The Winery Restaurant is one of our favorite dining experiences in downtown Grand Junction. And we truly mean an experience: The restaurant offers not just a meal but a production for all the senses, from the charming atmosphere to the artfully prepared food paired with delicious drinks.

Here are our five favorite touches at The Winery Restaurant:

1) Historic ambiance: The Winery Restaurant is housed in a former horse-drawn carriage firehouse, featuring flowered stained-glass windows, barn wood and bricks. In the heart of Grand Junction's cultural district, the dining areas and patios provide romance from flickering gas lamps to vine-covered alley frames.

2) A menu committed to fine dining: Tempt your tastebuds with blue cheese encrusted filet mignon with a port wine reduction, salmon-wrapped with applewood smoked bacon and roasted asparagus spears and Meyer lemon crème fraiche, or tournedos of beef tenderloin with a mushroom cognac sauce and pan seared sea scallops with macadamia nut spinach pesto.

3) An extensive wine list: What else would you expect from a place called The Winery Restaurant? Selections are offered by the bottle or the glass.

4) Appetizers to die for: We especially recommend the seafood bisque (a creamy blend of lobster and crab with sherry) and the Classic Primo Platter (artichoke filled with mushrooms with a side of cajun popcorn shrimp).

5) A signature dessert: The Palisade is "a five layer chocolate mousse pie: Oreo cookie crust, chocolate brownie, chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse, white chocolate drizzle and a chocolate sail all served on a seedless red raspberry sauce," according to the menu.

This is the best place to celebrate a milestone, a romantic evening, a birthday or other major event. Call (970) 242-4100 or visit to make a reservation.