adam "adman" h.'s Profile

Love it, love the area, love the food.  This place has attitude and it's worth the investment.  If you don't mind public school financial services types this place is just the spot to have great food and drink.  Grab a seat at the bar to avoid waiting on/in line for a table.  The burger is famous here and rightly so.

Dress business casual at a minimum.

Cheers!

http://Love.this.place....

OK - I've hit this place every time I've been in Aspen.  This weekend I was with my best buddy and wanted to ensure that he had a great time during his first Aspen trip.  No joke, and not wanting to sound like a pretentious wanker, but this place is the best spot in Aspen - I've lived in Edinburgh, London and San Francisco and this place would be a valuable addition to any city.  Period/full stop.  I've now dined here three times - 1) at bar with wife on a party weekend 2) with a large family group in the eating area 3) with buddy this weekend at bar.  On each occasion, it's stood up - and I'm kinda picky.  Now, let me qualify this review:

1. My review is based on drinking/eating at the BAR during the day.  The restaurant/eating section can be hit and miss - ESPECIALLY at night.  I would not recommend going at night actually - it can be weird and cliquey.

2. The barman Steve (or "Woody" to his old skool pals) makes this place from a 3 star to a 5 star.  He is amazing.  I've never met someone SO SUITED to being a barman - he's absolutely AMAZING at his trade.

3. Again - this review is based on daytime drinking/eating with Steve as the bar guy.  Tip him big style - he'll take care of you.

4. I've uploaded a photo - I'm the guy in the hat, Steve the barman is the dude in the green shirt at the back.

5, It's not that expensive.

The food rocks - the french dip special is spectacular.

Enjoy!!!!

Please do not dine/drink here.  I LOVE Aspen and this place stands out as the only establishment to disappoint.  I echo the other person's negative review of this place - the service was unreal - my friend and I were left thinking if we'd offended someone, if we'd been rude asking (after waiting around for 10 mins) who was going to serve us, if we had suddenly been transported so some form of parallel universe, etc etc.  It was almost as though we were in the middle of 2 sections - one section being served by this skinny older guy with tats, and other being served by this blonde gal.  We asked both directly "Are you going to take our order?" both times were were met with "Let me go check on that".  We waited and waited then we were like "Dude, this is Aspen, we love being here - why are we wasting our time on this place?" and got outta there.  From a business perspective, this place should be lights out as it's right across from the Hotel Jerome (excellent - where we were staying luckily) so it's the first place people will check out for a drink or a bite after leaving the hotel.  Please please please please don't waste your valuable time in Aspen on this place.  It's AWFUL and I can't believe it's still afloat.  The other customers surrounding our table were embarrassed by our situation and were really cool.  We just didn't want to patronize this place.  The one star...............we ate our free chips and salsa then bolted.

This place is played out.  My more experienced friends told me it used to be THE place on a Thursday.  I've been on several business occasions (interviewed people, met for lunch, etc) and it's been hit and miss - but always priced at a premium relative to other establishments on that "happnin" block.  Tonight (Thursday June 9, 2011) the place was half full of really WASTED middle aged/30 somethings and a decent country band (who I felt sorry for as they were being ignored by the crowd).  The staff were awful - more intent on carrying on conversations with locals than serving new customers - surprising as their Thursday night specials pale into insignificance vs. the weak competition: Tav (up the street - frat scene - predictable but decent and owned by the same ppl i think, and the Max Grill - same street, nicer).  We left without ordering - annoyed but had enough.  I was with a very successful local businessman - too bad for them - neither of us will be back.  I've tried the lunch, dinner and now bar scene in this place - I'd have to say that none were that good.  Sucks - apparently this place is part of an ownership group that runs 2 or 3 places in the same South Gaylord block. However - we have to keep in mind that this is Denver, not San Francisco - but, dammit - it's my n'hood and I want more.  Oh Dear.

This review concerns this establishment's operations as opposed to its food (which I'd rate 4 as 4 star).  Just to be clear.

Twice in the last three weeks we've arrived, once at 12pm (Monday) and once at 1pm (weekend) and been told that there isn't a table.  On the last occasion we were greeted with a blank look from the guy handling customers looking for tables and told that he "Didn't know" when one would be available.  Awesome.

I get that it's probably the best place on that little block of Gaylord for food, good weather increases traffic and that they have recently lengthened their hours and demand is clearly picking up.  However, it's time to act like a big boy operation - if they are expanding too aggressively for their management / operations then they run the risk of alienating local/family/business consumers (like me) who've been going there for the last two years.

I get that this place is "hip" but come on Devil's Food - get organized!

John Jackson, the top guy at the shop, totally knows what he is doing - an authority on biking and totally friendly.  Check out his shop in a cute area of lower central/downtown Dundee.  

He fixed the tire on our jogging stroller with expertise and only charged us 1GBP for doing so (a donation to the biscuit tin)!

Great shop at a great location in Stonehaven.  

The staff are very helpful and they gift wrapped my purchase for free (yeah!).  

Very reasonably priced.  A great selection of high quality, non-tacky/cheesy gifts.

Check it out!

Fun! Great - location.  Great drinks, great views - dress it up or down.

We sat in the covered bar area "in" the water and had fancy drinks (try the jalapeño infused martini) and appetizers - didn't have to endure the table wait and certainly didn't need an entrée - food was good, portions adequate.

Also, we saw some kid with a back-to-front UT baseball cap on called Colt McCoy with his chic there - apparently he's a big deal down Austin way.

Great drinks, cool SoCal vibe - stylish clientele and professional friendly staff.  What more do you need?

Simple, great tasting, good quality Italian food.  Reasonably priced, doesn't pretend to be something it's not.  Surprisingly good.  This will be one of our staple eateries for when we close on our new place in Bonnie Brae this week (all going well).  Kid friendly and really gets busy around 6pm on the weekend so book in advance - we'd to wait 15 mins coming in off the street.  Delgado pizza, eggplant parma, salad, one tiramisu and two glasses of house red - around $65 with tip.  Fair enough.  Not intimate/romantic - do a few blocks to Gaylord for that perhaps - or Cherry Creek.  Good mix of families, buddies, etc.  Service efficient and unpretentious.  

Their website is awful, but at least it's truly awful and not just kinda bad. http://www.saucynoodle...