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Vail
Ludwig’s at the Sonnenalp Resort 20 Vail Rd. / 970.479.5429 / sonnenalp.com/dining/ludwigs by Lauren Glendenning photos by Dominique Taylor
T
he new chef at Ludwig’s is far from new to the valley’s exquisite culinary scene. Steve Topple recently joined the Sonnenalp Resort from Beano’s Cabin, a popular Beaver Creek fine dining mountaintop restaurant, and has made some changes to the menu that have transformed Ludwig’s into a real competitor within the Vail restaurant world. Topple took over for all the restaurants at the Sonnenalp, but it’s Ludwig’s that is changing the most in terms of the menu. The ambiance remains the same — quaint and elegant — but the departure from the European fare to fresh seafood has changed the restaurant entirely. Topple immediately decided he did not want Ludwig’s to have a stuffy kind of feel anymore. He
EAT winter 2012
The Georges Bank scallops are served with a white bean ragout and bacon vinaigrette. Right Using the freshest of fish is a priority, such as the pan-seared arctic char with sweet potato orzo.
decided it would be a seafood restaurant, and that the seafood would be as fresh as you’d find in any fine coastal United States restaurant. “It’s fresh, it’s exciting,” Topple says. “We’re doing a daily and weekly seafood menu that changes.” The changes will be determined by whatever Topple can get in fresh. If it’s Faroe Islands salmon and Prince Edward Island mussels, then that’s what you’ll see on the menu. If it’s Pacific Northwest halibut and Florida snapper, then that’s what he will work with. “This is a new concept for Ludwig’s,” Topple says. So why take a European-style restaurant in a Bavarian hotel and turn it into a seafood place? Because Topple says it’s what the valley needs — higher-end seafood. The new theme at Ludwig’s is “bringing seafood to new heights.” Topple is playing with small bite offerings, as well as specialties like Champagne and caviar and oysters on the half shell. The baked green lip mussels are
served open-faced, baked with bacon, spinach and a Parmesan hollandaise — a rich, delicious version that could turn a mussel-hater into a lover. The jumbo lump crab cake features a vanilla mango salsa and herb dressing, while a tuna and foie gras combination dish is served with orange French toast and cherry sauce. There are meat and game options like elk Wellington, Colorado rack of lamb with an herb crust and cabbagepotato ragout, and a dry-aged New York Steak with Parmesan polenta fries and Brussels sprouts. However, the highlight of the menu is, of course, the seafood. Weekly specialties include dishes like the Georges Bank sea scallops with white bean ragout and bacon vinaigrette — creamy and decadent. A Colorado striped bass has a blue crab crust, leek potato hash and chive sauce. The baked Florida grouper is served with sweet potato orzo and lobster cream. While the feel in the dining room is rustic and European, somehow the seafood menu works. Topple’s passion for it has permeated through and the theme is obvious when you open the menu. “The seafood thing kind of works perfectly in there,” Topple says. “The feedback I got from Vail Restaurant Month was great.” He hopes Ludwig’s new reputation in Vail will be that of an exceptional seafood restaurant — a place where people will want to go to enjoy the freshest seafood available in a truly cozy and inviting atmosphere. •