Thomas Salamunovich

Owner/Culinary Director

Internationally trained chef and restaurateur, Thomas Salamunovich hasn’t limited his culinary identity. From elegant, refined Larkspur Restaurant to stylish, farm-fresh Avondale, to quick‐casual Larkburger, Thomas is comfortable as long as he’s creating authentic fare. Appearing on several national television shows such as CBS This Morning and The Today Show, his passion for great food is enthusiastically shared.

Both a graduate and instructor of the California Culinary Academy, he continued his education in San Francisco during the West Coasts’s food revolution.  Under the tutelage of Jeremiah Towers at Stars and later Wolfgang Puck at Postrio Restaurant, Thomas developed his passion for New American cuisine.  On a year-long French tour he worked and studied in the kitchens of Michelin three-star rated restaurants l’Auberge du Pont de Collonges under Paul Bocuse in Lyon, Lucas Carton in Parais, two-star restaurant Elysee Lenôtre in Paris, and world-renowned bakery, Poilane Boulangerie.

In 1993, Thomas moved to Vail, Colorado to become the Executive Chef of Sweet Basil, and designed and opened Zino Ristorante in Edwards a few years later. He and his wife, Nancy Sweeney opened Larkspur at the base of Vail Mountain in 1999 to great critical acclaim. The energetic bar area and graceful dining room are known as much for the atmosphere as for the menu, which elevates regional American fare to the highest levels. In 2002, Thomas created Silver Sage and Summer Thyme restaurants for Red Sky Golf Club, one of the premier mountain golf experiences in North America featuring courses by Tom Fazio and Greg Norman.

Fall of 2005 brought the opening of fast‐casual Larkburger, a new concept born from the popular bar item at Larkspur. Natural, organic, and eco‐friendly, Larkburger quickly built a loyal following in the Vail Valley and has now expanded to Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins. In 2008, Thomas was invited to create the food & beverage program for the new Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain. Social and posh, Restaurant Avondale’s stylish interior and welcoming ambiance have provided a popular haven for Vail Valley residents and guests alike. Westin Riverfront’s weddings, banquet operations, in-room dining, pool and spa dining services and take-out market have raised the bar for American resorts.  The success of Restaurant Avondale and the entire food & beverage department was integral to Westin Riverfront being awarded Condé Nast’s Best Resort in North America for 2010.

Allana Smith

Director of Operations

After receiving her Spanish Studies degree from the Central University of Barcleona and AOS degree from the New England Culinary Institute, Allana worked as line cook and pastry chef for restaurants from New Orleans to Chicago to Nantucket.

In 1995 she landed at Sweet Basil in Vail, CO as pastry chef and worked with Executive Chef Thomas Salamunovich. Allana continued her travels, working for Brix in Napa, CA and Café Mira in Clayton, MO before returning to the Vail Valley in 1998. Here, she worked as the Pastry Chef’s Assistant at The Lodge at Vail’s two excellent restaurants, The Wildflower and Cucina Rustica, before being asked to join Salamunovich’s new Larkspur Restaurant team in 1999.

While Executive Pastry Chef at Larkspur, Allana supervised all preparation of in-house, naturally leavened fresh breads and desserts for the dining room, as well as pastry and dessert products for the Market.

A perfectionist by nature, Allana has tireless energy and attention to detail. Her passion and drive have been instrumental in the growth of Savory Group. She was promoted to Director of Operations in 2011, overseeing and implementing all strategies for the business.

Mark Metzger

Executive Pastry Chef

From the Yankees cap to the unmistakable accent, there’s no doubt about Mark Metzger’s roots. He’s a native of the Big Apple, and his culinary background shines from this heritage. He’s worked his way through many of Manhatten’s finest establishments – Tom Colicchio’s Craft Steak NY, Charlie Palmer’s Aureole, Jimmy Trabelsi’s Alessio Restaurant 426.

A former student of psychology and special education, Mark discovered a talent for baking and decided to explore pastry as a career choice. He graduated from Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School in 2000 and hasn’t looked back. In addition to positions with some of the city’s famous restaurateurs, he was corporate pastry chef for PreGel USA, traveling extensively to train master chefs on the use of the company’s pastry products.

Mark credits Richard Biondo, chef of Five Napkin Burger in New York, as one of his most valuable mentors. “Richard is the whole package – a successful businessman, with incredible people skills. He taught me the importance of management and that being a great chef simply isn’t enough.”

A vacation trip brought Mark to Colorado and he fell in love with the mountains. When extended a job offer from Vail Cascade’s new Atwater on Gore Creek, he decided to leave New York City. Baking at 8000 feet has been ‘a new challenge,’ he says. “There isn’t a set conversion that works as a standard for every recipe.”

Mark brought his pastry prowess to Larkspur in Summer 2009. He says he loves the ‘land connection’ that Colorado restaurants have with regional farmers. “It’s so much more tangible here than when you live in a city,” he says, “I am actually meeting the farmers who make our cheeses.”

James Gall

Managing Director

James Gall, Larkspur’s Managing Director, has an intrinsic gift of perception. Whether helping to determine the best choice of wine, or graciously visiting at the end of the meal, James touches every guest with genuine hospitality.

He believes hospitality is in his roots; a perpetual student of psychology, James relates well to all individuals from his guests to his staff. He enjoys building teams and relies upon this skill to create a unified staff that effortlessly extends hospitality to others. “I focus on teaching life skills, not just Larkspur skills. Salesmanship and hospitality are traits they can take with them on life’s journey. It gives the service team a long range perspective,” he said.

James spent his youth traveling around the world as his father’s position with the U.S. government engaged the family in many countries and cultures. At age 15, James realized his love of restaurants and his growing appreciation of food and wine. He began working in restaurants as soon as he was old enough, and started experimenting in the kitchen at home. Cooking quickly became one of his favorite hobbies, one he continues to enjoy today.

James graduated from James Madison University in Virginia with a degree in Hospitality Tourism Management, with a concentration in Food & Beverage. Upon graduating, he worked at the acclaimed, historic Joshua Wilton House. The establishment sourced considerable ingredients from Pollyface Farms, the pioneers of sustainable farming. ‘Beyond Organic’ was more than a slogan as owner Joel Salatin’s passion drove a movement that has become a restaurant way of life today.

In a move to the Rocky Mountains, James arrived in Vail, CO, where he furthered his knowledge at fine restaurants before landing at Savory Group’s Restaurant Avondale. He proved to be a strong leader and very effective in wine sales and was promoted to Managing Director at Savory’s flagship Larkspur Restaurant.

Known for its warm ambiance and contemporary American cuisine, Larkspur has found strength at the helm with James. His goal for the future of the company is to exceed the expectations of every guest. Passion for his profession and concentrated knowledge of food, wine and service, James is a winning combination that promises guests memorable experiences at Larkspur.

Alisa Steinberg

Director of Special Events

Jessica Petter

Director of Accounting

Robert Kennon

Chef de Cuisine

David Richardson

Dining Director

Mariella Moyer

Dir of Human Resources

David Bielecki

Sous Chef

Zach Jakubowski

Kitchen Manager

Mike Schimelphfenig

Sous Chef

Josh Stevenson

Bar Director