Even if you ski in the back seat, that doesn’t mean searching out food and drinks on the mountain has to take a back seat. Several restaurants and bars scattered around the slopes let you fuel up for more schussing and, if you’re not careful, f%#* you up so you’re better off taking that last gondo car down. Following are a few faves.
Ragnar’s
Ragnar’s is named after Ragnar Omtvedt, a Norwegian ski jumper who set a U.S. ski jumping record in Steamboat in 1916. Its ambiance soars just as high and is a great place to unwind and warm-up from the slopes. For something slightly less sit-down, try the Rendezvous Tent for October Fest-themed draft beers and bratwurst made from Colorado wild game (with just a splash of horseradish sauce).
Grub: Reuben/Fiske soup combo: Go with the Reuben/Fiske soup combo, the former made from lean corned beef, Austrian blaukraut, Rémoulade and Jarlsberg cheese, on rye. The soup is a seafood chowder, house-made Norwegian-style, that you can slather onto heavily buttered bread. “The Reuben is amazing, with everything made from scratch,” says food and beverage manager LeAnne Cain. “It’s definitely the most popular item.”
Drink: Spiced Glogg. Warm your innards with a cup of Ragnar’s spiced Glogg, a homemade, hot-spiced wine served with almonds and white raisins. “People absolutely love it,” says Cain. “Especially on the sleigh-ride dinners, or breaking up a cold day skiing.”
Four Points
Four Points, whose namesake lift and run were named when ski area pioneers John Fetcher and Gordy Wren spotted a four-point buck while searching for a lift terminal site, is perfect for mid-run refueling. It has powder turns above you can tell stories about and more waiting below as soon as you click back in your bindings. Fun fact: Look for your friends outside (and try to knock snow onto them) while riding overhead on the Storm Peak chair!
Grub: Turkey Pot Pie. Gobble, gobble. This makes us want to gobble a piece up right now. This baby’s a house-roasted turkey pot pie, filled with peas, onions, carrots, topped with a buttery flaky crust and a rosemary herbed gravy. “It’s been a skier/rider favorite since transforming the Four Points shack into the lodge,” says Cain. “Scratch cooking being our theme, they’re made with pride every morning and on most days sell out.”
Drink: Bloody Mary. Expect your knees, quads, hips and liver to be a little looser on your next run after one (or two?) of these elixirs, which have won town’s Best Bloody accolades multiple years running. They’re made with Finlandia vodka, premium house-made Bloody Mary mix, garnished with bleu cheese-stuffed olive, gherkin sweet pickle, celery stalk, cheese cube, cherry pepper, cedar-smoked house pepperoncini, lime wedge, and brown sugar/black pepper bacon. “We sell more than 12,000 of them in the 20 weeks we are open,” says Cain, touting the massive skewer among its attributes. You do the daily math.
Timber & Torch
Complete with the names of Steamboat’s Olympians stenciled into the ceiling, make this your go-to après headquarters, taking advantage of a multi-tiered deck and drink and beer specials from 3-5 pm daily right at the resort’s base.
Drink: Beer. Choose from a large selection of beer and wine on tap, along with other hot and cold libations. Hot buttered rum, perhaps?
Grub: Fundido. Alas, the towering Torcho’s nachos are gone this year, but as a replacement try the Elk Chorizo Fundido, featuring Chihuahua cheese, elk chorizo, cilantro, 505 southwestern green chiles, diced tomato and cilantro. Ole!
Routtie’s BBQ
New this year (replacing Last Tracks from last season), Routtie’s, located in Torian Plum near Los Locos and Paramount, is on track to become a new hot spot, with a corner location and deck spilling onto an even bigger yard (where you can drip BBQ sauce without feeling bad).
Drink: Beer. Plain and simple, that’s what it hangs its hat on, with a large selection of local craft brewhas. Oh yeah, and a fair selection of whiskeys to boot.
Grub: Ribs/Pulled Pork. Thankfully, unless you’re night skiing, you won’t be making too many runs after wolfing down this slow-smoked, Texas-style BBQ — you’ll be better at burping than boarding a lift.
