Ora King Salmon with roasted fennel, preserved lemon gel, shaved asparugus salad, yuea frites, lemon horseradish cream.
Barry Eckhaus/EAT Magazine
Vail is many things — rugged and refined, earthy and elegant. Chasing Rabbits embraces the elegance and cartwheels it into the extraordinary. It’s a multi-sensory experience, a wonderland of cuisine, cocktails and a lavishly curated atmosphere. So yes, follow the white rabbit. Just don’t expect it to come back the same.
With a prime location in the Solaris Plaza, this 13,000-square-foot facility is equal parts a flavorful fantasy and a whimsical wonderland. It’s where Mediterranean flavors meet modern fare and cocktails come with a plot twist. Each of the four rooms feels like a scene change, with its own flair and flavor. At the heart of it all is The Restaurant, where texture and taste come together most curiously.
Executive Chef Lucas Ardemagni’s Italian background melds with the Mediterranean menu, creating dishes that let the ingredients shine. So, let’s begin with the starters: Spanish serrano ham croquetas. Crisp golden potato orbs are stuffed with salty cured ham and topped with a dollop of caviar that rests on top like a crown jewel and served floating in rich manchego fonduta. Then there’s the melon salad, where ribbons of cantaloupe twirl across a canvas of soft, tangy fromage blanc cheese, with peppery watercress and salty pistachios bringing balanced flavor to every forkful.
Handmade pasta is a must, and the chanterelle agnolotti is a show-stopper. Pillowy pasta pockets are filled with house-smoked ricotta and topped with earthy mushrooms, sweet flecks of dried apricot and fried sage leaves, creating a harmony of smoky-sweet flavors reminiscent of a woodland fairytale.
Chanterelle Agnolotti with chanterelle duxelles, smoked ricotta, sage, apricot, beurre monte and lemon.Barry Eckhaus/EAT Magazine
Seafood lovers should not miss the pan-seared halibut. In fact, it’s Ardemagni’s favorite dish. Crusted with onion ash that adds smoky drama and balanced by bursts of sweet cherry tomatoes and velvety green pea soubise sauce, it’s beautifully balanced and totally unexpected. “It’s a light dish that lets the subtle sweet notes of the halibut shine through, and the flavors scream summer,” he says. Likewise, the ora king salmon is straightforwardly simple — until it’s paired with a bright preserved lemon gel, thick-cut yucca fries and an asparagus salad.
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Halibut with onion ash, tomato conserva, ramp oil, english pea soubise, pea shoots and lemon gelee.Barry Eckhaus/EAT Magazine
Craving something with a bit more muscle? The double-bone pork chop is thick, juicy and unapologetically bold. It rests on asparagus risotto and is glazed with a sweet and spicy Calabrian chili balsamic that lands with a fiery kiss.
Dessert is no afterthought, and the final act is an ethereal delight. The coconut passionfruit panna cotta is a silky tropical dream punctuated with tart passionfruit puree and pearls. If chocolate is more satisfying, the opera cake, with its layers of thick chocolate cream, airy almond sponge cake and coffee syrup, is like a denser, nuttier version of tiramisu.
Clarified Air with Pussers Rum, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, lemon and simple syrup.Barry Eckhaus/EAT Magazine
And oh, the cocktails. They are as imaginative as the setting. Start with a Summer Dragon, a pretty-in-pink vodka martini that swirls dragon fruit and rose-sage bitters for a sip that’s flirty and floral. Then take a turn toward the unexpected with the Clarified Air, a rum-based cocktail with a thick cloud of airy maraschino cherry foam that’s like a Dirty Shirley gone rogue.
And that’s just the dining room. Elsewhere in this posh playground, you’ll find Moon Rabbit, a moody and mysterious speakeasy with Asian-inspired spirits, The Library, an intimate space nestled between towering walls of books where you can enjoy full-service food and drinks, and Rabbit Hole, a retro arcade turned party lounge that serves playful tropical tiki-inspired drinks with weekly DJ sets. You don’t just dine at Chasing Rabbits. You disappear — down the rabbit hole of luxury, whimsy and wildly good food. So, where do you start? It depends on where you want to go.
Golden Hour Spritz with Suze Gentian Liqueur, Cazcabel Honey Tequila and Prosecco.Barry Eckhaus/EAT Magazine
Dining and Cooking