(Photo: Meatbar's new co-owners Alex and Kelsey Hebert. Photography by One Reel Media House.)

Steamboat Springs, CO - With jamón ibérico legs hanging in the window, Meatbar has always been something undeniably different for Steamboat Springs. Now that the restaurant has changed hands, that can of worms – or more accurately, tin of fish, but more on that later – is open permanently.

Alex and Kelsey Hebert officially took over ownership of Meatbar on April 1, 2024, although Kelsey had previously worked closely with founder Laura Posiak, more commonly known around town as “Laura the Butcher.” When Kelsey started working at Meatbar, it was meant as a fun summer job – “but I ended up falling in love with it,” she says.

Kelsey brings extensive experience in the fine dining industry including a decade spent in restaurant kitchens, mostly in Denver (at Rootdown, Mizuna and The Kitchen Bistro). She also worked as a private chef. Alex, after spending part of his childhood in Steamboat, was educated mainly in Europe. When he returned to Colorado, it was with a focus on the restaurant and wine industry.

Now, tucked into a back table at Meatbar, the couple discusses their upcoming plans for the space, the menu and the retail section. 

“We plan to keep it the same style,” Kelsey says. “We're focusing on European eats, smaller plates that are really great for sharing.” Fans of Laura’s charcuterie boards need not worry: meats and cheeses are still a focal point of the menu.

New though, is the addition of fish. “I love the whole tinned fish thing that they do in Spain, and I think that could be a really fun aspect of this restaurant,” Kelsey says. With that in mind, caballa con gribiche (mackerel fillets in sauce) made a recent appearance on the dinner menu. “It's maybe not something you would go out for because maybe you don't know it,” Alex says. “But then once you have it, you're like, ‘I need to have that again.’” (And, hint: Alex recommends pairing it with a glass of Chablis). 

Also new: the duo has invented a way to elevate any summer picnic by providing baskets packed with crackers, meats, cheeses, tinned fish and wine. “I love giving people an experience that they will remember,” Kelsey says. “We have a lot of people come in here and they're just kind of blown away by what we are, and they've never seen anything like it.”

And, Kelsey continues to implement Laura’s focus on teaching. “I love that aspect too – sharing our knowledge about the jamón legs and our knowledge about the food from Europe,” she says. “Just making it more accessible to people; more enjoyable. And sharing how fun it is when you find something delicious.”