Chicken and pheasant pot pie at The Tenth in Vail (photo by Brad A. Johnson)
The best chef-driven restaurant in Vail is still, hands-down, Kelly Liken. That’s a point that almost every chef in town is begrudgingly willing to concede. But the former Top Chef contestant has some fierce new competition this year. Here’s what’s new in Vail: Continue reading
I took this shot from the balcony of my living room at Lumiere (an amazing condo hotel), overlooking Mountain Village, the resort community that’s connected to Telluride by the local gondola. The sun had just set but the mountainside was still illuminated by 14 inches of fresh snow. I love the amber glow of the lights, and the way it reflects on the sidewalk and snow. Even way off in the distance, you can see the faint amber glow of porch lights from other houses and cabins. God, I love Telluride. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth.
221 South Oak, Telluride (photo by Brad A. Johnson)
221 South Oak is an ultra charming restaurant in downtown Telluride. Housed in a vintage cottage, with sultry jazz and vocals warbling from the stereo, this is the perfect spot for date night. Chef Eliza Gavin is one of the best chefs in town. She makes a half dozen different sausages in-house every week, using elk, pork, beef, duck, you name it. She serves an amazing Rocky Mountain trout. The grilled elk chop is brilliant. And there’s a pumpkin butterscotch pie that will have you licking the plate and begging for more. 221 South Oak St., Telluride, 970-728-9507
Beano’s Cabin, Beaver Creek (photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Beano’s Cabin is my favorite restaurant in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Hidden in a small mountain meadow, surrounded by towering spruce, at the edge of Larkspur Bowl more than halfway up Beaver Creak Mountain, this was one of the first ski-in/ski-out, fine-dining restaurants in America. The cabin is now celebrating its 25th year with a brand new chef, Bill Greenwood (formerly of Aspen’s The Little Nell and San Diego’s Eddie V’s), who fills the wood-fired rotisserie with whole suckling pigs and beef tenderloins. Continue reading
Tuna carpaccio with preserved lemon, fennel and harissa (photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Executive chef Rob Zack at Eight K, the beautiful restaurant inside the Viceroy Snowmass, serves some of the best lamb chops and Rocky Mountain trout in the Aspen/Snowmass area. And, holy crap, the tuna carpaccio is amazing. Low-key glamour. Roaring fireplace in the center of the dining room. 130 Wood Rd., Snowmass Village, 970.923.8000
Take a look around…
The patio at Cloud Nine Bistro on Aspen Highlands (photo by Brad A Johnson)
New to Aspen this year is Cloud Nine Bistro, located at 10,740 feet, high atop Aspen Highlands mountain, with stunning views of the Maroon Bells (twin peaks in the Elk Mountains). Ski-in/ski-out from the Cloud Nine lift. Unbuckle your boots and feast on elk ragout with lingonberries and créme fraîche, pheasant sausages wrapped in pancetta, pristine scallops that’ll make you forget for a moment that you’re in the mountains, or some of the biggest Colorado lamb chops you’ll ever see (or taste). But first you’ll want to start with a big pot of fondue. (Chef Andreas Fishbacher is Austrian, natch). Aspen Highlands, Cloud Nine lift, 970-544-3063
Take a look around… Continue reading
Cowboy ribeye (photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Steakhouse chefs rarely garner much attention from the national press because, generally, if they’re doing things right, they’re not reinventing the wheel. Well, here’s one who deserves to be noticed: rising star chef Kathleen Crook at Aspen’s new Steakhouse 316. And no, she’s not reinventing the wheel, but that’s beside the point. Continue reading
