Taste of Vail
Sometimes, I still can’t believe I live in a state that’s full of such amazing sights, mountains, and tastes.
This past week, (4/5-4/8, 2023), I was fortunate enough to attend the Taste of Vail culinary weekend, a stunning week full of culinary events leading up to Easter, all being held in the great town of Vail, Colorado.
I was able to attend three of these stunning events across 3 afternoons, and am ready to share the experience with you, my readers!
The week began on Wednesday, April 5th, where I put on a nice shirt and attended the Debut of Rosé.
Held in an iconic Vail hotel, The Lodge at Vail, Debut of Rosé featured about 20 different vineyards and winemakers sharing their version of Rosé wine, plus small eats from some several stunning restaurants in Vail, Beaver Creek, and surrounding areas.
For those who aren’t familiar, Rosé is a pink wine made from a red-skinned grape and is often blended with white wines for a unique taste.
While I did manage to taste more than a handful of tasty Rosé and felt the effects of doing so, what stood out more to me were all of the snacks and small bites that I can’t help but share.
Lobster sliders from Mountain Fish House & Oyster Bar, a new seafood restaurant in Edwards, CO.
Classic margarita pizza from Blue Moose Pizza
Braised octopus over elote-style corn. (One of my favorites of the evening. Shown in image.)
Mini tostada with braised beef shank, guacamole, and cotija cheese.
Sea bass sashimi with Asian slaw and chili oil
A very large charcuterie setup from The Grazing Fox. (Who happened to show up at all 3 events that I attended)
Mini profiteroles stuffed with smoked salmon, creme fraiche, and caviar
All of the dishes that the Debut of Rose event provided delivered on flavor and seemed to be perfect pairings with the excessive amount of wine available that night, but my personal favorite dish of the evening came from a high-end restaurant in Vail, Sweet Basil, that I happened to visit previously.
It was a squid ink rice cracker topped with bacon foam and a bit of caviar. It was a small bite, but it was the perfect blend of salty, smoky, crispy, and smooth.
Moving up to Thursday, April 6th, the next event was something that I simply couldn’t swine about…you’ll understand that in a moment.
It was the Niman Ranch Pork & Apres pork cook-off!
Unlike the previous dining event, this porky cook-off took place along Lionshead Village, a walking mall that is home to some of Vail’s best shops and restaurants, and it was in this event that 16 restaurants came out to bring their best pork dish, along with more wine than anyone could possibly drink!
The difference between this and the Rose tasting is that each guest is given a wooden token that they can give to the restaurant that they felt like made the best dish of the day, and whoever got the most tokens would win an award.
It wasn’t even a question that each of the restaurants that showed up was in it to win it as every single porky dish that I tasted were as phenomenal as the last, and I am here to share both my top picks and who I bestowed my token to.
Pork belly burnt ends with parsnip puree and apple slaw
Homemade green chili sausage with sauerkraut and over a crisp cracker.
Pork belly over a polenta cake and served with a black mole sauce
Thai pork soup with congee, a type of sticky rice
Pork rendang (An Indonesian curry) with rice
Cherry turnovers. (Not a pork dish, but worth mentioning)
Little ice cream cones filled with pork belly and topped with chicharrones
All of these pork dishes, and many more, had an astounding amount of flavor along with fall-apart tender pork, but my top pick, the dish that I awarded my token to, was a slow-cooked pork belly with a homemade noodle and a tangy cream from The Remedy, who ended up winning the title of “Best Pork Belly”.
Ok, here’s a part of the tale that wasn’t so fun.
I had signed up for a fourth event that Taste of Vail was hosting, it was a bartender battle that took place at a well-beloved pizza joint, Vendetta’s.
When I purchased the ticket, I was under the impression that it would be held on Friday, the 7th, but later on I received an email stating that it was rescheduled to the previous day, the day I was already at the pork tasting event, and didn’t realize this until I had already arrived at Vendetta’s on the 7th.
While it was a shame that I was unable to attend the Battle of the Bartenders, it wasn’t a total loss. I did end up enjoying a wonderful pizza that was topped with pepperoni, pepperoncini, onions, and garlic, so the day wasn’t completely wasted.
Finally, on that Saturday, the 8th, it was time to attend the final event of the festival, the Grand Tasting event at the Hythe Hotel in Vail.
Given the location and price point, I was led to believe that it was going to be another high-end prix fix dinner, but it turned out to be yet another walking-tasting event.
That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy all that the event had to offer.
The Grand Tasting event featured many more wines to taste and small bites to pair with them, some of which appeared in one of both of the previous events of the week, and here are all of the food highlights.
Sous vide strip steak with dark mole sauce
BLT pizza with avocado ranch and honey mustard from Blue Moose Pizza
Braised lamb shank taco with pickled radishes
NY strip over a green papaya salad. (The most tender strip steak I’ve ever had, btw)
Braised short ribs with mashed potatoes and natural jus (A big highlight of the evening)
Cherry sorbet lollipops with chocolate glaze from Sweet Basil
Caramel and coffee custard tarts with coconut crumble.
Every dish and wine that I tasted had tons of flavor packed into small bites, but my favorite of the evening had to be the one whose presentation blew me away the most!
Looking at this image, you might think that this is just a large cherry, but in fact, it is a cherry jam encased in cherry mousse, chocolate mousse, a chocolate sponge cake, and a crisp sable cookie! Even the cherry stem was just a strip of tempered chocolate!
There are some cases like this where the presentation seems to be more impressive than the taste, but this was not one of those cases! The sweet cherry flavor plus the rich chocolate and crisp cookie were out of this world!
All of the food and wine that I tasted during the Taste of Vail culinary week were incredible, I caught myself laughing a few times as it was all so delicious!
And when the Taste of Vail comes around next year, I will be sure to get my tickets as soon as possible!
