Matt Fackler, the chef at Relish, believes anyone can create an “attractive” $35 meal, but “it takes someone special to make a $17 entree unique,” he said.

Fackler and T.J. Messerschmitt, manager at Relish, will open their new restaurant, Twist, at 200 S. Ridge St., Breckenridge Wednesday. Their goal: to offer Colorado-inspired cuisine, such as buffalo, lamb, trout and game, as well as fresh, flown-in seafood, at an “everyday, attainable” price.

Fackler and Messerschmitt have earned a reputation for memorable tastes and service through Relish, but many locals view Relish as a “special occasion place,” and they want to open a restaurant that delivers a casual and fun experience with quality food and service. The name, Twist, comes from the duo's emphasis on food with exactly that: a twist. One item Twist will offer is fried chicken and wild rice waffles.

“It's what chicken wants to be when it grows up,” Fackler said.

Another: a Colorado lamb burger with blue cheese and dry cherries mixed into the patty.

The new owners of Twist had talked about starting another restaurant for a couple of years because they didn't feel there were enough casual restaurants in Breckenridge, Messerschmitt said. So when the space became available, they acted on their vision.

“Twist is an everyday dining place for people that want to come out once a week and on special occasions,” Messerschmitt said, adding that it will open daily at 4 p.m. “It has a killer outdoor beer garden (with) picnic tables and a laid-back, fun atmosphere ... and a super fun wine list with all family-owned vineyards. The concept is casual comfort food — homey stuff.”

Fackler focuses on sourcing food locally from farmers' markets and regional vendors, just as he does at Relish. The menu will be a bit more consistent than Relish's revolving offerings, but it will still feature seasonal changes.

Fackler began his career at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1989, and after graduating in 1991 with “a head full of ideas,” he cooked in Nantucket, Florida, Chicago and North Carolina before moving to Breckenridge in 1996. He also spent a season working at Keystone's Outpost.

“He's very unique in a lot of his styles,” Messerschmitt said about his food. “The biggest thing, and why people come back, is the consistency.”

So how will Fackler maintain the consistency while running two shops? The answer: solid training and trust.

“I work with people; I don't have people working for me,” Fackler said about his management philosophy, adding that he never asks anyone to do a task he isn't willing to do, or doesn't already do, right down to peeling carrots and emptying trash. “If people around you don't have the buy in ... that doesn't empower anybody.”

Chef Clint Ketchum, the sous chef for the last four years, and Diane Deedy, assistant manager, will continue the tradition of quality at Relish.

“At the end of the day,” Fackler said, “we just want to make the customer happy.”