Word of mouth: mountain resorts count on chefs to make it.

• Author: Beck, Cathie

Eric Calderon, vice president and general manager of the Little Nell Hotel in Aspen, probably knows as much, if not more, than any upscale hotel manager anywhere about the affects a "celebrity chef" can have on hotel business. As "signature" chefs, "celebrity" chefs and "name" chefs grab cuisine media headlines on a daily basis, Calderon confidently calls on his 18 years at the Little Nell to gauge the movement, taking what a connoisseur might call a lukewarm but seasoned stance on a chef's role in helping fill high-end, resort-priced rooms.

"Having a 'name' chef in the kitchen is a double-edge sword," says Calderon. "We have found, and I suspect others have as well, that a more expensive chef may not necessarily be worth the effort and cost. What counts is the word-of-mouth of having plain, good food. The truth is that, right now we don't have a celebrity chef. He (Little Nell's current chef, Ryan Hardy) will become one by being with us and because of his talent. He's the best chef we've ever had, but he's not a Wolfgang Puck."

Don't tell Chris Hanen that, however. General manager at Vail's The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, Hanen said Fabrice Beaudoin, who has been with Cordillera for 14 years, is a key element in a long and lucrative resort-building strategy. "Our chef is really important, very important," says Hanen. "But understand how and why this community was developed in the first place. Cordillera developed a 7,500-acre, 1,000-lot community in the late 1980s, and the first order of business was to build a lodge to attract real estate buyers. One of the most important elements to that rollout was to hire someone who could create a world-class restaurant--that's our 'Restaurant Picasso'--which is now world-famous. Restaurant Picasso was used as a venue for people to see the community and (to want to) build real estate. That importance continues today."

But Hanen adds being a chef for a resort today goes beyond building the resort's population. It even goes beyond the preparation of food.

"It's not just about eating," Hanen said. "It's about having a great experience. It's also not about being stuck in the back and cooking anymore. The chef has to be able to communicate. We do cooking demonstrations. As an example, when corporate business comes to town. We do special cooking events for the spouses of business executives.

"Fabrice is not an 'Emeril' (Lagasse)," says Hanen, "but he's very, very well respected both within the Vail Valley...