eatAspen.com
Aspen, Colorado's local dining guide.
M.J.
March 11, 2008
My god, the scene here! It's Aspen, and it's famous, I guess. But still, the scene. I've seen it written up so many times, I had to see what the hell it was all about.
Elbow past the posers, pretty people, millionaires, etc. Grab a table. It's even worth a little bit of a wait. Here's why - 1. the location - wow. literally ....mountainside. sun, sun, sun, a huge outdoor deck and an international crowd. i felt like i died and went back to the slopes in Europe - really not a bad thing. 2. the menu - it's an excellent, authentic french bistro menu. well executed. quality ingredients. pretty damn good. 3. the service - i'm thinking not so much crappy as international with a bit of potential for language barrier issues - but this is Aspen, this is who works here. it makes it interesting. suck it up order the cheese fondue and re-apply your SPF, darling.
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Nick
Aspen
January 30, 2012
Fresh, authentic Thai food...good service (even though they were VERY busy), and well designed space...Destined to become a hot spot for lunch and dinner in Aspen for those craving more ethnic food...
**Restaurant Response**
Thank you for taking the time to review our restaurant. We appreciate your being our first review and we are pleased that you enjoyed your experience! - Kirk (owner)
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little t
Kingston MA
June 2, 2001
I moved away from Aspen in 2002 but still dream about their tofu tacos... and wicked cheap! mmmm
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Hip Hockey Jock
March 9, 2008
I dropped into Brunelleschi's again last week to enjoy one of their great, light pizzas. We crashed the scene with half the MP2's (that's Mother Puckers for short) hockey team, following a Saturday night win - desirous of beer and some great fare. The place was jammed at 9 p.m. The hostess was very accommodating in squeezing us in and adjoining tables as they became available.
The pizzas here are thin crusted and a meal for one. Though a tad pricey at $15, it's worth it. My favorite pizza is the Basil Pesto, which comes with spinach, pine nuts and a tangy Gorgonzola cheese. Yum! I also hear the Paisano, ordered by several of my mates is very tasty. If you want a salad, I highly recommend the Portobello - grilled with roasted red peppers and goat cheese on greens. There's a lively local bar scene here as well. If you're a basketball fan visiting town, beware! The owner Gil is a hockey player, and this is a hockey bar. Chill out, catch an AVs game and meet some Aspen locals who are into more than just skiing.
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BDU50
September 30, 2008
Our first trip to Aspen and we had sticker shock! Restaurants were a little more pricey than what we were use to. The Butcher Block is not cheap either, but you get good quality food and great service for your money. They are an old fashioned Deli and meat market. You can get cookies, salads and drinks galore to go with your sandwich. The meats and seafood looked wonderful, wish we had a kitchen during our stay. If it weren't for them, The Wienerstube and The Hickory House we might have starved!
Definately go see any of them if you go to Aspen!
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Leslie R.
April 3, 2007
I am still thinking longingly about how flat-out delicious this meal was.
The restaurant itself was a bit of a zoo, uppity people getting all bent that they they had to wait for tables, and a glance at the menu revealed that one could potentially blow a lot of money in a dining experience here. However, we had received the insider tip to just eat at the bar, which was a dramatically different beast.
The handful of high top tables were already full, so we bellied up to the bar. The bartender was slammed but still amazingly friendly, helpful, and eager to set us up with solidly poured glasses of wine. While the bar menu was small (about six entrees?) the prices were about a third of the price of the regular menu, which we had the option to order from as well. When our dishes arrived, both of us were blown away by how amazing everything tasted! The capellini with wild mushrooms, leeks and truffle oil literally did a little dance around my mouth, and my friend couldn't stop raving about her pork chops.
Leaving with full, happy bellies for only $14 a plate, in ASPEN? A memorable experience indeed.
