Eight K, Aspen

Snowmass Village, Colorado

Boudin balls with fennel remoulade awaken your palate and spark curiosity about what’s next … a surprising barbequed shrimp with grits and crisp duck rillettes made of duck confit enlivened with cassis jelly and pistachios. These appetizers surely have you thinking – ‘Creole food in the middle of the Aspen Valley?’  That’s right.  Since the Viceroy in Snowmass hired Will Nolan in 2010 as Chef de Cuisine for their signature Eight K restaurant, traditional mountain cuisine has found a formidable ally.

Will Nolan became a celebrity chef overnight in March, 2012 when he was selected by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the ‘People’s Best New Chefs’ which recognizes up and coming talent who’ve managed their own kitchens for five years or less.  Previously, he was executive chef at Paillard’s in the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in New Orleans.  Bringing his southern heritage to the Rockies, Will and Executive Chef Rob Zack envisioned the unexpected in this exclusive ski resort – from seared Gulf Wild Red Snapper with sweet potato puree, chorizo, oyster mushrooms and chimichurri butter to Spicy Lobster Bolognese made with orrecchiete pasta and Provencal tomatoes dressed in lobster butter.

The menu maintains an appropriate offering of local game including a trio of Colorado lamb, crisp sweetbreads and braised shoulder and, for the brave, a king’s sized portion of Buffalo Wellington.  After the first four courses, the dessert menu invites you through the red doors of temptation – Dark Chocolate Cake with toasted hazelnut ganache, espresso ice cream, nutella-toffee popcorn and Good & Evil Angel Food Cake with Grand Marnier mousse.

What’s better than fine dining at 8,000 feet above sea level?  How about an 87-foot glass topped bar overlooking a dramatic open kitchen?  Or a library lounge with a double-sided fireplace encased with a gleaming glass wine cellar made of leather, steel and walnut wood?  Designed by the acclaimed Jean-Michel Gathy, Eight K’s main dining room seats 200, luxuriously, with an expansive view of Snowmass Village.  There are also the two private dining rooms, each with its own fireplace.

Needless to say, Eight K rivals the finest dining establishments at any sea level.