In what has become an annual right of passage in downtown Aspen, we have a new restaurant, a new exclusive bar, 2 new coffee shops and an existing restaurant fading into the sunset.
The new
7908 Supper Club is located on the Hyman Ave mall in the space formerly occupied by Finbarrs Pub (remember that one?). So far, reviews are fantastic. The fried chicken has been compared to crack in the sense that it is so good it’s addictive. That is an Aspen review if I have ever heard one. The fact that the landlord has some skin in the game suggests that they should stand the test of time. Given the fact that the space sat vacant for years, we are rooting for them.
Bad Harriet is a brand new underground drinking establishment in the Hotel Jerome’s renovation of the historic Aspen Times building. It is billed as exclusive, private and a place to celebrate the naughty, entrance by reservation only. So far, I have not made the cut.
While Starbucks disappointed many by closing down their long standing location at the Gondola Plaza, new owners have recently opened a new outlet in the former Rocky Mountain Chocolate space on the Cooper Ave mall. The owners are veteran Aspen restaurant owners so we would expect them to succeed. Hey, it’s better than another pot shop.
In Starbucks former space, Gorsuch opened a new coffee shop/ski shop. This is my new favorite coffee hang out as the space is open, bright and inviting. The coffee is excellent and you get the bonus of the best people watching in town at the base of the Gondola. The best $6 you are going to spend in Aspen.
The obituary is for the much maligned Aspen Kitchen which got off to a rough start and never really recovered. The space was fantastic, one of the best in town, but the corresponding lease had to be the kiss of death. Add the fact that they left a list of construction companies unpaid and the mojo was bad news.
If we don’t have a dining option you love, be patient. The turn-style will likely continue to spin.
