VAIL RESTAURANTS

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Beano's Cabin Larkspur Bowl, Beaver Creek, CO, USA	970/845-9090 or 866/395-3185 Read Review
One of the memorable experiences during a trip to Beaver Creek is traveling in a sleigh to this former hunting lodge. (In summer you can get here on horseback or by shuttle van.) During the journey, your driver will undoubtedly fill you in on some local history. The pine-log cabin, warmed by a crackling fire, is an unbeatable location for a romantic meal. Choose from among the entrées that change with the seasons. Pair pan-seared buffalo carpaccio with wood-grilled venison, then top it all off with a bourbon pecan torte. Reservations essential. AE, MC, V.
Chap's Grill & Chophouse Vail Cascade Resort, 1300 Westhaven Dr., Cascade Village, Vail, CO, USA	970/479-7014 Read Review
This steak house in the Vail Cascade Resort earned its reputation by serving only the tenderest cuts of meat. Locals rave about the dry-aged beef rib eye and the Blackfoot buffalo rib eye. But Chap's is also a well-regarded seafood restaurant, which is why you'll find such tempting entrées as seared ahi and 1½-pound Nova Scotia lobsters. Savory soups, such as caramelized lobster and corn bisque, are good starters. Finish the meal with chocolate-lava cake -- it has a molten-truffle center that melts in your mouth. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
Game Creek Club 278 Hanson Ranch Rd., Vail, CO, USA	970/479-4275 Read Review
Getting to this private club is certainly half the fun, as you must catch a gondola up the mountain, then hop on a snow cat to get across Game Creek Bowl. The Bavarian-style lodge is members-only for lunch, but open to the public for dinner all year and for an outstanding Sunday brunch in summer. Be prepared to linger over a multicourse prix-fixe meal as you enjoy spectacular views of the slopes and the mountains beyond. You might start with a house-cured gravlax and mesclun salad with toasted goat cheese, followed by grilled venison strip loin or a porcini-crusted dry-aged sirloin. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch.
La Bottega 100 E. Meadow Dr., Vail Village, Vail, CO, USA	970/476-0280 Read Review
This casual, small restaurant has a loyal following that appreciates the creative northern Italian fare. Customers especially love the lunch specials, which include creative pizzas from the stone ovens. In true bistro fashion, the specials are posted on a huge blackboard. Some people turn out for a glass of vino in the wine bar, which takes up one side of the establishment. The cellar is one of the best in town. D, MC, V.
Minturn Country Club 131 Main St., Minturn, CO, USA	970/827-4114 Read Review
This homey hangout is one of those "you've gotta go" places people talk about after returning home. Steaks, prime rib, fish, and chicken are all delicious. You have only yourself to blame if you wanted your meat medium rare and it came out well done, as you cook your meal yourself. Reservations not accepted. MC, V. No lunch.
Mirabelle 55 Village Rd., Avon, CO, USA	970/949-7728 Read Review
Set in a restored farmhouse at the entrance to Beaver Creek, Mirabelle is one of the area's loveliest restaurants. Owner and chef Daniel Joly serves superb Belgian-French cuisine. His preparations are a perfect blend of colors, flavors, and textures. The menu changes regularly, but if available try hot foie gras with caramelized golden apples, and roasted elk medallions in a red-wine sauce accompanied by poached baby pear, potato gnocchi, and rhubarb coulis. Depending on your point of view, the elaborate desserts are either heavenly or sinful. The extensive wine list has garnered notice from Wine Spectator. AE, D, MC, V. Closed Sun. No lunch.
Splendido 17 Chateau La., Beaver Creek Village, Beaver Creek, CO, USA	970/845-8808 Read Review
With elegant marble columns and custom-made Italian linens, this posh eatery is the height of opulence. Chef David Walford is a master of new American cuisine, and he borrows freely from many traditions. He is equally adept at turning out rack of lamb with rosemary as he is grilling up an elk loin with braised elk osso buco. Retire for a nightcap to the classically elegant piano bar, where Bob Finnie tickles the ivories. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch.
Sweet Basil 193 E. Gore Creek Dr., Vail Village, Vail, CO, USA	970/476-0125 Read Review
The decor may be understated -- blond-wood chairs and buff-color walls -- but chef Bruce Yim's contemporary cuisine is anything but. He uses the freshest ingredients available, so the menu changes several times each season. You might find grilled-crab dumplings, seared Hawaiian ahi, or grilled-beef tenderloin with foie-gras ravioli and wild mushroom and barley ragout. Pair these entrées with one of the hundreds of wines from the restaurant's award-winning cellar. Leave room for luscious desserts such as hot sticky toffee pudding cake. AE, MC, V.
Terra Bistro Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa, 352 E. Meadow Dr., Vail Village, Vail, CO, USA	970/476-6836 Read Review
With dark-wood furniture and walls hung with black-and-white photographs, this sleek, sophisticated space looks as if it belongs in a big city. Only the crackling fireplace reminds you that this is Vail. The menu focuses on contemporary American cuisine that throws in a few Asian, Mediterranean, and Southwestern influences. White bean and squash sauté and peppered beef tenderloin in a cabernet reduction are headliners. The herbed Yukon Gold potatoes are a satisfying side. The restaurant is in the Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa, so it's no surprise that organic produce and free-range meat and poultry are used whenever possible. AE, D, MC, V.
The Gashouse 34185 U.S. Hwy. 6, 4 mi west of Beaver Creek, Edwards, CO, USA	970/926-3613 Read Review
This longtime hangout set inside a 1930s-era log cabin has walls covered with hunting trophies. (If stuffed animal heads aren't your thing, think twice about eating here.) Locals swear by the steak, prime rib, and fresh salmon. Stop in for a brew and some buffalo wings and watch how some of the Vail Valley residents kick back. AE, MC, V.
Toscanini Market Sq., Beaver Creek Village, Beaver Creek, CO, USA	970/845-5590 Read Review
You have a ringside seat at the ice rink in the heart of Beaver Creek when you dine at this casual eatery. The menu is authentic Italian, starting with a variety of dipping oils for the fresh bread, then antipasti such as oven-roasted mushrooms topped with fontina and a balsamic reduction. Entrées include gourmet pizzas, such as the "Pizza Anatra" with duck confit, carmelized onions, grilled red radicchio, and Gorgonzola. Don't pass up the grilled Argentine rib-eye steak with Colorado goat cheese, baby carrots, and demi-glace. AE, D, MC, V.
traMonti Ristorante The Charter at Beaver Creek, 120 Offerson Rd., Beaver Creek Village, Beaver Creek, CO, USA	970/949-5552 Read Review
This breezy trattoria in the Charter at Beaver Creek showcases the vibrant cuisine of chef Curtis Cooper. He loves experimenting with bold juxtapositions of flavors and is most at home with creative pizzas, such as spicy shrimp with fennel, roasted peppers, basil, feta, and infused garlic oil. Try lobster ravioli in saffron cream sauce, spaghetti puttanesca, or the osso buco. AE, MC, V. No lunch.