ASPEN

I can not believe it is mid March and here we are in the midst of our third Nor'easter this month. Winter being my favorite season, it always seems to fly right by! Meanwhile, I finally found a little time to go through photos. Here's a look at our trip to beautiful Aspen, Colorado back in January.

Good friends of ours have lived in Aspen for years so a visit here was long overdue! 
Here is my Aspen bucket list / a nice guide of to-dos if you go. 
At the end of the day really just everything we did with locals to lead the way.

#1 Highland Bowl. A hike up highland bowl is a right of passage! Some gnarly heart pumping terrain brings you to an elevation of 12,392'. On this day the hike was made even more challenging by the weather - blinding 50+ mph winds. One local quoted it was his toughest bowl hike in 10 years of living there and meanwhile a few of our crew got frostbite. On certain days a cat runs the initial ascent, but it was not running due to the weather so we really earned this one!

A Highland bowl hike will take about 45 minutes to an hour. It is an intense workout and crazy adrenaline rush. The powder runs from the top are worth it!

Above is the bowl and the ridge line (hiking trail) from the vantage point at the top of Loge Peak lift.

 Alex and Bob hiked the bowl on our last day when it was sunny and perfect visibility. You can't beat clear views from 12,000 feet! Leah and I opted to ski the main trails at Aspen Highlands since we hadn't yet. 

#2 Cloud Nine. Post Highland Bowl hike, celebrate your accomplishment at Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro with a bottle of Veuve.
Fun Facts: Cloud Nine is Veuve Clicquots largest account in the world! And umm....Veuve is the least expensive bottle you can purchase here. 

We reserved a table for lunch a few weeks in advance. The food is good but expensive so if you aren't looking to splurge or did not make a reservation then a drink on the hopefully sun drenched or snow covered patio is where it's at! 

#3 Ski Ajax. This IS Aspen Mountain. We had a gorgeous bluebird day at Ajax following a small storm the night before we arrived. We almost didn't make it out of Denver because of the storm. We were very proactive at the airport about re-booking each time our connection was cancelled and managed to make it on the last flight out that night!!
 

My recs for a solid day in Aspen:

Grab Breakfast at: Jour de Fete

Enjoy Lunch on piste at: Bonnie's

Après at: Ajax Tavern or Highlands Ale House

Ski gear or rentals: Hamilton Sports

Fun Shops: KemoSabe, Sweaty Betty Pop Up

#4 Cocktails at J-Bar inside Hotel Jerome. Check out the alpine-luxe hotel lobby space and then tuck into Jbar for a round or two. Try the Cranberry Spice Manhattan made with Woody Creek single barrel "Hotel Jerome" Rye, Bitter Sling Autumn Bog Cranberry + Carpano Antica or the J-Bargarita with Cazadores Blanco Tequila, lime, grapefruit, Ancho Reyes Verde + agave.

#5 Crispy Chicken Sandwich at The White House Tavern. This heavenly sandwich comes on a house made torta with swiss, tomato and spicy slaw. It is a must order when visiting Aspen! The ambiance at this cozy, historic house turned tavern at 302 East Hopkins Avenue can't be beat. It served as a miners cottage at the turn of the century and it remains one of the oldest structures in Aspen. 

Also pictured is my Gibson Martini (love me some cocktail onions!) and the Gulf Coast Style Fish Sandwich with red onion and thousand island slaw. Our group had such a nice time at The White House Tavern, I'd highly recommend a visit.

#6 The Peking Duck at Bosq. Serving innovative and inspired new world cuisine with flavors from the Mediterranean to China in a modern alpine setting, everything at Bosq feels extremely unique. The intimate space envelopes you in shades of gray and light wood accents with elegant lighting and flickering candles, creating a soothing Scandinave ambiance. The Peking Duck is a chef perfected dish, served simply with cucumbers, leeks, pancakes and hoisin sauce.


The rest of the menu is not to be out shined by the duck, though. From sides like garlic chili rapini and butter poached shitakes to shared dishes of octopus with lime, black chili, parsnips, tamarind and grilled peanut oil and sweet and sour crispy eggplant - every dish was outrageously good.

There were also short rib blue corn tacos with kumquat foam and tomatillo emulsion and citrus chicken with roasted brussels sprouts and chestnut crema. This was a group consensus, one of the best meals we've had in a long time!

#7 Don't forget your fur! ;)

Thank you for an amazing time, Aspen!!

Up next: Telluride!

