STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Yampa Street’s latest culinary offering, Sauvage, features French flavors served up in a contemporary European atmosphere that owner Victoria Vinokurova believes will appeal to locals and visitors.

“So from the walls to flatware, we have that European touch,” Vinokurova said. “We think that it’s a nice addition to what we have already in Steamboat. The dining scene is beautiful and expanding, and there is no limit to the dining scene in Steamboat.”

The new restaurant, located at 910 Yampa St., offers a special three-course and five-course fine dining experience from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

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The restaurant also is open Tuesdays and Wednesday nights offering its mezzanine menu, similar to a bar menu, which is available whenever Sauvage is open. On Sundays, the restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for brunch. Vinokurova said she will be announcing breakfast, lunch and happy hour plans this fall.

“We want it to be that French bistro that also offers a fine dining experience for dinner that still stays affordable and welcoming,” Vinokurova said.

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Vinokurova grew up in the Russian Federation and then moved to France where she earned a degree in culinary arts and restaurant management from the Institut Paul Bocuse, which is among an elite group of higher education institutions offering courses in hospitality management, food service and culinary arts located France.

Vinokurova then went on to work for Pierre Orsi, one of France’s most notable and acclaimed chefs, at the restaurant named after him in Lyon, France. She also worked for Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance in Paris, which was ranked No. 18 among the world’s 50 best restaurants in 2012.

Sauvage will be Vinokurova’s first restaurant in the U.S., and she has designed the space and menu with care, making sure every detail is covered. She worked with designers from France to design the interior, purchased handcrafted plates and light pendants from an artist she knows in Mexico and selected a manufacturer from Italy for the flatware.

But she takes the most pride in the team she’s assembled including executive chef Garrett Kasper, who graduated from the Arizona Culinary Institute and has worked at the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in Denver; pastry chef Stephanie Van Wuffen, who has worked at several fine dining establishments including Penrose Room at The Broadmoor hotel in Colorado Springs; and Andre Swanson, who will work as Sauvage’s wine program creator and general manager.

“He’s a firm believer that the food must come first and has been waiting for dishes from a kitchen such as Sauvage to allow him the canvas he needs to paint his vinophile-inspired story,” Vinokurova said of Swanson. “We look forward to letting him take you on a culinary journey as we tantalize your taste buds with the smells and flavors of the European wine country.”

Sauvage will feature a wine selection of 400 bottles, with about 1,315 bottles in stock in its wine cellar. The collection is 80% French with the other 20% coming from select vineyards in Europe and the U.S.. The wine program features vineyards that grow their own grapes to produce their wine.

The food features only the finest ingredients, and all menu items, including the bread, are created from scratch inside the restaurant’s state-of-the-art kitchen.

“Everything we serve is made in house,” Vinokurova said. “We do everything we have on the plate.”

Kasper’s creative spirit is showcased on the fine dining menu, but with the bistro menu, he hopes to create two very unique dining experiences.

“I think it offers something for everybody in Steamboat,” Kasper said of Sauvage’s fine-dining and mezzanine options. “One day you can come in here, sit upstairs, and have some wine and an affordable dinner while hanging out with your significant other. Then the next day you can dress up and sit downstairs and have a three-hour dining experience with the perfect wine pairing. I think that’s pretty unique.”

Visit sauvage-restaurant.com to view the menus and make reservations.

To reach John F. Russell, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.