Thursday was a special day for a unique culinary concept at the west end of Estes Park. Bird Day celebrated seven years since the opening of Bird and Jim, the culmination of the hard work and dreams of Melissa Strong and her partner, John Witmer, “We used to try to have the birthday celebration on our exact anniversary,” Strong said. “But due to the busy season, that usually falls around Elk Fest and it’s simply too busy to have the celebration in the throes of the season.”
After an extensive renovation, Bird and Jim Restaurant opened in October 2017 in the Sundeck Restaurant building, a fixture at Beaver Point on U.S. Highway 36 for 68 years that had been owned by Vic Hoerner.
And just like Hoerner’s regular customers that came back summer after summer to visit the Sundeck, Bird and Jim has its loyal regulars too, as well as seasonal customers who return to experience being—as Strong puts it— “delighted with their experience from hospitality to food.
Strong has a passion for what her restaurant is doing. “We hope they see the love, care, effort, and dreams that are put into our everyday operation We want to give them an experience that is felt and a lasting experience that goes beyond simply dining.”
Much of Stong’s inspiration is from the story of Isabella Bird, a woman who traveled to Estes Park in 1873 with the vision of climbing Longs Peak. “Isabella Bird’s independent spirit and thirst for adventure, always resonated deeply with me leading us to use her name for our brand,” she said.
No stranger to restaurant work, Strong first arrived in Estes Park in 1996 when her local experience began at Ed’s Cantina until 1999 and then briefly at the Other Side, which is now the Wayfinder Restaurant, before working at the Dunraven at its original location on Spurr 66, now The Spice Rack, until 2000.
Strong is an accomplished climber, but an accident in 2017 took several of her fingers. While burning patterns into the furniture from the Sundeck she planned to use in her endeavor, she mistakenly picked up live electrodes with her bare hands. Despite the severe limitations, after recovery Strong continued to rock climb.
Her personal story is similar to that of Isabella Bird, a woman of intrepid determination who had to borrow boots from Griff Evans, her host in Estes Park, to make the climb to Longs Peak. Nearly to the top, her feet bloody from the oversized boots, Isabelle Bird needed the help of her guide, Rocky Mountain Jim to reach the summit.
Strong needs help too, so she surrounds herself with those who can help her reach her goal, including Witmer and the teams at Bird and Jim and Bird’s Nest, which opened as an event space, coffee shop, and grab-and-go café in July of 2022.
“The concept (for Bird and Jim) evolved after years of working for others and dining in establishments across the country and overseas,” said Strong “It was important to have seasonally changing menus and ingredient-driven items using fresh food, locally sourced when possible.
“With the changing menus were able to continuously be creative. We focus on quality, consistency, and bringing unique flavors together for delicious fare.”
Isabella Bird’s book, “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains,” tells the tale of her travels in the West, including an account of her time in Estes Park. Strong’s future includes publishing her own book, which will hit bookstores in March of 2025.
Thursday’s event hosted friends, old and new, and featured musician Mark Powell, owner of the 7 Keys Lodge, formerly, the Baldpate Inn.