Dignitaries Go West At Denver Roundup

With a dinner menu that may include rattlesnake cakes and buffalo tongue, the world’s most powerful leaders could get a real taste of the American West this weekend.

Presidents and prime ministers from eight industrialized nations will dine Saturday night at The Fort Restaurant, located about 18 miles southwest of Denver.

Everything about The Fort - from its 80,000 handmade adobe bricks to the 19th-century period costumes and the authentic Old West menu - was inspired by a trading post built in 1834 on the north bank of the Arkansas River, owner Sam Arnold said.

“This isn’t just make-believe. We take our history very seriously,” Arnold said Thursday while serving some the restaurant’s most famous dishes to reporters from around the world.

President Clinton and the other leaders will appreciate the colorful stories behind each of the dishes, Arnold said.

Take the broiled buffalo bone marrow, a delicacy for mountain men in the 1820s. Even President Ulysses S. Grant ate buffalo bone marrow while dining in New York City, Arnold said.

The White House has to approve the final menu before Saturday night’s dinner, but Arnold said he is confident many of his dishes will be served.

Representatives from Washington, and the Dutch and French delegations enjoyed pre-summit visits to the restaurant, Arnold said.

“It’s an absolute beyond dream,” Arnold said of holding the dinner. “I’m looking for a very happy time here on Saturday night.”