Smoked whitefish curry in turmeric-coconut broth with steamed rice. Dominique Taylor Photography/taylordmedia@icloud.com
Drunken Goat is the place to enjoy some of the finest, best-quality cuisine in the valley. And it’s a fun, fun room.
Though owner Casey Glowacki doesn’t like to describe his restaurant concept as tapas, as that connotes small portions with big prices, he does encourage groups to sit down and share a few appetizers, a couple entrees and some dessert. It’s a great place to enjoy time and exquisite flavors with family and friends.
He designed the casual, relaxing eatery as a place to savor the moment, both literally, through the amazing food and drink, and metaphorically.
Glowacki launched Drunken Goat after owning and operating seven restaurants in Charleston. The demands of the successful restaurants, along with the desire to spend more time with his family, caused Glowacki to realize life was moving a little too fast. So, he sold his restaurants and moved back to the Colorado mountains, where he was born and raised, and opened Drunken Goat on the principle of living for the moment.
And that’s exactly what you do at the casual restaurant: you live for the moment the roasted olives or crispy pork belly or truffled filet mignon sharables come out. You live for the moment the roasted tomato soup warms and surprises you with whiskey-bacon chutney, making it truly the best tomato soup you’ve ever had. You live for the moment you bite into, once again, the best chicken sandwich you’ve had in your life, full of rotisserie chicken, melted gruyere, Liptauer cheese and the subtle sweetness of onion confit and cabbage. And, you definitely live for the moment they bring out the rich yet light chocolate ganache accented with raspberry sauce, or another dessert, which is all house-made by Kevin Nelson of Terra Bistro at Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa.
“Kevin brings an elevated experience to Drunken Goat,” Glowacki said. “He has his hand on every dish from start to finish. Everything we make is homemade, so it’s a little more labor intensive. His motto, which drives the spring and summer menu especially, is all about local, seasonal ingredients.”
Rotisserie chicken melt with Gruyere and Liptauer cheeses, onion confit, roasted cabbage and spicy pickles on a toasted hoagie with tomato soup. Dominique Taylor Photography/taylordmedia@icloud.com
Ordering a couple cheese and meat boards off Drunken Goat’s cheese list is a must: Cheeses from throughout the world are served with crispy crackers and soft bread, grapes and a sprinkling of nuts and dried fruits.
Entrees are inspired by the season’s highlights from Drunken Goat’s sister business, Cut, a seafood and meat shop next door. There are many outstanding options, from crispy duck breast to smoked whitefish curry served in a pot with coconut milk and turmeric with steamed rice on the side.
General manager Aly Swansen brings a passionate, educated approach to the wine lists she curates. She caters to a clientele willing to branch out but also provides basic varietals. Her retail section offers wines you can’t easily find in local liquor stores that pair well with holiday and other foods.
Drunken Goat’s 3:30-5:30 p.m. daily happy hour, which Swansen says she fills with “things I would drink,” is a great time to try high-caliber wines for $7 or $4 beers.
Drunken Goat
56 Edwards Village Blvd., Ste. 104
Edwards, CO
970-926-1393
www.drunkengoatco.com
The Mountain Fish House & Oyster Bar sources its seafood from the east and west coast. Billy Doran/Courtesy photo
No need to hop on a plane to the coast, the new Mountain Fish House and Oyster Bar is bringing the seafood to you. The brainchild of longtime restaurateurs Brian Nolan and Lily Doran, the new eatery aims to be your seaside getaway in a quaint mountain town.
“I’ve always wanted to have a restaurant in Edwards and was just waiting to find the right spot,” said Nolan, who came to the Vail Valley in 1989 and was a partner at the Coyote Café in Beaver Creek with Jeff Forbes. He then opened several other restaurants in Beaver Creek Village such as Pacific Ranch, The Chophouse, On the Fly and Flying Pig sandwich shops, Blue Moose Pizza, Foxnut Sushi and Mountain Burger in Avon. Nolan also expanded to Lionshead, Steamboat and Copper Mountain throughout the years.
Last fall, Nolan started talking to Lily Doran, another seasoned professional in the restaurant business. Doran has opened restaurants in Chicago, New York City and most recently opened and managed the Drunken Goat in Edwards. Doran also has an extensive wine background and worked at vineyards in Napa Valley and New Zealand.
“Lily is one of the smartest people I know and in addition to that, we were able to work with Kathy Treat and the folks over at the Inn and Riverwalk to come up with a good restaurant concept for the valley,” Nolan said.
“I loved the idea because I’m a pescatarian and thought we needed more seafood in this valley. But more importantly I think both Brian and I were on the same page about wanting it to be a fun, casual place with a great vibe and ambiance,” Doran said.
