I found the menu to Winona's in a local dining guide. The descriptions just made my mouth water. I knew we had to try it. We went for breakfast mid-week in November, and they sure know how to treat the locals and off-season guests well, because they have specials every day of the week. We went on a Tuesday, and they had Two for Tuesday, where if you purchased two entrees and two drinks, one entree was free. I got the Florentine Benedict. It was the best eggs Benedict I have ever had. It had spinach, feta, tomatoes, and artichokes, all with a heavenly sauce. It was served with home fries, which were okay but not the best I have ever had, since they were a little overcooked. My friend got a "scramble" that had Western veggies in it. She also got the cheesy chili grits, which, for all you who like grits, were FANTASTIC! We also split one of their world-famous cinnamon buns. I figured that for $3 it wouldn't be that big, but I was wrong. It was huge--was a meal in itself, with tons of icing (a light lemon flavor, so gooey and yummy). These were some of the best I have ever had.

For a mid-week day, this place was packed; there wasn't an empty table, so in ski season and on weekends, I am sure it's unreal. I would definitely wake up early or be prepared to wait in line, but don't worry--it will be well worth it.

The restaurant is located in downtown Steamboat Springs on the main drag, Lincoln Street. Although there are accommodations for skiers downtown, most people stay up on the mountain and, therefore, may miss out on this place. It is worth it to take the free downtown shuttle in the morning and maybe start the ski day a little later just to get a taste of Winona's.

All the food that I had was great, but the real draw here are the homemade cinnamon buns. They were actually written about in Gourmet magazine and Bon Appetit, as Winona's sees fit to mention whenever they can. They are length-wise the size of a frisbee, but very thick and covered with tons of gooey white frosting. These were given a hard to earn A-plus rating by both my wife and me.

Hungry from hard skiing the day before, we didn't hold back on ordering lots of other cheap comfort food. We ordered a western omelette, a sugar-coated Monte Cristo (ham and cheese dipped in batter and fried), homefried potatoes, and, my favorite, green chili cheese grits (mildly spicy and tangy). Everything hit the spot.

No reservations are taken at Winona's, so I advise getting up early to get a table, especially when its too cold to wait outside. We were there before 8:30 a.m. and still had to wait about twenty minutes. It is hard to stand there in the crowded restaurant and smell the cinnamon buns and know that you have to wait to get one, so be prepared for this torture if you come late.

Winona's has a take-out window for everything (you can most likely call in an order) and a bakery counter filled with lots of goodies (we were too stuffed to think of more food).

Apologies for the lack of a picture; it was too cold outside to take one!