Bacchanale
TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5
Address: 209 Elk Ave, Crested Butte
Hours: 5p – 10p (Breakfast available @7a)
A long day of skiing can bring on a big appetite and when you are really hungry there’s something particularly satisfying about a great Italian meal. Bacchanale delivers with its fresh, light menu focused on simple flavors, colorful salads, artisan flatbreads, and handmade specialties. Bacchanale has been a favorite of area residents and visitors for more than 40 years, and that hasn’t changed since it was acquired in 2012 by new owners. (They also own D’Jango up on the mountain.)
What They’re Known for: The $25 fixed price meal (available only at certain times of the year), which is a great bargain and provides a fair number of menu options. You get three courses, starting with appetizers–the eggplant pillows are particularly popular with patrons. The six choices in the pastas and main dishes include vegetable bucatini with walnut pesto, grilled wild boar sausage and cannelloni di mare filled with lump crab meat and shrimp. The portions are large, so consider taking some of your meal home for the next day–you won’t want to miss the fabulous desserts. You’re likely to have trouble choosing between the gelato (try the affogato with espresso), lemon, raspberry or peach champagne sorbet, lemony polenta cake, or tiramisu or the incredibly rich chocolate budino tart.
What to Watch for: Bacchanale is a good place to celebrate a special occasion or just enjoy a quiet meal. It is trendy and elegant, with high tin ceilings and decorative wrought iron railings along the second floor seating area. There are tables and a bar on the main level as well.
Price: $6 – $28