home-brewery Erica Sitko and her mom Margo in front of the Mountain Melt grilled cheese food truck. Sitko got her first brick and mortar by moving into a spot in Angry James Brewing in Silverthorne.
Erica Sitko/Courtesy photo
In 2020 Erica Sitko was 20 years into working in corporate America, doing sales for a fashion company based in Connecticut. The pandemic had just hit, and it served as a sign for Sitko that it was time to get out of the corporate grind.
While Sitko left this industry, she kept hold of the market research skills she developed. That experience would help inform what she would do next. She knew she wanted in on the food industry but did not have a vision for how exactly she would enter this foreign territory.
Market research told Sitko that food trucks were booming.
Hoping to base her business in Denver, Sitko used market research to see what the city was maybe missing. Sitko explained she was looking to introduce “an elevated staple, like a comfort food.”
Sitko finally decided grilled cheese was the way to go. So, she partnered with her mom, Margo, and began running the Mountain Melt grilled cheese food truck shortly after leaving her previous job. Although then based in Denver, the family had a place up in Summit County and would make trips up there with the food truck.
A couple of years after opening and traveling a total of over 11,000 miles throughout Colorado, Mountain Melt is finally going to have its own brick-and-mortar spot — something Sitko has long dreamt about.
Grilled cheese lovers can now find Mountain Melt in Angry James Brewing Company in Silverthorne.
Erica Sitko and owner of Angry James Brewing Company, A.J. Brinckerhoff, in front of the brewery. Mountain Melt will have its grand opening in the spot on Dec. 16.
Erica Sitko/Courtesy photo
The grand opening of Mountain Melt at Angry James Brewing is on Saturday. The event has a schedule chock full of happenings from 1:30-5 p.m.
The town of Silverthorne will be conducting a ribbon cutting for the spot at 1:30 p.m. Next, Gore Range Sports will be on site with a mobile waxing station for skis and snowboards from 2-4 p.m.
A cake cutting at 3 p.m. will feature a Colorado Market Bakery cake followed by music bingo from 3-5 p.m. There will be a raffle drawing to support local nonprofit Smart Bellies at 5 p.m. The raffle has giveaways from multiple local businesses, including Local Liquors and Breckenridge Distillery.
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Angry James owner A.J. Brinckerhoff said he was looking for a restaurant to fill the vacancy left by Cultivate Kitchen after those owners moved their business to Nicaragua a couple years back.
When he first met Sitko last November, he knew he found the right fit.
“We just really liked her concept of Mountain Melt grilled cheese. … We just felt like it fit in well to pair with beer,” Brinckerhoff said.
It started with Sitko parking her food truck outside Angry James, which escalated to her taking over the kitchen inside the brewery.
Sitko and Brinckerhoff gave a makeover to the kitchen that Sitko will be using, which was just completed and includes a little seating area around it.
Mountain Melt in Angry James informally had a soft opening and has been operating out of that kitchen for a little over two weeks now.
Brinckerhoff said the feedback he has already received from customers over the last two weeks let him know he made the right decision going with Sitko. He said not only are people raving about the grilled cheese, but people can’t get over how good Mountain Melt’s tater tots are.
“Everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, I love this,’ … I guess one good thing that goes with any beer is tater tots,” Brinckerhoff said.
Although the Mountain Melt food truck is securing a brick-and-mortar location, that doesn’t mean it’s taking off its wheels forever. Sitko said she plans to still operate the food truck.
Sitko curates Mountain Melt’s menu herself and does seasonal rotating specials. On Sitko’s menu, customers will find a variety of grilled cheeses, tater tots, fries, shareable plates, and soup.
A Mountain Melt grilled cheese in front of the Dillon Reservoir.
Erica Sitko/ Courtesy photo
A staple on the menu is a grilled cheese that is a blend of fontina and gouda cheeses melted over fresh arugula and caramelized onions, which is aptly called Aunt Susie’s Special. This sandwich, a favorite of Sitko’s Aunt Susie, is a fan-favorite menue item as well.
An example of her seasonal fare is the “fall brie grilled cheese.” This sandwich has warm brie topped with fresh cut apples, dried cranberries and a honey drizzle.
Grilled cheese prices range from $12.50 to $15.50, soup ranges from $5.50 to $7.50 and tater tots and fries cost $8.50. Other bites, such as pretzel sliders and loaded tots, range from $12.50 to $13.50.
