Because of the restaurant restrictions surrounding coronavirus guidelines (the same I experienced in Jackson Hole) I got a few recommendations from the gentleman who picked me up from the airport and made reservations straight away so I wouldn’t be scrambling to get in somewhere for each meal. I did try to go to a few cocktail bars a bit early before dinner but they were all at capacity so that goes to show you cant always wing it.
do yourself a favor.
Aspen is full of culinary delights – too many to experience them all in my short trip, but that just means each trip can be a new culinary experience. My arrival happened to coincide with the opening of Nakazawa, of course a nod to its namesake and head chef, Daisuke Nakazawa, who boasts a Michelin star and even was featured in a Netflix documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. (Nakazawa apprenticed under Jiro Ono.) Locals referred to this as a pop up and even said the brick and mortar location tended to be a host to rotational eateries so I am not sure how long this installment will be there. The only available seating was at the chefs table aka the sushi bar so I made sure to secure a reservation otherwise miss my chance to try this groundbreaking sushi experience. Although the main dining area offered options of preset menus or a la carte menus, the chef’s table was a preset menu option only. I actually prefer preset menus so this was welcomed. If you at all like sushi this is a must. It was transformative. A 20 (yes twenty!) course meal, each piece presented was dripping with perfection and creativity and I can honestly say I am now probably ruined for sushi forever. Nothing will come close. I was a little worried I wouldn’t be into the nigiri because I normally go for the cooked options but there wasn’t a single piece that was less than revolutionary. I cannot hype this up enough. The service was impeccable (as expected) and the staff was very knowledgeable in their extensive wine list as well as their vast (and I mean vast) sake list. More than a meal, this experience was something I hope to do again.
no fig-in around.
Night two began with a Fig Newton cocktail at the W Aspen bar, which was quite fitting as I was able to secure a reservation at The Wild Fig. A trendy spot with a warming ambiance and Italian style menu, this place nailed every. single. thing. The fig salad was the perfect opener for what was hands down the best veal I have ever had. They must have a trained saucier because the sauce was so complimentary and done very well. Because outdoor seating was not opened, they were limited to indoor seating which is pretty cozy. Meaning, pandemic or not, a reservation is recommended if you want to be sure to get a table inside.
there’s always next time.
Some other places I was unable to get to due to the shortness of my trip but came highly recommended were Jimmy’s (steakhouse), Cache Cache (French), Chef’s Club Aspen and Ajax Tavern (basecamp dining). There is also a Clark’s Oyster Bar which is great for oyster lovers. J-Bar is a cocktail bar that came recommended by some locals as well as Hooch (a craft cocktail bar). Hooch is actually the bar I tried to snag a predinner cocktail at but they were at capacity. The Red Onion is the local bar – Aspen’s version of Jackson Hole’s Mangey Moose. I was told the weekend I was there was their last weekend open and that The Red Onion was closing permanently due to the impacts of the pandemic. However some other locals seemed hopeful that it wouldn’t be long before another local swooped in and reopened it since it was such a local staple. Fingers crossed next time I visit The Red Onion will be open and thriving so I can try it out.