Lamenting the restaurants we have lost and celebrating Aspen's Newest Restaurants

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Aspen’s Newest Restaurants

So many of us are saddened by the closing of two of Aspen’s best and most long-standing favorite restaurants; Pinons & Jimmy’s An American Restaurant & Bar. Jimmy’s Restaurant & Bar closes on September 18. Whatever its replacement will be, it better be good.  Let’s raise a glass to you, Jimmy Yeager, for great times and wonderful meals. You and your restaurant were an integral part of the Aspen restaurant scene and will be missed.   

Casa D’ Angelo

Chef Angelo Elia has moved into the Pinions spot on Galena Street, and rumor has it that the food is divine. New to the Aspen culinary scene Chef Angelo is unique among many restaurateurs, as he is both the Executive Chef and co-owner of Casa D’ Angelo. Chef Angelo is a seasoned restaurateur, who owns several restaurants in southeast Florida including the flagship Casa D ‘Angelo in Fort Lauderdale. The Aspen version is light and airy and has more open space than Pinions used to have, leading out to a large back patio with spectacular views of Aspen Mountain.  

Chef Angelo and his wife Denise have a home nearby in Snowmass so they know Aspen well and knew it was time to open here when Pinions closed.  Friends who went there recently just after they opened said “ The Tuscan style food with a southern twist “ is authentically delicious.  They enjoyed such entrees as Galletto Saltimbocca  (green circle chicken, prosciutto, sage, glazed cipollini onions  & carrots, natural jus) and Costoletto di Vitello (a 16 0z. marinated and grilled thick veal chop, truffled wild mushrooms, and Tuscan potato).  

Chef Angelo says, “It’s the careful selection of every cut of meat, every garden-fresh vegetable, every herb, every spice. Because it’s our philosophy that every plate of food, every savory bite, is the absolute best it can be.”

Chef Angelo was born in Salerno, Italy. At just 14 years of age, he decided he wanted to take the cooking expertise he learned from his mother and go to the US. In New York City, beginning at a family-owned restaurant, he worked his way up through some of Manhattan’s most prestigious kitchens including the Four Seasons. 

Now, Aspen diners can experience his passion for “the old country” through his Tuscan-inspired dishes, and making everything from scratch. The night my friends were there, Chef Angelo came around to talk to diners at each table, which was a nice touch.

Other restaurants that opened recently: another high-end Italian Duemani on Monarch Street and Catch Steak on E. Hopkins Ave, which features prime cuts of meat and seafood.  (More about those restaurants later.)

Article by Annette Gallagher Weisman

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