Lunch with a view at Vail’s Grill on the Gore

Whether finishing a round of golf in the Rocky Mountains, starting an e-bike ride through East Vail or just looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Vail Village, Grill on the Gore sits nestled overlooking the 18th green of the Vail Golf Course — and overlooked by the towering Gore Range mountains in the distance.

Boasting one of the best patios in town — a hard-to-deny fact thanks to a seemingly picture-perfect view — Grill on the Gore is a short stroll from Vail Village and is led by longtime local chef John Zavoral, who takes pride in a menu that shifts from soups in the wintertime as a Nordic skiing hub to the fresh, fun flavors of summertime.

This summer, Zavoral is debuting some new menu items after spending time tinkering away on recipes to perfection, capitalizing on his Minnesota roots and passion for Italian cuisine. The new pimento cheese dip appetizer is a shareable bowl of goodness that comes with grilled baguettes and addicting gluten-free cauliflower pizza crusts. Another new appetizer this summer is the grilled shrimp, a refreshing dish with all of the summer flavors.

When Zavoral isn’t in the kitchen cooking up something new, he’s out testing his skills against some of the best chefs around town at events like the Taste of Vail — where this year he earned second place from the judges with his creation that started with all competitors receiving a 100-pound beef leg courtesy of Fitch Ranch. With that creation, he’s looking to add something similar to the Grill on the Gore menu this summer.

“It’s pretty amazing,” said Chris Desseauve, Director of Food and Beverage. “It goes to show that Chef is continuously learning and getting better.”

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Both Zavoral and Desseauve are in their fifth summers working together at Grill on the Gore. But well before they both started working, the Vail Golf Club was home to the Jerry Ford Invitational, a celebrity pro-am golf tournament hosted by former President Gerald R. Ford. Grill on the Gore pays homage to the nearly 20-year run of the tournament from the 1970s to the 1990s with historical photos of all the celebrities and athletes that came through — including Clint Eastwood, Bill Clinton, Bob Knight and Jack Nicklaus, who won the first-ever event.

This summer, Grill on the Gore will be serving up appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Classics like fish tacos, turkey club, cheesesteaks, smoked chicken wings and more fill the menu. But, Zavoral puts his touch on everything, like the pimento grilled cheese and Tuscan chicken, which comes with grilled chicken, crispy prosciutto, provolone, roasted tomatoes, arugula and pesto basil all on a soft ciabatta roll. For dessert, the lemon semifreddo is Zavoral’s personal rendition of the dish that tastefully ends any meal.

The food exceeds expectations of a golf course clubhouse, and the views make it even harder to leave.

“I always look forward to summer, it’s beautiful here,” Desseauve said. “It becomes so alive here at the golf course in the summertime. It’s awesome.”