When Summit Thai co-owner Lance Traylor and his wife visited Summit County while searching for a community to share their passion for Thai cuisine, they had a feeling it was a perfect fit.

They were on a journey to find the perfect brick-and-mortar storefront to showcase the skills their team had refined in Seattle’s vibrant and competitive culinary scene when they stumbled upon Summit’s mountain-town charm. Traylor said they knew they wanted to call the valley home, so they waited patiently for the right opportunity.

“For the past two years — up until the beginning of this year when we did find a spot — we just kind of kept our eyes open,” Traylor said. “It was just kind of like a shot in the dark, hoping that something popped up.”

On April 5, their search officially ended. Summit Thai opened its doors at 842 N. Summit Blvd., unit 19, in Frisco, and Traylor said business has been nonstop ever since.

Traylor’s suspicion that Summit County was craving more authentic, international food has been confirmed now that readers have voted Summit Thai as Best New Restaurant and Best Asian Restaurant in the 2023 Best of Summit contest.

“The support from the community has been huge,” Traylor said.

He believes the restaurant’s success is thanks to the recipes he fell in love with when he met his wife in Seattle.

She grew up learning to cook traditional Thai recipes from her grandmothers, and eventually got involved with her extended family’s successful business in Seattle, Traylor said. Later, they branched out, opening a food truck business in Arkansas before making the leap to the Rocky Mountains with help from Ekawat Sunti, a cousin of Traylor’s wife, who had restaurants across Colorado.

Spicy. Salty. Sweet. Savory.

These four flavors collide in Thai dishes, and Traylor said his staff has spent years tweaking and developing the recipes folks will find on the menu.

“It’s so bold — the flavor,” Traylor said. “If you’re eating Thai food and it’s bland, then it’s not done right.”

From pad thai to larb gai, the menu has a mix of iconic dishes and more traditional ones, some of which come with unique twists influenced by the staff’s experiences across the nation.

Entrees cost between $13 to $19.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays, noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays to Sundays and is closed Mondays.

For more information, visit SummitThaiCO.com.

This story published in the 2023 Best of Summit winners guide. See complete results at SummitDaily.com/best.