-By Emery
Is it 39 Degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius? When you first walk in, you realize that either could work. 39 degrees Fahrenheit perfectly describes the cool, chill feeling you get when you walk in. The comfy couches and lounge seating, and the absurdly awesome light fixtures. 39 degrees Celsius is hot. Red lighting drifting through the wooden panels on the wall and a bar surrounded by hot colored neons along with pumping dance music gives you that feeling. The whole lounge feels hip, sleek, and cool, but also has a cabin-like feeling as supplied by the wood walls and aspen tree lights at the bar.
Sitting down was a little awkward at first. You can seat yourself on one of the many couches or plush furniture pieces in the center of the lounge for consuming apps or small plates. However, there are plenty of tables on the outer edge of the lounge which have a cool feel to them and have ample space for a full dinner. There were quite a few patrons at the bar so it took a little time for the waitress to notice us and come over. She was very nice and helpful, and the rest of the meal went by quickly and smoothly.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect for the dinner menu and I didn’t see many other people eating. The menu was typical, but everything had a personal touch and interesting flare. It also was reasonably priced, with the most expensive being the “Cliff Hanger Steak” for $26, so naturally, I chose that. The food came relatively quickly with a smile from the waitress.
I started out with the side of roasted red potatoes, roasted tomatoes, and the onion rings. I generally don’t like potatoes. I find them dry, and when I order them they are usually undercooked. However, these were awesome. The potatoes were really tasty, with that roasted texture and taste. Tomatoes. They are an awesome fruit-vegetable thing. A fresh tomato can sometimes be the best snack, but throughout my ‘advanced’ experience with tomatoes I have never had one so delicious. At first I struggled to believe that they were in fact tomatoes, because they were so moist, succulent, and all around fantastic. The onion rings were a treat as well. They weren’t the typical fat, greasy, American onion rings you see at bowling alleys and such. They were sliced thinly, and were relatively small. They had a sort of class to them. This made it possible to enjoy their tangy crunchiness even more by allowing large amounts to be scooped onto a fork. Finally, I got to the main attraction. The steak was wonderful. It came drenched in a terrific blue cheese and red wine sauce which was a truly enjoyable thing. The steak was cooked properly and it came pre-sliced, which I thought was a charming touch. Overall, it was a really fantastic meal, which left me wanting to lick the plate (which I do not suggest doing in a public setting).
39 Degrees is a really awesome little spot. Located in the Sky Hotel, which has a quirkiness of its own, 39 Degrees brings a charming log cabin atmosphere together with a late night club and bar setting. I give the atmosphere a definitive 5/5. The staff was awesome, especially by the way they handled the slightly awkward seating arrangements and layout. 5/5. The pricing was very reasonable by Aspen standards (not that they should change it) – 5/5. The food was also terrific – 4/5 (Because 5/5 should be reserved for something ludicrously epic). 39 Degrees is a really cool place to hang out, especially for late night lounging and Après Ski. I am seriously considering returning there soon.
– by Emery M.
July 2012
*Editors Note: 39 Degrees is Aspen’s Longitude
Emery enjoys food and music. Good thing they go well together, is it not? They both are associated with creating memories, experience, and emotion. He also enjoys playing the Alto Sax, Ukulele, Electric Bass, Drums, and dabbles in the Guitar from time to time. He loves creating new experiences, and enjoys learning new things.