Ten years ago, Vail resident Steve Kaufman was having dinner on the east side of the pass, as he often did, and saw a “For Sale” sign on a large building in Dillon. Formerly a high-end Mexican restaurant, he knew a lot of money had been put into the building and its elaborate decorations inside before the establishment closed.

As a restaurant and nightclub owner in Eagle County, Kaufman saw the potential of the place, and snatched it up, opening Red Mountain Grill a few months later on Nov. 6, 2006. Unlike the original restaurant housed in the building, this one lasted, and Kaufman is celebrating 10 years with the Summit County business.

“We do a lot of local business and I appreciate all the people that come in and patronize the place all the time,” Kaufman said. “I like to have the same people come in all the time.”

The restaurant serves up what Kaufman calls casual gourmet with a Southwest flair, “with a lot of spices and lots of flavor; the menu is diverse,” he said. The menu is executed by chef John Arpin, who has been along for the ride from day one.

“It’s his cooking, I’m just the boss,” Kaufman said. “A chef is like an artist, they are creative people, and the worst thing you can do for people who are creative is not let them be creative.”

To highlight the decade, Red Mountain Grill is doing a week-long celebration running Nov. 6–11 with food specials, including items from the original menu at the original price. This includes dishes such as the prime rib at $15, the Grill’s signature trout dish for $15, and a burger at $6. On Sunday, Nov. 6, the staff will be giving away a New Belgium cruiser bike during the Broncos game, must be present to win. Then on Friday, Nov. 11, chef Arpin will be cooking up a lobster boil, complete with a 1 ¼-pound live Maine lobster with peel-and-eat shrimp, crab claw, corn on the cob and red potatoes for $29.95. Kaufman said he recommends reservations as there is a limited supply.

Kaufman attributes his success in the industry to a great happy hour, using fresh ingredients made from scratch and having a great staff.

“The staff is really important, and they get along with the local community,” he said. “Locals … they see the same faces when they come in.”