The Yellow Carrot

The Yellow Carrot sits unassumingly in a small strip mall right by the river just outside Durango. They’ve saved us a table because we called in about an hour ahead. This means we easily get a spot on a sunny Sunday, which is the best. Now we just have to choose from the menu of epic comfort food.

The fresh, bottomless way to begin

Bottomless mimosas to start are a must, as their juices are fresh and inventive. There is a basil ginger number that comes out lime green, and a basil lemonade. You can also mix and match, and one of the tastier combinations is ginger basil with a bit of orange juice. 

No one leaves hungry

Everything on the menu looks amazing, but a little expensive, which makes me hesitant. Then I see one dish go by. And then the next. They’re huge, and it looks like one dish would feed three. But of course, we’re here to try more than one thing, so we commit. 

First, is the Sweet Potato Hash, which arrives in a cast-iron pan with herb-cream fried eggs. On top is and a sweet, single yellow carrot. The egg is fried in a creamy herb cheese, which gives it a rich quality that almost melts over the hash. Underneath that is candied bacon, Black Forest ham, tangy gorgonzola and bits of rosemary. There are also long, spicy strips of Poblano peppers.

The Seuss also has the charming yellow carrot on top and is practically unrecognizable as a sandwich. There are more of those cream-fried eggs, layers of ham, both cheddar and brie, slices of avocado and nut-free pesto (hurrah!). There’s a sweet-spicy touch with honey sriracha, and homemade brioche.

The special seems to take the cake for size. It’s technically a grilled cheese but it looks more like a savory 10-layer cake. The pulled pork is rich and savory, with tangy pickled cabbage and eggs. The thick-cut brioche is wrapped in cheese and griddled. The side of cheesy hatch chile grits has an amazing, almost al dente texture.

A sweet sendoff

Each member of the staff is more helpful and charming than the next. We also see the owner, Sari, helping out in clunky heels with red leather rosettes.

For dessert, I might suggest a coffee drink to pick you up after that feast. It’s also basically dessert. Though most of the menu is nut-free, the bakery items are, indeed, nut-full, so be aware. We get a Macadamia Nut Mocha that arrives with a long, thin ginger snap. Also, the Baklavatte, which is, incredibly, served with a huge chunk of gooey baklava. It’s the perfect end to an indulgent meal that will provide us with epic comfort food leftovers for two more days.