by: Janet Day

Wide, open and flat, Northeast Colorado is cattle and corn country. Feeling more like Nebraska than Colorado, the vast area east of Denver helps feed the world.

Dotted with small towns, the area’s cuisine is defined by its coffee shops and small local restaurants. Huge, hearty breakfasts, a smoky barbecue lunch and big beefy dinners can be found all along or just a short drive off the two interstate highways that cross the plains in towns like Limon, Sterling and Burlington. County fairs, ice cream socials and pancake breakfasts are still a regular part of many summer weekends.

Agriculture is the main economy of Eastern Colorado with both dry-land and irrigated farms growing corn, wheat, beans and alfalfa to feed the livestock and feedlot operations. Pheasant and other game birds flock to the area, meaning they occasionally show up on local menus.