Milestones Icon: Flagstaff House

The Flagstaff House restaurant sits on the mountainside above Boulder at an elevation of 6,000 feet providing spectacular views to go along with its four-star cuisine.

The restaurant at 1138 Flagstaff Road originally was in a cabin built in 1929.

The Monette family has owned the restaurant since 1971, beginning with Don Monette, who has more than 40 years in the restaurant industry. His sons Mark and Scott are now the executive chef and general manager, respectively.

“I took the building over in 1971,” Don said. “It was really run down. The walls were covered with red wall paper. It looked like a bordello. It was cold and wasn’t insulated well enough to heat our guests. As the money came in, we started making improvements. Eventually, we added the terraces, doubled the size of the kitchen and added heating systems and insulation.”

Don opened and expanded the property to feature floor to ceiling glass walls. Diners can see the changing seasons with views of Boulder below and wildlife in the surrounding mountainside of Boulder City Park. Extensive interior renovations were done in the restaurant in 1998, including a mahogany bar and fireplace.

Mark left Boulder for a brief time to work at restaurants in New York and France. During his years in France, he worked 12- to 16-hour days and didn’t get paid.

“My dad always said, ‘Work for the best. If you want to be in this business, learn how to cook.’ I was learning so much I was happy to do it. And in the ’80s, the dollar was strong in Europe, so the money I had saved went a long way.” Mark said.

In 1985, Mark called home one day and found out the chef at the Flagstaff was retiring. Don offered his son a job at the Flagstaff House as executive chef.

“I was shivering when he told me. I couldn’t believe I had the opportunity to return here. You don’t realize how special this place is until you leave it.”

Both father and son still “get stuck with the cooking” at home gatherings, which include 22 family members. Currently, three of the Monette grandchildren are clearing tables at the restaurant.

For Don, owning the restaurant is still a dream come true.

“I learned how to cook in the military. I was hungry all the time, so I thought, ‘I’ll become the cook.’ They sent me out for ski training in Colorado. To this day, skiing, food and Colorado are all my favorite things, and they all came into my life when I was only 18.”

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