For over five years, your brave culinary explorers Russel Reuben and William Montecristo have scoured the Valley for inspiring burgers, sandwiches, tacos, snacks on a stick, second breakfasts and finger foods. We’ve eaten in fancy hotel lobbies, dive bars, movie theaters, taco shops and a gravel parking lot. We follow the food.
Over the years we’ve crowned dozens of Golds, Silvers and Bronzes. Some were glorious. Some were controversial. Some may have been awarded after “a perfectly reasonable number of beers” and heated debates about Huey Lewis lyrics.
Now, as Covered Bridge celebrates its 10th issue, we asked the question that keeps serious food journalists up at night: Do our past champions still deserve the podium?
To find out, we returned to the archives and revisited some of the greatest moments in Eat With Your Hands history. A few legends rose again. A few slid down the standings. And one or two made us wonder what exactly we were thinking that day.
But before the medals, one moment deserves some recognition beyond the podium.
Tender Moments: A Handbook for Hungry Fathers and Sons
(Summer + Fall 2024)
This was the issue that introduced the world to Monty, the self-appointed “Chicken Prince of Vail,” whose fearless chicken-tender analysis, deep philosophical questions about Minecraft and unwavering loyalty to “the good ketchup” elevated our work to heights previously unknown in food journalism.
Monty asked the tough questions:
“What’s the rarest mob in Minecraft?”
“Why does that lady have a cat in a stroller?”
And most importantly:
“Are kids allowed whiskey if it’s food?”
For bravery, honesty and surviving the spiciest chicken finger in the Valley, Monty earns our first-ever Eat With Your Hands Honorable Mention.
Now … onto the medals.
Gold: DANIMAL STYLE
Rocky Mountain Taco, Minturn
(Winter + Spring 2021-22)
Russel: Five years later, we returned to see if the legend still held up. It does. In fact, it’s even better now. The new fluffy potato bun hugs the patties like a tasty food cloud. Add those snappy Grillo’s pickles, aged Tillamook cheddar and Danimal sauce, and suddenly you remember exactly why this thing made the podium in the first place.
William: The new Danimal, backed by skinny fries and tangy fry sauce, is basically the Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album of burgers. Same band, heavier riffs, tighter production. Iconic Valley dining.
Photo by Sara Ostrand
Silver: STANDARD MARGARITA
Mountain Standard, Vail
(Summer + Fall 2025)
Russel: This Eat With Your Hands expedition began the way many legendary Vail Valley afternoons do. With sunshine, a deck with a view, bros hanging with their favorite four-legged friends and the dangerous belief that one margarita will probably be enough. We didn’t take notes that day. Did we need to? Trust us.
William: For sheer patio-powered joy, issue eight claims a well-earned and salted rim silver. Mountain Standard’s bartenders continue to deliver a masterpiece of a margarita. Smooth, but beware of this dog’s bite; there’s a reason they enforce a “three-limit” rule on these rascals. And a special toast to Walter, the distinguished gentleman of an English Setter who graced us with his chill wisdom, thus earning the title of “Vail’s goodest boy.”
Bronze: SWISS HOT DOG
Blü Cow, Vail
(Winter + Spring 2023-24)
Russel: Some foods have the magic to transport you somewhere else entirely. One bite of the Swiss Dog is a guaranteed stamp in your culinary passport. This standout from issue five features three skinny sausages topped with mustard, arugula and curry dust in a combination you can’t forget … it was the best of times, it was the würst of times.
William: It was strange. It was delicious. Am I talking about the Blü Cow’s everlasting impact on Vail’s food scene? Am I talking about one random lunch with Russel? Both. At the time of writing, there are rumors flying about the future location of this Vail staple. I have faith these dogs will have a new house in Vail secured soon. Otherwise, I’m moving to the Alps and opening a yodeling school.
Disclaimer: These rankings are anecdotal samplings of some of the food we ate with our hands and are by no stretch of the imagination an all-inclusive or accurate encapsulation of the Valley’s cornucopia of offerings. If you have a suggestion of where we should eat next, please email us: eatwithyourhandsvail@gmail.com.
