The Best Tables in Ski Country | The Weather Channel

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Skiers in the know snag the hard-to-get reservations before they even set boot to snow. Add these new restaurants to your itinerary.

Block 16, Vail, Colo.

The rundown: Chef Sergio Howland opened Block 16 in The Sebastian hotel last season to giddy reviews. This season he teams up with Ezra Duker, formerly of Steamboat’s Truffle Pig, to create wine-inspired fare. (“Block” refers to the specific lot on a vineyard growing the best fruit.) Combining their strengths—Duker is strong-willed and passionate, Howland is thoughtful and detailed—the duo has created a menu of regionally sourced cuisine paired with international wines. A coup in a town not lacking in exciting places to eat.

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What to order: Emma Farms Wagyu beef tartare paired with Evening Land Pinot Noir

Web: thesebastianvail.com

Twist, Breckenridge, Colo.

The rundown: Chef-owner Matt Fackler has cooked upscale cuisine for five years at Relish, and now he’s capturing the casual diner with Twist. Here, classic comfort food—fried chicken, burgers, fish and chips—is reimagined with local ingredients. The bar works in kind, leaning heavily on Colorado microbrews and spirits from Breckenridge Distillery.

What to order: Chicken pot pie with root vegetables; elk meatloaf.

Web: twistbreck.com

Matsuhisa, Vail, Colo.

The rundown: Fans revere Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurants as the holy grail of sushi. In Vail, it’s not just fresh ingredients and Peruvian flair that turn dinner into an event, it’s the space, inside the new Solaris Residences, which was designed to evoke the stunning rock walls of Glenwood Canyon. Bonus: the mountain views.

What to order: Baby spinach salad with dry miso and Parmesan; yellowtail hamachi

Web: matsuhisavail.com

Silver, Park City, Utah

The rundown: It’s no accident that Silver opened during the Sundance Film Festival last year. The dazzling restaurant and lounge quickly became a hot spot for boldface names like Kate Bosworth and Ashton Kutcher. Go for the scene but stay for the innovative seasonal menu and the craft-cocktail program, in which bartenders make their own tinctures, sweeteners, bitters and vermouth.

What to order: Short-rib sliders; black kale Caesar

Web: silverrestaurant.com

Cima, Avon, Colo.

The rundown: Coming off a successful year at Venga Venga Mexican Cantina in Snowmass (opened in 2010), chef Richard Sandoval proves he gets the ski-country crowd. This time, he’s taking on fine dining with a Latin American twist at the Westin Riverfront near Beaver Creek. Look for small plates (perfect for après-ski) or full-blown entrées that sing with south-of-the-border ingredients and flair.

What to order: Ceviches; rack of lamb with chorizo meatballs and pomegranate-mint salsa

Web: westinriverfrontbeavercreek.com