The restored historic Robison Mansion is ready to have its greatest impact yet on Cañon City.
Purchased in 2018 by Dawn and Mark Greksa, it will open this week as Antithesis, a fine-dining experience that is expected to have national appeal.
Mark awoke in the wee hours one morning with a vision for the mansion in the community where he and Dawn operate the Royal Gorge Route Railroad.
“Antithesis,” Mark explains, the name coming to him. “The opposite of ordinary.”
The concept is a fine-dining experience, where the finest cuts of steak can be served alongside more familiar fare.
“It has always been my dream since I began washing dishes,” Mark recalls.
At age 13, he was hired as a dishwasher in the back of a restaurant. He couldn’t drive yet, so he would ride a bicycle to work. Then, he advanced to the cooking line, working his way through the business.
“I always enjoyed the food and beverage [industry],” he said.
The menu at Antithesis may offer the first clue it is indeed opposite other restaurant fare in the community and beyond. Seasonal oysters top the menu, with salad and soup options. Mark notes the service of sandwiches, burgers, fish and tacos on the menu, alongside wild boar, New York strip and Wellington cuts of steak, with lamb and trout. Other seasonal offerings will be selected.
He credits Executive Chef Johnny Church with bringing the dining vision together. Church is a celebrity chef with 30 years of experience in the Las Vegas fine-dining scene. He’s worked in coordination with Gordon Ramsay and other celebrity chefs, and in 2018 was a “Chopped Champion,” as judged by Martha Stewart. In 2025, Church was named one of the “Best 5 Private Chefs” in Las Vegas, having entertained celebrities and pro athletes.
“He’s an extraordinary chef,” Mark said. “Everything is hand-prepared. It is all fresh.”
Meals can be paired with an unmatched wine list.
“It includes New World and Old World wines. We have some really nice bottles people won’t be able to find anywhere else,” Mark said.
Keeping the effort in the family, Dawn is credited with much of the renovation.
“She picked out all of our decor,” Mark said. “She’s done a really great job.”
He’s hopeful that from the point of arrival at the mansion, visitors will find a lifestyle change to what might be expected in Cañon City.
“The whole idea was to create one of the best restaurants in Colorado,” Mark said, adding the venture would not be possible without the railroad.
Seating will begin at 40 for lunch and dinner, with opportunity to expand. A soft, private opening took place last week, with a public opening Wednesday. Antithesis will be open Wednesday through Sunday.
“We have a really great staff,” Mark said. “We’re all really excited to see it grow.”
Those unfamiliar with the mansion will find it “encompasses an entire city block and it is beautiful,” he said, adding lodging accommodations could be added in the future.
“We think it’s really great for the community,” he said, offering dinner at the mansion will mean “another night to spend in Cañon City. That helps everyone.”
An example of that aim can be seen through the “Plan Your Visit” link at antithesisdining.com, where some of the town’s activities and lodging are featured. Reservations can also be made through a link on the website, and the full menu is available.
“Beyond the railroad, you’ll find a walkable historic downtown, the Arkansas River for rafting, and enough small-town Colorado charm to make you wonder why you didn’t come sooner,” the website reads.
Borrowing from the Royal Gorge Route Railroad’s atmosphere, Antithesis will be an experience in which “every guest feels genuinely welcome, and where the setting, the service, and the food all rise to meet each other,” with the mansion’s historic setting as “part of the experience, woven into every detail.”
Visit antithesisdining.com or call 719-778-3231.
Dining and Cooking