Little Bear Café EagleVail

Little Bear Café is brewing cozy classics in EagleVail, the newest venture from Big Bear Bistro owners Vidette and Mike Gehl, where familiar favorites inspire a menu that feels both nostalgic and refreshed.

Walk through the doors of The Alpinist, turn left, and you’ll find a handwritten chalkboard menu above a Lavazza espresso machine, Rishi Tea bags, a variety of bottled beverages and two Vail Brewing Company taps: Hot Mess Blonde Ale and Gore Creek IPA. Along the counter, there is a selection of homemade baked goods, such as banana bread, along with chips and other snacks for sale. The menu features crêpes, salads, soups, sandwiches, breakfast items and coffee options with something for everyone, including a kids’ menu for “bear cubs.”

Manager Marty Odom says the Little Bear menu is a newer, fresher take on Big Bear’s longtime favorites, with several sandwiches returning under new names: Gondola Grinder (Masterpiece), Tree Stash (Tree Hugger), Castle Peak (The Mo), Zeppelin (Lumberjack) and Bear Paw (Briggs). He says it is important to continue serving Big Bear’s loyal following and to cater to a variety of tastes and palates — which is why you’ll also find new go-tos unique to Little Bear, such as the Chicken Yard wrap, Marmot Mixer salad and Forest Floor crêpe.

“Big Bear is more high volume and fast paced, and here we can take the extra time to take it up a notch,” Vidette says. “At Big Bear, we have had the same menu for years, and now we get the chance to experiment with new items and ideas.”

I ordered one of these new items, the Alpine Turkey — served on Michel’s Bakery ciabatta, smeared with homemade pesto and stacked with organic greens, roasted turkey, provolone, sun-dried tomatoes and freshly shaved red onion. Along with most of Little Bear’s sauces, the pesto is made in-house with simple ingredients: basil, honey, Romano cheese, garlic and olive oil. Odom says this recipe purposely omits pine nuts so it’s more allergy-friendly. The honey is subtle, adding a gentle sweetness that balances and enhances the savory flavors of the turkey and veggies. The cold sandwich was both refreshing and fueling. I was pleasantly surprised by the portion size, leaving me satisfied with an empty plate.

“We have big lifestyles and big adventures here, so we need big meals that are healthy without the grease,” Odom says.

I paired my sandwich with an iced americano, an easy, earthy sip under the incoming summer sunshine.

All non-alcoholic drinks can be taken to-go, making it easy to bring your beverage on your summer and fall outdoor journeys. Little Bear is a short 0.3-mile walk to the EagleVail swimming pool, tennis courts and pickleball courts, and a quick 0.8 miles from the EagleVail Golf Club. It’s also 2 miles from the EagleVail Trail, my personal favorite neighborhood hike that connects you to Evercrisp trail or Paulie’s Plunge.