A discussion of the new dining spaces here at Vi.

The new Highlands Ranch Dining spaces

So we are getting closer to the opening or our new restaurants, and of course there are many questions about what things will be like. We are planning on somewhere near the beginning of September to open, probably one venue at a time. This is a big operation so we hope you will all bear with us as we move forward. By mid-September, we will be serving 370 residents and 230 staff in two restaurants, a bar with food, a fresh food market, a private dining room, special banquet events, three different dining spaces in the Care Center and two employee cafeterias and so we are going to do this slowly and carefully.

Here is a very high level breakdown of what we expect the new spaces to look and feel like. Please understand that things can and probably will change even after we open. We are still working on details and have a few changes in the kitchen but this is pretty much what we are planning. Please remember that these spaces are new and things will not always be the way we did them before.

Menus will be limited to the spaces they are served in and this has to be firm. there is literally no point in doing any of this if we allow diners in one venue to order food from another. Reservations will be different, we will have a new system to work with and different availability in different venues. There is a much bigger vestibule to wait in for those with no reservations and so maybe we can be more flexible in the Casual restaurant with seating-this may however mean long wait times and so reservations will always be recommended. The Bar will be much more cocktail and wine related and not a place to enjoy a three course meal-although there will be full meals available. Below I have tried to outline what our vision for each space will be, and what you can expect when we reopen in late August or Early September.

The Mt Rosa Dining Room

The Mt Rosa dining room is the name of our more formal dining space. The Mt Rosa is meant to be a place to linger over a coursed meal with artfully designed menus and wines to pair them with. We are envisioning dinner only, six nights a week. There are approximately sixty seats, with two larger tables, several tables of four and a row of banquettes that will seat two people at a time. The space is where the second dining room used to be. Reservations will be required, and the Dress Code will be established by the Food Committee but probably more formal. Menus will be a La Carte, meaning that the sides and entrees will be ordered separately-like a steak house. The pace of dining in this venue is meant to be very relaxed, with diners lingering over their entrees while enjoying a variety of wines and made to order desserts. The menu is designed to be premium cuts of meats, fresh seafood, with a variety of small plates, appetizes and sides that will change weekly. Dinner is one meal credit and wine will be a resident charge.

The 1859

The 1859 is the name of our new Casual restaurant. It will be open for breakfast Lunch and Dinner, six days a week with reservations being highly recommended at Dinner. Sunday Brunch will also be served here. The 1859 is meant to be a place to get a comfortable meal of unpretentious but delicious food. There are roughly 110 seats, encompassing what used to be the first dining room and wrapping around to what used to be the Patio. Again, the dress code will be resident driven, but I expect a much more relaxed atmosphere. Breakfast will be traditional with pancakes, eggs made to order, that kind of thing. We will offer resident charge pricing at breakfast. Lunch will be primarily sandwiches, pizzas and salads that can be done quickly. Lunch will be meal credit or Resident Charge. Dinner will be simple salads, soups, entrees and sides that can be ordered a la carte. The menu is designed around a traditional three course meal, what this means is that the server and kitchen will not be taking long pauses between courses as in the more formal dining room. Residents wanting a slower pace of dining can ask for it but we will otherwise be trying to get the food to the table as quickly as possible. Items served here will focus on fresh ingredients with quick cooking times made to order. In this venue, we may have traditional favorites like meatloaf or fried chicken alongside healthier options like quinoa pilaf or grilled chicken breast. Dinner will be meal credit or resident charge, and alcohol is resident charge only.

The Dad Clark Bar

The Dad Clark Bar is a cocktail lounge with limited food and will be open six evenings a week. The Bar is meant to be a place to have a cocktail before dinner, a nightcap after dinner or anytime between. There are no reservations for the roughly 24 seats, and it will be first come first served. The Bar will have two taps, and a much larger space with the TV being positioned where the old bar was and the bar itself against what used to be a window to the Patio. The Bar will serve traditional cocktails, spirits, wines and beers, with a focus on Colorado varieties where possible. Again, all alcohol is resident charge only. Wine and spirits list will be larger than before. Wine will be available in 6 or 9 ounce pours and spirits will be 2, 4, or 6 ounce pours as the resident directs. This means that there will no longer be half glasses as residents can choose their own pour.

The food in the Dad Clark will be Fast Casual -meaning is that there will be a smaller more limited menu that can be served in one course. This speeds up service times, allowing people to come and go more easily and making the Bar more accessible to non diners. An example might be that the resident comes in, takes a table and orders the Lamb Stew. The stew comes with Garlic toast, cucumber salad, a twice baked potato and a brownie. In 6-9 minutes the entire meal is brought to the resident in one course along with the check. The resident is able to come in, get a meal, and be completely done in a short time and the table is free for the next resident. We do expect to do some form of happy hour as before, but times and days have yet to be determined.

The Hunt Club is our private Dining room, located where the North Dining room was previously. There will be 20-30 seats depending on placement and planning. This space is intended to be used for private events catered by us, from cocktail parties to dinners. The menus will be available in a catering guide, or by discussion with the Chef. We would need at least two weeks notice to use the space and billing will be resident charges or meal credit depending on what and who is served. Sunday mornings, holidays and with special events the space will not be available for reservation as we will be using this space to set up buffets.

The Hive Market will continue to operate seven days a week and will be the primary source of takeaway food. We will continue to offer salads, soups, desserts, and entrees both hot and cold. Items will be changed regularly according to seasonal availability, resident taste and chef creativity. The Hive is Resident Charge or Meal Credits. Alcohol, honey, and certain items are Resident Charge only.

I plan to talk about this in more detail at the Food and Beverage forum on June 27th at 2:00. I hope this was informative and might answer some questions.