Review of Piñons Restaurant Aspen
– by Emery
In between two banks and a clothing store, Piñons is an interesting place for a well-to-do restaurant. Walking through the double, glass doors, I entered a modern, carpeted stairway surrounded by modern welded lamps and Peter Lik style photographs on the walls. At the top, I found myself in a significantly larger dining room complete with a bar and a doorway to a beautiful sunlit patio. The dining room was set elegantly with warm woods lining the structure and classic white table cloths topped with glittering wine glasses.
A well-dressed man slowly walked towards me. I asked for a table for one and he led me to a table in the back corner. He quickly sped off to some important matters regarding the night’s dinner service. Soon after, a smiling young man handed me a leather bound menu and politely took my drink order. Naturally I chose an Arnold Palmer, and then looked through the menu. The menu had few choices on it, carefully selected and full of variety. I contested between a classic New York Strip, or the Herb Crusted Colorado Trout. The trout won. My waiter took my order and disappeared into the vast sea of wine glasses.
I looked through my window towards the beautiful Aspen Mountain. It was the time of day where the sun hits it directly, causing the lime-green of the grass and trees to glow. I was just starting to think how lonely the restaurant was without anyone I knew when the waiter appeared with my dish.
The trout looked awesome. The herbs were colorful, and the fish was a beautiful almost salmon-like pink. It was complemented nicely with a handful of steamed vegetables. As I took the first bite, it brought back memories of fishing with friends, and bringing them home for dinner. The fish was light, elegant, and incredibly tasty. The herbs created a crunchy, flaky first impression, which turned into a luscious, delicious trout finish. The spring vegetables were a nice complement, which included fresh grilled zucchini.
All in all, Piñons is a fantastic restaurant. The atmosphere is a 5/5 for a beautiful, elegant, modern setting that feels classy and homey at the same time. The service was polite, kind, and clean. I really enjoyed being served by them. 5/5. The cost was incredibly pricy, but for the décor, the fantastic food, and the overall experience, I feel it is justified. The food was great, really, really great. The portions were perfectly sized, the plating of the dishes looked amazing, and everything was cooked to perfection. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Piñons, and I hope to return soon, with some hungry, hungry friends.
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.