The 10th’s elegant dining room, photographed by Ric Stovall, courtesy of Vail Resorts.
Introducing The 10th, Vail’s new on-mountain restaurant, and three other dining indulgences for true gourmands
You’ve always been able to get a cafeteria-style lunch on the mountain at Mid-Vail, but starting this month, there’s a finer dining option just across the way. The 10th, named in tribute to the soldiers of The 10th Mountain Division, features modern alpine cuisine in an elegant setting at the base of the Look Ma run.
You’ll pay $17 for a burger here, as compared to $12 at the Mid-Vail cafeteria, but those extra five bucks go a long way. It starts the moment you walk in the door, when the hostess points you to the The 10th’s coat closet, a room bigger than some apartments I’ve lived in in Boulder. Here you’ll hang your coat, goggles, gloves, and helmet, and swap your ski boots for a stylish pair of faux-fur slippers. Once at your table, you’ll be treated to floor-to-ceiling views of the Gore Range and inviting contemporary décor surrounded by rich wood beams and stone columns, all set beneath a grand two-story ceiling.
The well-balanced menu features sandwiches and salads, or “green plates,” alongside fancier entrees like elk Bolognese pasta, with prices up to $26. Brick-oven pizzas are available for $15 and can be made with traditional crust, gluten-free crust, or whole-wheat flax seed crust (for the fiber aficionados). The generous appetizer menu offers something for every palate and price-point, from a $7 cup of soup, to $18 mussels. The dessert listing is a bit scarce, with only four options to choose from. Skip it and satisfy your chocolate craving with the complimentary truffles brought with the bill.
The 10th is open for lunch, seven days a week during the ski season. Hot drinks and pastries are also served starting at 9:00 a.m. Reservations are recommended for lunch in the main dining area, but the bar is first come, first served.
For dinner, Vail’s taken gourmet to another level this season with three new world-class restaurants:
Matsuhisa If you’ve never experienced a celebrity chef-owned restaurant, be prepared to have your culinary socks knocked off. And your wallet squeezed dry (it’s easy to spend upwards of $400 on dinner for two). Born and raised in Japan, 62-year-old Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa is known for his fusion cuisine, blending traditional Japanese dishes with South American ingredients, mostly Peruvian. With 30+ restaurants worldwide, he’s a busy man, but will be at Matsuhisa Vail on December 26th for a grand opening gala.
Elway’s John Elway’s namesake restaurant just opened at the Lodge at Vail. It is the former Broncos quarterback’s first restaurant outside of Denver. The menu features hand-cut steaks in more than a dozen sizes and preparations, from thick Porterhouse to tender filet to juicy ribeye, fresh seafood (including organic salmon), Colorado lamb, and Elway’s Smash Burger.
Block 16 Since it’s opening last year, Block 16 at the Sebastian hotel has undergone a complete transformation for the 2011-2012 season. A new chef de cuisine and a radically different menu make for an inspired interpretation of farm-to-table fine dining. Block 16 works with local farmers and ranchers to offer delicacies like Colorado Wagyu beef, alongside out-of-state delicacies like sea urchin. The restaurant’s eye-catching centerpiece – a 360-degree glass wine cellar that stretches from the ceiling to the floor – showcases an impressive 1,000+ bottle collection.
