"As expected, famed restaurateur, master sommelier, and Michelin star recipient Bobby Stuckey’s mountain-town debut is nothing short of spectacular. His Frasca Hospitality Group has brought its award-winning Italian restaurant, Tavernetta, from downtown Denver to the Four Seasons Resort & Residences Vail. Since its much-anticipated December opening, Tavernetta Vail has become the toughest reservation in town, offering a transportive taste of Northern Italy — where Stuckey also co-owns Scarpetta winery in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. The menu follows a classic Italian flow, starting with antipasti like citrus-cured hamachi crudo and whipped ricotta with black truffle, followed by handmade primi pastas such as tajarin with butter and white truffle or rich wild boar pappardelle. For secondi, the bistecca alla Fiorentina and branzino with saffron brodo shine, best paired with a selection from the restaurant’s all-Italian wine list. Don’t miss “Après-Tivo” (daily from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.), where you can sip an Aperol spritz served through what is likely Colorado’s first — and only — “buchette di vino” (aka wine window)." - Katie Shapiro
