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When chef Anthony Nelson talks about fire, he doesn’t mean it metaphorically. Each afternoon around 2 p.m., he starts adding wood to the hearth at Two Twelve, which has quickly become one of Crested Butte’s trickiest reservations. By 3, the flames are crackling; by 5, the embers are glowing; and by service, every carrot, filet, and stalk of broccolini has touched fire and carries a whisper of smoke.
“It’s a living thing,” Nelson says. “You can control the heat, shift the coals, build layers of flavor. That’s what I love: the ritual. It’s never static.”
That restless, evolving energy defines Two Twelve, which Nelson co-founded in 2023 with local restaurateur Kyleena Falzone (of Secret Stash Pizza and Bonez Tequila Bar & Grill fame) and Denver–Crested Butte developer Jeff Hermanson. The three add different culinary and hospitality philosophies that harmonize well in the dining room and kitchen. Falzone brings a wellness-first approach after surviving cancer and adopting a plant-based lifestyle; Hermanson supplies decades of placemaking experience, including Larimer Square and Union Station. Nelson, the Colorado native with experience from Nobu in Las Vegas to the Little Nell in Aspen, adds his years of experience cooking over wood.
Home On The Range
Nelson’s story starts where a lot of Colorado culinary stories begin: on the land. Growing up on a farm in Yuma on the northeastern plains, he started cooking for his family as a kid—grilling beef after dark while his mom phoned in instructions from the fields. He learned early how to turn what was on hand into something nourishing. “Our normal dining time was at 9 at night. At the time, I didn’t realize what a profound effect that had on me,” he says. “It taught me that food is work. It’s care, it feeds people and community.”
After attending the Culinary Institute of America and cooking at restaurants across the country (New Orleans, Nashville, Las Vegas, and northern Virginia), Nelson honed a love of Japanese precision and Southern soul, ultimately blending both into what he calls “elevated comfort food.” But it wasn’t until he worked at Field & Main outside of Washington, D.C., that he discovered his culinary voice while tending the restaurant’s 10-foot hearth.
“Fine dining has always been reimagined peasant food,” he says. “Comfort food deserves that same respect.” Take his crispy potatoes, for instance, served with what he calls a “potato-salad sauce.” The creamy, tangy accompaniment is familiar and nostalgic but reworked with tongue-in-cheek fun and the crunch and char of the potatoes.
Crested Butte Calling
When the pandemic hit, Nelson returned to Colorado after four years in Virginia. He spent time at Crested Butte’s Elevation Hotel and Aspen’s Pine Creek Cookhouse before Crested Butte pulled him back for good.
“I got sober here,” he shares. “It’s the first place that really felt like home.” Nelson has lived in 10 different states, but says the small town (with a year-round population of about 1,650 residents) offered something he’d never found elsewhere: a sense of belonging and quiet support. “There’s a certain acceptance here,” he says. “People here get it. They show up for you.”
Two Twelve offered a fresh start, a chance to build a restaurant that honors the Western Slope’s resources while embracing the town’s close-knit foundations. “You don’t work for me; you work with me,” he tells his staff, many of whom share his Colombian heritage, which has brought pride and flavor to the menu.
That spirit shows up in the buffalo arepa, a Great Range bison-filled nod to his team’s Colombian roots. The dish wasn’t Nelson’s idea, though. One of his cooks created it and Nelson thought it deserved a place on the menu. The dish sandwiches Colorado-raised meat and melty Oaxaca cheese inside a split corn-flour patty (crisped on the outside and fluffy on the inside), paired with bright notes of gremolata, spicy aji, and a pile of fresh greens.
“I want everyone to have a voice,” he says. “If someone makes something delicious, it deserves to be on the menu.”
Sourcing the Slope
Two Twelve’s suppliers form a Western Slope all-star roster: Thistle Whistle Farm in Hotchkiss, White Mountain Farm in Mosca, Gunni Gal aquaponics farm in Gunnison, and Vermont Sticky, a tiny operation in Crested Butte making the maple syrup that sweetens Nelson’s roasted carrots. Much of the sourcing comes through Farm Runners, the Gunnison-based co-op connecting chefs to small growers. “You can’t get this in the city,” he says. “Nobody’s bringing these farm products to Denver.”
Menus shift constantly, sometimes weekly, especially during the growing season. On one night, that might mean ramp pesto gnocchi with mushrooms; on another, you might find bison strip loin with red-eye gravy (one of Nelson’s Southern touches) and blistered tomatoes.
“If a farmer only has enough of something for three weeks, that’s what we use for three weeks,” Nelson says. “We’re always moving.”
Flame Master
Despite its polish, Two Twelve has earned local loyalty rather than ski bum skepticism. “We did half-off nights early on just to get everyone in,” Nelson says. “We want people to feel excited by and part of what we’re doing here.”
The fire theme extends to the cocktail list, where the smoked old fashioned and Campfire Espresso Martini work equally well with appetizers or dessert. And the Mountain Mai Tai spotlights rum from Montanya Distillers just a few doors down the street. An impressive lineup of spirit-free cocktails (including NA whiskey and Italian spritzes) reflects Nelson’s commitment to a welcoming, inclusive bar.
The Future Is Bright
The restaurant closes briefly each fall and reopens on December 11 for the winter. Bookings open one season in advance. Plan ahead, since peak weeks for the upcoming winter are already full. For those without a reservation, the five-seat bar remains walk-in only. And yes, it offers the full menu.
Nelson isn’t chasing accolades, though partner Hermanson has floated a future James Beard Award push. As for Michelin aspirations? Crested Butte isn’t even in the running yet; the tourism office hasn’t opted into the state’s Michelin Guide program, which currently covers only Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Vail, and Beaver Creek. “Chasing stars can be dangerous,” Nelson says. “Our focus is on making the best food we can and giving people the best experience we can. We’re building something for this community.”
At Two Twelve, that means a hearth glowing through cold Crested Butte nights, a team of cooks crafting “seasonal regional” plates, and a chef who finally feels firmly rooted at home. 212 Elk Ave., Crested Butte, 970-251-5195
