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ENLARGE
Taste of Vail is the Rolls-Royce of food festivals.
Tricked out with celebrity chefs and a gourmet picnic on Vail Mountain, the event culminates with the grand daddy of tastings.
“The grand tasting is great,” Avon resident Chad Peterson said. “Everybody is out. Everybody is dressed to the nines.”
The guest list for the 18th annual Taste of Vail, set for today through Saturday features four A-list chefs. Foodies can cozy up to Diane Henderiks, author of “Dietitian in the Kitchen” or do some armchair traveling to one of New York City’s hottest watering holes with Aureole chef Tony Aiazzi. Also gracing Vail’s tastebuds are Chef Curtis Lincoln from The Brown Palace in Denver and Joseph Manzare, owner of Globe restaurant in San Francisco. The guest chefs will hold seminars and man tables at the tasting.
But before Vail rolls out the red carpet for its gliteratti, the town will pay homage to a local critter. For the fourth year, a lamb cook-off in Vail Village kicks off Taste of Vail.
More than 20 local restaurants will tackle the question: What is the best way to prepare a boneless leg?
“You can braise it, you can sauté it. You can grill it. You can roast it. You can smoke it. You can do anything with this product. It’s very versatile,” event founder Paul Ferzacca said.
Visitors browse tents to sample the creations. A panel of judges select the winner of the cook-off, which is Sponsored by the American Lamb Board. This year’s first prize is a 42-inch flat screen TV, though certainly chefs are more interested in bragging rights.
If walking around gets old, foodies can ride the gondola to a picnic on Vail Mountain. A Belvedere martini bar is new this year. Cuisine ranges from standard picnic fare (think cookies) to oysters and champagne. Kyle Cowan, executive chef with Up The Creek in Vail, said he plans to contribute a sun-dried cherry barbecue pork belly this year. Guests relax at picnic tables surrounded by snow walls.
“It’s usually a blue sky day at the top,” Peterson said. “Yeah, it’s gorgeous up there and usually you end up getting a bit too intoxicated. I’m not gonna lie. It’s always a good time.”
Perhaps the biggest bash is the grand tasting at the Vail Marriott in Lionshead. For $175, attendees can sample fare from 34 local restaurants and 50 wineries from around the world.
“When you walk up to the table for the winery, it is the winemaker or the owner,” Ferzacca said. “That’s unusual for food and wine events.”
Once part of the tasting, a charity auction will move this year to a dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. Taste of Vail resulted from a brainstorming session.
Local restaurateurs got together to ponder ways to draw tourists to Vail during a slow time, said Amy Oberley, owner of Sapphire restaurant and Taste of Vail event organizer.
They also wanted to celebrate the Vail lifestyle, which includes skiing, eating and drinking with friends. Their plan worked. Oberley expects 5,000 people to flock to Taste of Vail this year. Last year, organizers raised $10,000 for Pro-Start, a nonprofit that introduces high school kids to cooking. Along with raking in the money, Taste of Vail scored a shut out from the Luxury Institute in New York. A 2006 survey named it the third best arts and entertainment event in the nation.
“That’s a huge kudo for Vail,” Ferzacca said. “I think it brings a lot of destination guests in.”
Sarah Mausolf can be reached at (970) 748-2938 or smausolf@vaildaily.com.
Tricked out with celebrity chefs and a gourmet picnic on Vail Mountain, the event culminates with the grand daddy of tastings.
“The grand tasting is great,” Avon resident Chad Peterson said. “Everybody is out. Everybody is dressed to the nines.”
The guest list for the 18th annual Taste of Vail, set for today through Saturday features four A-list chefs. Foodies can cozy up to Diane Henderiks, author of “Dietitian in the Kitchen” or do some armchair traveling to one of New York City’s hottest watering holes with Aureole chef Tony Aiazzi. Also gracing Vail’s tastebuds are Chef Curtis Lincoln from The Brown Palace in Denver and Joseph Manzare, owner of Globe restaurant in San Francisco. The guest chefs will hold seminars and man tables at the tasting.
