RIDGWAY, Colorado. (February 11, 2004) � Developers Michael and Thomas Forman are pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Chamberlain to the position of Culinary Director of the restaurant and food service at Elk Mountain Resort, a new luxury destination situated on 275 acres of spectacular mountain property in southwest Colorado.  The nationally acclaimed chef and owner of Chamberlain�s Steak and Chop House and Chamberlain�s Seafood Grill in Dallas will oversee the regularly changing menu for the resort�s innovative private in-cottage dining as well as the menus at Tarragon� the new 87-seat, regional and Pyrenees-Alpine cuisine-focused restaurant.

�Richard is a tremendously talented chef and the perfect addition to our management team at Elk Mountain,� said Thomas Forman.  �We feel certain that his creativity, experience, and remarkable culinary skills will enchant even the most discerning palates, and that the Elk Mountain kitchen will express the same commitment to excellence that is the hallmark of the entire resort.�

Richard Chamberlain opened Chamberlain�s Steak and Chop House in 1993.  The restaurant was quickly named one of the country�s top new restaurants by Bon Appetit Magazine.  Chamberlain and his Dallas restaurant have since been honored with numerous awards and accolades, including �Best Chef in the Midwest� from the James Beard Foundation, �One of America�s Top Tables� from Gourmet Magazine, and �One of America�s Top Restaurants� from the Zagat Guide. 

Prior to opening his own restaurants, Chamberlain spent three years as the executive chef of the exclusive Little Nell Hotel in Aspen, where he received national attention for pioneering American Alpine Cooking.  He has also served as executive chef at San Simeon Restaurant and Ratcliff�s, both in Dallas; as executive sous chef at the world famous Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles; and as sous chef under Dean Fearing at the Mansion at Turtle Creek.

Surrounded by pristine National Forests on three sides and the 14,000-foot-high peaks of the San Juan Mountains, Elk Mountain Resort will combine breathtaking natural beauty with year-round outdoor activities, five-star service and luxurious accommodations for couples, families and executive groups of all sizes.

At the center of Elk Mountain Resort will be the two-story Main Lodge, a common area for guests designed to evoke a 19th century hunting lodge.  Overlooking Tait Lake, the Main Lodge will have an 87-seat, five-star dining restaurant featuring regional cuisine, 160-seat outdoor dining deck, 60-seat lounge, 27-seat cigar bar, billiard tables, general store, concierge and lobby.  Elk Mountain Resort�s Main Lodge will also offer several corporate meeting rooms complete with state-of-the-art audio/visual conferencing technologies. 

Elk Mountain Resort is located just 40 minutes from the resort haven of Telluride, Colorado, one of the most popular ski destinations in North America.  Elk Mountain Resort is also within a 20-minute drive from the area�s main airport in Montrose, and a short drive to the scenic town of Ouray and a host of National Parks and Forests, including the breathtaking Black Canyon National Park.