Beaver Creek restaurant has a fresh look after $20+ million renovation
The Charter at Beaver Creek underwent a $22 million renovation
The Charter/Courtesy photo
The Charter at Beaver Creek has a brand-new look and a refreshed restaurant after a $22 million renovation came to completion this summer. Charter Steakhouse will be serving up locally-sourced Colorado cuisine at this iconic Beaver Creek property.
“We have a new executive chef, Matt Good. He’s from Gunnison so he’s a Colorado guy and he’s proud to showcase all the Colorado products. He does the research and found some local ranches and farms for us to work with,” said Rob Sinclair, food and beverage manager at The Charter at Beaver Creek.
The research led Good to Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Company, a family-owned and operated ranch on the Western Slope of Colorado that recently received the 2022 Rangeland Ingenuity Award from the United States Department of Agriculture. “Our family recognizes the key to providing the best-tasting beef lies in the quality of our cattle. We spare no effort in raising premium Black Angus cattle while being good stewards of the environment,” said Deborah Fitch, owner and operator at Fitch Ranch.
That messaging from Fitch Ranch aligns with what Charter Steakhouse is aiming to achieve. At the top of the menu, Charter Steakhouse shares this statement:
“The Charter Steakhouse is committed to providing exceptional cuisine and service while being responsible in protecting the natural beauty and resources of the mountain environment that we celebrate. To this end, we carefully select partners who share our commitment to sustainability.”
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The Fitch Ranch has relationships with other ranchers and farms around their property, so look for lamb on the menu as well as a Parshall Farms bone-in Duroc double-cut pork chop and a grass-fed bison New York strip from the Fitch’s neighbors.
“What is really special about the Charter Steakhouse concept is that the meat we are getting is the centerpiece of that menu. You pick your piece of meat, you pick your sides, if you want to add on seafood like a lobster tail, it’s going to be an elevated Charter Steakhouse experience. So, that’s what we are going for, we want to be the best steakhouse in Beaver Creek, that’s our goal and we will achieve that,” said Ryan MacLachlan, vice president of operations at The Charter at Beaver Creek.
“Besides the meats, we’re also going to bring in the freshest seafood and wild, line-caught seafood that we can get. And then we also have some specialty items that have been on the menu for a while,” Sinclair said.
Now that the renovation is complete, Charter Steakhouse is excited to bring in the owners and their guests, locals and even those not staying in Beaver Creek.
“We’ve received good feedback from the owners, they’re excited, they are telling all their friends and they’ve said they are so excited to bring guests in this winter and try the new restaurant and the amenities,” said Kat Paula, operations manager at The Charter at Beaver Creek, which is managed by locally-based East West Hospitality.
The Charter is situated on the eastern end of Beaver Creek and it’s large, west-facing windows are great for viewing sunsets or the slopes of Beaver Creek. The bar is a fun place to hang out, and bar manager Josh Stevenson has been busy coming up with interesting cocktails to add to the menu.
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“We sell a lot of bourbon, we sell a lot of tequila, those are the trending spirits. I would say that the Old Fashioned is in fashion right now, very trendy,” Stevenson said. Though, he encourages people to drink what they like and he’s even willing to make a cocktail for you right on the spot based on what type of spirit you like and what type of experience you are going for.
The Charter is the largest condominium complex in Beaver Creek with eight buildings anchored by the front desk, lobby, bar and restaurant, pool and spa centrally located in the main building. The Charter was one of the first lodges in Beaver Creek, with construction beginning in 1981 and finishing up in 1984. After 40 years, it was time for a facelift and the owners agreed.
“If you come in and sit at the bar and want me to make you something special, I have all sorts of different ingredients, I’ve got 35 different bitters, shrubs, most of them we make in-house, some of them we buy, but then I can create something to your liking,” Stevenson said. “I was just working on a new cocktail with Calvados apple brandy, caramel syrup and fresh pressed apple juice.”
Try the Smoke Jumper, which is Woodford Reserve, Carpano, bacon maple infusion, black walnut and cherry. Or how about the Katana featuring Ketel One vodka, cucumber mint, green tea honey syrup, cantaloupe, lemon and plum bitters.
Stevenson will also craft cocktails after talking to the kitchen first to see what sort of ingredients they have coming in and what’s growing in the garden.
“Then I know what I have to work with as my base. If they have strawberry puree, if they have lemongrass growing in the garden, if there’s mint, then I just go out and harvest and kind of play around,” Stevenson said.
The Charter Steakhouse is open for après from 3 to 5 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. For more information, go to TheCharter.com.
