Veteran chef returns to valley

BASALT ” Veteran Chef Mitch Levy has returned from his hometown of Tuscon to start his own restaurant.

Having spent 12 years in the Roaring Fork Valley ” from 1991 to 2003 ” starting at The Little Nell in Aspen and working up to the executive chef, and food and beverage director at the Snowmass Club, the call to return was too hard to resist when a location became available in Basalt, Levy said.

Drawing on the success of his popular Tucson restaurant, Cuvee World Bistro, the Colorado version will open to the public in Basalt at 305 Gold Rivers Court, No. 140 on July 20.

Levy has been described as a master at the art of food and wine pairing. Featuring an international selection of culinary delights, each dish on the Cuvee menu includes a wine pairing suggestion.

One of the focal points at Cuvee is the state-of-the-art OZ Winebar preservation and dispensing system. The “OZ” makes it possible for guests to select from more than 40 different wines by the glass and features favorites, as well as some exceptional boutique wines.

“We founded Cuvee on the premise that good wine should be accessible to everyone,” Levy said. “Being able to offer many great wines by the glass need not be expensive, or mysterious. The OZ Winebar has expanded our ability to feature some very unique wines by the glass that are usually available only by the bottle elsewhere.”

Wine Flights, which include a tasting of three related wines also will be available. The bar will offer a complete range of specialty drinks and premium liquors as well.

The full service restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. for lunch and dinner and happy hour. The Cuvee happy hour is served up in the bar and patio every day from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. For $10, guests can select any one of the appetizers from the bar menu and any glass of wine under $10 a glass.

Levy and his wife Krystal are excited about seeing old friends and look forward to welcoming new ones at Cuvee and becoming involved in the community.

“This is where we want to be, to raise our family in this beautiful part of the country, it truly feels like home,” Levy said.