Beaver Creek Winter Culinary Weekend dishes up food and fun
Ski, wine and dine alongside guest and host chefs during annual event
Jon Resnick/Beaver Creek Resort Company
In addition to offering world-class skiing and snowboarding, accommodations and entertainment at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek has also been known for its fine dining experiences.
The Beaver Creek Winter Culinary Weekend will showcase local chefs’ talents and welcome guest chefs to create meals and memories, too, from Feb. 1-4. Tickets are available at BeaverCreek.com to a dozen events throughout the weekend ranging from a “Beef & Bloodies Brunch” to chef collaboration dinners.
Whether it’s dining at an on-mountain cabin where you arrive via snowcat-driven sleigh or at one of the Beaver Creek restaurants that made the coveted Michelin Guide’s Recommendations list, food and drinks have always been celebrated at the resort.
This fall, Eagle County had five restaurants listed on the Michelin Guide’s Recommendations list: Sweet Basil and Osaki’s in Vail, Wyld in Bachelor Gulch and Mirabelle and Splendido in Beaver Creek, both of which are participating this weekend.
Joining Beaver Creek’s local chefs are guest chefs Andrew Zimmern, Diane Kochilas, Jacob Hilbert, Brother Luck, Anthony “Ni” Nguyen, Jo Grootaer, Paul Luc Meesen, Francisco Lopez and guest sommelier Anthony Giglio.
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“The culinary scene at Beaver Creek is a huge part of the resort’s identity, from on-mountain fine dining cabins to three Michelin-recommended restaurants in our area, to the pride our chefs across the village and on the mountain take in their dishes. As a ski resort, we are always looking for unique culinary offerings, and Winter Culinary Weekend is the perfect way to do just that,” said Rachel Levitsky, communications manager for Beaver Creek.
What sets the Beaver Creek Winter Culinary Weekend apart from other foodie events that happen around the nation is the setting. Beaver Creek utilizes its surroundings and offers attendees a chance to go skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing before enjoying lunch prepared by host chef Sammy Shipman at Alpine & Antlers on Friday during the Choose Your Own Adventure Lunch. Or, get after it on the slopes with a guide during the Gourmet Ski Day where you will ski or snowboard on intermediate runs and get a few tips along the way to Zach’s Cabin at Bachelor Gulch with guest chef Brother Luck and host chef Alex Slagle.
“At Beaver Creek, we’re committed to making memories together, and this event is no exception. Winter Culinary Weekend brings foodie events to new heights — literally! Incredible dishes come to life through the collaboration of guest and in-resort chefs, highlighting stunning local and regional ingredients alongside perfectly paired wines and hand-crafted cocktails,” Levitsky said.
Pouring partners include Breckenridge Distillery, Eagle River Whisky of Minturn, Lalo Tequila from Mexico and presenting partner Fourchette Beer of Belgium — marking the first time that Fourchette is available in America. International Sommelier Anthony Giglio will also be curating amazing wines to go with the dishes.
The Winter Culinary Weekend benefits C-CAP, which stands for Careers through Culinary Arts Program, which has been transforming lives by providing youth a pathway to success since 1990.
“Annually, C-CAP provides culinary jobs and life skills to over 22,000 middle and high school students across the country. This partnership is valuable as it not only supports young people in pursuing their career passions but also exposes them to the ski industry and Colorado, which they might never have been able to experience otherwise,” said Krista DeHerrera, director of events at Beaver Creek Resort Company.
“Beaver Creek Resort and the Beaver Creek Resort Company host a contest that offers a $5,000 education scholarship to two students to pursue their careers in culinary arts. The recipients are hosted throughout Winter Culinary Weekend to work alongside their culinary mentors in our world-class restaurants,” DeHerrera said.
This year’s C-CAP recipients are high school students Ashton Palmer from Gilbert, Arizona, and Anabel Ocon Martinez from Chicago.
For the 2024 Winter Culinary event, the guest chefs were curated by Beaver Creek’s chefs.
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“Many of the guest chefs are colleagues and friends that have come together previously in our mountain setting to collaborate on spectacular menus,” DeHerrera said.
One guest who has returned to Beaver Creek for many years is celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern. An Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning television personality, chef, writer and social justice advocate, Zimmern has devoted his life to promoting and exploring cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food.
“We’re thrilled to once again welcome chef Andrew Zimmern back to Beaver Creek. He has been involved in Winter Culinary Weekend for many years, so not only does he know the event and the resort well, but he always brings a fresh and exciting take on his food outlook,” Levitsky said.
Some of the Beaver Creek Winter Culinary events are selling out, so take a look at the schedule at BeaverCreek.com under Signature Events and get tickets for one or many of the offerings on and off the slopes.
