BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- Like Vail and Aspen, Beaver Creek has an after-hours food scene to rival the action on the slopes. You can take your pick of swank dining all over the resort village, and even up on the ski hill. One of the most unusual dining experiences on the mountain is a place you can't drive to, though it's just a snowy sleigh ride away: Beano's Cabin.
My first visit to the restaurant was last year, for a relaxed midday meal. Flanked by huge windows under high, exposed-beam ceilings, lunch was a sunny, laid-back affair, and I recall a plate of excellent fish tacos that was refreshingly light and tasty -- an ideal meal that managed to provide fuel for an afternoon of snowboarding without turning my stomach to lead.
This time around, I find dinner is a complete event all its own; the four-course fixed-price menu won't allow for anything else but reclining after the meal. At night, open-air sleighs, both horse-drawn and pulled by snow cat, depart from the heart of Beaver Creek's village, adjacent to the Beaver Creek Chophouse. (If you want to get a ride on a pony-pulled sleigh, you'll have to score an early reservation, as it takes an hour and a half each way; rides driven by snow cat take 20-25 minutes).
Even if you're pulled by machine, there's something exhilarating about being in an open carriage in the frigid winter air. My friend Esther joins me for the ride, and we huddle with other guests under piles of wool blankets. A canopy of stars wink above, and as we chug up the ski slope, the moonlit village seems to open up at our feet. All kinds of night critters scamper along with us, or so we're told: Mice are attracted to the vibration of the snow cat, and after they pop up, foxes chase them to the next hiding hole.
An unexpected sight greets us when we arrive at the cabin: a big ball of a mama porcupine, prickly-spined and snacking on bread set out for her by the restaurant staff. After some oohing and aahing, we dart quickly toward the warm glow of the foyer. Gas lamps light the interior and the big open kitchen; painted white tiles and hanging antique pots and pans are the centerpiece of the restaurant. A double fireplace, which separates the front of the dining room from the entrance bar and cocktail lounge, is adorned with a pair of old-fashioned snowshoes and extra-long vintage wooden skis.
Accustomed by this time to the riches of Beaver Creek's dining scene, Esther and I vow to pace ourselves. From the start, it's a tough promise to keep. A luscious amuse-bouche arrives from the chef: a pureed white-bean soup with a drizzle of pesto oil, served in a tiny, long-handled pot and accompanied by a selection of crusty breads with soft, substantive interiors, including olive, raisin-walnut, and ciabatta.
The service is efficient and observant without being overbearing. When I leave most of the goat cheese and onions on my salad plate, our server notices as he clears the plates away.
''You should have told me, I could have done something about that," he says in an agreeable, not admonishing, way.
The table dressings are simple and elegant, with clean lines and little fuss. It gives Beano's Western lodge a classy, modern feel. For appetizers, we choose the garlic, mushroom, and mozzarella pizza (made with dough tossed right before our eyes) and the duck. Both are fragrant and crisp, with deep, richly smoky flavors. For main courses, we order shellfish-crusted Arctic char and Colorado lamb. Beautifully browned, the char arrives on a bed of delicate baby vegetables and basmati rice, with ginger butter. The lamb loin comes with creamed leeks, shiitakes, and fingerling potatoes.
By dessert, we're full, but forge on. We prefer the simplicity of the house-made coconut sorbet to the vanilla-bean cake, which is rich enough on its own but comes overdressed with a ribbon of intensely tart raspberry coulis and two chocolate-filled cookies. After ordering espresso to aid in digestion, we sit back in our chairs, as predicted, for a good long while.
With live music and the constant bustle of sleighs arriving and departing bearing their customer cargo, the restaurant is a busy, noisy place. Intimate it's not, but Beano's Cabin is more than worth the nighttime trip for the excellent food and service. Next time, I'm taking the horse-pulled sleigh, if only to have more time to digest.
Meet in the bar adjacent to the Beaver Creek Chophouse in Beaver Creek Village; 970-949-9090. Fixed price dinner is $94 per person. 
