Beaver Creek Chef Wins Competition

Isn't it great to meet interesting people during your travels?  On our recent trip to Colorado, we were fortunate to meet chef Michael Wilganowski who had just won the grand prize at the Bon Appetit Chef Classic in Beaver Creek the night before.   Michael is the executive chef at The Osprey, Beaver Creek's year-old hotel (formerly the Inn at Beaver Creek).

The Osprey has North America's closest ski in/ ski out access.  We checked it out ourselves and can confirm the chairlift is no more than ten feet from the back door.  We love the Osprey's hip/ laid back vibe which suits its affiliation with MTV.   The rooms have great mini bars (we reviewed them in December), free dvd rentals, and steam showers.  The Osprey Lounge, overseen by Chef Michael, would make an ideal aprés ski stop with a revolving menu of tapas and a great crowd.

Michael is also the chef for one of our dream spots: Beaver Creek's private mountain retreat, Trappers Cabin (above) which sleeps ten, has a gourmet kitchen, an outdoor spa, a pool table and luxury furnishings (including an optional meal provided by your private chef, Michael).  You are transported from the mountain base to the cabin and ski out with access to Beaver Creek.  Most people stay a few nights, we think four would make a perfect ski trip.