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Back to Basics
Aspen's top chefs, sommeliers and spirits artisans prophesy that the future of Aspen's food and wine industries is
all about returning to fundamentals.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Matsuhisa chef Philip Tanaka; specially prepared dishes; Shawn Gallus of Matsuhisa and Sabato Sagaria of The Little Nell talk shop; LuLu Wilson chef Shane Coffey, chef
Drew Scott of Elevation and chef Martin Oswald of Syzygy; the evening’s host, on Park Avenue; a toast to Aspen’s culinary future.
It's often said that the best parties inevitably involve lively guests huddled around the kitchen. Such was the case during a sight rarely seen in
Aspen: the Valley's top chefs, wine gurus, sake slingers, restauranteurs, brewers and winemakers in the same gourmet kitchen for one night,
discussing the future of Aspen's food and wine culture.
"This is incredible," said Stewart Oksenhorn of Woody Creek Cellars, as he scanned both the guests and the private Park Avenue home, which features
one of the finest gourmet kitchens in town. Chefs Mark Fischer, of Six89 and Phat Thai, and Ryan Hardy, of The Little Nell's Montagna restaurant,
talked privately before mingling with other guests, including Aspen's newest master sommelier, Jonathan Pullis; Elevation executive chef Drew Scott;
and Aspen Brewery owner Duncan Clauss.
Incredible didn't just define the guests. For this potluck with panache, each chef cooked an extraordinary dish, and vintners brought their favorite
bottles. Dishes included scrumptious Japanese snapper sashimi from Philip Tanaka of Matsuhisa; handcrafted Desert Weyr lamb sausages with white
beans from LuLu Wilson executive chef Shane Coffey; savory chicken Caesar piadinas from D19 owner and chef Dena Marino; and lobster
cannelloni with heirloom tomato sauce, courtesy of Ella owner and executive chef Ian Kipp.
As the wine and local spirits flowed, so did the conversation. The night's topics: The food and beverage industries, the national economy, the new
American diner and how Aspen's foodie landscape will handle them all.
"The whole industry is changing. You have to rethink everything we know as chefs and as diners," said Hardy. "Everything has to change. From a
value standpoint, user friendliness, convenience—everything."
According to Hardy, a change in diner's needs occurred even before the economy began to crumble. Guests once wanted a high level of elegance, big
wine lists and new, exotic ingredients. With less discretionary spending, today's savvy consumers demand locally grown ingredients and dishes that
depend on the inherent taste of those ingredients. Restaurants have had to adapt to these emerging desires. Fine dining is in decline, these chefs agreed,
and what is happening across the country in the food and beverage industry is also happening right here in Aspen.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Philip Tanaka's snapper sashimi; Local libations from Aspen Brewing Company, Peak Spirits and Woody Creek Cellars; a dining room with a vista; chefs Martin Oswald and Ryan
Hardy; Elevation chef Drew Scott.
While the "death of fine dining" may sound dire for Aspen's top restaurants, no one was in a somber mood at this gathering. On the contrary, there was a tangible sense of an exciting shift, one that both
local food and spirits artisans are embracing. Amid the laughter and conviviality, most chefs see today's challenges as an opportunity to get back to basics: simple creations made with as much fresh local
or regional food as possible.
One Aspen restaurant that is reinventing itself to suit today's needs is Syzygy. The iconic Aspen dining establishment closed its doors in March and is reopening this summer with a new space on Hopkins
Avenue, considered Aspen's Restaurant Row. Executive chef Martin Oswald and owner Walt Harris aim to satisfy diners seeking good food for a reasonable price as well as loyal patrons still interested in
high-end items like Russian caviar. To do so, the new location will feature the fine dining of Syzygy in a 50-seat spot on the lower level while 130 seats on the street level will be served moderately
priced, seasonal local and sustainable food.
"Everyone is moving along the same lines," said Oswald. "We are using local [food] as much as possible. This is where we've seen the major changes. It's really swinging from luxury food items to people
paying more attention to the sustainable aspect."
Just as there will always be diners in Aspen who enjoy high-end items, there will also be those who want to drink the great wines of the world, said Montagna master sommelier Jonathan Pullis. The Little
Nell will have those wines, but he added that another segment of Aspen's wine enthusiasts are also interested in wines that have great value.
"We are bringing in interesting wines that are off the beaten track and in the double digits," he said. "This summer our events are geared more toward quaffable whites, summer stockers you can go and
buy from $30 to $50 and drink them everyday. Cool, fun things that are not widely available or generally known."
One lesser-known region includes the local wines of Woody Creek, located just 10 miles from Aspen. Woody Creek Cellars' owner and vintner, Kevin Doyle, supplied guests with a delicious 2006
Grenache. Another emerging region is Hotchkiss, Colorado, where Lance Hanson produces organic vodka and gins from his craft distillery, Peak Spirits.
"We think it all starts in the ground with the growing practices," he said. "The products that we are distilling are ultimately products from the farm. We focus on organic growing practices, natural growing
and distilling practices, and this enables us to rise above the noise. Our product, our philosophy and our approach is dovetailing nicely into the new green living trend."
Ian Kipp, executive chef of Ella Restaurant in Carbondale, has even begun purchasing whole animals, mainly from local rancher Crystal River Meats, and butchering them at the restaurant. This, he said,
provides great quality with amazing value for his customers.
"We are going back to the way things used to be," he said. "We are buying a lot more whole animals for Ella this year, which means we can offer a better product while keeping the level of style that we
are known for. New cuts of meat and new preparations, it's not something that people are used to, but it allows us to offer the value and be more creative with what we have."
As the night drew to a close and Duncan Clauss peeled the wax off the last bottle of his limitededition Lost Man Barrel-Aged Porter (aged four months in old casks of Stranahan's Colorado whiskey), Walt
Harris quipped, "You know this is a true restaurant-industry party because there's hardly any beer left." Back to basics, indeed, as Aspen's thirst for diversity and a new vision for this culinary capital
carries on.
BY AMIEE WHITE BEAZLEY
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT MOSS
The complete article appears on page 106 in the Winter 2008/Spring 2009 issue of Aspen Peak. SUBSCRIBE NOW and get
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