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From the flame-kissed dishes at Crested Butte’s Two Twelve to the chorizo and chicken paella at Steamboat Spring’s Bésame, there are plenty of eateries in Colorado’s high country that offer an elevated dining experience. Still, sighting the Big Dipper while rumbling up a ski slope in a snowcat-pulled sleigh—and then tucking into a multicourse meal—is pretty exceptional.
That’s exactly what guests find at Beano’s, Allie’s, and Zach’s cabins in Beaver Creek Resort. “Beaver Creek prides itself on guest service, but it’s the attention to detail at our restaurants that sets us apart,” says chef David Gutowski, who oversees culinary operations across the ski area. “There is so much effort that goes into just getting the food, wine, employees, and guests to the cabins. We stress over the little things to make sure that every guest has a truly incredible experience.”
Top-tier service isn’t the only characteristic these cabins share. Their monikers remember the area’s early homesteaders, namely lettuce farmer Frank “Beano” Bienkowski, along with Sheriff Zach Allen and his daughter Allie. Each one boasts a woodsy interior with exposed beams, vaulted ceilings, and a massive stone fireplace. Dress codes walk the line between upscale cozy and rustic chic in the form of plaid flannels and wool sweaters paired with Canada Goose down, Kemo Sabe hats, and Danner boots. The ambiance for dinner service feels inviting and warm (even though the cabins are open only to members of their affiliated clubs for lunch). “We want you to have a great time, and we want your kids to have a great time,” Gutowski says. “We really want you to feel like you’re at home.”
In recent years, Gutowski and his team have worked hard to carve out a niche for each cabin. Beano’s, with its prix-fixe menu, is the biggest commitment, both time- and price-wise. It’s also the only cabin open for two seasons (winter and summer), rather than winter alone. Allie’s and Zach’s are closer to the Beaver Creek Village and Bachelor Gulch base areas, respectively, making them easier to access.
A commitment to eating at all three is bucket-list-worthy but experiencing at least one is essential, Gutowski says. “The cabins are so unique to Beaver Creek,” he adds. “It would be a shame to leave here without having at least a bite and a drink in one.”
Challenge accepted? Here’s the dish to try on all three fine-dining menus.
Beano’s Cabin
- Get there: 25-minute snowcat ride from Beaver Creek Village
- Score a seat: Reservations start at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (closed Sunday and Monday) in both winter and summer; book online.
- Cost: $226 per adult; $91 for kids ages 4–12; kids under four are free.
First Take: Tucked into a secluded spot between Grouse Mountain and Larkspur Bowl, Beano’s Cabin appears like a hunger-quashing oasis as your cat crests the last incline. Before accepting your welcome bevvy (Prosecco or sparkling cider), drop your coat and mittens in the large boot room. (Technically, those fleece slippers above the coat hooks are for Beaver Creek and Bachelor Gulch club members only, but if the shoe fits…) You’ll have a few leisurely minutes to enjoy the amuse bouche before the maître d’ whisks you past the open kitchen with its wood-burning rotisserie to your table.
Chef’s Take: Mackenzie Nicholson grew up in Conifer with elk, deer, and waterfowl in her rifle’s crosshairs. So, perhaps it’s no surprise that she fleshed out the Beano’s Cabin menu with dishes that draw inspiration from locally available wild game when she took the helm of this AAA Four Diamond–designated dining destination in 2022. “If someone is looking for a true Colorado experience,” she says, mentioning the sleigh, snow, and roaring fire, “Beano’s is it.”
Start your five-course plating with the Colorado hay-smoked pork belly served with mustard ice cream, which, Nicholson explains, plays with the texture and temperature on what would otherwise be a too-traditional meat and condiment combo. For your main, chef recommends the Rocky Mountain elk short loin topped with a smoked honey parsnip puree.
5280 Tip: This season Nicholson’s sous chef Sean McDonough challenged himself to never make the same soup twice. “I thought he was joking at first,” Nicholson says, but his streak remains unbroken nearly three months into the season. “Usually, he takes a quick walk through the refrigerator, comes back with a pile of ingredients, and a few hours later, I’m tasting something like sunchoke and chestnut soup or hatch green chile and tomatillo soup. We both see it as a creative challenge, and it keeps the kitchen fun.”
Allie’s Cabin
- Get there: 8-minute snowcat ride from Beaver Creek Village
- Score a seat: Reservations are encouraged (but not required) and start at 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday), winter only; book online.
- Cost: Pricing is à la carte.
First Take: Allie’s is the best bet for last-minute cabin revelers thanks to both its proximity to the ski resort’s primary base area and its à la carte menu. “We want it to be more of that neighborhood restaurant,” Gutowski says. “You can take the cat up—you don’t need a reservation—and sit by the bar and have drinks by the fireplace. The idea with Allie’s was to make it more approachable.”
Even if you managed to avoid a chill during the relatively short sleigh ride, you’ll appreciate the two-sided, 30-foot tall, limestone-slab hearth that dominates the cabin’s dining space. Twenty-foot windows afford far-reaching views down into Beaver Creek Village for everyone, but if you’re lucky, you’ll be seated at one of the white-linen-clad four-tops against the glass.
Chef’s Take: With a menu boasting familiar Northern Italian favorites like lasagna and lamb, Allie’s is approachable—though admittedly, dishes like the wild boar ragu add a decadent twist to old favorites. If you follow Gutowski’s suggestion to stick with light bites and a bevvy, don’t miss the espresso martini and what Gutowski calls a “killer” chocolate cake made with espresso mousse, pistachio whip, and cocoa nibs.
5280 Tip: Every Thursday from mid-December to the end of March, advanced skiers are invited to carve down Haymeadow with a gleaming baton as part of Beaver Creek Resort’s Thursday Night Lights celebration. If you forget to pre-register, head to Allie’s Cabin instead. From there, you might miss the glow show, but you’ll have the perfect vantage point to watch the following fireworks display.
Zach’s Cabin
- Get there: 15-minute snowcat ride from Bachelor Gulch
- Score a seat: Reservations start at 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), winter only; book online.
- Cost: Pricing is à la carte.
First Take: Pregame with a fireside cocktail on the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch’s Mountainside Terrace before hopping aboard your steel chariot for a ride up the mountain, complete with views of the Gore Range. Upon arrival, you’ll walk through a foyer adorned with elk antler chandeliers before descending the wide staircase with timber beam railings into the buzzing dining room. “It’s a really fun sense of arrival,” Gutowski says.
Chef’s Take: Zach’s Cabin specializes in cuisine from the Alsace region in France, so it’s no surprise that “everyone gets the fondue,” Gutowski says, noting the gruyere, Emmentaler, and aged gouda concoction is made fresh every day. “It’s a super fun way to start the night.”
Choosing your main dish is where things get tricky. The coq au Riesling, featuring prosciutto and a pear mostarda sauce, will no doubt catch your eye, as will the jumbo scallops that come with a surprising side of steel-cut oats. Don’t get distracted, Gutowski says. Order the house-made pierogi, a “dialed-in” recipe complete with charred radicchio and endive, brown butter applesauce, and onion ash.
5280 Tip: If your legs aren’t exhausted from a day spent lapping the Larkspur Bowl, why not skin or snowshoe to dinner? Follow designated “uphill route” signs to your three-cheese starter and a glass of Sancerre from the cabin’s Wine Spectator award-winning beverage program.
