The new Aspen restaurant Ute City is in the final stretch. Looking to open by late November or early December 2009, it’s all hands on deck. During a peak this past week it was evident that under the construction drop cloths the intrerior design has a nice flow from bar to dining room with windows and glass doors that open onto the street.
The restaurant is created by Walt Harris owner of Szygy restaurant for 22 years where great food & great jazz made it one of Aspen’s best restaurants. The lease of the old Syzygy ended this previous spring and summer has been devoted to readying the new building. The Ute City restaurant will occupy the ground floor and is meant to be an American style bistro serving lunch, apre’s ski, dinner, and a late night menu till 11pm. Sample menu items to include an appetizer Jamon Serrano with pears, olives, almonds, arugula, and spanish cheese for $16, a Roasted Beet Arugula Salad with spiced walnuts, sheep feta, and champagne vinaigrette for $9, a House Made Dill Linguini with bay scallops, black trumpets, asparagus, and vermouth cream for $17, a Spicy Shrimp Bowl in brown butter with tobasco sauce, tomatoes and green onion spoon cake for $18, and Pork Medallions with local plum, goat cheese, wilted greens, and sage spaetzle for $19.
The new Syzygy restaurant will open underneath Ute City possibly this January with Chef Martin Oswald at the helm again. With the same intention of creating that syzygy, the unity and alignment between food, music, and space that creates the full experience for the diner. The lower level space will have high ceilings, a fire place, and we might even look forward to some late night music events if the dance floor in the corner is any indication.
The new building rose up from the ground where La Cocina once stood and kept us entertained with flaming #%&!@*#! and Nick’s pattern welcome at the entrance “Hey how are ya? Good to see ya!” making you feel as if he knew you, no matter if you’d met before or not. From past experience there is definitely some good energy on this piece of land. This block of town on Hopkins Ave. between Mill St. & Monarch St. has been coined Aspen’s Restaurant Row because of the high concentration of eateries. The Ute City restaurant is bordered on either side by Social / Elevation and Lulu Wilson with Jimmy’s, Bruno’s, Cache Cache, and Campo across the street.
Termed simply Ute City restaurant it may be considered the “New” Ute City because of the former Ute City Bank bar & restaurant that held court in the Cowenhoven building on Galena Street. The Ute City name comes from Aspen’s original name. This upper valley was first known as the mining camp of Ute. When the pioneers of 1879 came over the continental divide they were pretty much in Ute Indian Country and they camped at the ole’ Ute springs and named the town after those who were here before them. We would love to see a nod given to the Utes or to the original ’79ers somewhere within the restaurant other than name alone.
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