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Pig E. (10+ Reviews)
December 20, 2008
Last night we walked into a crowded and buzzing Campo. I had never eaten here and looked at the bar and thought, No way can we get a seat! They quickly found us two seats at the bar. We ordered a lovely appetizers of grilled artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and butternut squash. It was so simple but delicious! Yummy! I could have had another one of those! My companion wanted to try the polenta as a side dish and that came out at the same time! It was so rich and cheesy!
We split a main pasta dish which had the freshest noodles I've tasted in a while, mixed with mushrooms and sundried tomatos.
If you are looking for a restaurant with great food and great atmosphere this is the place! If you want a quieter restaurant with more room, look else where.
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William
Washington DC
January 15, 2011
Food was decent at best. Service again, decent. I had great expectations but was sadly let down. WAY over priced. Extremely pretentious surroundings as well as the management. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone with all the wonderful choices in Aspen. Do yourself a fovor and skip it!
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Julie
Snowmass
October 12, 2010
Awesome burger/shake/fries!!! It's finally open!! Great, fresh food.
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Pickett
Woody Creek
December 12, 2009
We almost couldn't wait 'til Ellina opened. Three of us had wonderful meals. I adore mussels and that was the special appetizer that night. Did you know I was coming? The wine selection was excellent. The service was attentive without being over the top. I hated where we were seated, but that was my fault for not saying something as we were shown the table. My direct line of sight was into the kitchen ... but that gave me the option of seeing the inner workings of a fine restaurant. Very smooth.
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Samantha
Aspen
December 17, 2011
Had lunch there, I got the mushroom crepe and my husband had the club. Both were excellent, the hot chocolate was the real thing and so yummy. Great atmosphere, very cozy, staff was attentive and nice. Defiantly going again soon, Gotta try the dessert.
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Local
Aspen
April 15, 2011
Franck Thirion French Pastry is the real thing!
It's Croissant and pastry are the same unbelievable goodness as waking up in Paris and walking to a boulangerie early in the morning.
You just got to try it if you like real French Pastries!
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john Talbott
Paris/Baltimore
August 10, 2011
We arrived 8ish and without a reservation headed to my Dad's old haunt, the Jerome Hotel, now vastly improved from those days, to eat in the garden at a combined J-Bar/Garden Resto. It was a lovely evening, no better setting in which one could eat.
Colette had the chicken chibata (aka sandwich, which as opposed to Jack Nicolson's in Five Easy Pieces, they were most happy to serve deconstructed) with fries and an heirloom tomato slice and sauted onions; she declared the chicken quite good. I had what I'd had last year, the spicy chicken wings, in homage to the Anchor Grill where my ex-classmate/colleague/friend introduced Calvin Trillan to them years ago; this year they were clearly raised on steroids, huge chunks of meat, delightfully peppery, accompanied with the traditional celery strips and Roquefort dressing.
With a bottle of Chianti and no bottled water or coffee our bill (marked Jacob's Corner, yet another resto name) before tip was $64.31.
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Krista E.
January 11, 2009
Grateful Deli wins Best Cheap Eats in Aspen! (From Aspen Times Weekly
January 11, 2009 Best Cheap Eats) As sometimes happens, those voting for Aspen's best get stuck in a single track as far as grabbing a quick meal is concerned, and for 2008 that track leads directly to the door of the Grateful Deli, 233 E. Main St. Now in its first full year of existence, the Deli pulled in more than twice the votes of its nearest competitor, beating the Big Wrap 54 to 24. No one else even came close. With a menu of sandwiches that echo with the names of Dead tunes (Shakedown, Bertha, Pigpen, Dark Star), veggie alternatives, as well as great meats, salads and sweets and not to mention a smile for customers even in the depths of the lunch rush and deli owner Joe Freeman and his crew have what Aspen likes for lunch.
