Took a fun trip up to the mountains last week with my wife and in-law’s.  If you want to eat well up there, you can’t do better than former Top Chef and Iron Chef contestant Kelly Liken’s eponymous restaurant in Vail.  For spring, they run a great deal, which is 3 courses for $45.  This place usually costs quite a bit more than that, and $45 for food this good is a steal.  Take it away, Kelly:

Gulf shrimp and mussel escabeche with cabernet verjus vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, wild edible flowers, smoked tomato emulsion

Everything on the plate lived up to its gorgeous presentation.  The emulsion packed quite a punch, its smokiness bringing out the flavors of the tender shrimp and huge, creamy, tastes-like-the-ocean mussels.  It seems like we should have no right to eat seafood this good up in a mountain valley 1000 miles from the ocean, but here it is.  The flowers were a nice touch too, loved this dish.

Next up, braised pork cheeks with creamy white corn grits, spicy honey BBQ, charred jalapeno & candied citrus marmalade, fresh arugula and cherry tomato salad:

FLAVOR BOMB!!!!

A LOT of strong flavors going on here, but it worked because it had the balance and deft touch that only great chefs can provide.  The pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender (cheek meat is always incredible), and it paired nicely with both the peppery salad and the marmalade.  I thought the citrus was a particularly nice touch.  And ohhhh those grits…I wish I could swim in a pool of them…naked.

Moving on to less disturbing images, the main course:

Pan Roasted Colorado Striped Bass with sautéed spinach, basil studded cous cous, golden raisin-picholine olive compote, gremolata stuffed castelvetrano olives

I thought this was a good dish but not a great one.  My bass was slightly dry and may have been cooked just a touch too long.  However, my wife and mother-in-law got the same thing and both loved it, so perhaps I got a subpar piece (a taste of my mother-in-law’s fish was juicier and better).  I’m also not a huge olive fan, so I knew going in that I was taking a risk with this one.  Still very good, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as every other course.  Exemplary cous cous though.

Finally, dessert:

Pistachio Pound Cake with rhubarb curd and compote, candied rhubarb, orange blossom ice cream, pistachio crunch

This was everything a great dessert should be: refreshing, fruity, and…uh…ice creamy.  The dense cake provided a nice platform for the excellent ice cream and tart rhubarb elements.  Speaking of which, Rhubarb Elements would be a great band name.   Get on it, someone with musical talent!

To sum up, we had a great meal from a creative, skilled chef.  She remains one of my favorites in Colorado and I can’t wait to come back.   More on our mountain trip to come…