The History of Adam's Mountain Café

Adam's was originally located at 733 Manitou Avenue and moved to 110 Cañon Avenue in 1995. Greg Adams started the café in 1984 and sold it to Merry Peniston in 1985. With some adjustment to the menu, the café quickly became a busy local establishment. Lines would form out the door despite any or all adverse weather conditions. Emphasizing a mostly vegetarian and somewhat eclectic cuisine from around the world, Adam's has been a favorite destination of locals and tourists for 28 years.  The breakfast and lunch menus have seen little alteration in that every dish is somebody’s favorite. However the dinner menu has certainly evolved to reflect the values of the current owners - Farley and David McDonough.
In 2001, the café was purchased by  Farley Kaminer McDonough. Farley began working at Adam's Mountain Café in 1991 as a server. Consequently, David McDonough had been hired to manage the kitchen.  By 2003, Farley and David were married and a new era for Adam's Mountain Cafe had begun.  Together they maintained the same philosophy and standards established so many years before.  The menu still emphasizes conscientious preparation, service and style. The food is brilliantly prepared, delicious and interesting. Service is attentive and professional without seeming at all stuffy. The dining room is charming and full of detail including antique tables, unique light fixtures and Persian rugs that scatter the floors. The walls feature numerous pieces of original artwork by local artist, Charles H. Rockey. Adam's has become a benchmark for consistency and attention to detail while remaining fresh and current in the local restaurant scene.  And although the location has changed throughout the years, the commitment and intention has not wavered; to serve good food in a setting that is unencumbered by the intensity of daily life in this fast paced world. The experience of eating at Adam’s is intentionally low key in an effort to have everyone feel welcomed and appreciated.  No advertising or promotion is allowed to be hung in the café so that emphasis remains on the food and the moment. 
As mentioned before, the dinner menu is an area where the values of the current owners truly reflect.  With respect and adoration towards the breakfast and lunch menus that have sustained the cafe over so many years, the dinner menu has become a place to emphasize a committment to local foods, ethnic cuisines, the Slow Food movement and a wine list that is affordable but still interesting and diverse.  Cooking classes taught by David McDonough have become a vehicle for creating new menu items, experimenting with different cuisines and exposing people to Adam's style of cooking.          
In 2007, the restaurant moved to the historic Spa Building in downtown Manitou Springs, located at 934 Manitou Avenue.  The move is expected to be the final location of Adam's Mountain Café.  Huge windows allow for a breathtaking mountainscape above and terrific streetscape at eye level.  The patio runs along Fountain Creek and the west side of the building is open to Soda Springs Park; home to numerous events.  Four mineral springs are within 50 yards of the café: Cheyenne, Navajo, Wheeler and Soda Spring.  
Adam's has fully embraced the Slow Food movement and developed a steadfast committment to buying from local producers such as Venetucci, Javernick and Naturescape, among others. As a staff, the cafe is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by practicing pre-consumer composting, recycling and buying in bulk whenever possible.  We try to reduce waste by not providing straws, toothpicks and packets of condiiments such as sugar packets.  We are always re-evaluating our methods and looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle while recognizing that restaurants have an enormous impact on the environment and we have a responsibility to the community at large to evolve our everyday practices.  Finally, we are a restaurant that values relationships.  We recognize that everyone is valuble including delivery people, the producers, Ed who fixes everything - anytime, our employees and of course, our loyal patrons.  Without such collaboration, there would be no value to what we do.  Adam's would be just another restaurant.