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Kabear
August 20, 2008
This was our 5th time in Aspen, but our 1st time at the Hickory House. It is now our favorite restaurant in Aspen for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their baby back ribs are fantastic, perfect, meaty, tender, delicous. I had 1/2 slab for breakfast with the most delicious pancake I can ever remember eating. Their bacon is great too. Once we started eating there, we went nowhere else. We even walked eight miles round trip to the Hickory House for breakfast on our last full day in Aspen. It was a fantastic walk and a great breakfast. We then went back for dinner for our last night in Aspen. I had a full slab of baby back ribs with fries, etc. Great dinner. Very reasonable prices. Neither of us gained any weight from all those pancakes and ribs probably because we walked so much every day. We will be back and highly recommend it.
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Laine
Aspen
April 11, 2014
Best nachos ever!!! They have continued the quality food from Highlands Pizza...but so much more! Delish!
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Heidi
Telluride, CO
December 23, 2011
We went to The Library located in the Hotel Jerome the night before Christmas Eve as the rest of the town was so crowed. We were able to get a seat on some very comfy sofas right away. The atmosphere was perfect, not too loud so we were able to talk with out yelling. We got wonderful quick service and enjoyed the acoustic music being played in the corner of the bar. I tried the Aspen Crud, a milkshake like drink with lots of alcohol in it. The taste was great, but they did not put enough ice cream in it. Turned out to be like drinking cream. Their Cosmos are spot on. I would highly recommend the Library to anyone who wants some old time charm, great service, and good drinks!!
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prtykty
denver
May 16, 2009
The rude baristas are not worth the price of the coffee.
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Jamie C.
October 13, 2008
You must have a draft beer at the J Bar while you are in Aspen. Aptly named J Bar due to its location in the Hotel Jerome, the saloon offers a western ambience and a great happy-hour crowd.
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dmatkins
Aspen, CO
January 14, 2009
In a town that tends to range from the expensive to the obscenely expensive, Jour de Fete is a refreshingly cheap and delicious alternative. Jour de Fete is family owned and from my brief exchanges with the proprietor, who has always been welcoming to me, their family appreciates all of their customers. Regardless, the quality of the food is excellent and you can't beat the price in this town.
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Dreamer (10+ Reviews)
February 24, 2008
It all started with us both being in town after work "Wanna get an appetizer somewhere?" Sure! but where? How about the bar at Kenichi? O.K. Upon entry the bar was full and the choice was a tiny two top at the head of the dinning room or the sushi bar. Feeling a bit shy at the moment I was leaning toward the tiny two top when my partner pushed me toward the sushi bar. Well O.K.
It seems a must to start with edamame while at a sushi joint, so I did but with the Spicy edamame, a nice little Kenichi twist. I don't know how they prepare it but this I will try again and again to recreate in my own kitchen…. A big Sapporo for me, a Kenichi Martini for her, some friendly chatter with the waitress, and great service from the sushi chef led us two one after another of additions to our appetizer. After the spicy tempura shrimp, my favorite Austin roll (asparagus tempura and masago aioli wrapped in edamame paper topped with eel sauce), 2 shrimp tempura rolls, and an avocado roll, our little appetizer had turned into a complete dinner. No dessert this time, thanks. And did you know that guy next to you is really famous in Brazil!
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Pig E. (10+ Reviews)
Aspen
June 18, 2009
I can't keep up with the name changes, Little Ollies, China Thai, Tang and back to LIttle Ollies. During the last name change the menu has changed. (Prices are cheaper! yippee! Also Little Ollie's serves noodle bowls. I tried the Korean spicy noodle bowl with shrimp. I enjoyed the noodles and the broth but the shrimp were a little overcooked. The bowl for dinner cost around $11, but there are also cheaper noodle bowls ($7.95).
The service was quick and friendly. I might have to try another noodle bowl.
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Edi (10+ Reviews)
Aspen, CO
March 4, 2009
Stopped by early morning to get some pastries. Cheery and helpful. Good croissants and great ciabatta.
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Maria S.
