Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall. Aspen’s thriving food and wine scene satisfies appetites all year long. Here’s a look at some of our top picks for spot-on food and drink.
Fresh food. Great coffee. Community. “Brekkie” at Victoria’s Mod Oz Café covers all the bases and packs in locals for everything from flat whites and glorious morning buns to sausage rolls and homemade “chiller oats” to super-charge your day. 510 E. Durant Ave., 970.920.3001
Since it opened 50 years ago, Poppy’s, as it’s known, has been a must-stop for classics like eggs Benedict, Western omelets, oatmeal pancakes (pick up a bag of its pancake mix to take home) and other housemade faves—all worth the wait. 665 E. Cooper Ave., 970.925.1245
Alia Joonas’ bistro-cafe—in the sweet little cottage on the corner of Hopkins—draws a regular crowd to the barista bar, and for decadent breakfast. Try the French toast board, sunny side eggs, Ajax burrito or green goddess bowl. 301 E. Hopkins Ave., 970.922.9218
The first place you see as you make the turn into town is the locals fave “Hick House.” Danish-raised baby back ribs with eggs and hash browns or a pulled pork Benedict can fuel you for the day. Kick things up with a bloody mary spiced up with its award-winning barbecue sauce. 730 W. Main St., 970.925.2313
Chef Matt Zubrod has a way with wagyu beef. His fave? The Emma Farms wagyu enchiladas for breakfast filled with the flavors of five different chiles. A “get it here only” dish, it’s local wagyu with an international twist. The Little Nell hotel, 675 E. Durant St., 970.920.6330
Craig and Samantha Cordts-Pearce’s authentic brasserie has become a local institution, and the fig and honey-glazed duck breast, braised short rib pappardelle, “fish in a bag,” Spanish seafood stew and Wild Fig frites take diners to Europe on a plate. 315 E. Hyman Ave., 970.925.5160
Recent Top Chef contestant Byron Gomez, who worked in the Michelin-starred Café Boulud (New York), has won over Aspenites with his inventive fare, including salmon crudo, ricotta gnudi and dashi-braised octopus with achiote seed-guajillo mole. 415 E. Hyman Ave., 970.516.7908
Looking for something different (and delicious) on a Friday night? Book a table in Mawa McQueen’s colorful new dining room and order her paella to share. Inspired by her days in Barcelona, quality ingredients—scallops, mussels, shrimp, rice, saffron—are what make it sing. 305 Aspen Airport Business Center, 970.710.7096
Served traditionally with paper-thin pancakes, cucumbers, leeks and a hoisin-style sauce, chef Barclay Dodge’s intensely flavorful Peking duck has been a mainstay on his menu since day one. (We hope he never takes it off.) 312 S. Mill St., 970.710.7299
The Aspen outpost of NYC’s Meatpacking District steak emporium, Catch Steak opens this fall in the 10,000-square-foot space (formerly home to Aspen Kitchen and Scarlett’s) with a full bar and a terrace overlooking town. Reel in premium Kobe and wagyu, plus lighter dishes like bluefin tartare. 515 E. Hopkins Ave.
Longtime Snowmass resident and South Florida restaurateur Angelo Elia has opened an upscale Italian eatery with food prepared according to Old World traditions in the upstairs space that was home for 33 years to Pinon’s. Think Tuscany at 7,908 feet. Aspen designer Kristin Dittmar’s interiors are perfetto! 105 S. Mill St., 970.920.2021
Celebrity chef, cookbook author and restaurateur Lorena Garcia brings the f lavor of Latin cooking to Aspen with the opening of CHICA Aspen this winter in the former Shlomo’s space at the base of Aspen Mountain (a 50 Eggs Hospitality Group concept). Savor classic renditions and signature interpretations of Latin American cuisine. 501 E. Dean St.
