Sometimes I wake up and want to pinch myself to see if I'm still dreaming. This gastronomic journey in Fort Collins that I've been fortunate enough to go on has sometimes been too good to be true. I get the opportunity to go out and eat great food while laughing with friends many times a week. I thank my lucky stars every day that we do this, and if I should die tomorrow, I will look back on this time in my life as some of the best I've ever had.

It's those moments when the stars and planets align combining a night of fabulous company and amazing food that makes me wake up with the smile still on my face from the night before. This was the case at El Monte.

Owned by Pat McGaughran, also founder of The Rio, El Monte opened this summer on the south-west corner of Prospect and College in mid-June. Straying from the typical Mexican fare Fort Collins is inundated with, El Monte's Executive Chef, Scott Manning, offers Pan-American cuisine, a more Central American flavor with hints of Texas and New Mexico.

Surrounded by retro-movie-art-deco, the feeling while dining is sultry and inviting. The first time I stepped foot in El Monte wasn't to eat, but to grab a gift certificate and my first though was, I have got to make it a priority to have dinner here. I need to eat dinner here. Dim lighting and a large fully-stocked bar at the front of the house makes it a great place to hang out for drinks alone or to enjoy their happy hour prices. The food is locally grown from Grant Family Farm, so not only do you get unique flavor, it's from farm-to-table fresh...

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