Unravel Coffee Vail

you're on east meadow drive in vail, which sounds like ski-resort territory, and it mostly is. but minturn sits just down the road, and unravel coffee is the kind of place that doesn't need the resort backdrop to justify itself. it has a real local following, which in a mountain town means people are coming back on weekdays, not just after a powder day. specialty coffee in colorado's high country can feel like an afterthought at some spots, a box ticked between ski rentals and après drinks. unravel isn't that. if you're in vail and want something that holds up to the altitude and the cold, east meadow drive is worth the few minutes it takes to get there, ideally before the morning crowds settle in.