ABOUT US

What is Blue Vervain? Blue Vervain is a modest little herb growing in the wild waste places of the Intermountain West. Despite the inconspicuous nature of its little lilac-blue flowers, Vervain was the foremost magical herb of antiquity. It was a vital ingredient of magic potions and was believed to heal everything "and more." Healers used it to ignite and reignite the fires of love. The ancient Romans sprinkled infusions of it in banqueting halls to make their guests merrier. Vervain was also considered an herb of peace and often used as a flag of truce between warring factions.

Enjoy a magical dining experience in the warm ambiance of Blue Vervain Restaurant. Discover world-class French-Italian cuisine with touches of Asian and Southwest—and a burst of flavor in every delicious bite.

Executive Chef - Rebecca Christensen

Rebecca draws inspiration from a diverse range of experiences. She learned Southwest recipes passed down through three generations from family in Southern Texas. Legend has it that her great-grandmother lived to see her 104th birthday because of a steady diet of habanero peppers and green chili. Rebecca’s goal is to break that record. Rebecca explored authentic pan-Asian and traditional Pacific Northwest fare while spending her formative years in Seattle, Washington. Summers spent in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, exposed her to traditional Western food.

Perhaps the most influential experience, however, occurred at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where Rebecca received her formal training. At the CIA, Rebecca studied Asian, Southwestern, French, Italian and American cuisines from world-renowned chefs. More importantly, these chefs taught Rebecca to trust her own creative instincts and to master the fusion of disparate cuisines.

Rebecca began her professional career by opening the Blue Vervain in 2002 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She relocated the restaurant to Colorado Springs in 2005. The Blue Vervain has since been voted Best New Restaurant 2005 and Best Fine Dining 2006 in Colorado Springs, from Independent readers. Rebecca’s Thai Shrimp Ceviche won first place in the appetizer category and People’s Choice Best in Show, at the Colorado Springs 2006 Chef’s Gala.

For Rebecca, cooking is an intuitive experience: “I don’t want to be limited by the spices and raw ingredients customary for a certain cuisine. I want to take the best ideas from contrasting cooking traditions and fuse them into new creations. However, cooking is more than just mixing techniques and ingredients. Cooking is like composing music where flavors, textures, aromatics and color act like notes that must be carefully chosen and placed to achieve a harmony. Every bite should have high notes, low notes and should be complex with a distinct start, core and finish. My goal for each dish is to present a creation that pleases the palette and gladdens the heart.”

Using simple, fresh and, whenever possible, locally grown ingredients, Rebecca creates dishes where flavors and textures unite in perfect harmony.

Executive Pastry Chef - Elizabeth Christensen

Elizabeth’s goal as a pastry chef is simple: create desserts that will excite taste buds and offer a momentary escape into confectionary bliss. For Elizabeth this can only be achieved by carefully preparing each dessert from natural raw ingredients and by carefully constructing every dessert.

Elizabeth has always enjoyed fine desserts and pastries. Her passion for sweets motivated her to move to New York where she received her formal training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, one of the world's top culinary schools. During her time at the CIA, Elizabeth studied cakes and torts, hearth breads and rolls, pastry techniques, confections, cookies and mignardises from celebrated chefs.

While at the CIA she was named one of Food & Wine Magazine's Best Student Chefs (2002). Shortly after receiving this honor, Elizabeth interned at The Trellis, a world-recognized restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Trellis offered her the opportunity to learn pastry techniques developed by Marcel Desaulniers, the author of the "Death by Chocolate" cookbooks.

Shortly after her time at the CIA, Elizabeth started a new restaurant with her sister (and chef) Rebecca in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Together, the sisters created the Blue Vervain Restaurant.

Elizabeth’s dessert offerings include Black and White Cake with Mint Infused Crème Anglaise and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, tarts such as Rhubarb Lavender Tart with Ginger Ice Cream, confections such as signature Truffles and Pecan Diamonds. All desserts and breads are hand-crafted on-site from scratch using only fresh ingredients.

603 North River Street • Hot Springs, South Dakota • 605-745-4400 • Fax: 605-745-7642