If you’ve ever stopped by Blue Plate in Avon, CO, you may have noticed the words “An American Restaurant” printed on the sign under our logo. Similarly, if you’ve ever eaten at our lovely establishment, you may have thought to yourself, ‘American eatery? This menu is from all over the world!’

See, it’s sort of an inside joke between Chef Adam & owner Elli Roustom – yet once they explain it to you, it makes a lot of sense.

What an “American Restaurant” means to Blue Plate

I’ll be the first one to admit the “American Restaurant” part of Blue Plate’s identity can be confusing. I mean, with global dishes from Chef’s crispy Syrian falafel to Elli’s authentic Austrian schnitzel on the menu, the offering doesn’t necessarily scream “American Cuisine.”

However, Chef Adam & Elli insist on maintaining this description of their restaurant, and here’s why:

Chef Adam and Elli both have strong family ties outside of the United States. Many of Adam’s family members still reside in Syria, and he spent his childhood traveling back and forth between the east coast of the U.S. & Syria each season.

Elli grew up in Austria and traveled to the United States to pursue work & adventure. Most of her family still lives in Europe, so she loves have conversations with fellow German-speaking patrons to keep from becoming rusty. (I’m just kidding – her German will never be rusty. Don’t hurt me, Elli!)

That said, both Adam and Elli truly appreciate the original roots of American culture: to provide a place where people from around the world can come together, live together and learn from each other. They strongly value the idea of the United States being a “melting pot,” and they wanted to create a restaurant that reflects this ideal.

Hence, when you visit “Blue Plate: an American restaurant,” you’ll find a menu with variety. You’ll see a delicious half-pound burger slathered in Chef Adam’s Lucky Seven Sauce alongside a traditional Mediterranean chicken skewer plate. You’ll be able to choose from a gigantic portion of New England-style fish n’ chips or a [slightly smaller] plate of tempura-fried shrimp with a Chinese dipping sauce.

To Chef Adam & Elli Roustom, their eclectic & worldly medley of cuisine represents the epitome of what it means to be an American – and I must say, I cannot argue with that.

A Closer Look at Blue Plate’s Menu

Now that you understand the reasoning behind Blue Plate’s “melting pot” of cuisine (and I’m not just talking about their delicious fondue), let’s take a look at their myriad of dishes from around the world.

Popular Mediterranean Dishes

As I mentioned above, Chef Adam’s family hails from Syria, so he’s grown up cooking traditional Mediterranean foods. (Pro tip: If anything [even slightly] Mediterranean on the menu looks good to you, go for it. It IS good.)

Here are some of Blue Plate’s more popular Mediterranean offerings:

THE “MED” CHICKEN SKEWER

Mediterranean marinated chicken grilled with onion, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Served with jasmine rice, fatoush salad and Chef’s ‘secret’ garlic dipping sauce

DAMASCUS HUMMUS

CHAMY BEET DIP

Popular European Dishes

Elli Roustom grew up in Austria, so Blue Plate’s menu would be incomplete without a few of her family’s old recipes. If you have a sweet tooth, do not miss out on one of her traditional Austrian desserts.

Here are some of Blue Plate’s more popular European offerings:

AUTHENTIC SCHNITZEL

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE

Popular “American” Dishes

Chef Adam spent part of his childhood in Massachusetts, which is where he learned to appreciate traditionally American (or Americanized) recipes. If you’re a fan of fried fish, Blue Plate’s is the best in town.

Here are some of Blue Plate’s more popular American offerings:

NEW ENGLAND STYLE FISH N’ CHIPS

BLUE PLATE MEATLOAF

Popular Asian Dishes

Both Chef Adam & Elli have traveled around the globe, together and apart, but one of their favorite travels was visiting Vietnam and surrounding Southeast Asian countries. Chef likes to use inspiration from this trip to create Asian cuisine.

Here are some of Blue Plate’s more popular Asian offerings:

RED SHRIMP TEMPURA

ASIAN PORK OSSO BUCCO

These dishes are just a few of the cultural medley options available at Blue Plate. Whether you’re looking for Italian, French, Austrian, Syrian, Greek, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Spanish, traditionally American (or other!) cuisine, look no further than Blue Plate.

Chef Adam & Elli Roustom believe there’s room for every taste & culture on their melting pot of a menu and in their American restaurant.

Last spring, we welcomed a new addition to The Blue Plate (well, TWO new additions to be precise). I’m talking, of course, about our new chef’s tasting gondolas – which we’ve named Hansel & Gretel.

After years of schlepping onsie-clad ski bums up & down the slopes of Killington, Vermont, these vintage gondolas landed in their new home on Blue Plate’s east patio to serve a different purpose. With a little refurbishment by Arrigoni Woods and a lot of love from owner Elli Roustom, they are now an intimate & exclusive setting for Blue Plate’s special tasting dinners.

To learn more about our gondola dinners, click here.

Blue Plate’s gondola dinners include 4 courses of delicious cuisine with wine pairings and will only fit 4 guests (maybe one or two more, very snugly), so our gondolas are usually booked to celebrate a special occasion. Here are 5 special occasions you could celebrate in our gondolas.

1. Engagement

Can you find a better spot to pop the question than a cozy vintage gondola car refurbished with old European wood and Austrian textiles while clinking a glass of bubbly? We’ve had quite a few new brides-to-be say yes in our lovely little cars. (And we haven’t had any no’s to date – just saying, guys!)

2. Birthday

Oh, how we love to host intimate birthday dinners in our gondolas! We’ve seen people turn all ages, from 8 to 80, but my favorite birthday celebration would have to be Oliver, a happy little kiddo who is obsessed with gondolas. He completely lit up when he realized he would get to spend his birthday dinner ACTUALLY IN ONE. It was awesome.

3. Anniversary

Remember how amazing our gondolas are for popping the big question? Well, they’re equally fantastic for celebrating your love for years to come! Cuddle together over our authentic Austrian apple strudel & a sweet glass of port while the fire crackles outside your gondola door.

4. New Year’s Eve

Our gondolas are the perfect place to bring in the New Year with your small group of wonderful friends! And you’ll be enjoying a one-of-a-kind exclusive experience because only so many people will be able to make a reservation. We still have a few spots available for NYE 2020, so if you’re interested, it’d be best to make your reservation ASAP.

5. Just Because!

I know I said our gondolas are usually reserved to celebrate special occasions, but what’s a better reason to celebrate than simply for the sake of celebrating?! Gather a group of your best buds and treat yourselves to a lovely evening of laughter and tom-foolery! (Please note: The curtains in our gondolas DO NOT CLOSE. That question has been fairly popular. 😂)

Well, there you have it! These are our top 5 reasons to celebrate in our gondolas, but there are oh-so-many more!

If you’re interested in learning more about our gondolas or making a reservation, click here!