Empire's Edge Cafe

you're on park ave in empire, co, a small mountain town that sits at nearly 8,600 feet and doesn't pretend to be anything else. empire is the kind of place you pass through on your way to berthoud pass, or you stop because you actually know it. empire's edge cafe at 420 park ave is one of the reasons people stop. the regulars here are loyal in the way that only happens when a place consistently gets things right, not occasionally, not on a good day. you don't build that kind of standing in a high-altitude town with seasonal traffic by being indifferent. whatever you're ordering, the morning window before the pass fills with weekend skiers is the time to do it.