Breakfast at The Lunch Box is a Must.

The Lunch Box

330 US – 491

Dove Creek, CO., 81324

Phone: 970-512-0309

Hours of Operation: Mon – Sat, 8am to 8pm; Sun, 10am to 4pm

 

Breakfast time, not in any real hurry, socializing is a simple given, over great meals at affordably reasonable prices, then you know I’m writing about The Lunch Box in Dove Creek, Colorado.  Hubby and I recently had breakfast there, again, and spent a little over one hour enjoying the communal atmosphere, socializing with locals, talking with owner, Joshua, and most of all, enjoying those good eats. 

Joshua Robinson, grandson of Shelly King who began teaching Joshua, at six years old, the food industry, repurchased the old restaurant in 2023, and has accomplished the ultimate goal.Whether you’re reading reviews on Facebook, Yelp, Tripadvisor or Google, this restaurant has the highest rating on all of them with raves about breakfast, lunch and dinner.

He is not an owner that sits on his laurels, satisfied with past achievements and doesn’t bother to make efforts to improve or achieve more.  Oh no, this man is one of the hardest working business owners around, and he is highly respected and well liked.  It is not unusual to see him greeting customers with the biggest smile, and with regulars, he knows not just their names, but what beverages they like to start off with.  He also acts as waitstaff, cooks when necessary, and makes sure to personally instruct each staff member in their position, especially the kitchen staff.

But enough about Joshua, and more about the wonderful dishes offered on the breakfast menu.

Once in a while, steak and eggs has appeared, as a special, but is now a permanent dish.  A 6-ounce sirloin steak served with 2 eggs and home fries, yes, home fries!  The steak is lean, tender and juicy after being grilled to a perfect medium (well done is blasphemy!), the eggs the style you desire, and the home fried are small cuts of potatoes fried up with diced green bell peppers and onion.  Sorry, hash brown lovers, they have their place with a few dishes, but not with steak.

 

 

 

My overall favorite is the Pancake Breakfast featuring 2 eggs, bacon, ham or sausage, home fries and 2 pancakes.  The pancakes take up the entire center of a dinner sized plate, golden brown, light, fluffy, served with butter and syrup.  There is an option of wild blueberries added to the pancakes if you’re feeling fruity in the morning. Eggs are style desired and I always order the crispy, smoky bacon which, to be truthful, really need to ordered as a side as well.  This breakfast is for anyone with a huge appetite, but I always take half home to eat as my dinner that night.  Microwave for 90 seconds, and the scrambled eggs are still soft, the homes fries the perfect texture, and the pancakes just as fluffy and yummy as they were in the morning.

 

 

 

So, speaking of favorites, several dishes are ordered time and time again.  Huevos rancheros which is smothered in the housemade pork green chili; my fave, the Pancake Breakfast; the 1 and ½ pound Breakfast Burrito, and the Breakfast Sandwich featuring housemade Hatch chile mayonnaise, Hatch chiles, and cheese.  There is simple one or two egg breakfasts for those with smaller appetites, or need something fast due to being on the go-go-go.

 

 

Breakfast is served Monday thru Saturday, 8am to 10:30am, and Sunday, 9am to 10:30am.  However, it’s not unusual for Joshua to let someone inside earlier and cook them up a great breakfast as they’re "up and at 'em" before 8am.  The least busy days are Wednesday and Thursday, the very busiest Friday, Saturday and Sunday; but it can be unpredictable, especially in the summer months with tourists traveling through.

Oh dear, did you get up late, or arrive in Dove Creek past the breakfast hours, do not despair!   The lunch fare at The Lunch Box will definitely fulfill the hunger pains in your belly.  The most popular item is the burgers which sell an average of 140 per day!  Sometimes a new burger is invented, and a naming contest is held for bragging rights and gift certificate.  However, the main focus here is on breakfast, so you’ll just have to take my word, and those of hundreds of reviews that lunch, or dinner, is a must as well.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice.

 “Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.”

 ~ Charles M. Schulz, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown ~

Autumn signifies the time when the earth will begin its last hurrah, before descending into a deep winter’s sleep.  Any fruits, vegetables, nuts or other types of edible plants must be picked quickly before they wither, die and become fertilizer for the ground.  However, there is one plant that defies autumn’s wish to rest, and that is squash.  The majority of squash varieties are ready for harvest from late summer to mid-winter, so long as frost and snow do not destroy newly blooming flowers.  The “ber” months particularly embrace a most popular squash, the pumpkin which can be eaten as a soup, used to make a multitude of desserts, added to a number of main dish recipes, and do not forget snacking on the roasted seeds.

Why do we love pumpkins so much?  First has to do with the sense of sight.  The orange coloring reminds us of the full brightness of the summer sun. The sun’s fullness will diminish as winter sets in, darkening our skies for a longer period of time.  Second comes the sense of taste, as the meat of the pumpkin may be slightly sweet, but creamy in texture.  Adding ingredients to it creates dishes that are full of comfort; just what we are seeking as the temperatures drop.  While we can don coats and sweaters, or wrap ourselves in blankets, it is our body’s insides that need soothing warmth as well.  Third, and we really do not tend to think about this, but pumpkin is rich in fiber to feel full, support digestion and regularity, and is low in sugar.

This brings me to “pumpkin spice”.  What exactly is it, and why is it craved by many, especially during the “ber” months?  Depending on whose family recipe you are following, or which brand you are buying at the store, pumpkin spice can be a combination of three to five spices.  The main three are cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; allspice is the popular fourth, ginger is fifth, and if you want to be truly adventurous, try using cardamom.  Depending on which folklore you are researching, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves are traditionally used to repel evil, and placed in amulets.  The current joke on Facebook is, “In folklore, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves repel the evil and the foul. Remember that when you hear people complaining about pumpkin spice and they hate it.”   This is a joke based upon actual folklore, so…

Now I have written about pumpkin cheesecake, bread, muffins, pies and a variety of pumpkin infused cookie recipes, including biscotti; what have I missed?  Pancakes!  Light, fluffy pancakes infused with the creaminess of pumpkin, and the spices that scream, “Tis the season for colorful leaves, bonfires, warm apple cider and pumpkin spice!”

 

Pumpkin Pancakes

 Ingredients:

 2 cups all-purpose flour (add 3 Tbsp. for high altitude)

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. ground allspice

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar (equal amount of Splenda or Truvia Baking Blend works too)

1 and ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree (Not pumpkin pie filling)

2 eggs, large

4 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter

1 and ½ cup milk (2%)

Preparation:

Preheat griddle or large non-stick skillet to medium heat.

Into a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.  Into a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, and milk.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. The batter might still a little lumpy, do not over mix, or pancakes will not rise well; set batter aside for 5 minutes.

If not using a non-stick griddle, coat with butter; use a 1/4 measuring cup to spoon batter on to griddle or skillet, and spread out to 4-inch circle.  If you like larger pancakes, use 1/3 cup for 6-inch circles.  Cook each pancake for approximately 3-4 minutes per side.  After removing pancakes, if butter had been added and residue looks dark, wipe away before beginning next batch of pancakes.

     

 For added texture or taste, add ¼ cup of finely chopped walnuts or pecans, or chocolate chips.

Hot maple syrup is our favorite, but whipped cream or powdered sugar is a nice touch too.

Mary Cokenour