5280 Magazine – August 2019

AUGUST 2019 | 5280 | (^95)
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SURVEYING
THE CITY
Old Town may be the hip epi-
center of Fort Collins, but these
lesser-known enclaves have
FoCo flavors worth savoring.
Yes, at first glance the south-
ernmost stretch of town along
East Harmony Road looks like
a cookie-cutter line of big-box
stores and chain restaurants
stretching from College Avenue
all the way to the other side
of I-25 and past the town of
Timnath. But we suggest you
look a little closer. Near the
intersection of Ziegler Road
and East Harmony, you’ll find
Locality, a farm-to-table spot
that sources 75 percent of its
menu within 45 miles, and
five-month-old Envy Brewing,
which showcases collaboration
beers made with other local
microbreweries and homebrew-
ers. Speaking of beer, Otto Pint
also highlights local suds (plus
brick-oven pizzas), and in what
could be a catalyst for down-
town Timnath, nine-month-old
Timnath Beerwerks is slinging
tasty microbrews (and hosting
a rotating roster of food trucks)
at the restored Colorado Feed
& Grain Building. There’s also
a healthy dose of natural beauty
in the area: Nearby Fossil
Creek Reservoir boasts Impor-
tant Birding Area status from
the Audubon Society for its
eagles, hawks, and herons.
These sleepy bedroom com-
munities northwest of town are
all rolling country roads, grassy
pastures, and rocky outcrops—
plus a handful of laid-back
destinations. The Howling
Cow Café at Morning Fresh
Dairy Farm (makers of silky-
sweet Noosa yogurt) dishes out
espresso drinks and bagel sand-
wiches with views of the cliffy
rock formation Bellvue Dome,
and Me Oh My Pie’s sunny
patio is a beloved weekend stop
for scratch-made, seasonal pies
(the blueberry is delicious).
Kitty-corner from Me Oh My,
Swing Station hosts Texas-
style honky-tonk music most
nights. And up Highway 287,
Ve r n’s P l ac e, an institution
for Poudre rafters, features a
huge patio, tasty burgers, and
giant milkshakes. m
You’d expect a vibrant neigh-
borhood to grow up around
any university, and CSU’s envi-
rons—primarily located south
of Mulberry Street and west
of College Avenue—don’t dis-
appoint. Although there are
the requisite college bars (we
like the Colorado Room) and
sandwich shops (try Pickle Bar-
rel) aplenty, mixed in among
the usual suspects you’ll find a
few standout dining destina-
tions. Metro Urban Food &
Booze, an upscale lounge with
a solid cocktail game and a
killer rooftop patio, opened in
October 2018. Another don’t-
miss is Gold Leaf Collective,
a two-year-old vegan restau-
rant that grew out of the Silver
Seed food truck. The enclave
also hosts new crops of experi-
mental annual blooms from
May through October at CSU’s
Flower Trial Garden.
CAMPUS
Encompassing a wide swath
of the city south of CSU’s
campus down to Harmony
Road, Midtown’s largely quiet
residential zones and plenti-
ful parks and green spaces still
feature several social hubs,
from old-school hangouts to
newer eat-and-drink hot spots.
The Fox & The Crow special-
izes in fancy cheese boards and
charcuterie and holds monthly
culinary classes that are heavy
on cheese samples with drink
pairings. Next door, Eleva-
tion 5003 Distillery pours rye
whiskey, vodka, small-batch
gin, and Caribbean-style
liqueur. The buckwheat galettes
and house-baked croissants
at Creperie & French Bak-
ery pack ’em in for weekend
brunch, and locals call the
super-spicy fried birds at
Music City Hot Chicken their
guilty pleasure. Green thumbs
shouldn’t miss the 18 acres
of themed gardens, including
new beds highlighting water-
wise plants and native prairie
grasses, at the city’s Gardens
on Spring Creek.
MIDTOWN SOUTH FORT COLLINS & TIMNATH LAPORTE & BELLVUE
‘HOODS
INSIDER’S GUIDE TO
FORT COLLINS
Music City
Hot Chicken