Aspen, CO :

Holiday In The Mountains

Party in Aspen, Sleep it Off in Snowmass.

ski tips for numerous après options once the lifts stop running.

The Highlands: The Highlands is the location of the Ritz Carlton Club and attracts advanced skiers with its backcountry bowl.

Buttermilk: This mountain is known for its Ski and Snowboard School Park and has been the location of the X Games for many years. It is located three mile from downtown Aspen.

Restaurants:
Aspen’s high-priced nature definitely carries over to the restaurants, but there is a local “secret” that will help you save some cash. Most restaurants have separate menus for the bar and dining rooms. The "bar menu" doesn't mean cheeseburgers and onion rings - it is usually an accurate representation of what the dining room menu offers, only with slightly smaller servings and/or a smaller selection at about half the price. As the locals say, "it's how they survive in Aspen." Sitting in the bar area is pleasant - again, these are upscale restaurants - and it's a great way to be social, make friends, and save some cash. Here are a range of recommendations:

L’Hostaria (hostaria.com): In Italy during the Renaissance, a tavern was referred to as a Hostaria. The origin of the word is host, or to be a host. This Italian restaurant certainly welcomed us in, and we followed the local advice and sat in the bar area (there were high top tables as well as bar seating, http://hostaria.com/cuisine/bar-menu/). Try the Antipasto as an appetizer (combo of prosciutto, porchetta, salami, olives, artichokes, breaksticks, and Montasio cheese chips) and go with any of the pastas for the main course. The ambiance is chatty and the low-lighting keeps the atmosphere warm. Get there early to avoid a wait.

L'Hostaria
620 East Hyman Avenue
Aspen, CO 81611
Phone: 970- 925-9022

Element 47, The Little Nell Hotel, Aspen (http://element47aspen.com/en.aspx): This recently opened restaurant offers great apres cocktails and a menu ranging from oysters to gourmet burgers served with duck-fat fries. "Element 47" is named for "silver" on the periodic table, and it is a toast to Aspen's mining history. It is one of Aspen's newest restaurants and located inside the Little Nell Hotel, right across the street from the Sky Hotel. Pop in to have a drink or meal after a day on the slopes. Expect high prices as The Little Nell is a 5-star hotel.

Element47
675 E. Durant Avenue
Aspen, CO 81611
Phone: 970-920-4600

Eight K, Viceroy Hotel, Snowmass (http://www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/snowmass/dining_and_nightlife/eightk): This is definitely a restaurant we'd throw in the "pricey" category given that cocktails cost $16 (seriously), but it does have some damn-good food. We tried elk for the first time ($52), which came prepared in the fashion that you would picture lamb being served. Executive Chef Will Nolan was a 2012 Finalist for Food and Wine's The Peoples' Best New Chef. The desserts are to die for. Try Eight K for a special occasion (there are entrees in the $30 range - the elk was the priciest).

Eight K
130 Wood Road
Snowmass Village, CO 81615
Phone: 970-923-8000

Photos
Photograph of the Sky Hotel in Aspen, CO by Ryan Dearth www.ryandearth.com

....