Co-owners Brian Nolan and Lily Doran welcome guests to come and enjoy a fun, casual atmosphere at Mountain Fish House & Oyster Bar. Billy Doran/Courtesy photo
It’s no doubt that Colorado is a land locked state, but Nolan and Doran traveled to both coasts to meet the purveyors and source the best seafood they could find. In Olympia, Washington, they found oysters from Taylor Shellfish.
“Right now we are serving four oysters and we usually do two from the east coast and two from the west coast. It’s been fun for people to get an assortment and taste the differences,” Doran said.
In Maine, they found Tom and Kevin Flanigan of Seaview Lobster Company in Kittery and Mountain Fish House is serving up live lobsters.
“I love that we are doing live lobsters because nobody else is doing that in our area and people love it,” Doran said. “It’s a fun experience and again, we’re a casual seafood place, so we’re not cracking it for you, you’re doing it yourself.”
The grouper sandwich features a house made tartar sauce and locally made Sendy Sauce hot sauce. Billy Doran/Courtesy photo
The mussels are from a brother-sister team at Bangs Island of Portland, Maine. “They are all about giving back to the environment and they also grow kelp and they just have the most amazing mussels,” Doran said.
Nolan hopes to invite the purveyors to the restaurant someday.
“It’s not quite a chef’s dinner, but rather a time to get to know where your seafood is coming from and hear their stories,” Nolan said.
Other items on the menu include lobster rolls which are served three different ways.
“The Maine lobster roll is the traditional style served cold with mayonnaise, the Connecticut version is served hot with butter, and we created our own style of lobster roll which is called the Colorado and we are serving it cold with Knapp Ranch honey and cumin vinaigrette with some corn salsa on there as well,” Doran said.
The Mountain Fish House & Oyster Bar serves up different styles of lobster rolls and currently has four different types of oysters on the menu. Billy Doran/Courtesy Photo
Some of Doran’s other favorite items on the menu include house made crab tater tots, the grouper sandwich and the calamari steak strips.
To complement the seafood, Doran leaned on her beverage background to create some fun cocktails.
“I went simple but delicious. People love our City of Lights which is our play on a French 75 with sparkling rose and St. Germain. The Palomino has also been a hit. It’s a play on a Paloma but with bourbon,” Doran said.
The Mountain Fish House and Oyster Bar hosts happy hour every day from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. with specials like $7 glasses of wine, $1.50 oysters, $2 off oyster shooters and the grand opening special which is a glass of bubbles and three oysters for $10. Dinner is served daily from 3:30 until 9 p.m. For more information, go to MountainFishHouse.com.
16 restaurants with great patios and outdoor dining options in the Vail Valley
Outdoor seating is one of the best parts of summertime dining even when the world isn’t in a global pandemic, but now that we are, outdoor seating is practically a godsend. Tables are more readily available outdoors, plus they offer some peace of mind when it comes to safe restaurant outings.
Be sure to check with restaurants directly for the most up-to-date COVID-19 and social distancing policies. I recommend calling restaurants: some spots are reserving patio seating to first-come-first-serve diners, while others have tightly-booked reservation schedules.
If your favorite isn’t listed or your top choice is full, many restaurants in Vail Village, Avon, Beaver Creek and Edwards offer outdoor seating. The ones listed here are some of the Vail Valley’s classic favorites, opinions shared by locals and visitors alike. Some restaurants have even added patios where they didn’t previously have one. Call ahead to be sure. Takeout, delivery and curbside pickup are still being offered at most places, and you could easily bring dinner home or take it to Ford Park for an evening picnic.
Beaver Creek Chophouse
Location: Beaver Creek, Avon
Vibe: Classic Steakhouse
The patio directly faces the Centennial Express lift, and location can’t get much better than that.
Blue Plate converted two gondola cars into dining cars on their patio in Avon this past summer. Special to the Daily
Location: Avon
Vibe: Modern European
Make your outdoor dining experience extra special with Blue Plate’s gondola car seating, decked out with sunflowers and a full chef’s tasting menu. There are only two cars, so reserve early.
Murals from Denver-based Pedro Barrios and Jaime Molina decorate the walls at El Segundo. The art duo painted on the Lionshead Parking Structure last summer as part of the Art in Public Places Initiative. Dominique Taylor | Special to the Daily
Location: Vail
Vibe: Modern Mexican
One of Vail’s newest restaurants overlooks Gore Creek, and it’s great for apps and drinks or a full meal. Enjoy the creek sounds with my personal favorite: the Kiss from a Rosé white sangria.
