Dining

Beaver Creek is infatuated with the term "gourmet." Everything, right down to the garden-variety burger, is designated gourmet. Plus, these Colorado chefs do love their spices. The dishes we tried featured gratuitous amounts of onions, garlic and exotic flavors.

Splendido at The Chateau (845-8808; $$$$) is very popular for locals, especially for special occasions. Many regulars come for the piano player, Taylor Kundolf, but chef David Walford has a huge following for his succulent game and international finesse with offerings such as roasted Maine sea scallops and fried sweetbreads. The wine cellar is vast. It's one of the most elegant yet accessible properties in Vail/Beaver Creek.

Mirabelle (949-7728; $$$–$$$$), a longtime local favorite at the bottom of the resort access road in an old farmhouse, serves well-prepared Belgian-influenced nouvelle cuisine. Excellent wine list with selections in many prices.

SaddleRidge (845-5450; $$$–$$$$) showcases the country's largest private collection of Western artifacts outside of a museum. It's open for dinner with a game-dominated a la carte menu. After dessert take a look at the saddle with Buffalo Bill's sketch impressed into the leather—the image is his own handiwork.

The Grouse Mountain Grill (949-0600; $$$$), adjacent to the Pines Lodge, serves Rocky Mountain cuisine, featuring such dishes as Colorado lamb and pretzel-crusted pork chops. The elegant European interior is intimate, all the more so because of the nightly jazz pianist who performs during dinner. The Zagat Survey repeatedly names the restaurant as one of the best in the region.

In Market Square, follow your nose to Toscanini (845-5590; $$–$$$$), a busy Italian restaurant overlooking the outdoor ice rink and featuring excellent seafood and pasta dishes. Special children's menu selections are available.

Beaver Creek Chophouse (845-0555; $$$) serves certified Angus beef and live Maine lobster in a slopeside location with a fantastic view.

A fairly new addition to the village center is Foxnut Asian Fusion & Sushi (845-0700; $$$). Its trendy interior of bright pink walls hung with Asian magazine ads, chartreuse booths and hanging lanterns deviates from the elegant Beaver Creek norm, but sushi fans love it.

Rocks Modern Grill (845-1730; $$$) is in the newly remodeled Beaver Creek Lodge and serves classic American food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner in the private wine room can be set up with a reservation.

By Beaver Creek standards, traMonti (949-5552, $$–$$$) is one of the more inexpensive places to eat, with meat entrees between $20 and $30, and pastas less than that. It's in the Charter at Beaver Creek Hotel and serves pastas and risottos, and Northern Italian-prepared veal, steak, chicken and seafood. The restaurant is cozy, with upholstered high back chairs and white linen tablecloths, and has an outstanding view of the mountain through oversized windows. Reservations are advised. The family-friendly menu in the slopeside Bivans (949-1234; $$–$$$) in the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek encourages sharing with a focus on informality.

Besides moving to a new location in the Poste Montane and expanding its space, the Blue Moose (845-8666; $$-$) also expanded its menu from pizza to a wide variety of Italian dishes.

The Golden Eagle (949-1940; $$–$$$) is a less costly, though not less exotic, place to dine. With entrees such as medallions of Australian kangaroo and roast loin of elk on the menu, guests can take a culinary world tour without leaving their seats. Decorations are Bavarian and desert Southwest, exactly the unlikely mix you'd expect from a restaurant that serves a blue corn elk quesadilla and other odd but tasty treats.

In Avon try The Vista Brasserie (949-3366; $$) for good American fare and Fiesta Jalisco (845-8088; $$) for tasty Mexican meals. Masato's Sushi Bar (949-0330; $$–$$$; above left), in the Chapel Square complex, has great sushi chefs and reasonably priced Japanese food. Ti Amo (845-8153; $$–$$$) is Avon's best for good-value Italian. Or try the town of Edwards, just west of Avon. The Gore Range Brewery has outrageous salads, wood-fired thin-crust pizza, and peel-and-eat shrimp. There's also a very hip sushi restaurant called Sato's (926-7684).

Don't miss a wonderfully memorable dining experience at Beano's Cabin (949-9090, book early; $$$$; top photo). Groups are bundled onto a 40-person sleigh and pulled up the mountain under the stars by a snow-cat. The cabin—a bit of a misnomer, since the building is a large elegantly rustic structure with log beams—always has a roaring fire going and well-prepared cuisine. Choose from a four-course meal or a chef's five-course blind tasting menu(for the adventurous diner). The cost is per person, including the sleigh ride but not the wine, tax or gratuity. Equally delightful is Zach's Cabin (845-6575, book early; $$$–$$$$), the newest addition to fine dining in Beaver Creek up on the mountain between Arrowhead and Bachelor Gulch Villages. Similar in concept to Beano's Cabin, this 13,000-square-foot cabin is nestled in a grove of aspen trees and guests arrive on a snowcat-drawn sleigh. Incredible views of the Gore Range, vaulted ceilings, and a large stone fireplace all help to make this the perfect setting for a delightful meal. The Cabin is open to the public for a la carte dinner Wednesday through Saturday nights throughout the winter season, and is available for private functions throughout the year. Children's menu and pricing are available on the first of three nightly sleigh departures. Zach's Cabin is named for Zach Allen, father of Beaver Creek's first female resident, Allie Townsend (for whom Allie's Cabin is named). Zach, who served as a law enforcement officer in Colorado during the late 1800s, was killed in the line of duty.

Few people seem to eat breakfast in Beaver Creek, or else they grab a bite in their condos or hotel restaurants. The village doesn't have a lot of choices for your first meal of the day. Bivans ($$) at the Park Hyatt has full breakfast buffet, featuring omelets made-to-order. You can get eggs, pancakes and waffles at McCoy's ($), a cafeteria set-up at the base of the mountain. For muffin-and-coffee breakfast fans, Starbucks is one level down from the Centennial Express lift. Beaver Creek Chophouse in the Beaver Creek Lodge serves an American continental breakfast.

Dining Legend: $$$$–Entrees $30+; $$$–$20–30; $$–$10–20; $–less than $10