Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
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Guide devour As part of Fondue Night, Ajax Tavern offers both cheese and chocolate fondue courses complete with all the fixings. Melting Pot International visitors and top-tobottom ski runs fuel town's appetite for alpine cuisine. Herewith, top tables for fabulous fondues and s'mores. New this winter, a three-course Fondue Night at Ajax Tavern is held Wednesday evenings (beginning January 8). Start with the Tavern salad followed by either a cheese fondue served with sliced apple, broccoli, pickles, bread, chorizo, and house-made sausage, or court bouillon fondue with Emma Farms Wagyu beef, yellowfin tuna, potatoes, broccoli, and horseradish aioli and curry yogurt dippings. Cap the night with a chocolate fondue course. An optional wine flight is the ultimate complement. 685 E. Durant Ave., 970-9206334; ajaxtavernaspen.com Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro Dining at this cozy, Swiss-style chalet located near the top of the Cloud Nine lift at Aspen Highlands is a rite of passage for locals and visitors. Earn your turns on Highland Bowl then refuel with traditional raclette and fondue. Sip Glühwein while soaking up one of the best panoramic views in the state. 76 Boomerang Road, Aspen Highlands, 970-923-8715 (dinner), 970-544-3063 (lunch); aspensnowmass.com Crêperie du Village This quaint restaurant will transport you to the streets of Europe. Authentic ski-chalet décor, wood accents, outstanding crêpes, and extensive wines by the glass make this a local hot spot. Serving fondue Bourguinonne, a traditional fondue au fromage, and fondue au chocolat, après ski never tasted so good. And the Crêperie is still bustling at 11 pm, attracting late-night revelers, too. 400 E. Hopkins Ave., 970-9251566; lacreperieduvillage.com Limelight Hotel This heart-of-downtown hotel and restaurant serves a kid's dream dessert (and adults can't resist it, either). Ask for the s'mores "kit" and grab a seat near one of the outdoor fire pits. The dish comes with all the necessities, yet with elevated presentation and taste, including marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, and skewers. 355 S. Monarch St., 970-9253025; limelighthotel.com M&M Catering and Cooking School Aspen's newest addition to the local food scene, this catering company and cooking school (located at the Aspen Airport Business Center) offers fondue cooking classes with chef Stanley Coriat. Ideal for families, aspiring gourmands, just the kids, or a girls' night out, classes by Aspen's leading private chefs teach tricks of the trade. 305F, AABC, 970-544-4862; mmcateringaspen.com Pine Creek Cookhouse This only-in-Aspen restaurant doesn't serve a traditional fondue, however, the fondue cheese sauce that tops chef Chris Keating's hearty chicken entree is worth the picturesque cross-country trek or snowshoe outing. Located in the postcard-perfect Ashcroft Valley (a 30-minute drive from downtown), this gourmet cabin in the woods— accessed only via trail or horse-drawn sleigh in winter—is the quintessential Colorado experience. 11399 Castle Creek Road, 970-925-1044; pinecreekcookhouse.com Shadow Mountain Lodge at St. Regis Daily during ski season (December 15–March 31; 7-8 pm), this iconic brand serves complimentary s'mores to children. For adults' late-night sweet tooth, s'mores can be ordered from 9 pm-12 am in the gorgeous outdoor courtyard nestled right at the base of Aspen Mountain. Cozy up to the fire or your sweetheart and indulge in the traditional treat made with fine gourmet chocolate. 315 E. Dean St., 970-920-0033; stregisaspen.com AP cheese course Mawa McQueen, founder of a new cooking school, and her sommelier discuss the best options for DIY fondue. Known on the local culinary scene as founder of M&M Catering, Mawa McQueen (left) opened M&M Catering and Cooking School this fall, and it hosts two-hour classes Thursdays through Sundays. Weighing in on the fondue trend, McQueen suggests using Emmentaler, Gruyère, Swiss, or Appenzeller. For a fondue dinner party, she says, "Everyone should have his or her own fork, the cheese should be at the correct temperature, and there should be enough sides—like bread, shrimp, potatoes, and a side salad." M&M Catering and Cooking sommelier Louisa Goldsmith recommends the best wine parings: "A crisp, off-dry Riesling or a Chenin Blanc cuts through the rich Gruyère. The wines' fruity notes pair with apples or pears dipped in the cheese." For chocolate fondue she suggests a Banyuls, a Grenache-based lightly fortified wine from the Roussillon region in the South of France. "Good acidity keeps the wine (and the dessert) from becoming cloying," she says. M&M Catering and Cooking School, 305 F, AABC, 970-544-4862; mmcateringaspen.com photography by jason dewey (ajax); robin proctor photography (mcqueen) Ajax Tavern 208 aspenpeak-magazine.com 208_AP_BOB_Guide_Devour_WIN13_SPR_14.indd 208 10/29/13 3:59 PM