Hovey & Harrison is most known for its bread, but it has a full coffee and lunch menu, with plenty of vegetarian, vegan, gluten- and dairy-free options. Best for a treat-yourself but still healthy lunch.
Garf’s, as it’s affectionately known by locals, is a great spot for drinks with friends or a casual dinner with family. The deck is pretty large and overlooks the Born Free gondola in Lionshead.
Grilled Spanish octopus, fingerling potatoes, argula Chimichurri with tomato was on the La Bottega menu in January 2019. Dominique Taylor | Special to the Daily
Location: Vail
Vibe: Upscale Italian
The patio at La Bottega overlooks East Meadow Drive for some of the best people watching in all of the Vail Valley. Grab a plate of pasta and a Pinot Noir while you’re at it.
Grabbing a few drniks with friends couldn’t be more convenient at Loaded Joe’s deck. Prices are reasonable and your view is one of the best: the slopes at Beaver Creek.
Maya at The Westin Riverfront is known for its wide variety of specialty tequilas, including its favorite reserve blanco, repasado and anejo tequilas. Marc Piscotty | Special to the Daily
Location: Avon
Vibe: Upscale Mexican
The deck here at the Westin Riverfront hotel is huge, with plenty of space to spread out over margaritas. Maya also has an extensive tequila list, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Minturn Saloon’s patio overlooks the Eagle River. Special to the Daily
Location: Minturn
Vibe: Classic local’s spot
Minturn Saloon, while beloved by locals for its Halloween Party each year, also offers a spacious deck overlooking the Eagle River. Plus, its setting in the quirky small town that’s given the pub its name means its farther away from traffic noise and pedestrian congestion.
Pepi’s Restaurant and Bar
Pepi’s Deck is one of the most popular spots in the summer and winter to enjoy food and drink. Photo courtesy of Pepi’s Restaurant
Location: Vail
Vibe: Classic Bavarian
Pepi’s, the word “deck” and those orange umbrellas are one and the same during summertime. Pair with authentic German, Swiss and Austrian cuisine for one of Vail’s oldest, tried-and-true dining experiences.
Dave Tucker plays at Red Lion on Friday, May 29. Social distancing measures are in place to protect restaurant guests as well as the musician and staff. Casey Russell | crussell@vaildaily.com
Location: Vail
Vibe: Casual American
Grab a few drinks and if you time your visit right, you’ll get to hear live music from Dave Tucker, one of the Vail Valley’s favorite après musicians. Another Vail classic.
Vail Brewing Co. has two locations — the Solaris Plaza in Vail Village and Eagle-Vail. Chris Dillmann | cdillman@vaildaily.com
Location: Eagle-Vail
Vibe: Casual drinks and bites
This location won the Vail Daily’s Best of Patio 2019 reader poll, and with the pandemic, the only seating option is outside. Combine beers and tacos to your heart’s content. Best paired with a warm evening and a gorgeous sunset.
Pizza and beer is a match made in heaven, and these are two things that Vendetta’s is known for in the Vail Valley. Grab a few beers or a whole pitcher; a slice or the whole pie. The adventure is up to you.
What goods or services are you offering at this time?
We are happy to have the Edwards Corner Farmers Market running again this summer. We’ll have 15 vendors every Saturday through Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We will be featuring locally grown fresh produce, meats and eggs along with a local massage therapist, tamale vendor and more.
How have you adjusted to serve your customers during these unprecedented times?
The Edwards Corner Farmers Market will be adhering to both State of Colorado and Eagle County COVID-19 regulations including mandatory face masks and one-way traffic flow.
How can the community support you?
Support our local vendors by attending this year.
What’s the best source to keep up to date with your offerings?
Our local Eagle Valley community is excited for the Edwards Farmers Market to return this year after a long COVID-19 pause which obviously has created a new normal that we will have to live with for a while.
Open for Business: Riverwalk Theater
Name of business: Riverwalk Theater
Physical address: 34253 US Hwy 6, Edwards, CO 81632
Phone number: 970-855-2182
Website: riverwalktheater.com
What goods or services are you offering at this time?
The Riverwalk Theater is open for business running classic movies and serving our full concessions menu as well as soft-serve ice cream and beer, wine and cocktails on our exterior patio. We also have private show buyouts where $125 will get you a private show for up to 25 people and you can watch one of the four movies we have booked for that week. Call to reserve this unique offering for you and your family and friends.
We are also operating our recently launched coffee shop that is focused on serving high-quality products from local vendors and made fresh to order. We also recently teamed up with local private chef Eli Gerstein from Mr. G’s Cusine to launch our Smokin J’s pop-up barbecue concert. Smokin J’s is focused on smoked brisket. We are also trying to do some live music and have partnered with The Fossil Posse to offer some kids dinosaur workshops on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.
