When Nancy Feeser and her husband, Mike, bought the building at 726 Main St. in Ouray in February, it was painted green with bright yellow letters announcing O’Brien’s Pub, which had been closed for years. After restoring the original floors from 1911, painting the exterior a deep blue with golden accents, and hoisting a big golden mermaid statue up above the bar, the couple opened the doors of their new restaurant – The Tavern. The restaurant had a soft opening celebration on June 7, where locals and tourists enjoyed drinks and a limited menu. Feeser said she was proud to receive 14 five-star Google reviews during her first two days in business.
In designing the full menu, Feeser aimed for what she calls “elevated pub food.” She developed all the recipes herself, and assures customers that nothing, not even the appetizers, are bought frozen. She hired chef José Velez from Montrose to help bring her menu to life.
Menu items include an appetizer of homemade tots stuffed with gruyère cheese, chives and bacon for $15.
There’s also a Japanese-style curry plate with veggies and rice for $18, and wild-caught fish and chips complete with house-made tartar sauce for $24. The menu also features a selection of gluten-free items.
The most popular plate so far has been the Philly cheesesteak, priced at $17. “[My husband] Mike’s from Philly and he’s very intense about his Philly cheesesteak, so they have to be perfect,” she said. “So I think that I’ve got them dialed in.”
For now, Feeser has decided to focus on food quality over quantity. “We’ll probably be adding more stuff to the menu as we go, but we’re trying to keep it really small so that we know everything that we do is perfect,” she said.
Along with her lifelong passion for feeding people, Feeser has an extensive professional history as a chef. She went to culinary school when she was young, and worked as a chef in Los Angeles. Upon moving to Ouray, she cooked brunch at the Outlaw restaurant, owned by her sister, Alison Marschall.
Feeser and her sons, Oliver and Sam Colaw, moved from California to Ouray nine years ago. In Ouray, she has worked as a real estate agent for six years and owned the retail store Grateful Goods for three years.
The Tavern runs largely thanks to family support. Mike Feeser owns a construction company, and his brother, Brian Feeser, renovated the building. Her sister-in-law Shanon Feeser, son Oliver Colaw and step children Lily and Brody Feeser all work at the restaurant. Even her nine-year-old son, Sam, is the restaurant’s self-appointed official chocolate milk maker.
Sometimes the whole family is working on the same shift together, running the lunchtime rush.
The Tavern’s logo features two mermaids, tails intertwined, an unexpected symbol to find in the mountains. Feeser placed a story titled “The Legend of Seamus O’Brien’s Pub” in the front window, explaining how Maeve the golden mermaid arrived in Ouray and became the symbol of the restaurant. This story, along with the moody 1920s style of decoration, pays homage to the original O’Brien’s Pub.
The legend concludes with a mysterious moral: “Locals say if you drink three whiskeys at O’Brien’s and tell a lie, Maeve’s statue turns its head slightly toward you. If it smiles, you’re safe. If it winks, settle your tab immediately!”
Feeser looks forward to bringing new flavors to the Ouray community. “I really do want this to be a place where the community can come,” she said. “I’m keeping my prices low so that the food is attainable for everyone, even the locals.”
The Tavern is open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