January 11, 2009
My co-worker and I were treated to an extraordinary meal here by a very generous person and I think we ate everything on the menu and many things off-menu. You wonder where fresh fish is coming from in Aspen, and I'll just say that based on some of the prices, it's well taken care of between Japan and FedEx. Honestly the parade of food was beyond, and somehow we found room for all of it. I especially learned to appreciate the hand-rolls, something I don't normally order when I go out to sushi. The freshness and quality were excellent, and we could not go wrong with their amazing wine list. Manager Christian Henrichon was especially helpful and super knowledgeable about wine. Yum!! (bring your platinum card of Amex black!)
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Volpone
October 13, 2008
It's been awhile since I've been back, but the food was very good. The wait staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Fair selections of wines by the glass. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a good meal.
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Bad Andy
February 29, 2008
Last night I was rushing to catch a flick at the Wheeler and popped into NY Pizza. Hoping to grab a slice, eat quickly and go to the film, I was quite disappointed. The counter help was surly and un-responsive, the selection of slices all appeared cold and past their born-on dates. When I inquired "how long for a pepperoni slice?" the clerk said " twenty minutes". Just a thought, but if a pizza place is going to charge $5 for a slice, wouldn't it be nice if they had one ready, or at least "almost" ready.
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Victor B.
July 3, 2008
If you're in the mood for some after-dinner decadence, Paradise Bakery will not disappoint. My favorites are their Black Diamond cookies and their super rich brownies, but others swear by their ice cream and gelato. After grabbing your loot, see if you can find a seat outside to enjoy the live outdoor music while you eat.
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Alex D
Aspen, CO
January 16, 2008
If you visit Aspen and you're trying to get that authentic Rocky Mountain experience, you really do need to dine at the Pine Creek Cookhouse. I prefer lunch because views of the valley are amazing, summer or winter. If you REALLY want that Rocky Mountain experience, you need to bike there in the summer (13 miles each way) or cross-country ski there in the winter (1 mile or so each way). I recommend reservations for lunch and dinner, but if you want to go mid-week in the summer for lunch, you will probably get away without one. If the weather is nice, sit on the patio and wear sunscreen! Did I mention the food? The quail salad is consistently good.
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John T. (10+ Reviews)
January 21, 2008
Plato's space at the Aspen Institute has been, in one incarnation or another, an acceptable safe harbor when seeking a good meal between events at the Music Tent and Movie Festival. The relatively new chef, who revived the place a year plus ago, seems to have lost interest. Things started out a bit roughly; the music (jazz) in this center of intellectual fervor was blasting, the amuse-bouche of oyster with veggies and parmesan was a nice try but both bad product and execution and the lettuce in my Colorado green salad had browned stalk cuts (no charge after I conspicuously cut them further off and pointed them out to our waitstaff) Since the chef was in the salle chatting up one table of notables while my salad was being prepared, it is possible the salad guy just got lax and he (the chef) did not pass on the final plating, but one of the waiters should have caught it. However, once the chef returned to the piano, things picked up: Colette's Colorado peach/champagne soup was pretty good, I loved her lamb (short) riblets with mint BBQ rub and tolerated my angel hair pasta with nice pancetta on a bed of parsley pesto. Our bill with wine before tip with no coffee or dessert was $66.25. More at eGullet
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sam
January 5, 2008
this place sucks. it is very small and the food was awful in my opinion. also, the waiter didn't know what to do
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Pig E. (10+ Reviews)
Aspen
February 1, 2009
We ate at the Red Mountain Grill which sits on the Aspen Public Golf course on Super Bowl Sunday. The place was pretty empty but everyone was probably at a super-bowl party.
We had great service! Our waiter was very helpful, attentive, and knowledgeable on the food.
I split a bowl of vegetarian chili with my boyfriend. It had just the right amount of spice. The other couple we were with split the vegan tomato soup and they enjoyed it.
My main dish was the ahi stir fry. My boyfriend had the fish and chips and the other couple both had the shrimp po-boy. Every enjoyed their meal.