How have you adjusted to serve your customers during these unprecedented times?
We are currently operating the theater at less than 25% capacity to allow for proper social distancing and we continue to make cleaning and sanitizing a top priority. We now offer a service where you can buy out the theater for your group of 25 family members and friends.
How can the community support you?
Come visit us in a manner that you feel comfortable with. For some that might be coming with their family to a movie and for others that might be grabbing a beer and some BBQ on our exterior patio. How about coming down for a soft-serve ice cream cone or grabbing your morning coffee? We are a business based on community and really find ourselves needing support from that very community now.
What’s the best source to keep up to date with your offerings?
Stay up to date by visiting our website and Instagram (@riverwalktheater) or Facebook (@riverwalktheateredwards ) accounts.
What’s the response been?
We had a great response initially when we opened our walk-up window for barbecue and ice cream but things have cooled a bit as more restaurants have opened. We are getting some traction on the Edwards Supply Company coffee concept but it is a really tough time to start a business. The theater has been really slow and to a degree that was expected, but I did not expect it to be as slow as it has been.
What are your plans going forward as the “new normal” evolves?
We plan to keep evolving and working to be a business that brings value to our community.
Open for Business: Bookworm of Edwards
Name of business: Bookworm of Edwards
Physical address: 295 Main Street C101 Edwards, CO 81632
What goods or services are you offering at this time?
The Bookworm is a full-service independent bookstore offering titles for adults and children, including books in Spanish. We carry a wide selection of gifts and stationery. Dine on our patio or carry out from our cafe! We have the following by either going to our website or giving us a call: virtual events and book clubs for adults, Snack Time Story Time every Wednesday at 3:30 with children’s authors and illustrators, gift cards, book subscriptions, soup meal service, curbside pick up and home delivery.
How have you adjusted to serve your customers during these unprecedented times?
We have created a gift page for our website as well as groceries and curbside pick up. We are doing virtual events and upping our soup subscription orders. We also have book recommendations on our social media accounts.
How can the community support you?
Gift cards are a great option. We also have book subscription and soup subscription services that make great gifts. Buy our gifts online. Keep buying books from indie bookstores!
What’s the best source to keep up to date with your offerings?
Our website is the best way to get up to date information on what books are in stock. It is also how you should place orders, not through social media platforms. Staff picks are on our website and our social media platforms are great for keeping up with video and written book reviews and recommendations and seeing the newly added gifts that link to our website.
What’s the response been?
We have had an amazing response from our customers. Soup subscriptions are up and people are buying them to give to front line/essential workers. We also raised over $65,000 to keep the store open through our GoFundMe page. We are so grateful for all the love our customers and community have shown us.
What are your plans going forward as the “new normal” evolves?
The Bookworm is still a full-service independent bookstore with a wide selection of gifts and stationery. Dine on our patio or carry out from our cafe in Riverwalk in Edwards.
Open for Business: Riverwalk Wine & Spirits
Name of business: Riverwalk Wine & Spirits
Physical address: Riverwalk Complex – 34295 Hwy 6 Unit C: 1-A Edwards, CO 81632
What goods or services are you offering at this time?
For Father’s Day, along with all our great specials (hint, hint, come on in to save), we always think of Scotch and Bourbon for the cultured dad. If you want to treat dad, we have Macallan 12 Year Sherry Cask 750 ml on sale for $85.99. We also have Maker’s Mark Bourbon 750 ml on sale for $25.99.
How have you adjusted to serve your customers during these unprecedented times?
We are open normal hours, using social distancing, employees wear masks and we offer curbside pick-up or delivery if needed. We are delivering every day between 2-4 p.m., call to set this up.
How can the community support you?
Stop on in for your favorite beverage or ask us for a suggestion if you are looking to try something new.
What’s the best source to keep up to date with your offerings?
The best way to stay up to date with Riverwalk Wine & Spirits is to follow us on our Facebook page.
What has the response been?
We’ve been open this whole time, so we’ve seen many of our regular customers and met some new ones, too.
What are your plans going forward as the “new normal” evolves?
We will continue to serve our customers and we really want to thank everyone for the support!
Open for Business: Sundae Artisan Ice Cream
Name of business: Sundae Artisan Ice Cream
Physical address: 242 E. Meadow Drive, Vail; 56 Edwards Village Blvd., Edwards; and 723 Grand Ave., Glenwood Springs
Phone number: Vail is 970-479-1705, Edwards is 970-766-7522 and Glenwood Springs is 970-456-1355
What goods or services are you offering at this time?
