Dining At The Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Winter Park, Colorado

By Emily Talbot, Examiner.com

Devil’s Thumb Ranch boasts several dining options that suit every guest’s needs throughout the day.

The property has two signature restaurants, Heck’s offers a casually refined dining experience with an excellent patio to join in good company, relax, imbibe and eat a delicious meal while taking in the expansive view of the Continental Divide.

The other restaurant, The Ranch House, is a perfect place for an exquisite meal to impress loved ones or to celebrate a special occasion.

Another elite dining option is, John L’s Wine Cellar, available for private bookings, this wine cellar offers a personal dining experience within the most intimate setting.

Mostly recently arriving, Executive Chef, Evan Treadwell comes from the AAA Four Diamond Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa on California’s Central Coast. He focuses on regional cuisine, which has earned him the Central Coast Magazine’s Iron Chef Award in 2008 and Sante’s Culinary Award for “Innovative Regional Cuisine” in 2007. In addition, under his direction, both Dolphin Bay’s Lido Restaurant and the Boutique Hotel Collection, where Chef Treadwell served as Corporate Chef for 10 California resort properties, earned Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence.

Dale Mingo, the Food & Beverage Director, comes with over 20 years of experience within the industry and arrives from the Director of Restaurants for the 5-Star/4-Diamond Sonnenalp Resort in Vail and also touts an experienced background as a former General Manager for Martorano’s in Miami, and in Las Vegas, the 4-Star M Resort-Spa-Casino and Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino.

Along with additional experience from the 4-Star/4-Diamond Omni Hotel in San Francisco, and in Seattle, Sazerac Restaurant, a Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group operation, and Axis Restaurant.

Together this team of experienced elite’s have created menu’s that are fresh, locally sourced ingredients that are healthful and flavorful.

Ranch House Restaurant & Saloon

End the night with dinner and loved ones at the exquisite Ranch House located in the original homestead that was built on the Ranch in the 1930s. The restaurant concept is New American Mountain Cuisine which is organic, locally grown, fresh and delicious all captured in an intimate setting with magnificent views.

Among some favored dishes are:

Starter: Local Pumpkin & Parmesan Soup – Poppy Seed Mascarpone Mousse & Wild Rice

Entrees: Pan Seared Millbrook Farm Venison –  Butternut Squash Tart “Tatin” & Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Maple Cured & Smoked Salmon – Wild Mushroom Risotto Cake & Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Heck’s Restaurant

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Heck’s is offering a new seasonal menu, which matches Chef Treadwell’s personality, approachable, yet refined. He encourages local growers and ranchers to provide him with their highest quality ingredients. Debuting his signature seasonal menu at the beginning of July featuring locally procured and seasonally fresh meats fish and produce.

I had the pleasure of tasting the seasonal dinner debut menu which included:

An heirloom tomato caprese salad with fresh mozzarella served with fresh pesto and drizzled with olive oil capers and adorned with a caper bud.

Fresh trout with crispy skin that sat atop a bed of sautéed fennel and spinach paired with succulent orange segments, purely divine.

Corn chowder with roasted red and yellow peppers that sat atop the chowder with a red pepper coulis. As your spoon submerges into the comfort of a seasonal soup, crispy pork belly and chipotle oil intermingle with the sweetness of the corn that awakens the palate and brings a whole new depth to the dish.

Peppercorn flank steak has also become a fast favorite that sits on a bed of mashed potatoes with sautéed leeks and oyster mushrooms.

Each sumptuously delicious in their own right. High marks all around with attentive guest service, a relaxing ambiance, and quality of food and wine. Highly recommended for the locals and visitors alike.

For more information contact:

Devil’s Thumb Ranch
3530 County Road 83
Tabernash, Colorado 80478
(800) 933-4339
www.devilsthumbranch.com