Hidden Gems: Local Restaurants Worth a Visit This Weekend
Elevated cuisine from award-winning chefs.
Photo: Yvonne Albinowski, Courtesy Rootstalk
By Rebecca Gart
Chef Matt Vawter, a Summit County native, has literally come home to his roots with his award-winning Rootstalk, a newish restaurant serving upscale comfort food out of an 1880s Victorian house on Main Street in Breckenridge. With a degree from Colorado Mountain College Culinary Institute at Keystone and fine-dining experience at both Fruition and Mercantile Dining & Provision, Vawter decided to open his first solo restaurant in his hometown with a goal to “create an elevated, approachable dining experience that showcases seasonal ingredients from local farmers and ranchers.” It can be a bit of a shock to experience such exceptional food and hospitality in a small mountain town, but Vawter and his team do it with ease, bringing together the local community and visitors alike in his cozy, saloon-like space. Vawter won the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mountain, and it’s easy to see why: His food is creative and well thought-out with an emphasis on presentation and service. My favorite dish is the wildly colorful Blue Crab Salad with Turnip Cake, Esoterra Culinary Garden Beans, Sweet Corn Butter and Fresno Chile—although I hear his French onion soup is legendary. Rootstalk, 207 N. Main St., Breckenridge.
Photo: From The Hip Photo Courtesy Traveling Mercies
By Anne Hebert
On the heels of winning the prestigious 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mountain, Caroline Glover took advantage of space at Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace, home of her first restaurant, Annette, to open a cozy oyster and cocktail bar serving raw favorites alongside traditional comfort food classics. Glover now finds herself nominated as a semifinalist for a second James Beard Award. The moniker Traveling Mercies is a colloquialism commonly heard in the Southern United States. “The term is used to wish travelers a safe journey and sound return home,” Glover says. Libations are intentionally curated and feature rum and bitters designed to mingle with the menu’s seafood offerings. The wine list complements the dishes on offer, which are tweaked seasonally. Don’t miss the variety of oysters served with mignonette and fresh horseradish. The Oeuf Tonnato, a soft egg with aioli and anchovies, and the Mussels Escabeche Toast with aioli, pickled mustard seeds and dill pair wonderfully with a Slab Salad highlighting sundried tomato, blue cheese and pancetta. The experts behind the bar are happy to assist with drink recommendations. Happy hour is all night on Tuesday, Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 5 p.m., and 3 to 5 p.m. on weekends. Traveling Mercies, Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Suite 311, Aurora.
As seen in Colorado Homes & Lifestyles’ March/April 2025 issue.
