STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
Lindsey Czech emerged from the kitchen of the Limelight Hotel with two platters of ravioli on her arm.
But they bore no resemblance to the ravioli typically found in Italian restaurants across North America.
This house ravioli, seasoned with charred tomato broth and Parmigiano-Reggiano, was filled with seared rabbit and topped with arugula salad.
“It’s a healthier spin on this particular dish,” explained Czech. “Rabbit is similar in taste to chicken. It’s a tender, flavorful meat, and it braises well.”
Putting a healthier spin on winter comfort food is the mission of Czech, former sous chef at Galena Lodge who took over this past month as chef de cuisine at the Limelight Hotel.
Czech replaces the Limelight’s first chef Jeff Gundy, who returned to Kansas City and his beloved barbecue. And she aims to imbue the Limelight with “fresh, simple, hearty foods executed well.”
“We’re super excited to have a local Ketchum/Sun Valley resident who’s had experience at Galena Lodge,” said John Curnow, the Limelight Hotel’s manager. “She understands what the community wants and she brings a healthy perspective. It’s not that you’ll walk into a totally new restaurant that’s taken a 180-degree turn from what we’ve had. But we want to slowly let Lindsey’s influence take over the menu, and I think you’ll see it taking on a lot more outdoorsy healthy focus.”
Czech tried out some of the new dishes she’s been experimenting with on the staff this week as the hotel geared up for this winter’s ski crowd.
In a little over an hour they were introduced to mouthwatering Bison sliders with crispy bacon and roasted jalapeno mayo and lamb lollipops with cauliflower puree.
A grilled Idaho trout from Hagerman covered in pistachio crumbs and crumbled feta was served with farro risotto, braised leeks and a cucumber dill relish. Steamed artichokes got a thumbs-up for the crab and piquant pepper dip that accompanied it. And a tender grilled hanger steak marinated in rosemary balsamic and topped with red chimichurri sauce made the rounds with a watercress/radish salad.
A last minute entrée dish—salmon covered with Gruyere and Fontina cheese and bread crumbs—elicited raves.
“We’re focusing on local and regional products, with a healthy spin,” Czech told the staff.
The list of salads on this winter’s menu, she added, will include a Hearty Grain Bowl filled with black rice, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, kale and other greens. And pizza will include a Four Cheese Pizza bursting with mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gruyere and goat cheeses, and a Winter Vegetable Pizza will feature bleu cheese, pancetta and winter vegetables like sweet potato and kale.
Czech’s love of cooking began at home as a child growing up in a small town in Massachusetts and, later, Boulder, Colo. She got a degree in English because she liked to write. But eventually she found herself at the New York City Culinary Arts School.
“I like the creativity and craft of cooking and the problem solving that it requires. There’s always a way to fix something, a scientific way,” she said. “And, though there are specific rules you’re supposed to follow, you can branch off from those rules and be creative.”
Czech took her newly learned culinary skills to a seafood restaurant on Orcas Island in Washington, then left it to get in touch with the source of food by working on a farm in Connecticut for six months. While there she experimented with ways to turn misshapen vegetables into pestos and carrot, zucchini and beet humus.
“Seeing all the work that went into an organic produce was incredible” she said. “Those people are on their hands and knees weeding and picking out aphids.”
Eventually, Czech followed the siren call of backcountry skiing to Galena Lodge. She intended to stay one season—that was four seasons ago.
“I love the physical beauty of the place. And it’s amazing how Don (Shepard) and Erin (Zell) have made it such a community gathering place,” she said.
One of the selling points for the Limelight, Czech said, is that the lounge setting is more relaxed than other restaurants, what with many of the diners setting on couches rather than at tables.
The dinner crowd at the Aspen Limelight tends to be more into the pizza fare, whereas the Ketchum crowd tends to go more for healthy sharable plates, said Curnow.
“Pizza will always be our focus—it’s part of the exhibition kitchen in the lobby. But where Lindsey has an opportunity to really exercise her creativity is within the entrees and shareables and banquet and catering menus,” he added.
Curnow says the hotel strives for a family-friendly place with reasonable price points where the entire family from Mom to the 5-year-old feels good about the options. The lobby and patio hosted impromptu birthday parties and family dinners this past year, and it was very busy catering wedding receptions.
“In early November we had our very first ceremony here on the plaza and I think we’ll see more of that happening,” Curnow said. “We believe if we take care of the locals the rest takes care of itself.”
The new menu that Czech brings to the hotel replaces last winter’s menu, which tended to be on the heavier side, said restaurant supervisor Robin Shaw.
“This offers a fresh twist on season winter vegetables,” she added.
“Everything’s so colorful,” said Janna Fornero. “It’s a good winter menu,” offered Colby Christofferson.