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Artisan cheese shop and wine bar Fresh off a remodel with new tables, chairs, display cases and a sexy color scheme, the shop carries more than 100 cheeses. Shop for home use, or sit down and feast on soup, cheese and charcuterie platters, salads, paninis and more. •••
drink!
Wine and spirits boutique The shop is laid out like an interactive wine list, and is now focusing on artisan spirits, being as Colorado-centric as possible. Dubbed “Mixology Central,” the shop stocks everything needed for the home mixologist, including advice. •••
cut
A butcher shop and seafood market with a “ farm and fisherman to plate” philosophy, cut has a Colorado Rancher program that focuses on local ranches. A new freezer case offers ready-to-bake appetizers. •••
dish 56 Edwards Village Blvd. Edwards Corner 970.926.3433 eatdrinkinc.com by wren bova photos by DOMINIQUE TAYLOR
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ollyanna Forster and Chris Irving must throw killer dinner parties. The couple behind eat!, drink!, dish, cut and tacorico has steadily built a mini culinary empire of the best kind: It started out feeling extravagant, but each piece of the pie has settled in as something necessary to local life. Though all of the businesses are different, they share a similar core: Be inspired, try everything and source locally. And that vision comes together beautifully in dish, which just turned 8 years old. Led by executive chef Veronica Morales, the menu changes completely every other month, and little bits here and there the rest of the time. It’s broken into sections by country, continent or region — you might see Spain, Italy, Hawaii, Morocco, Asia — and offers share plates, large plates and sweets in each section. Come in with friends and share a parade
Tastes, share plates and large plates $1-$32. • Ambiance Globallyinspired, locally sourced cuisine • Signature dish Crispy Brussels sprouts with an Asian sweet-sour-salty sauce • perfect for Dinner with friends, girls’ night out, cooking classes and special events Price
of flavors, or go the appetizer-entrée-dessert route: Both work. “Being a self-taught chef, Veronica does more reading and research than anyone I know,” Forster says. “Writing the menu is a fun process. It’s very collaborative.” Forster just returned from France, where she took some cheese-making classes, and so France became one of the menu’s sections. She, or anyone else on the Dish team, might encounter a flavor or a preparation method somewhere, which in turn inspires conversation and menu direction. They’re not trying to prove anything, they’re just keeping it fresh and fun — and as local as possible. “There are really no secrets to what we do,” Forster explains. “We do focus on key ingredients. Molecular gastronomy is on its way out now, but it was never something we were interested in. We always liked the conversations with farmers, sourcing the best stuff possible. Find the best ingredients and don’t f** it up.” They do, and they don’t. The convivial dining room at dish is designed for friends. With knowledgeable servers
and a racy wine list, it’s hard not to have a good time. Add in the creative cuisine and it’s a home run. Try the shrimp, split and grilled, served with panang curry, or head to Italy and opt for a Vail-raised steak with herbs. France offers duck confit and America a Palisade peach tart. But whatever you do, don’t miss the crispy Brussels sprouts with Asian flavors. “Over the past 5 years, we’ve transi-
tacorico
The taco and tequila cantina serves made-to-order street tacos and handpressed tequila cocktails, in addition to a sporting a six-tap system that has three beers and three wines on tap. Platters are served family style, as they are in a sushi restaurant.
tioned more people into Brussels sprouts fans than probably anybody,” Forster enthuses. “They’re addictive They have that umami flavor — and that sweet, that sour, that crunch, that balance — that everybody craves.” • top Brussels sprouts with a sweet-sour-salty sauce and togarashi crisped rice. above Arctic char with braised fennel, blood oranges, cucumber and dill.