On a recent trip to Vail, we found ourselves wandering, wandering, in search of somewhere to have dinner somewhat late on a Sunday night in Vail Village. Since it was the shoulder season, there weren’t that many restaurants open but when we noticed a glow from the windows of Mountain Standard, just off the creek that runs through Vail, we “saw the light” and headed in. Clean lines with a rustic, warm feeling, we were immediately glad they were open on a chilly night. The open kitchen shows off the philosophy stated on their website, that they cook using “the most primal cooking method: over an open and live wood fire.”
At the recommendation of our server, we ordered one of their new appetizers on the fall menu, Wood Fired Mushrooms prepared in a variety of ways including pickled, ladled over a base of truffle gruyere fondue, with toasted pinenuts, lemon and shallot. When I read “fondue,” I was picturing having to dip mushrooms into the cheese or something but instead, it is a creamy spread to steady the other ingredients. It was beautiful and so delicious. If you love mushrooms (the edible kind!), you’ll love this. Honoring each, individual, delicate mushroom morsel, we ate it carefully and purposefully, one shroom at a time to really taste it. Thank goodness for the bread our server brought us because we used it to swipe up every last bit. We weren’t about to leave anything behind. That appetizer could have easily been a lunch on its own, maybe with a salad. It was that substantial and good.
A hard act to follow, we moved onto entrees and ordered the Prime Flat Iron Steam with duck fat potatoes, mushrooms, rapini and a charred onion puree. Everything was great except the rapini (aka broccoli rabe) was, unfortunately, very bitter. A little bit of bitterness would have been just great to counter the richness of all of the other ingredients, which is, I’m sure the intention of adding it. But this particular batch was just too much, so I had to scrape it off to the side so I could revel in the rest of the meal. The Rocky Mountain Trout was served with a herb couscous, pistachio, heirloom squash and spiced yogurt. My date thoroughly enjoyed it, comparing it to his dear mother’s recipe which is saying a lot because she’s an excellent cook. (When someone compares a dish to their mother’s in a favorable way, especially when that someone is a man, you know it has got to be good!)
Other menu items at Mountain Standard sound very appealing such as Coal Roasted Olives under appetizers or the Bone Marrow with steak tartare, salsa verde and herb salad (okay, I’d be fine with all of that except the eating it out of a boat of a bone part), Yellowfin Tuna Crudo from the Raw Bar, Rotisserie Chicken Salad and Corned Pork Shank. Prices start at $5 with all entrees at $20, which leaves you free to have to choose from all the good-sounding options instead of worrying about ordering something more expensive than your date! Yes, I think of these things.
Mountain Standard serves desserts too but, to be honest, we were so incredibly full, we didn’t even entertain the idea. That just gives us another reason to return next time we are in town. This was one of those dinners you remember for a long time and tell people about, half wanting to recommend the place because you want to make sure it succeeds and half wanting to keep it to yourself. It’s that good.
Mountain Standard is located at 193 Gore Creek Drive in Vail.
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