{"id":2451399,"date":"2019-11-21T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=316373"},"modified":"2019-11-21T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-21T19:00:00","slug":"rookie-season-a-tear-sheet-for-novice-aspen-diners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/rookie-season-a-tear-sheet-for-novice-aspen-diners\/","title":{"rendered":"Rookie Season: A tear sheet for novice aspen diners"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Welcome! If you\u2019ve just moved here for the winter 2019-20 season, congratulations! If you\u2019ve lived here for decades: also congratulations! As Aspen locals will attest, the colder months represent prime time to enjoy all that our former mining town-turned-ski sanctuary has to offer, food included.<\/p>\n

Still, as a miserly taxi driver might note: Many affordable, mom-and-pop restaurants have gone the way of the Snowmastodon. Cheap, satisfying breakfast is rare; food delivery is legitimately pathetic, not to mention exorbitantly expensive; and nobody will praise our dining landscape for diversity. Not to fear, however; options for good meals \u2014 and deals \u2014 do exist, if you know where to look.<\/p>\n

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BELLY UP TO THE BAR MENU<\/p>\n

The single most suggested tip about Aspen dining: Order from the almighty bar menu, a timeless local cornerstone. At L\u2019Hostaria\u2019s 23rd anniversary celebration last week, in fact, our table of six \u2014 seated at a first-come, high-top bar table, natch \u2014 agreed unanimously: nobody could remember the last time he or she actually sat in a dining room. Those who perch at the bar in Jimmy\u2019s, Bosq, Campo de Fiori, Cache Cache, Ellina, Steakhouse No. 316, or The Monarch (among many others) are privy to a separate, often more gently priced menu in addition to the regular restaurant menu. A lively bar scene (sometimes set to live music) provides the coziest atmosphere, anyway, as well as a chance to rub elbows with the folks who\u2019ve lived here longest.<\/p>\n

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FOLLOW THE SKI BUMS<\/strong><\/p>\n

And gather intel on the gondola. While fast food is essentially nonexistent (McDonald\u2019s closed in early 2016 after 30 years), fast-casual options are in solid supply. Eggs@520 (inside 520 Grill) joins the ranks of eat-in\/grab-and-go a.m. fare from coffee shops including Local Coffee House, Victoria + Co., ink! Coffee, and Gorsuch Ski & Caf\u00e9. (Starbucks is for tourists.) Paradise Bakery and Jour de F\u00eate breakfast burritos and drip coffee are gondy staples, too. Spring Caf\u00e9 and JUS are clean-eating friendly, and the Aspen Art Museum\u2019s rooftop SO Caf\u00e9 pours buzzy Rock Canyon Coffee espresso (to enjoy onsite only).<\/p>\n

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ASK FOR A LOCALS\u2019 DISCOUNT<\/p>\n

Resident deals do exist, particularly in the offseason. Until Nov. 25, for instance, Meat & Cheese Restaurant and Farm Shop offers a standard 15% off of any food order. Tatanka Western Bistro has been running an excellent $33 prix-fixe menu (choice of appetizer, entr\u00e9e and house red or white wine) anticipated to last a few more weeks. Portions are generous, and C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne by the glass sweetens this particular offer over dessert. End dates for offseason specials vary by venue; ask and you shall receive.<\/p>\n

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ADOPT THE MOTTO \u2018CA$H IS KING\u2019<\/p>\n

Get in the habit of carrying a spare $20 out here in the Wild West, since some joints still follow a retro cash-only policy (New York Pizza and Big Wrap, among others). Even if you end up swiping a card, cash tips are always appreciated by hardworking service industry staff and a sly way to score possible comp beverages.<\/p>\n

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SCORE ON-MOUNTAIN DEALS<\/p>\n

