Food & Drink in Pueblo

The chefs at MoMo Sushi Bar wok sauté pan-Asian cuisine and wrap baked and raw sushi rolls to populate their extensive menu. To prime bellies, teeth snap a crisp outer leaf before sinking into juicy poultry in the honey-garlic-chicken lettuce wrap, and in the baked green mussels with crab, New Zealand mussels saunter by forks with an entourage of crab scallions and creamy smelt bathed in eel sauce. Spoonfuls of miso soup and forkfuls of side salads keep taste buds limber for the main-course specialty rolls, which beckon to chop sticks in sundry combinations of fresh fish and zesty veggies. The baked King roll dons a baby lobster crown to reign over crab mix and avocado, and is a favorite dish among guests and groveling court jesters. Crunch batter adds dimension to the Super Crunch roll, which brims with shrimp tempura, spicy crab, cucumber, and cream cheese, and adept hands wind tuna, crab, and cream cheese into the Las Vegas roll before deep frying the raw disks and dressing them in spicy crab mix, teriyaki sauce, and a sequined head dress.

Open every weekend from September 17 to Halloween, Diana's Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze covers a small farm's family-owned fields with acres of fresh pumpkins and a giant three-acre corn maze. From within the labyrinth's dark, leafy stalks, children and adults can scramble for the correct escape route or spend up to an hour playing Farm Clue, a life-size version of the classic detective board game adapted for the corn maze. Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes pepper the field, littered among decoys such as basketballs and apples. Elsewhere on the farm, children can climb haystacks or catch up on the latest barnyard gossip from baby chicks and other loudmouthed animals at the petting zoo.

Whether issuing orders over the sound of roaring rapids or getting soaked by jets of errant river spray, the guides at River Runners all share a common thought: this sure beats sitting in an office. For more than 40 years, they’ve ferried passengers down the Arkansas River on jaunts into Bighorn Sheep Canyon’s class III and IV rapids or the challenging class IV and V rapids churning throughout The Numbers. They also explore the waterways running through the 2,000-foot-deep canyons in Dinosaur National Monument, breezing down the Utah River on one-day jaunts or arguing about whether or not T. rexes could feel love during a five-day exploration of the Yampa River.

Nestled in the frosted pines of the San Isabel National Forest, Monarch Mountain Lodge wraps its slope-savvy guests in warm accommodations amid the surrounding snow-capped peaks. Despite its modest title, Monarch's Standard rooms cozily furnishes one or two beds and offers guests access to a wide range of amenities, including Direct TV and WiFi, as well as a fitness center to help keep unwanted pounds and unwanted Tony Little visits from ruining their vacations. Beyond the lodge's open-air hot tubs, indoor pool, and sauna, lie ski-able slopes, traversable bike trails, frothy river waters, and more. Due to the nearby South Fork Arkansas River's history of making lucrative deals with Mother Nature, the Monarch area enjoys a unique climate in which snow-packed mornings melt into hike-able paths in the afternoon, making it the perfect getaway for all sorts of outdoor enthusiasts.

Once upon time, the Stagecoach Inn was as famous for its fried chicken and biscuits as it was for stuffing Dwight D. Eisenhower's tummy and pants pockets with mouthwatering comfort food. Though the clattering of President Eisenhower's cutlery has long since faded from the log cabin, the eatery's fried chicken continues to draw in crowds of hungry locals and travelers alike. Their chefs cook up a well-rounded menu of such time-honored classics as pork chops with molasses and bacon and their signature-stuffed steak, a local favorite. Bartenders uncork Colorado wines and local brews—including Bristol Brewing Company's award-winning Laughing Lab Scottish ale—as hungry guests dig into meaty burgers and classic fish and chips. The Stagecoach Inn's rustic décor evokes the warmth and comfort of dining at a friend's house across its café, lounge, and upstairs dining room. Guests can also enjoy their meals creek-side outdoors or by the warmth of a fire.

Though the Stagecoach Inn has long since established itself as a community staple, Manitou Springs' old-timers remember a time when the old stage stop upheld another distinctive honor. The structure also housed the town's first electric company—an important feat, since Manitou Springs enjoyed electric power before even New York. The rest of the inn's past, however, is a matter of western lore, but many believe this rustic log cabin served as American author and civil rights activist Helen Hunt Jackson’s summer cottage.

Situated at the foothills of Pikes Peak, in a 19th-century hotel, the Mona Lisa Fondue Restaurant is primed for romance. The restaurant's past life as a hotel means that tables scatter throughout various rooms and levels, giving diners the space to entertain private conversations and practice lighting candles with their mind. Meals might unfold in The Veranda, for instance, where mottled walls, green ivy, and a decorative streetlamp recall a Venetian street. The Wine Cellar, meanwhile, lines its walls with hundreds of bottles that encompass more than 80 varietals stretching back to the early 1900s. With such ambiance, it's no wonder Mona Lisa was selected as one of Colorado Springs Independent's Best Fine Dining restaurants in 2012.

Of course, the centerpiece of the Mona Lisa's romance is the food. The signature four-course fondue meal for two brings couples together with shareable pots of melted "Old World," "New World" or "South of the Border" cheeses before breaking into heartier offerings. Duos can dip tiger shrimp, flatiron filet, chicken breast, or even game meats such as mallard duck or Rocky Mountain Elk into six gourmet sauces. And like the best dreams, the interactive dinners end in a pot of warm chocolate fondue, ready to coat cakes and fruit.