HEALTHY EATS
SPRING CAFÉ ASPEN ORGANIC FOOD & JUICE BAR
Wholesome 100% organic ingredients rule, be it in glorious acai bowls, falafel wraps or gluten-free matcha balls. Power Greens shakes are invigorating. 119 S. Spring St., 970.429.8406
Choose from a rainbow of freshly bottled juices, alkaline waters, almond milks flavored with turmeric, rose water or wildflower honey, immunity booster shots, smoothies, sammies, veggie burritos and more. 501 E. Hyman Ave.; Snowmass Base Village, 970.710.7063
Nutritarian chef Martin Oswald wants to help you “embark on a journey of healthy eating.” Pyramid Bistro, atop Explore Booksellers, is open for lunch (Thai sweet corn soup, vegetable pot stickers) and dinner (sweet potato gnocchi, kaffir lime shrimp) with a lovely town view. Tip: Try Oswald’s Mix6 in Snowmass Base Village for quick, healthy fare to go. 221 E. Main St., 970.925.5338
Elizabeth Plotke brought a taste of Italy to Aspen back in 1994, and it is better than ever. A recent renovation made everything new again, and chef Giuseppe Garofalo and General Manager David Ellsweig (affectionately known as “Campo Dave”) are still keeping it real. 205 S. Mill St., 970.920.7717
Finocchiona, cacciatore, chorizo, salami. Small-batch, artisanal salumi from Il Porcellino Salumi in Basalt is the real deal. Find it at Meat & Cheese, The Butcher’s Block and the Saturday Farmer’s Market in Aspen, and Skip’s Farm to Market in Basalt.
Health Nut, Berry Me, Out of Africa, Tropical Paradise, Green Machine. Mawa McQueen’s small-batch, housemade, organic, gluten-free Mawa’s GrainFreeNola is a passion project. 305 Aspen Airport Business Center, 970.710.7096
Poncho beef, Gaston humita, Cata vegan. By the piece or dozen, homemade, traditional empanadas from The Whole Empanada are a tasty handful. Pick up a jar of excellent chimichurri too. 31 Duroux Lane, Basalt, and the Basalt Sunday Market in summer, 970.948. 4894
Twenty thousand-plus bottles of wine. Wine Spectator Grand Award winner since 1997. Eleven master sommeliers who have walked the floors. You can go by the numbers, but it is the professionalism and personality of Wine Director Chris Dunaway’s team that make The Nell the standard. The Little Nell Hotel, 675 E. Durant St., 970.920.6330
MEAT & CHEESE RESTAURANT AND FARM SHOP
A compact but innovative list curated by owner Wendy Mitchell makes this one of our favorites. Handpicked natural wines and pét-nats from up-and-comers, like Hiyu in Oregon and Sonoma’s Martha Stoumen, pair perfectly with the farm-to-table fare. 319 E. Hopkins Ave., 970.710.7120
Although better known as a bakery and espresso hub, the best by-the-glass wine selection in town is a passion project of John Beatty, who for years organized the vino for the Food & Wine Classic. Be it shiraz from his native Australia, Premier Cru Burgundy or Barolo, close to 100 top drops are on offer by the glass. 510 E. Durant Ave., 970.920.3001
The big dogs come for the over-the-top Champagne offerings, but insiders know Matt Corbin’s cocktail program is the bomb. Gin lovers order the Dead Ringer made with locally distilled Woody Creek Gin, Campari, Aperol, Carpano Antica and strawberry balsamic vinegar. 415 E. Hyman Ave., 970.516.7908
Belowground, Hooch offers the perfect speakeasy setting for craft cocktails. Test The Wolf of Wall Street, made with rye, Cocchi Americano Aperitivo, Amaro Nonino, Vermouth Di Torino Pio Cesare and bitters. (Quaaludes aren’t legal anymore, but this playful concoction is.) 301 E. Hopkins Ave, 970.710.7275
MOUNTAIN SOCIAL BAR & LOUNGE AT THE ST. REGIS ASPEN
