Food Buzz: Ski to Eat
DBox-Related WestPac
Snowmass Village Rendering
It’s a physiological truth about life in a ski town: Skiing makes you hungry. (Snowboarding, too.) Assuming you like to eat, there’s a nice upside to that. After a five- or six-hour day vigorously burning calories on the slopes, you can more than justify a little gastronomic indulgence.
That’s a particularly good thing in places like Aspen and Snowmass, where the dining scenes have made some mouth-watering additions recently. Snowmass in particular has seen its dining experience take a big leap forward, including, rather amazingly, the arrival of two different takes on the S’Mores-eating experience. Ski hard, and you can rationalize eating your way through the following.
Snowmass:
Buchi
Jeffrey Klein knows a thing or two about Japanese restaurants. He lived in Tokyo for 17 years, and he was one of the founders of Aspen’s Matsuhisa. With Buchi, his new eatery in Snowmass, he shows guests that Japanese dining is not always all about sushi. Modeled after a Japanese, family-style tavern, Buchi does offer raw fish but also many more cooked items—a Kobe burger, skewers and a T-bone steak among them—than what’s typical of a dedicated sushi joint. Other influences, what Klein calls “coastal food of the Americas and Asia with South American spices,” expand further beyond the realm of spider rolls and miso soup. Lunchtime sees a noodle bar offering udon and bento boxes. Best of all, Klein plans to keep it moderately priced. 92.BUCHI
Junk and Liquid Sky
Owner Scott DeGraff says his restaurant (Junk) and the lounge upstairs (Liquid Sky) bring a mountainized version of his successful Las Vegas nightclubs and restaurants to Snowmass’ Base Village. How so? Why with color-changing fire pits, 7-foot-tall outdoor showers, four bars, several DJ booths, flaming torches, outdoor hammocks (with “blanket service”) and a “S’Mores Bar” complete with flame stations for toasting marshmallows for 20 different types of S’Mores, that’s how. On the sustenance side, Junk will serve burgers, sushi, matzo-ball soup, lobster clubs and, among many other things, the top-flight steaks for which DeGraff’s N9NE Steakhouses in Vegas and Chicago are famous. 922.JUNK (starting late December)
Nardi’s
The ever-increasing fans of this family-style Italian and Mexican eatery are learning what a small circle of locals has known for years: Peter Nardi makes some kick-ass meatballs. He makes lasagna and fettuccini pretty well, too. In all cases, he’s using his grandmother’s recipe. Go hungry; you’ll leave full. 923.0117
The Office
Another Jeffrey Klein establishment (like the above-mentioned Buchi), The Office, which is located in the former Cirque space at the end of the Snowmass Mall, offers pub fare—rotisserie chicken, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, burgers, salads and soups. Klein recognizes that the Cirque has long been an institution, and he doesn’t plan on alienating the locals and tourists who’ve been coming back religiously over the years. It will carry on the Cirque’s legacy as a lively après-ski spot. Need proof? Look at The Office’s phone number: 922.BEER
Sam’s Smokehouse
Located atop Sam’s Knob, Snowmass’ new on-mountain restaurant opened a year late, but for barbeque lovers it’s worth the wait. Sam’s menu touches on all styles: Texas-style beef brisket, Carolina pulled-pork sandwiches and St. Louis-style pork ribs. The service is wait-served and casual, but for skiers in a hurry, a grab-and-go coffee shop accommodates quick pit stops as well.
Sneaky’s Tavern
A contemporary take on neighborhood tavern, Sneaky’s is designed to appeal to the locals. The food is familiar: great burgers, homemade mac ‘n’ cheese, hearty soups and stews. The Duck in Winter Vegetable Potpie and the Shaved Beef on Weck—a western New York staple—are as esoteric as it gets. All premier season pass holders receive a gold “pint pass” good for $3 drafts. Silver passes, which are good for the same deal, will be given to regulars at the owners’ discretion. In other words, come often.
Sweet Life
Willie Wonka would love it. At Sweet Life, a miniature train transports melted marshmallow-and-chocolate sandwiches to guests at an eight-person S’Mores table. Chicken Lollipops, Corndog Bites, Sloppy Joe Sliders, five burger and seven hot dogs choices appeal to both children and their parents, though the sweets-inspired cocktails are adults-only (though there are plenty of “mock-tails” for the kids). Candy bins abound; there are cookies; there are cakes. Then there’s the homemade ice cream: an assortment that rotates among 250 flavors. 923.9903
Aspen:
Buenos Aires Fusion
Buenos Aires Fusion took over what had long been the Blue Maize space on Hunter St. In doing so, it has broadened Aspen’s range of international cuisine via empanadas, grilled aged provolone and an assortment of steaks, sausages and other Argentine specialties There’s also a great selection of Malbecs. Pair one with the Parrillada Argentina, a mixed grill for two. 920.7722
Crystal Palace Grille
To replace the brand-name cabaret supplied for 50-plus years by Mead Metcalf and crew, the Crystal Palace Grille has brought in two big names of its own: Piedmontese and Akaushi. The former is a breed of cattle from Italy, the latter a Kobe-style breed from Japan. The Piedmontese is high-taste and low-cholesterol, while the Akaushi comes from a line of cattle imported to Texas from Japan. It’s every bit as fat-marbled and flavorful as Kobe—but not as expensive. These are steaks for connoisseurs. 925.4900
Fun Worldwide Lab
Part of the local quartet of Scott Degraff-owned bars and eateries (the others are Junk and Liquid Sky at Snowmass, and Junk at the Red Onion in Aspen), FUN Worldwide Lab functions as a test kitchen and training facility for DeGraff’s local endeavors, as well as a venue for private parties and cooking classes. 920.1090
Sabra’s Deli
Opened since June next to Clark’s Market (in the former Bagel Bites location), Sabra’s fills a few niches in town: It’s a much-needed additional lunch spot (late breakfast and dinner are also available); its “Mediterranean cuisine with a Middle Eastern twist,” which includes falafels, kebabs, couscouses and more, further diversifies Aspen’s ethnic offerings; and counter service allows for a quick bite in town beyond a basic sandwich or a slice of pizza. Try the Merguez—Moroccan lamb links in a pita with fixings. 920.3489
