Golden Eagle Inn Feels Good
Golden Eagle Inn in the heart of Beaver Creek Village is one of those places that just feels good. It's not "home-cooking", but after dining there scores of times over many years, every visit is like dining with an old friend. It's not Splendido or Grouse Mountain Grill, and doesn't try to be. But when I go home from another visit to Beaver Creek I don't regret having not eaten at either of those. If I miss my Golden Eagle fix, I regret it.
Last night my wife and I had another excellent meal produced by GE's new chef, David Root, who has really elevated the menu. We started with a classic Caesar Salad and a new (at least to us) dish of Grilled Quail on buttery grits with bacon. The salad was standard fare, but the quail could compete with any appetizer in any restaurant in the valley. The quail was just pink and had a smokey flavor that blended perfectly with the grits. (Chef Root apparently has an affinity with grits -- he's the one who makes the lunch appetizer of spicy shrimp and grits that makes going to GE for lunch worth the trip.) My wife had the classic Golden Eagle dish, Hazelnut-Bacon Encrusted Fresh Idaho Trout, which has been a jewel on the menu for years, but updated by the chef with an interesting and tasty serving of al dente wax beans. I had what was listed as New York Strip Frites. It came cooked perfectly medium rare with a dollop of herbed butter. (Actually, the steak was more like a ribeye than a strip, which suits me better anyway.) The flavor was really excellent and the crispy parmesan fries made a perfect accompaniment. This is another new menu dish brought on by the new chef and a quality addition.
We were sated with our two courses and opted not to have dessert. I highly recommend Golden Eagle for a quality, comfortable and welcoming dining experience if you are in Beaver Creek.
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Grouse Mountain Grill
141 Scotthill Road, Avon, CO 81620
Golden Eagle Inn
118 Beaver Creek Plz, Avon, CO 81620
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BlueOx
Mar 29, 2010 07:06 PM
DD, I always hear the Golden Eagle is the best lunch place to take their guests from the Beav Ski Instructors. The GE is where they want to have lunch, rather than on the mountain or elsewhere at the base. At the GE, the instructors know everything will work, no delays or mistakes, with good service and food. The instructors know lunch screw ups have an impact on their tips. They are probably more objective that most, they don't care about cost because they are not who is paying. The same can't be said for the Hyatt, I talked to a couple who told me that lunch at the Hyatt was a disaster, 2 hours for an ordinary lunch.
