The Fort honors history with modern take on traditional foods for Denver Restaurant Week

While celebrating its 60th anniversary, The Fort in Morrison is continuing its quintessential Colorado experience for this year's Denver Restaurant Week.

"People want that genuine, real food and real experience," said Holly Arnold Kinney The Fort's Proprietress. "It's a fun place to come."

The Arnold family opened The Fort in 1963, replicating Bent's Fort and placing importance on history.

"Let's research the diaries... What did they eat," Arnold Kinney said. "It's honoring Bent's Fort and it's serving the foods of Bent's Fort from buffalo, quail, American Indian food."

The Fort was one of the original restaurants that pushed to establish Denver Restaurant Week. This year, three dishes mix some iconic flavors with some new flare. There's a stuffed poblano pepper, buffalo short rib, and buffalo sirloin with quail.

"We tried to go with something new with the short rib, and for the quail and sirloin we wanted something that represented the restaurant," said The Fort Executive Chef Ethan Torres. "The stuffed poblano pepper can be done vegan or vegetarian."

The Fort is having several more festivities to mark its 60th birthday, adding Denver Restaurant Week specials is just part of the appeal that has brought generations of people to take in the unique surroundings.

"There's always something happening at the fort that is fun and fun to take your date out on," Arnold Kinney said.

Denver Restaurant Week has nearly 200 restaurants participating this year. Special menus and pricing runs March 3-12. Visit denver.org/denver-restaurant-week/ for more information.