The review. An analysis of new and existing restaurants in the Vail Valley.

The Ore House

This is the first place I walked into when arriving in Vail back on a snowy day in November of 1970, so it holds almost primeval memories for me.

Although the restaurant was forced to move up Bridge Street a couple of doors a few years ago, it retains all the 70's-ish characteristics of the original facility.  Gourmet it is not, but it remains a fun and popular dining spot for locals and visitors alike.  The bar hops in the evenings and for apr�s ski in the winter, and the deck is always crowded with lunch goers in the summer.

Sue and I paid our annual fall visit here yesterday, and here's our take on the current operation.

Meal Highlights:  Unhappily there were very few this year.  Unlike the past couple of sessions, this one left almost everything to be desired.  Our wait person was friendly and nice, and the wines by the glass and bottle were tasty and reasonably priced.

Lowlights:  Just about the whole meal fell into this category of quality.  A dirty menu started things off on the wrong foot.  The Thai shrimp as an appetizer were tiny and overly coated with some bad breading mix.  The Chateaubriand we shared was small sized, over cooked, and topped with a bland B�arnaise sauce.  The tiny puddle of rice was swallowed in three bites, and the obviously well aged broccoli was undercooked and basically inedible.  Not much fun tonight.  even the bread course - once a highlight feature - was doughy and indifferent tasting.

To be honest this restaurant appears to have fallen into the cellar, and while it makes a feeble attempt to live off past performances, it is clearly headed downhill.  It looks like management no longer cares to pay much attention to not just the small details, but any details whatsoever.  It's a shame, as this was always one of our favorite spots.

Reviewed by ORP on 11/15/06.

Previously reviewed: La Bottega   Alicante   Kaltenberg Castle   Gore Creek Grill   La Tour  Bighorn Bistro  Larkspur  Sapphire Tavolaccio  Mezzaluna The Left Bank  Billy's Island Grill  Sweet Basil Wildflower

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