But before Vail rolls out the red carpet for its gliteratti, the town will pay homage to a local critter. For the fourth year, a lamb cook-off in Vail Village kicks off Taste of Vail.
More than 20 local restaurants will tackle the question: What is the best way to prepare a boneless leg?
“You can braise it, you can sauté it. You can grill it. You can roast it. You can smoke it. You can do anything with this product. It’s very versatile,” event founder Paul Ferzacca said.
Visitors browse tents to sample the creations. A panel of judges select the winner of the cook-off, which is Sponsored by the American Lamb Board. This year’s first prize is a 42-inch flat screen TV, though certainly chefs are more interested in bragging rights.
If walking around gets old, foodies can ride the gondola to a picnic on Vail Mountain. A Belvedere martini bar is new this year. Cuisine ranges from standard picnic fare (think cookies) to oysters and champagne. Kyle Cowan, executive chef with Up The Creek in Vail, said he plans to contribute a sun-dried cherry barbecue pork belly this year. Guests relax at picnic tables surrounded by snow walls.
“It’s usually a blue sky day at the top,” Peterson said. “Yeah, it’s gorgeous up there and usually you end up getting a bit too intoxicated. I’m not gonna lie. It’s always a good time.”
Perhaps the biggest bash is the grand tasting at the Vail Marriott in Lionshead. For $175, attendees can sample fare from 34 local restaurants and 50 wineries from around the world.
“When you walk up to the table for the winery, it is the winemaker or the owner,” Ferzacca said. “That’s unusual for food and wine events.”
Once part of the tasting, a charity auction will move this year to a dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. Taste of Vail resulted from a brainstorming session.
Local restaurateurs got together to ponder ways to draw tourists to Vail during a slow time, said Amy Oberley, owner of Sapphire restaurant and Taste of Vail event organizer.
They also wanted to celebrate the Vail lifestyle, which includes skiing, eating and drinking with friends. Their plan worked. Oberley expects 5,000 people to flock to Taste of Vail this year. Last year, organizers raised $10,000 for Pro-Start, a nonprofit that introduces high school kids to cooking. Along with raking in the money, Taste of Vail scored a shut out from the Luxury Institute in New York. A 2006 survey named it the third best arts and entertainment event in the nation.
“That’s a huge kudo for Vail,” Ferzacca said. “I think it brings a lot of destination guests in.”
Sarah Mausolf can be reached at (970) 748-2938 or smausolf@vaildaily.com.
Taste of Vail Schedule
Wednesday4th Annual Colorado Lamb Cook-Off
3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Vail Village
Thursday
Cooking Seminar with Joseph Manzari
9:30 to 11 a.m.
Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa
Glass Seminar
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa
Four Points of the Russian River Valley Pinot Compass
2 to 3:30 p.m.
Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa
Apres Ski Tasting: Life Beyond Chardonnay, Cabernet & Merlot
3:30 to 6 p.m.
Vail Plaza Hotel and Club
Chef Showcase Dinner and Live Auction
6 to 10 p.m.
Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
Cigars and Glenmorangie
6:30 to 8 p.m.
Tap Room, Vail
Friday
Cooking Seminar with Curtis Lincoln
9:30 to 11 a.m.
Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa
Mountain Top Picnic access via the Eagle Bahn Express Gondola
12:30 to 3 p.m.
Eagle’s Nest
Belvedere and WIne Spectator present the Bar Chefs’ Mix Off
4 to 5:30 p.m.
Sonnenalp Resort and Spa
Chef Showcase Dinner presented by Portmeirion
6 to 10 p.m.
Game Creek Restaurant
Saturday
Cooking Seminar with Diane Hendriks
9:30 to 11 a.m.
Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa
A German Riesling Seminar featuring Ernst Loosen of Dr Loosen Winery
noon to 1:30 p.m.
Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa
Stella Artois Seminar
2 to 4 p.m.
Best Life Lodge in Arrabelle at Vail Square
Retrospective of 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon
2:30 to 4 p.m.
Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa
Grand Tasting and Dinner Dance
7 p.m. to midnight
Vail Marriott Mountain Resort & Spa
Cost is $3 to $175 for individual events; $420 for the event pass. For more information visit www.tasteofvail.com.
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