Sundae in Edwards, Vail and Glenwood Springs are currently offering the full ice cream menu including shakes, cones and sundaes. We also have pints, quarts, ice cream sandwiches and cakes.
How have you adjusted to serve your customers during these unprecedented times?
The staff at Sundae has been working diligently to comply with all government and Centers for Disease Control guidelines. To comply with social distancing, all stores have markers on the floor to help maintain the 6-foot distance between non-household guests. All of our patio tables are stationed 8 feet apart. We are also taking orders and payments over the phone for contact-free pickup.
How can the community support you?
We feel incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and generosity that the community has shown us throughout this challenging time. Because of this, both stores have been able to stay open during the stay at home order, and we were able to open our Glenwood Springs location successfully.
Our favorite way the community can support us is to continue to shop at Sundae and spread the word that we are still open for business. Other ways to support us are to purchase gift cards at any location to use at a later date or share feedback on TripAdvisor, Yelp or Google about an experience they had at Sundae.
What’s the best source to keep up to date with your offerings?
Our social media pages are updated frequently with any changes and special offers. We can be found at Sundae Artisan Ice Cream on Facebook and @sundae.artisan.icecream on Instagram.
What’s the response been?
The community response to our careful decision to remain open throughout the stay-at-home order has been overwhelmingly positive. Our Vail store has been fortunate to stay open due to an amazing handful of generous Vail Valley locals that stopped by almost daily for weeks, keeping smiles on our staff’s faces throughout quiet days. During this time, we have been working as fast as possible to keep up with our cake and pint production, as the demand is far greater than we anticipated.
Throughout the past few months, the Vail Valley community has continued to make Sundae a part of their lives. On this year’s gloomy Easter afternoon, one local couple made it a priority to come by the Vail store and sing “You Are My Sunshine” to the employee working that day. We have had locals make our store a stop during their daily walk with their dog. Families now end their bike rides in front of our shop with ice cream cones in hand. Getting to know more of our community on a personal level during this quiet time has been an amazing silver lining.
What are your plans going forward as the “new normal” evolves?
We are excited for the time we can hand out samples again and not hide our smiles underneath a mask, but the safety of our employees and community is our top priority. Our operations are continuing to evolve with government guidelines. Regardless of what that may look like, Sundae will always be here, scooping toward the same goal: to share joy, one scoop at a time.
Open for Business: Main Street Grill
Name of business: Main Street Grill
Physical address: 97 Main St. Unit W101, Edwards, CO 81632
What goods or services are you offering at this time?
We are now offering table service and takeout daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ordering online works best for takeout orders.
How have you adjusted to serve your customers during these unprecedented times?
We changed from in-house dining to takeout on March 17, the day we were ordered to close and have sustained our daily operations since then. We also served the Eagle Valley Ambulance District 30 dinners per day for almost seven weeks. We also utilized this opportunity while we were closed to remodel our restaurant in appreciation of our 20 years in business.
How can the community support you?
Please come in or continue to order take out! Buy gift certificates!
What’s the best source to keep up to date with your offerings?
Our offers can be found on our website, Facebook, Instagram, Vail Daily and radio ads.
What’s the response been?
We have had huge support from our locals through this hard time. We love our locals!
What are your plans going forward as the “new normal” evolves?
We are following the guidelines given to us from Eagle County to the Colorado Restaurant Association to the National Restaurant Association. Please be patient while we have to adhere to limited seating capacity and new regulations in order to serve you safely.
What goods or services are you offering at this time?
We are open for table service as well as take out seven nights a week. The patio is open and we’ve also opened 50% capacity inside. Outdoor seating will be weather-dependent. We ask that people make a reservation so that we can accommodate the diners while following all health guidelines. Guests must wear a mask to enter and exit but can remove once the masks once seated. We’re open from 5 p.m. until about 9 p.m. We will still do take for food, wine and specialty cocktails.
How have you adjusted to serve your customers during these unprecedented times?
We were doing food, wine and cocktails to-go, but now that we are allowed to open, we are happy to welcome people to our deck and indoors at 50% capacity.
How can the community support you?
Make a reservation for what night you want to come in and we are happy to see you again. We are able to take parties of up to eight people from the same household at this time. You can still get take out orders and gift cards through our website.
What’s the best source to keep up to date with your offerings? Our website or Facebook page.
What’s the response been?
Our community is amazing! We have been so grateful for the support of our wonderful guests.
What are your plans going forward as the “new normal” evolves?
We will follow the new guidelines and are happy to continue to serve this great community!
