Running WYLD at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

There are restaurants where the mountains serve as the backdrop, and then there are restaurants where the mountains feel like part of the meal. 

At WYLD, tucked inside the The Ritz-Carlton at the base of Bachelor Gulch Village, seasonal dining unfolds to the soundtrack of rustling aspen leaves underneath twinkling lights in a stunning mountain setting. The intimate patio feels worlds away from the bustle of everyday life, while the dining room, with soaring ceilings and walls of windows, brings the outdoors in when Colorado weather decides to put on a show of its own.

The scenery may lure you in, but the food is what keeps you lingering.

Executive Chef Jasper Schneider’s dishes draw inspiration from his travels around the globe while remaining rooted in Colorado’s seasons. Dishes celebrate ingredients at their peak rather than masking them behind unnecessary complexity. 

“We start with amazing ingredients that are in season and make those the star of the plate,” Schneider said. That philosophy shines throughout a menu that evolves constantly with Colorado’s current harvest. What’s available at local farms this month, or even this week, helps shape dishes.

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Chef and The Culinary Brigade have created a menu that feels both polished and deeply personal, which is evident before the meal arrives. Warm bread, Chef Schneider’s mom’s recipe, lands on the table alongside salted herb butter. It’s a simple gesture, but one that immediately sets an intimate tone that complements the elegant menu. Then, an amuse-bouche, a bite-sized morsel of summer, arrives and disappears just as quickly in your mouth.

Start with the Salmon Cone, one of WYLD’s signature bites. The delicate yuzu-sesame cone delivers satisfying crunch before giving way to creamy salmon tartare layered with sweet, savory and spicy notes. For an extra touch of indulgence, add caviar. 

Nearby on the menu, the Hamachi Crudo offers a completely different experience: slices of fresh fish are brightened with a yuzu vinaigrette, aromatic herbs and thin serrano peppers that bring just enough heat to keep each bite bright and lively. 

Moving onto the other side of the globe (and the menu), fresh pastas beckon. The ravioli is served perfectly al dente, its delicate pockets filled with sweet ricotta and fresh, bright peas. A silky morel mushroom sauce wraps around each bite, adding earthy depth that feels mountain-inspired while remaining elegantly restrained. 

For those who typically skip steak at restaurants because they can make one at home, WYLD’s New York Strip may change your mind. Chef de Cuisine Manuel Gutierrez, who hails from Argentina, treats beef with the respect that it deserves. Beautifully marbled and expertly seared, the steak has a crisp crust and buttery interior. The finishing touch is Chef Schneider’s house-made Worcestershire sauce (a recipe he has perfected over the past 25 years), which adds subtle complexity without stealing the spotlight from the exceptional cut of meat.

Dessert continues the celebration of seasonality. Colorado-grown peaches, plums and cherries often find their way onto the menu, showcasing summer’s sweetest offerings. 

Of course, the wine list deserves a moment of its own. Extensive and thoughtfully curated, it spans well-known producers and hidden gems from wine regions around the world, offering discoveries for serious collectors and casual enthusiasts. What makes WYLD memorable isn’t simply its fine dining credentials or postcard-worthy setting: it’s the way every element feels connected to a larger story. Surrounded by mountain views and fueled by the season’s best ingredients, dinner here becomes more than a meal: It’s a reminder that some of our most memorable adventures happen around a beautifully set table.