The Laundry: Sophisticated Dining and Sipping in Steamboat

Specialty Cocktail at The Laundry

An essential part of any ski getaway involves a great night out on the town, preferably in  one of the best restaurants/bars of the mountain destination you’re visiting. I’m confident I hit the mark on a recent trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado when I spent a superlative soirée at The Laundry, a former laundry located down by the creek in town. Handsomely converted into a swanky kitchen and cocktail place where most everything is housemade, this old, brick-walled building presents an inviting scene where contemporary touches of hip lighting and rhythmic music offset a warm interior filled with wooden tables and barn siding. Much like the homemade fruit chutney served with the Mescal-cured house salmon (one of the signature dishes of this innovative restaurant) or the house-crafted smoked banana-infused bourbon, most everything here seems to be about juxtapositions.

The Scene

Eric Laslow, a chef of Cuban/Spanish descent with years of experience in the kitchen and in ski towns, is the driving force behind this style-y establishment where people gather to sample small and large plates of delectable dishes such as Brussel Sprout Hash, Salt Cod Fritters, House Cured Pastrami, Duck Confit and Braised Beef Cheeks, to name some of the best loved. From all of the above to the house-smoked cheddar to a pickle jar of tangy delights to Crispy Pig Ear Fries and more, I’m sure every dish on this menu strikes the just balance between sweet and savory, crisp and creamy and mild and spicy while serving up the right amount of flavor for the palate. I didn’t try them all, however, I did taste enough to speak confidently about the ensemble. (I passed on the Crispy Pig Ear Fries although apparently they’re bestsellers here.)

The Bar

House Goods

Outside The Laundry

I rounded out my meal with their Dried Cherry Bourbon Tart served over bread pudding with a crème anglaise. Délicieux. After an obligatory pause at the bar where I sampled a few of their house-infused spirits and drinks prepared by The Laundry’s skilled bartender, it was time to roll home.

Wonderful food and drink is always appreciated yet even more so in a charming place after a huge day of skiing on super soft snow.

The Laundry, 127 Eleventh Street, 970-870-0681

For more on Steamboat Springs, read Skiing Steamboat Powder.