The Fort is a living replica of Bent's Fort, Colorado's first trading post, a place of respite and commerce for   those traveling on the Santa Fe Trail.  Arnold scouted history books and old photographs to build an adobe brick and hand-hewn beamed structure that is true to the architectural detail of the original fort and Southwestern building traditions.

But Arnold didn't just construct a building; he also build a Colorado culinary masterpiece by studying the native foods of American Indians, trappers and traders, and Spanish and Mexican immigrants.  Not content with his own backyard, Arnold traveled to far away destinations and broadened his horizons studying with James Beard and La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris and attending cooking schools in Sri Lanka, Thailand and China.

Today, when many find American food difficult to define because of its melting pot of recipes, the food at The Fort stands as a living example of the roots of Western cuisine including bison, lamb, guinea hen and elk enhanced with southwestern food experts to continuously fine tune the menu to honor the cuisine of the Rocky Mountain region and Southwest.

Every little boy dreams of living the life of a cowboy but few actually make it happen.  Sam P. Arnold is one of those is one of those few.  Arnold's restaurant, The Fort, and his work to keep the traditions of the Old West alive are a shining example of a man who has spent his life dedicated to restoring the spirit of a cuisine and lifestyle that inspired so many travelers and settlers as they ventured beyond the Mississippi to fulfill their dreams.

International Association of Culinary Professionals Honors Sam Arnold with  a Lifetime Achievement Award

recipes and stories from
the chefs at the iacp

Sam Arnold &
Holly Arnold Kinney

Time Life Books has referred to Sam Arnold as a "food historian"'
chef de cuisine, journalist, world traveler, restaurateur, raconteur...
Sam Arnold is a gold mind of information."

Sam Arnold is the founder and co-owner of The Fort Restaurant, a castle-like replica of  the 1934 Bent's Fort, Colorado's first fur-trading post, nestled against scenic red rocks near Morrison, Colorado. Holly Arnold Kinney and her brother Keith, were raised in the restaurant.  In 2001, Kinney became her father's business partner and co-owner of the landmark restaurant.  Her most recent endeavor was launching the Web-based Fort Trading Company in 2003 to market and sell The Fort's world-renowned buffalo, elk and quail around the country.

Sam is recognized nationally as an authority on foods of the Southwest and early West and has written several books on the subject, including Eating Up the Santa Fe Trail, illustrated by his late wife, Carrie.  It includes research of diaries and journals kept by early-nineteenth-century settlers, trappers, and traders.  His most recent cookbook is The Fort Cookbook: New Foods of the Old West from the Famous Denver Restaurant. Arnold has also hosted and produced regional and national television shows.