The La Plaza positions itself as destination hotel and restaurant Visitors taste eclectic culture of southern Colorado at historic inn

by Bill Knowles
WALSENBURG — Karen Wilson, owner and operator of the historic La Plaza Inn of Walsenburg, has refocused her operation to being a destination hotel and restaurant for the many visitors that come into Huerfano County to enjoy the beauty of southern Colorado.
Some of that beauty is in the many heritages and peoples who’ve contributed to the value of the eclectic culture of the area. Those heritages range from the petroglyphs etched on the dikes and rock formations found throughout the county to the production of art and on to the preparation of food.  
Chef Max Lachow, a practitioner in the art of preparing traditional American dishes, brings to the La Plaza Inn Restaurant the taste of his experiences garnered from 16 years training and working in some of the most demanding kitchens in the U.S.  This includes the Wolfgang Puck restaurant and Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in the Napa Valley.  He was recruited by Wilson while working at the Deadwood Lodge in South Dakota and spent three weeks with Chef Gordon Lucero learning his work with the dishes listed on the menu before Lucero retired. 
The meal served to the reporter from the World Journal on Thursday, October 29, reflected a South Beach influence with sauces built from reduced balsamic vinegar and drizzled over rib eye steak with twice baked potato, or with a chilled ver blanc sauce with a light taste of dill as was used on the crab encrusted white fish with grilled zucchini and carrots.  
This is a real match for the many cultures and heritages found in the newly discovered spaces of southern Colorado.  A chef with a broad palate and a desire to experiment should fit in with the artistic bent and high-tech oriented focus of the area’s newer residents, while the bigger menu might appeal to the more traditional tastes of the established pioneers and their families. 
“He picks from produce and meats raised by local area growers,” says Wilson.  Lachow purchases much of what he uses from a local area market.  “He has early morning picks at the First Choice meat market, making sure he can get the best in cuts for his kitchen.” 
Dining at the La Plaza Restaurant is both elegant, as found in the dining room, and Colorado formal blue jeans and shirt sleeves, in the cafe.  Both sides serve from the regular menu and a special menu featuring dishes prepared by Lachow. These special dishes are where the blending of spices and structure of sauces can be found. 
As southern Colorado becomes more eclectic, the food, too, will become more varied in its preparation and even its presentation.  As a place to begin experiencing the diversity of the area, the La Plaza Inn and Restaurant are at the top of the list.  Wilson and Lachow have brought together a dining and hospitality blend that will set the tone and pace for exploration in the southern Colorado Rockies, a real Colorado destination.