At the top of the game 🍽
Summit at The Broadmoor debuts new menu and Side Dish relishes in a preview
This week we’re going to let the photos do the heavy lifting. I could probably write no words at all and you’d glean an accurate sense of what awaits you at Summit at the Broadmoor. Divine bites and excellence. The lavish hotel’s culinary calling card.
Or, in their words: “chic and contemporary American cuisine.”
But I won’t do you like that. And this food deserves a little bit of detail.
First, in the photo above, meet Chef de Cuisine Rocio Neyra Palmer, the woman commanding Summit’s kitchen. She’s Peruvian, and came to the Broadmoor in 2008 as an International Culinary Extern, working her way up and around the property in the years following. Prior to this post at Summit, she was Ristorante Del Lago’s sous chef.
In addition to her culinary education, Palmer holds degrees in agronomy and farming, which, according to a bio posted about her, influences her commitment to seasonality and zero-waste cooking. One aspect assisting Palmer in that effort: house-grown produce from Broadmoor Farms as well as local herbs and microgreens sourced from Chef Sigi’s Farm (former Broadmoor Executive Chef Siegfried “Sigi” Eisenberger).
At our tasting, Palmer says she and all the hotel chefs receive bi-weekly email updates with lists of available produce. One dish she serves us, a colorful crudité and hummus plate, consists of 75-percent ingredients sourced from those farms. “We play a lot with produce and use basic French-trained techniques,” she says, noting a consistency property wide that’s influenced by the many international culinarians at the hotel and their respective cultures.
Chef Palmer has featured this Summit Ceviche Trio on her menu since its first iteration under her guidance in 2022. It features a Peruvian Salmon Tiradito with salmon belly and aji amarillo pepper; Nikkei Style Ceviche (tuna) with ponzu and leche de tigre; and a catch-of-the-day, in this case Kona Kampachi with lime, lemon and Peruvian Rocoto chile. It’s a striking assembly visually and flavor-wise, with each sauce uniquely accentuating the paired fish.
Vesper martini: Plymouth gin, Abolut vodka, Lillet Blanc, orange bitters, citrus twist.
Olathe sweet corn soup with Colorado goat cheese, brown butter, chives, chive oil and bacon. Rich, savory-sweet and gorgeously in harmony with the ingredient balance.
Lauded architect Adam Tihany designed the Summit. He’s known for other famous restaurants like Aureole in Las Vegas and Per Se in New York. With the Penrose Room still closed (since before its early pandemic), Summit has picked up the mantle as the property’s higher end dining destination.
The Sparkling Summit: Absolut vanilla, Grand Marnier, lime, pineapple, brown sugar, mint and Prosecco. A good starter sipper with sweet effervescence.
Broadmoor Farm’s Crudite & Colorado River Bean Hummus: pole beans, breakfast radish, Tendersweet baby carrots, treviso (radicchio), pickled pearl onion, sweet harissa vinaigrette, ancient grains garlic and sesame seed lavosh. This dish is as from-the-garden as you get. Light, fresh, snappy and vibrantly vegetal.
Probably the most impressive bar back in town. I’m not sure what could top it. If you’ve been going to the Summit over the years, you’ll likely recognize some of the longtime bartenders. As well, familiar face Duane Thompson — at the hotel nearing four decades, notably as the Penrose Room’s maître d' — has been Summit’s general manager since last fall.
Cornmeal crusted soft shell Jonah crab with crab-stuffed Broadmoor Farms squash blossom, pickled rhubarb, squash and herb salad and Meyer lemon vinaigrette. Read: euphoric umami.
The Final Summit: Old Raj gin, Green Chartreuse, Crème de Pêche, absinthe, lime, thyme garnish. (And don’t forget the cool “S” stamped giant ice cube.)
Noir d’Olive Oil – Poached New Zealand King Salmon: Colorado Hakurei turnips, petite fennel and Ratte potatoes, and Pacific Sturgeon Caviar in lemon butter sauce. Read: more umami, with a delightful briney punctuation.
The Broadmoor’s pastry chefs bake phenomenal breads. This salted brioche pulls apart almost like cotton candy. It’s so delicate, buttery and a textural treat. I’m tempted to caption this photo “pinch me, I’m dreaming.”
Eagle’s Nest Ranch Wagyu Beef Skewers with roasted Fresno peppers, chimichurri and Bordelaise sauce. We’re told the Broadmoor receives exclusive beef from a single processed animal monthly. As with the house vegetables up for grabs, the hotel chefs put in for what beef cuts they wish to reserve for their respective menus. (This one comes with a menu-topping $76 price tag and is typically plated with yucca fries.)
*Transparency note in case it’s not clear: I was graciously hosted for this tasting by Broadmoor Director of Public Relations Krista Heineke, a longtime professional friend and colleague. My meal was comped. But my above critical impressions are sincere. The Summit’s outstanding. Again, the photos alone tell the story.
Holy cow this looks delicious!
:)