Aspen Essentials
From famous landmarks to quirky local hotspots, find the best things to do in Aspen
By Rick Carroll, FrontDoor.com | Published: 12/12/2008
Grab a late night bite or sip a latte in one of Aspen's many restaurants or cafes. Daniel Bayer
Food and Drink Essentials: Best Places to...
BUY GROCERIES
City Market
711 East Cooper Ave.
The only major supermarket chain within 20 miles, City Market is just a block from the base of Aspen Mountain. During the summer and ski seasons, it is not unusual to walk into this grocery store and find it overflowing with hungry tourists crowding the aisles. Locals are advised to make their excursions in the early morning or after 8 p.m. on weeknights. Otherwise, expect difficulty finding a parking spot, and long waits in the checkout lines.
Clark's Market
300 Puppy Smith St.
For those willing to spend a bit more money on their groceries and avoid lengthy waits in line, Clark's Market is an alternative to City Market. Clark's also has an organic-food section and a deli, which serves hot breakfasts and lunches.
SIP A LATTE
Main Street Bakery and Cafe
201 East Main St.
There's a reason Main Street Bakery and Cafe has waiting lists for breakfast and lunch almost every day of the year. The joint delivers some of the yummiest homemade meals in town. And their lattes are the best way to give your day a jolt.
Paradise Bakery
320 South Galena St.
Colorado averages 300 days of sunshine a year, and the patio outside Paradise is a great place to soak it up. Paradise Bakery offers some of Aspen's tastiest homemade cookies, brownies and gelato. Their lattes rock, too.
GRAB A BEER
Aspen's downtown is full of drinking establishments legendary for their apres ski vibe. Here are our three favorites:
Aspen Brewing Company
557 North Mill St.
The Aspen Brewing Company serves six handcrafted ales. Our favorite is the Smuggler Wheat Ale, named after nearby Smuggler Mountain. The brewers are always on hand to give drinkers the skinny on their product and have a sip with them, too.
Bentley's at the Wheeler
221 South Mill St.
An Aspen institution, Bentley's at the Wheeler offers a variety of brews on tap, from Guinness to Budweiser, and plenty of pub grub to go with. Its proximity to the historic Wheeler Opera House -- home to numerous concerts, art house films, plays, and other stage performances -- makes it a popular pit stop before or after the show.
J-Bar
330 East Main St.
John Wayne, Gary Cooper and Hunter S. Thompson hung out here, and it's a locals' hangout to this day. The J-Bar, in the legendary Hotel Jerome, has domestic and foreign beers on tap, a big screen TV for sports viewing and plenty of comfort food to accompany the suds and wines.
GRAB A LATE NIGHT BITE
New York Pizza
409 East Hyman Ave.
Proprietors Earl Rodgers and Kevin Jones have been serving up pies for nearly 15 years in Aspen, and they know their crowd. New York Pizza is open until 2 a.m. during high season. So popular is NYP that it's not uncommon to see a line of people stretching outside the door. These fat slices are worth the wait and easy on the wallet.
Popcorn Wagon
305 South Mill St.
It's not just popcorn that's served at this locals' favorite. There are also gyros, crepes, hotdogs, pretzels and a host of other midnight munchies. The Popcorn Wagon is open until 2 a.m., with a patio for the hungry masses to fill their bellies under the stars.