The E List: Field-, Farm-, and Forest-to-Fork Dining in Aspen
by ELLIMAN INSIDER TEAM
August 2025
A version of this article was originally published in the Spring 2025 edition of Elliman Magazine.
Aspen’s natural beauty is not lost on its chefs. In fact, local culinary culture has long celebrated the field-, farm-, and forest-to-fork approach, showcasing delicious seasonal ingredients from area farmers and growers. Here are some of the best spots to enjoy a taste of Aspen.
LOCAL FLAVOR
Prospect, inside the luxe Hotel Jerome, celebrates the region’s bounty through four- and seven-course menus that highlight the terroir with ingredients from local producers in the Roaring Fork Valley, Independence Pass, and Grand Valley’s wine country. Named “Taste of the Land” and “Journey,” respectively, the menus are crafted so that each dish showcases a different part of Colorado’s landscape, from mountain to meadow. An appetizer of mountain mushrooms, eggplant, and barley pays tribute to the forest. Colorado rainbow trout, with agnolotti, dashi, watercress, and radish, honors the rivers.
For a more relaxed setting, but no less delicious fare showcasing the local terroir, try The Garden, also at Hotel Jerome. It’s only open during the warmer months, but it offers beautiful views of Aspen Mountain as you dine outdoors on the patio.
Family-owned Bosq offers a Michelin-star take on homegrown cuisine with seasonal tasting menus showcasing ingredients from nearby farms or foraged from the mountains. Here, the “love local” philosophy extends beyond the cuisine. Even the plates are made by a local potter, and the tables are crafted by Aspen High School students.
Another go-to is The Wild Fig in downtown Aspen. This lively and charming restaurant designed to evoke a French brasserie offers an impressive wine list and tasty Spanish-, French-, Italian-, and Greek-inspired cuisine.
GOOD SPIRITS
At this altitude, you might well call Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge single malt heaven. The kind served here comes straight from the company’s Denver distillery, and every batch is made with Rocky Mountain snowmelt. Try a whiskey-based seasonal cocktail, a flight of single malts, or our new favorite—Calvados Cask whiskey, exclusively available at the lodge.
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