America's Best Small Ski Towns
In Town: “The town council won’t allow any chain restaurants,” says Craig Maestro, co-owner of the familial Izzy’s café, which dishes out fresh bagels, along with advice on where to find the best snow. “Uniqueness counts here.” So instead of Starbucks, beloved roaster Camp 4 Coffee (breakfast for two $20) pours scruffy mountaineers their morning cup in a former coal shed plastered with vintage license plates.
Down the street, a number of petite boutiques like accessories store Lavish and Cookworks, which sells high-end kitchen accoutrements, have also put down roots. Hungry skiers, meanwhile, can take their pick from among the town’s atmospheric eateries. In addition to Izzy’s, there’s the Secret Stash, known for its delicious thin-crust pizza. At Soupçon (dinner for two $160), chef Jason Vernon—a former New Yorker—serves elegant dishes like braised rabbit with wild cherries in a restored 1891 back-alley miner’s cabin.