Postcard Foods Serves To-Go Meals Right off an I-70 Exit

One of the biggest attractions for Denver is the close proximity to the mountains. Tourists and locals alike visit and live in Denver because of the endless adventures that can be found in the Rocky Mountains. There is one thing most can agree on though – I-70 traffic is not fun. Driving up for a weekend ski trip can take anywhere from one hour to five hours depending on road conditions, weather and traffic. The last thing you want to do is stop for groceries and if you’re staying in a vacation rental that means walking or driving to dinner where you could potentially wait for hours to get a table. Not the greatest way to start a weekend getaway. Luckily, James Abraham and Bridget Bagel provide some relief to that scenario with newly opened Postcard Foods – a food trailer parked off exit 234 of I-70 in Dumont that provides to-go items and frozen meals for travelers heading to and from the mountains.

After moving to Denver together, Bagel and Abraham quickly recognized that there wasn’t a great solution for grocery shopping in the most popular ski towns. The couple did market research by riding the ski lifts separately and talking with the people they met. “You have to stop in Silverthorne or Dillon and what we found were a lot of people forgot things from the grocery store,” said Bagel. They also found that many families traveling with children would rather cook at their rental than mobilize the family to go to a restaurant but many times the rental is missing crucial cooking utensils or ingredients like spices and olive oil. By making a quick stop at Postcard Foods you eliminate the need to stop at a grocery store and can purchase homemade frozen meals for your post-ski dinners.

“It saves you trips and gives you options. You’re not stuck eating from the resort or waiting an hour for a table at a restaurant,” said Abraham. Bagel has a degree in gastronomy from Boston University and cooks all of the food herself in a commissary kitchen on the front range. She packages it into plant fiber compostable containers that are freezer, microwave and oven safe. Each meal serves two to three so they are perfect for bringing on a couples weekend or large-group trip. Postcard offers gluten-free, vegan and kid-friendly foods so each member of your group will find something that works for their diet.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The idea for the postcard-shaped food trailer came from Bagel’s final project for her graduate degree in gastronomy. She grew up eating many types of ethnic foods and a postcard was the way to tie it all in together. Each of their menu items is named after a city like the Liguria Pesto Polenta, Lagos Carrot Ginger Soup and Dublin Shepherd’s Pie – all flavorful frozen meals that are great for cold weather. Ready-to-eat items include pressed sandwiches, breakfast burritos, salads and quinoa bowls. Bagel and Abraham are still refining some of the details on the truck and hope to be able to offer postcards that customers can write and drop in a mailbox attached to the truck. “No one really sends postcards anymore. Now that we have Instagram everyone posts their vacation pictures there,” said Bagel. By giving customers the opportunity to write postcards to friends and family they are hoping to bring that tradition back.

On your next trip up to the mountains make sure to stop at Postcard Foods in Dumont for a quick bite to eat on the way up or few frozen meals for the weekend. As Bagel and Abraham feel out the market for their food trailer they will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday – Sunday and on most holidays. Stay up to date on seasonal menu items and hours on Instagram.

Postcard Foods is located at 1041 County Road 308, Dumont. Open Friday – Sunday 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.

All photography by Giacomo DiFranco.