Best of Winter 2008 - Cuisine

The Mariposa, Park City, UT Photo courtesy Deer Valley Resort

Chocolate Star Bakery, Scottsdale, AZ

Bongo Billy’s Salida Café, Salida, CO

Restaurant

Winner - The Mariposa, Park City, UT - Enjoy classic mountain cuisine such as bison tenderloin or Rocky Mountain rack of lamb in a luxurious setting at this top-rated restaurant in Deer Valley.  A bottle from the award-winning wine list will complement your meal, and the famous Chocolate Snowball will end it perfectly. Private parties can reserve the cozy Cedar Room for a truly memorable evening. 
deervalley.com

More Readers’ Picks
The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA; Wildflower, Vail, CO; Jedediah’s, Jackson, WY

Editors’ Picks
Anasazi Restaurant, Santa Fe, NM; Rendezvous Bistro, Jackson, WY; The Kitchen, Boulder, CO
For the finest lobster roll west of the East Coast, head to Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar in Healdsburg, California. Their New England-style roll is filled with pristine pieces of warm Maine lobster, fennel and garlic butter that drips down our chins.

Cooking School

Winner - Santa Fe School of Cooking, Santa Fe, NM - Some of Santa Fe’s hottest chefs teach at this hands-on cooking school, and each class is followed by a delicious meal. Learn how to make contemporary South- western dishes like corn chowder with huitlacoche, smoked pork tenderloin with red chile/ apple cider glaze or Mexican chocolate bistro cake.
santafeschoolofcooking.com

More Readers’ Picks
CasaLana, Calistoga, CA; Ganache This, Tempe, AZ; Fremont’s, Albuquerque, NM

Editors’ Picks
Cooking School of Aspen, Aspen, CO; Jane Butel Cooking School, Albuquerque, NM; Cooking with Julie, Napa, CA

Bakery

Winner -  Chocolate Star Bakery, Scottsdale, AZ - If cookies are your addiction, here is your dealer. Specializing in gourmet cookies, Chocolate Star uses top ingredients like Ghirardelli chocolate and real butter. Get a dozen for yourself or choose from a nice variety of pretty and tasty gifts. Can’t get to Scottsdale? Order straight from their cute and easy-to-use web  site.
chocolatestarbakery.com

More Readers’ Picks
Bernice’s Bakery, Missoula, MT; The Bunnery, Jackson, WY; Main St. Bakery & Café, Aspen, CO

Breakfast Spot

Winner - Café Pasqual’s, Santa Fe, NM - Named for the folk saint of Mexican and New Mexican kitchens and cooks, Café Pasqual’s features hearty meals for serious breakfast connoisseurs. The extended morning menu has everything from classic breakfast burritos to unique dishes such as smoked trout hash. Only organic eggs, dairy and produce are served, and the sausage and chorizo are made fresh on the premises.
pasquals.com

More Readers’ Picks
Hickory House, Aspen, CO; The Shack Café, Missoula, MT; Irma Hotel, Cody, WY

Coffee Shop

Winner - Bongo Billy’s Salida Café, Salida, CO - Stop into this cozy spot for a freshly brewed cup or a ready-to-grind pound of sustainable, organic and Fair Trade Bongo Billy's High Country Coffees, all fresh roasted at the Bongo Billy's High Country Roastery in Buena Vista, Colorado. Paired with a fresh-baked scone or muffin, it's the perfect way to start (or end) the day.
salidacafe.com

More Readers’ Picks
Mocha Molly’s, Steamboat Springs, CO; Sisters Coffee, Sisters, OR; Daily Grind, Vail, CO

Winery

Tasting Rooms
Winner - Two Rivers Winery & Chateau, Grand Junction, CO - Opened in the fall of 1999, this winery has released nine wines and walked away with more than 60 awards in international competitions. The French-style country B&B (three large, elegant rooms) is tucked right in among the vines—with great views of the Colorado National Monument’s red-rock canyons.
tworiverswinery.com 

More Readers’ Picks
Holy Cross Abbey, Cañon City, CO; Wedge Mountain, Peshastin, WA; Bargetto, Soquel, CA; TimberRock, Post Falls, ID

Editors’ Picks
Any winery in the Spring Mountain District above the Napa Valley