Alpino Vino - Étlap

This is one of the most distinctive fine dining experiences I've ever had! The food and wine were exceptional, and the views were breathtaking! Kid-friendliness: While the primary focus is on adults, children who can ski or snowboard will definitely have a great time. Service: Dined in for lunch. Price per person: $30–50.

Now, for the drawbacks: 1. Both pasta dishes we ordered—carbonara and bolognese—arrived lukewarm and were quite disappointing. Perhaps the altitude affected them, but the carbonara was overly buttery with a sauce that didn't hold together, while the bolognese tasted like something I'd whip up in a moment of frustration in the kitchen. 2. The reservation process is cumbersome. You have to line up starting at 10:30 AM, and while the first diners are let in, anyone hoping for a later seating is left waiting to put their name on the list. 3. They don’t offer any water while you wait for a table, which was frustrating since I was quite thirsty and resorted to eating some fresh Colorado snow. The...

With all sincerity, I can say that this was, by far, the worst "Italian" dinner I've had since moving to the US. The pasta dish was downright disrespectful to Italian cuisine. It was overly mushy—so overcooked that I could have eaten it with a spoon. Italians only eat their pasta al dente; there's no other way. The sauce was bitter and clearly not made from quality San Marzano tomatoes. As for the burnt garlic spread, it lacked simplicity, and in striving for a "scenic" presentation, the taste and warmth were completely lost. The dessert was another disappointment. Any Sicilian would have tossed that so-called "cannolo" straight into the trash. It wasn't even a proper reverse cannolo, as th...