Chef's Choice

—Food & Wine—

Chef Jeff Armstrong, Rustique Bistro
Perfect summer days often begin in El Jebel relaxing at Breakfast in America over huevos rancheros and migas or biking down the Rio Grande Trail for a late-morning bite at Bonfire Coffee in Carbondale. For lunch, Armstrong and family head out to hike Basalt’s Arbaney Kittle Trail, packing sandwiches from Scottie’s. An evening on the town is best capped with something sweet, Armstrong says. “I prefer a late-night dessert over a nightcap and recently had a close-to-perfect affogato [Italian coffee-based dessert] at Free Range in downtown Basalt.”

Chef Barclay Dodge, Bosq
The executive chef’s ideal food-focused day would start out at the Hotel Jerome. “I love the little breakfast muffins.” For lunch, he’d pick up a picnic at Meat & Cheese and find a scenic spot on Owl Creek Road to watch the horses. He prefers bar stools over white tablecloths and can tell you what’s on most Aspen bar menus. “I’m a total adult; I’m 48,” he says. “But when I sit at a table in the dining room, I feel like an adult—and I don’t like it.” The bar menu at Steakhouse No. 316 is his go-to for something light, like the tuna tartare. The evening might start out with Ellina’s braised artichoke heart bruschetta laced with shaved truffles, and conclude at the J-Bar inside the Jerome, where he orders the Manhattan—every time.