Dining (Area Code 970)

Keystone has gained a reputation for fine dining, thanks to the Colorado Mountain College Culinary Institute which is based there. Qualified students apprentice for three years in the resort’s restaurants under world-renowned chefs before receiving degrees in culinary arts from the American Culinary Federation. So, lucky Keystone visitors get to sample the fruits of their labors.

Some of Keystone’s restaurants require reservations which you can make before leaving home by calling the activities/dining toll-free number, (800) 354-4386. If you’re staying at a resort property, dial Ext. 4386. If you’re staying elsewhere in Summit County, call 496-4386. Use these numbers for all the restaurants we list here.

Keystone has three dining experiences not to be missed—Alpenglow Stube, perched at 11,444 feet on North Peak and the highest gourmet restaurant in the country; Ski Tip Lodge, the cozy inn where all of Keystone’s history oozes from every log; and Keystone Ranch, named one of Colorado’s Best Restaurants by the Zagat Survey. All are sophisticated gourmet restaurants in charming settings, perfect for romantic dinners or groups of adults (and not at all suitable for noisy young children). The chefs at each have a friendly rivalry which helps to keep the standards high. Save room for dessert and appetizers.

Alpenglow Stube ($$$) in The Outpost features rough-hewn timbers, massive fireplaces, vaulted ceilings and expansive windows. The Stube serves what we rate as the best on-mountain dinner available in the U.S. The adventure begins two valleys away with a ride on two gondolas suspended over the lighted slopes of Dercum Mountain. The restaurant is a large but cozy room that looks as if Martha Stewart’s Swiss cousin were the decorator. The menu features a six- to eight-course menu (for a fixed price of $95 per person) of such fare as wood-grilled salmon, grilled wild game and slow-roasted duck. Figure about another $40 a bottle for wine. Everything from the setting to cuisine is perfect—even more amazing considering that every bit of fresh food on your plate was transported via gondola or snowcat.

Renowned among discerning clientele in Summit County, Ski Tip Lodge ($$$) is a cozy and inviting place with a standard for service that all restaurants strive for yet not all achieve. Formerly an 1800s stagecoach stop, and now a bed and breakfast, the lodge for a time was the private home of Keystone founders Max and Edna Dercum. It serves a fixed-price, four-course meal for adults and a three-course meal for children 12 and younger. The creative menu changes daily and delights constantly.

Keystone Ranch ($$$; above) is a restored log ranch house built in the 1930s as a wedding present to Bernardine Smith and Howard Reynolds. Reportedly, the only completely original part of the house is the fireplace, yet you feel as if you’re dining at the home of an intimate friend. American regional cuisine is prepared with Rocky Mountain indigenous ingredients—such as piñon-encrusted lamb or elk with wild mushrooms.

You say your kids want to ride the gondolas for dinner too? Take the family to Der Fondue Chessel ($$$), also at The Outpost at the top of North Peak. Enjoy fondue, raclette and wine (not for the kids, of course) with music by a Bavarian band.

In Lakeside Village, Keystone Lodge’s Champeaux ($$$) brings a taste of Provence to the Rockies. Indulge in southeastern French cuisine while taking in the panoramic views of Keystone Lake and the Snake River Valley. For a Western meal to satisfy a big hunger, head to the Bighorn Steakhouse ($$–$$$), renowned for its cuts of tender prime rib and its 16-ounce Cowboy Rib Eye Steak, hand cut and served on the bone in barbecue butter. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed. The Summit Seafood Company ($$), in the Keystone Inn, specializes in—what else?—fresh seafood, including mahi mahi, swordfish and even local trout.

For truly casual dining, we got a tasty individual-sized pizza and a draft beer sitting at the bar in the Snake River Saloon. Across Hwy. 6 in the Mountain View Plaza is Dos Locos (262-9185; $–$$), a Mexican restaurant (no surprise there) that is especially popular during happy hour—the margaritas are extremely refreshing.

At River Run, try Kickapoo Tavern ($–$$) for appetizers or light fare such as the turkey chili (a house specialty), burgers, soup or low-priced salads. The Great Northern Tavern ($$$) is anything but your ordinary tavern. The chefs are creative across the board, from appetizers of salmon papaya tostadas and panko vegetable rolls to entrees of Hawaiian mero sea bass, sweet Thai ahi tuna and Colorado lamb T-bones with puttanesca raisin sauce. Paisano’s ($–$$) is a family-friendly, casual Italian restaurant. Dinner favors pastas, pastas and more pastas. Breakfast here is known for building your own fritattas and Italian scrambles or a sinful breakfast of Italian toast stuffed with mascarpone. Have a Bloody Mary, a Grey Goose Screwdriver or a Monday Morning Mimosa. For a lighter breakfast pick up a wrap or bagel sandwich at the Inxpot ($).

A Dinner Sleigh Ride is a special Rocky Mountain way for all ages to draw the day to a close. Keystone's horse-drawn sleigh takes you to a restored ranch homestead in a beautiful historic valley where you'll enjoy a western dinner and entertainment. Reservations are required.

There's also an excellent selection of restaurants ranging from gourmet to fast food in surrounding Summit County.

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