My initial fear that the cuisine would mirror the elegant but staid dining room area that a guest first sees upon arrival was quickly dispelled when we were seated around the corner from the entry dining area at a beautifully appointed table with an expansive view of a kitchen that any foodie would love. We quickly recognized it as the launching pad for menu offerings that are in no way boring and believed by many to be the best in Beaver Creek.

From the restaurant’s award wining wine list we selected a vineyard designated viognier from Qupe Vineyards that worked beautifully as an aperitif and paired nicely with the jumbo lump blue crab cake appetizer that I had and the endive salad served with Gorgonzola cheese, figs and walnuts which my guest, who is not typically a salad eater, raved about. We selected main dishes from opposite ends of the menu’s spectrum with grilled hangar steak being her choice while pan roasted rabbit, identified as one of the restaurant’s signature dishes by our server, was my choice. The talented and friendly sommelier provided some excellent recommendations for a wine that would work well with both dishes given his knowledge of the preparation methods and sauces that accompanied them and we settled on a full bodied Maysara pinot noir that was commendable. The quality of both the beef and the rabbit was apparent however, both dishes suffered from excess saltiness in both the meat and the sauces served with them so I recommend that your preferences regarding salt be made clear to your server when ordering.

Our servers were personable, quite knowledgeable and well trained, however, we experienced a noticeable lapse in attention to refilling our wine glasses when empty. A dessert of warm nectarine crisp served with black cherry ice cream was beautifully presented and was a true palate pleaser.

Written by Doug Gonano June 2006. Doug can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Doug is a Lawyer by profession. Doug is a well documented wine expert and wine collector; he comes from a baking family in Pittsburgh, PA and resides in Stuart, Florida with his wife Melinda. Doug also is a freelance contributor to various publications as well as a food and wine commentator on the World Travel and Dining Channel and America’s Dining and Travel Guide.