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The Vail Valley is migrating west to Hovey & Harrison for seasonal provisions in the form of farm breakfasts, Colorado Meat Co. cuts, sourdough culture breads, and a healthy dose of community.
Gretchen Hovey and Molly Harrison pooled their respective Colorado small farm and high-end culinary connections to bring the high-country fresh produce, honey, and flowers and complete seed-to-harvest-inspired bakery and café offerings. The bustling morning and afternoon meet-up space beams golden yellow from its business center plaza perch, beckoning regulars with mountain-chic, borderline hipster vibes singing from exposed brick walls, long community tables, kombucha on tap, and fluffy faux fur-draped nooks.
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On a recent lazy weekend morning, my husband and I bellied up to the wood bar on skinny metal stools and began our brunch session with a ginger turmeric latte ($4) and a heavenly spiked concoction dubbed The White Out ($9). The indulgent cold cocktail was akin to a White Russian on steroids, made with nitro cold brew coffee, Richardo’s Coffee Liquor, vodka, and cream crowned by two skewered pillowy housemade marshmallows.
After ogling the dry goods—including Hovey & Harrison’s own line of jams, local small-batch pickles, truffle salts, and a full spectrum of Colorado artisan wares—we lingered around the open-format bakery and contemplated cinnamon monkey bread and twisted soft pretzels larger than our heads.
We landed on the seasonally influenced soup of the day—a generous brothy bowl of hot and sour ($15) fragrant with lemongrass and cayenne and with shitakes, a 63-degree cracked egg, and fried Brussels swimming around in a satisfying bone broth. The hunk of homemade crusty sourdough wedged onto the clay bowl’s rim was a special treat. On our server’s spot-on recommendation, I ordered the huevos yucatecos ($13) and dove into an artfully layered dish of salty slightly sweet fried plantains, pickled onion, smashed black beans, fried eggs, and queso fresco atop crunchy corn tortillas all married by a smooth, deep red mole sauce offering subtle peppery chocolate hints.
The next time you’re passing by Edwards, follow the stream of happy locals and break for a nourishing stop at Hovey & Harrison. Shop a little, sip gourmet coffee, peruse the bakery case (good luck resisting those salted caramel mini cheesecakes), and be sure to hit the grab-n-go cooler for prepared dinner entrées.
If you go: 0056 Edwards Village Blvd., Unit 120, 970-446-6830. Monday–Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