Adult, Chamber, Silver, Senior, and Parent passholders receive up to 25% off food (before noon or after 2 p.m.; excluding alcohol) at a slew of on-mountain restaurants, so plan to eat lunch early or late if you\u2019re buying. Personal picks: ramen at the Aspen Mountain Sundeck; sourdough pizza made using a 100-plus-year-old heirloom starter at Elk Camp on Snowmass; Mongolian stir-fry at The Cliffhouse atop Buttermilk; freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at Up 4 Pizza; the legendary soup bar at Gwyn\u2019s High Alpine; and the ultimate french fries at Ullrhof.<\/p>\n

HIT HAPPY HOUR<\/h4>\n

Typically running from 4 to 6 p.m., but occasionally beginning at 3 p.m. and ending as late as 7, happy hour is worth celebrating. At Clark\u2019s Aspen, barflies can get a really good burger and fries for $12, as well as $8 top-shelf martinis. Zane\u2019s, HOPS Culture, Aspen Public House, Aspen Tap, Su Casa, Mi Chola, Jing, the Limelight Hotel and others offer special food and drink prices in late afternoon. Meanwhile, Aspen\u2019s oldest watering hole, The Red Onion, ups the ante with a dual happy hour: 3-6 p.m. plus 10 p.m. to midnight.<\/p>\n

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SEEK FREEBIES<\/p>\n

Just like the RFTA bus system from Aspen to Snowmass, free stuff finds a place here. Find complimentary morning coffee, end-of-day hot cocoa, and mountaintop cider at all four mountains; Kind Bars likewise available; and \u201chappy hour\u201d s\u2019mores in Snowmass Base Village daily (kids and adults welcome). Lifties might fire up a grill for hot dogs on a whim, and Powder Pancakes are a snow day requirement at select on-mountain restaurants for one hour (10-11 a.m.) on days that report dumps of at least 8 inches. (Sign up online for the Aspen-Snowmass Powder Alert to stay updated.)<\/p>\n

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GET THEE TO THE AABC<\/p>\n

Aspen is quirky, so it figures that an industrial development such as the Aspen Airport Business Center\u2014located across Highway 82 from Sardy Field\/ASE\u2014boasts a few gems. Perhaps the most underrated dish: Chicken tortilla soup at Franck Thirion French Pastry (the recipe reportedly carried over from a former Mexican restaurant with fan following). Louis Swiss Pastry likewise sells savory empanadas, breakfast burritos, baked goods, and sandwiches for takeaway. While these two eateries are closed on Sunday and Saturday\/Sunday, respectively, Mawa\u2019s Kitchen is a recently expanded BLD destination, known for its weekend brunch, array of gluten-free baked goods and meal delivery service. Note: Anyone who claims to \u201cnot travel past the roundabout\u201d from Aspen is an extremist not to be trusted.<\/p>\n

CONSULT A COMPENDIUM<\/h4>\n

EatAspen.com (and sister site EatSnowmass.com) is a definitive source for accurate operating hours, open\/closed status depending on seasonality; happy hour information; and PDF menus. Folks here for Thanksgiving might want to scope a short list of Turkey Day specials, ranging from a Home Team BBQ catered feast to luxurious seated affairs at area hotels.<\/p>\n

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CONSIDER CREATIVE GROUP DINING<\/p>\n

Those on vacation with a bevy of friends or family might consider hiring a private chef to cook at the house for a night or two, instead of squeezing into overcrowded restaurants during peak weeks. One more reason to hit the bar (menu) from tip No. 1: You\u2019ll have the chance to seek talented chef recommendations from the locals who know them.<\/p>\n

More required reading by Amanda Rae: \u201c34 Questions You\u2019ve Always Wanted to Ask About Aspen,\u201d<\/a> Midwinter\/Spring 2017 Issue of Aspen Sojourner. amandaraewashere@gmail.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome! If you\u2019ve just moved here for the winter 2019-20 season, congratulations! If you\u2019ve lived here for decades: also congratulations! As Aspen locals will attest, the colder months represent prime time to enjoy all that our former mining town-turned-ski sanctuary has to offer, food included. Still, as a miserly taxi driver might note: Many affordable, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2451399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 05:24:24","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley's Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2451399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451399\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2451399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2451399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2451399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}