.