Table Mountain Grill & Cantina Recipes
by Executive Chef Michael Erickson
History
Table Mountain Inn as we know and love it today has undergone numerous changes in ownership, style and dimension since it first opened in 1925 as the Hotel Berrimoor*. The Berrimoor was built by entrepreneur Robert Berry with the intention of being a modern “up-to-the-minute” luxury hotel to be the pride of Golden. At the time, the hotel offered 32 rooms and a coffee shop. The Berrimoor only lasted a few years before depression came into full swing in Colorado in the early 1930’s, but the hotel was only dark for a few years before entrepreneur and hotelier, Edgar P Sparks, purchased the property and brought it back to life under the name “The Cody Hotel”. Mr. Sparks chose the name to honor Colonel William “Buffalo Bill” Cody whose grave and memorial notoriously reside at Golden’s own Lookout Mountain. Unfortunately, the times could not support The Cody Hotel either, and the property once again closed then sold, with numerous ownership, name and style changes (including a brief table in Art Deco!) over the next 6 years.
Thankfully, civic leader, businessman and former Golden Mayor, Lu Holland came to the hotel’s rescue in 1948 reviving the property and renaming it “Holland House”. Mr. Holland’s first order of business was a renovation during which he created two banquet spaces. These spaces would come to host some of Golden’s finest social functions and have been immortalized in Hal Shelton’s “The Birth of Golden in 1958” mural.
In 1963, as the automobile industry was experiencing its first boom, the Holland House re-invented itself as Golden’s First Motor Inn. For the next 24 years the Holland House would become synonymous with Golden. The revitalized hotel became popular throughout the Denver metro area not only as a great place to stay but also for the food served at the Holland House Coffee Shop.
Unfortunately, Mr. Holland retired in the early 1980s, and hotel could not survive under any of the new owners and in 1987, the Holland House closed its doors altogether. Golden feared that it had lost its only real hotel.
In 1991 a team of very successful restauranteurs were sitting across the street enjoying coffee at what is now Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza, looking out at the former Holland House building, when they decided to “make a go of it”! 56 years after the building had opened as Hotel Barrimoor, Bart Bortels and Frank Day would give the landmark building the greatest overhaul Golden had seen, and they created Table Mountain Inn. The exterior was stuccoed, the rooms were gutted and completely rebuilt and the lobby and restaurant were recreated resulting in the elegant Southwestern décor now iconic of Table Mountain Inn. For the next 7 years the hotel would experience great success with its 32 rooms, lounge and restaurant. It was great… But as they say, it can always be better. In 1999, Table Mountain Inn built an addition to the building which added 42 rooms, guest parking and additional indoor/outdoor event space, thus solidifying Table Mountain Inn as THE place to stay and dine in Golden.
From its Spanish Style to its Western Elegance, Table Mountain Inn has come full circle from its origins. Table Mountain Inn is a hotel where nothing has been overlooked for the convenience and comfort of the guest and a hotel of which the city of Golden can be proud!