They have plenty of parking since it is part of the golf course. We live outside of town so it was very convenient. I think we will go there again!
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Scott
Aspen
June 16, 2010
I was looking forward to the reopening of the new Onion. The restoration is a good job. The food and service are less desirable. I will spend time at the bar, Leave your money for the drinks
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Bridget
Aspen
October 26, 2013
Love the food. Love the mostly vegan menu choices. Service has been rocky since they opened but does seem to be slowly improving. If the windows/doors to the patio are not open, the place is painfully, obnoxiously loud. But it's really just too expensive. The coconut tofu bites are divine but $11 for five small cubes of tofu? Likewise, the stuffed mushrooms I enjoyed today: wonderful. But $12 for five small mushroom caps? Look, I know this is Aspen but for a counter service cafe, this is just too pricey.
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W
Aspen
September 16, 2011
4 of us had dinner and ordered 3 different steaks, New York, Bone in Fillet and Flat Iron. All were very "chewy". The formula for this restaurant is to charge for everything individually except water and bread and butter. The steaks were served in a pan with a 1/2 clove of garlic and a sprig of green. If you wanted a sauce, it was extra. If you wanted a vegetable, it was extra. The price on the steaks was high and the quality of the meat was average supermarket quality.
*Restaurant Response
We're sorry that you didn't enjoy your previous dining experience. The restaurant's concept of individual plated items is unique but is specifically designed to cater to diners individual tastes. The Steakhouse staff, management, and owners would all like to invite you back for dinner and make sure you have a great experience. -Craig Cordts-Pearce / Owner
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Karen
Ponte Vedra Brach, Fl
May 12, 2013
Happened into this quaint restaurant our first night in Aspen and became a part of it's "soft opening". What a wonderful surprise! The Colorado lamb sandwich is piled high with meat, the roll tasted homemade and like a brioche. But, the best part of the meal was the kale salad! Flavors blended beautifully so, naturally I had to ask about the ingredients - will try to replicate at home but doubt I'll get it. Great prices in a pricey town - wait staff was helpful and friendly. We're going back before heading home. Only suggestion - add something sweet to complete the meal for us "sweet toothsome."
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TripsAhoy
August 1, 2008
We went to the Wild Fig for lunch in July and had a fantastic meal.. The mojitos were very fresh and had great flavor, and the pasta dish I ordered was one of the best meals I have ever had, anywhere in the US.
While it was not a cheap meal at all ($160 for three people at lunch) - it was delicious. We went several other places while in Aspen on vacation, but never found a better meal!
Highly recommended.
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Eat Aspen Review Team DKDK
Aspen
February 22, 2010
Willow Creek is right at the bottom of our favorite mountain, Aspen Highlands. Adjoining the Ritz Residence Club steps away from the lift.
They've loosened their sleeves quite a bit this past winter and started to cater to the local Apres Ski scene. They now offer reasonably priced drinks as well as fresh BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. Add a little live music on the weekends and you've got a nice little scene.
We enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich, a gourmet grilled cheese, truffle parmesan fries, and a gruyere cheeseburger,.
Great service, great location, & Great Food!
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HoustonFoodCritic
Houston, Texas
July 4, 2010
This out-of-the-way nook is the best kept secret in Aspen. The service is personable and the atmosphere is a quirky nod to small-town America. The food is what one would expect from a tavern. The portions are large and the menu features plenty of fried options. The food always tastes fresh and you will never feel rushed to order or eat, even on a busy day. Bring your friends, order a beer, and settle in for delicious comfort food.
Warning: BRING CASH. This is a cash-only restaurant.
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Aspen Spin
Aspen
March 1, 2009
Philly Cheesesteaks are not the easiest item to authentically reproduce. In fact, i made a promise to myself never to eat one outside Pa. During an Eagles game somebody mentioned that Zane's has a great Philly. I didn't believe it until i tried it for myself. Its not Pat's or Gino's, but its pretty close. I'd call it excellent.
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