Longtime restaurateur Paul Underwood and business partner Ryan Fowler are looking to bring the taste of the Southwest to Steamboat Springs with Underwood’s latest dinning concept, Alta Mesa.

“It’s a Southwestern grill with an emphasis on zesty flavors,” Underwood said from inside the new space located at 1760 Central Park Drive, site of the recently opened SpringHill and TownePlace suites by Marriott. “Think Santa Fe with lots of chilies and corn, potatoes and beans — not quite Mexican but more celebrating the desert Southwest.”

Underwood said the idea behind Alta Mesa Southwest Grill was born three years ago when Roger Gregory and his wife Annette, who developed the property for the latest Marriott, approached him to ask if he would be interested in opening a restaurant at the new hotel site. The couple had known Underwood for many years dating back to his days as a co-owner of Café Diva.

“Roger and Annette have a vacation home in Steamboat,” Underwood said. “They saw this as an opportunity to do something special here, and to engage the community.”

On Monday, as Underwood walked past the large horseshoe-shaped bar, he talked about the layout of the elegant yet rustic 120-seat dining room. Underwood said he worked with a design team out of Texas, as well as the Gregorys, to design the space.

He said the 3,600-foot restaurant is separated into smaller nooks, giving the space a more intimate feel. The space can also be set up to host groups looking to spend time with family and friends without the hustle and bustle found in the main dining room at many restaurants.

Underwood said Alta Mesa worked with many local artisans, including Steamboat Precision, which handled steelwork that brings character to the space; Fedewa Cabinetry & Millworks, which did the back bar and cabinetry; and Top Stitch, which did much of the leather upholstery in the room.

The space is anchored by a large bar where customers can sit and visit with friends and will soon be able to enjoy ballgames on the television that is awaiting installation. Customers at the bar and in the dining room will find a large selection of adult beverages, an extensive wine list and a selection of mocktails.

“There is a lot more emphasis in all restaurants on mixology,” Underwood said. “It’s just an important part, with that mixology, to have a strong representation of mocktails, because there’s been a massive trend in the dining world toward alcohol-free options.”

The walls feature the art from Tim Zandee and various artists from Oehme Graphics. Underwood said he had art gallery hardware installed and plans to rotate the art from time to time to keep the space fresh. He also installed grow lights because all plants inside the restaurant are real.

The menu will offer a selection of small plates ranging from guacamole and salsa, fried pickled okra and grilled street corn to citrus-braised and grilled octopus, sriracha-spiced shrimp skewers and chorizo sliders, to name a few.

Entrees include beef tenderloin filet, elk medallion and dry-aged beef ribeye. Customers will also find a Southwest sofrito-tofu rice bowl, tortilla crusted trout, blackened Colorado free range hen and an adobo-glazed bone-in pork chop. Alta Mesa also offers an ancho-grilled baby back rib, and he is currently working to find a local ranch so that he can add buffalo to menu, which will change seasonally.

Alta Mesa is open from 4-9 p.m. daily, with happy hour from 4-5:30 p.m. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.

“We have several different cuts of beef … and pork, all raised in the Rocky Mountain region,” Underwood said. “We have a beautiful array of select cuts of beef for people to choose from.”

Underwood has worked in the restaurant industry since the mid-1980s when he managed a sandwich shop in Boulder. When he came to Steamboat Springs, he went to work for Steamboat Resort, waiting tables to pick up cash to meet the demands of living in a ski town.

Underwood’s first ownership experience came at Café Diva in the early 1990s. After leaving that business, he and Fowler opened Brass Kitchen and Bar in December 2013.  Underwood and Fowler have teamed up again and are hoping to find success with their latest venture.

“I said, ‘Hey, Ryan, what cuisine would you most like to do?” Underwood recalls. “He said, ‘Southwestern’ — and I was thinking Southwestern, so when he said it, I was like, OK, Southwestern it is.”