Sometimes you just want a classic, well made. And there are few cocktails with the pedigree of Mountain Social’s The Red Snapper—the original bloody mary, created in NYC’s St. Regis Hotel’s King Cole Bar in 1934 by bartender Fernand Petiot. Cosmopolitan in the mountains. The St. Regis Aspen, 315 E. Dean St., 970.920.3300
Tucked in a cozy courtyard, LOCAL defines the crowd (a youthful collection of Aspenites) that lines up daily for Americanos, turmeric lattes, nitro cold brew, forbidden rice porridge, yogurt bowls and avocado toast topped with a seasoned egg. 614 E. Cooper Ave., 970.710.7855
At the base of Buttermilk, Chris Lanter’s South Carolina-conceived barbecue jam is where locals go to mingle. Moms and pops with kids in tow go family style with pork cracklins, wood-smoked ribs, pulled pork and chicken wings with all the fixins. Inn at Aspen, 38750 Highway 82, 970.236.2040
Troy Selby’s 520 Grill went a little 420 when it rebranded this year as the Silverpeak Grill, partnering with the adjacent Silverpeak Apothecary. The name has changed, but the local lunch crowd remains just the same. As do the Rayburn Burger and Hana Wraps. 520 E. Cooper Ave., 970.442.8787
Freshly shucked oysters. Grilled Spanish octopus. Red snapper ceviche. Plateau de fruits de mer. Clark’s, MML Hospitality’s first restaurant outside of Austin, brings the sea a little closer to Aspen. Locals and visitors alike convene at the restored mahogany bar (a holdover from beloved Little Annie’s, which formerly occupied the space) for their fresh seafood fix. Pair it with a rye Manhattan martini or wine from the French-leaning list. 517 E. Hyman Ave., 970.710.2546
In a town renowned for rainbows, the Kenichi rainbow roll (snow crab, cucumber and avocado, topped with tuna, yellowtail, salmon and shrimp) is an icon. Thirty years ago, Kenichi Kanada moved from Takah, Aspen’s first sushi bar, to open this local sushi emporium. It still delivers fresh. 533 E. Hopkins Ave., 970.920.2212
Today the name Nobu Matsuhisa is ubiquitous, with restaurants and hotels in tony locales throughout the world. But back in 1998, when chef Nobu opened this sushi hub in the quaint Victorian on Main Street, it was just his second offering. Authentic and iconic, still. 303 E. Main St., 970.544.6628
Daisuke Nakazawa began as a fishmonger at Tokyo’s prestigious Tsukiji Fish Market, then apprenticed with Jiro Ono at Jiro’s. Last summer, his pop-up Nakazawa Aspen became permanent, adding to his stable of New York and Washington sushi establishments. Executive chef Wei Chen’s omakase is perfection. 305 S. Mill St., 970.925.1797
Steve and Robin Humble created the definitive Basalt gathering spot (part gourmet restaurant, part hockey bar, part wine bar) when they opened in 2016. Much like old Aspen, the vibe brings the community together. This winter, they’ll relocate into their new digs on the river. Keep an eye out. 305 Gold Rivers Court, Basalt, 970.279.5199
Take a trip to Spain at Madrid native Javier Gonzalez-Bringas’ treasure in downtown Basalt. Tempranillo combines Old World style and New World flair with signature fare and over 100 Spanish wines. Book the lovely garden patio of the historic building in the warmer months. 165 Midland Ave., Basalt, 970.927.3342
Photography by: PHOTO BY CHARLES DELUVIO/UNSPLASH; PHOTO BY SHAWN O’CONNOR; PHOTO COURTESY OF: MAWA; CATCH STEAK; 50 EGGS HOSPITALITY; PHOTO BY: LAUREN GLENDENNING; JONA NOVAK/UNSPLASH; PHOTO: BY GIBEON PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY OF ELEMENT 47; COURTESY OF VISUALCOMMUNICATIONS/ISTOCK; PHOTO BY JAMIE FLETCHER/COURTESY OF ELEMENT 47; PHOTO BY JOEY NICOTRA/UNSPLASH; PHOTO: BY RICK BARRETT/UNSPLASH; COURTESY OF CLARK’S ASPEN; PHOTO BY: MATTHIEU JOANNON/UNSPLASH; ORIENTO/UNSPLASH; PHOTO BY MAE MU/UNSPLASH