Mexico City | street food essentials

Mexico City. It's not what you think. 

DF as it is commonly known to everyone here, Distrito Federal, is a sprawling, high altitude (7300 feet) metropolis with a booming culinary scene and a flourishing cultural spirit. Where historical grandeur and pre-Hispanic fare meet hip neighborhoods with urban cantinas and chic mezcal bars; it's an intriguing, vibrant, one of a kind destination.

The nations capital is largely distanced from the drug war and dangers you might associate with any Mexican City that's not a trendy beach resort. If you didn't know any better, I wouldn't blame you. This off the beaten path trip, especially our Street Food Essentials Tour with Club Tengo Hambre had me feeling something like Anthony Bourdain, if not a true local. It was an inspired, food-filled adventure through El Centro (Centro Historico neighborhood) that took us from side street taquerias to the cramped stalls of renowned public markets, to quesadilla stands that have been in families for generations. We devoured dishes on this roving supper club tour that are quintessential to the region - ingredients and preparations you can not experience outside of DF. 

I had booked a private tour well in advance. The club reaches out with a comprehensive email once you paypal them ($125 each) letting you know the meeting spot, and warning you not to eat breakfast because this 6+ stop walking tour will begin at 11am and last for 3 1/2 hours. We became fast friends with our guide Mariana and could not have asked for a better time. The price is worth it and includes a bottle of mezcal as a parting gift.

We started at the cities original, best, hidden, tacos al pastor stand and helped ourselves to two bite size melt in your mouth tacos, washed down with a cold, milky-sweet horchata. These tacos are extraordinary, served with onion, guacamole and lime wedges. Then we ventured to Mercado San Juan - the gourmet and exotic food market "where the chefs shop", Mariana, a chef herself explained as she led us through a cricket, yes cricket, tasting. We washed down these salty, spicy, crispy, zesty and sometimes lime soaked Mexican delicacies with sips of smokey mezcal and squeezes of oranges dusted in worm salt. Back outside we briskly made our way to a sidewalk stall for hot, fresh off the griddle quesadillas. Shredded spicy chicken, earthy mushroom and cheese (a very special squeaky cheese you can only get at the local market) and even one loaded with leafy green vegetables. These were, hands down, the best quesadillas I'll ever have in my life. We sat among locals getting their lunch on, cramped in front of a beautiful subway tiled wall and a stairwell lined with bowls and plates. 

Yo Estoy Feliz! we all started exclaiming - I am Happy. 

The next stop was a heartwarming experience. On a sidewalk corner in front of a liquor store window, a deeply rooted, family owned business sets up shop. Two sweet and humble women pat and press blue corn dough, their hands caked in the pretty, chalky blue color. We pull up stools around their charcoal fired tortilla griddle and are treated to incredible tlacoyo - the blue corn tortilla is filled with chicharón (pork), requesón (fresh ricotta like cheese), beans and served with nopales (cactus), piquant salsa, cilantro, and more cheese on top.

We casually wander to the next market, described as where the everyday person shops and eats (the photos with the fruit and vegetable murals). Colorful Day of the Dead decorations line the bustling food stalls along with yellow Marigolds which are for sale everywhere you look. We make our way to a quiet corner in the back for agua frescas. My watermelon is candy sweet and filled with fresh, juicy pulp. Others opt for the tangy sweet tamarind and the less sweet and floral-y hibiscus. 

Still going strong with two more stops to go! Both happen to be taquerias that cook with these crazy big cauldrons, very common in Mexican street food preparation. At the second to last one, Taqueria Gonzalez, we stuff ourselves with campechano - a mélange of chopped meats with rice, potatoes, cheese and nopales aka the kitchen sink taco. I'm loving the sautéed potato element and never knew this was a traditional taco ingredient until now. The last stop is the famous Taqueria Los Cucuyos where I can hardly stomach another bite, but I do in the form of cachete (beef cheek), topping it with a sneaky spicy avocado and roasted green chili sauce and crisp radishes. Whole grilled spring onions are a common side offered and so I go back in for a few of those as well.

CTH's founder, Jason, meets us after his group tour wraps up and the six of us head to a local haunt for cervezas - through an unlabeled entrance way that sprawls back into a large, very worn in, old school cantina. We shared a lot of laughs and received a solid list of recommendations for where to eat and drink next. 

If you are traveling to Mexico City I'd highly recommend booking this tour on your first day in town. A fantastic introduction to the Central Historic District and an incredible overview of the famed street cuisine await you!