5 Things You Need to Try at the New Avanti Food and Beverage Vail

There are many ways to après when you’re done carving the legendary Back Bowls at Vail Ski Resort. Maybe you’re the kind of person who appreciates the simple things in life, like pizza and beer. There’s certainly no shortage of that at any of the 5,317-acre ski destination’s three different base areas. But what if your cold-blooded ski buddy is craving a bowl of something steamy, the health nut needs something green, and the high roller in your crew requires something that costs considerable green?

Turns out, the new Avanti Food & Beverage location in Vail is just what everyone ordered. Like the locations in Denver and Boulder, this iteration of the food hall couples a choose-your-own-adventure approach to eating with an expansive patio and killer views—in this case of the ski runs above Golden Peak base area. Guests are encouraged to order a drink (at one of the two bars or from a cocktail server), grab a table, choose something tasty from any of the five diverse food vendors, and repeat as needed.

“If you want somewhere quiet, there are some little nooks and crannies where you can sit. If you want to be outside, we have great outdoor seating. If you want a craft cocktail, we have that. If you want local beers, we have that,” says director of operations Travis Christ. “There’s something for everyone.”

With so many possible permutations for food, beverages, and seating, you’ll need multiple visits to experience Avanti Vail in its entirety, but here’s the 5280 primer on five can’t-go-wrong places to start.

Cozy up with a bowl of ramen from Glo.

Still feeling like a post-slope popsicle? Defrost at Glo, Avanti Vail’s ramen-focused hot spot, and enjoy a heaping helping of the tonkotsu (pork broth, chashu pork, and standard ramen toppers like a soft-boiled egg and bean sprouts) or veggie-forward spicy mushroom noodle soup. Whatever you choose to warm the cockles of your heart (and anything else that needs thawing), don’t miss the aburi salmon, a flame-seared, sweet-miso-glazed fish fillet topped with charred serrano salsa, crispy shallot, and julienned green onion.

If you happen to be visiting on a Monday evening, belly up to the sushi bar and order the omakase. Translated to “I leave the details up to you” in Japanese, this nine-course tasting menu changes every week but always includes a lip-smacking selection of sushi, sashimi, and soup for $49. At that price point, you don’t even have to be the high roller friend to add the sake pairing for an additional $25.

Eat smash patties from Backyard Burgers on the patty-o.

While the grillmasters at Backyard Burgers perfect your Jalapeño Jammer (two smash patties topped with LTO, Vermont cheddar, pickled jalapeño, and jalapeño ranch), truffle parmesan fries, and mozzarella sticks, you’ve got some work to do, too: scouting out square footage on the two-level patio. If you’re still chilly, choose a cushioned lounger next to one of four gas fire pits. Have a kiddo wrapping up their day with an instructor? Select a couple of the bar-height chairs facing the slopes (and the ski school meeting point). Brought the whole crew? Take over one of the two expansive party booths (both seat about 15 revelers) with Bromic heaters and lambskin throws on the backrests.

Wherever you end up, order a cooler cart (Avanti’s take on bottle service), which includes an assortment of suds like Bell’s Two Hearted IPA and Colorado’s own Coors Banquet, plus wine, sake, and bubbly.

Pair Powder Crust Pizza with a shotski.

Even with the new Find My Friends feature on the My Epic app, it can be hard to coordinate a specific time and place to après. Fortunately, Avanti Vail is one of the few restaurants in town that doesn’t require—or even offer—a reservation. So the snowboarder in your crew who got stuck on a catwalk can show up late to the party without issue. And when they do finally arrive, you’ll have a few slices of the Quattro Fromage and CO Sweet Corn from Powder Crust Pizza waiting for them.

Once they’ve finished the leftovers, and perhaps ordered a fresh round of chicken wings, it’s time to hail your server and celebrate the end of an epic day. How? How else: a shotski filled with five 1.5-ounce pours of your booze of choice. Tequila, anyone?

Split the mezze platter from Boychik at one of the two bars.

Those who’ve Avanti’d in Boulder will recognize the assortment of pita wraps and hummus bowls available from Mediterranean eatery Boychik. But be sure to try the just-in-Vail mezze platter of baba ganoush, spiced nuts, traditional hummus, and more. Sit at one of Avanti Vail’s two bars (inside or out) and sip another slopeside exclusive: the Buckin Chute. Made with spruce-infused vodka (the chef personally harvests the spruce tips) and house-made snap pea syrup, this chartreuse-colored special is served in a coupe and garnished with an edible, leaf-shaped lattice.

Live it up with oysters and caviar bumps from Detoor Day Cafe and Apres Brasserie.

Only a few of Vail’s fine-dining establishments (including the other buzzy new eatery, Tavernetta Vail) feature decadent frutti di mare on their leather-bound menus. But, if you want to use your tiny fork on a plate of Steamboat Island oysters or order a round of white sturgeon caviar bumps in a more casual setting, Avanti Vail is the place to do so. Both raw bar delicacies, plus bruschetta, meat plates, coffee, pastries, and other all-day eats are available from Detoor.

And you can add a little sass to your class by chugging, rather than sipping, some Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label out of a Chambong (a cross between a champagne flute and a beer bong). To finish, order pistachio and lemon poppyseed French macarons, tiramisu, or all of the above.