A taste of Aspen: Hotel Jerome’s latest additions to the local food scene

In September 2023, Aspen solidified its status as a food destination with the arrival of the Michelin Guide to Colorado. While Bosq was the only restaurant among Colorado’s iconic resort towns of Aspen, Beaver Creek, Vail, and Snowmass Village to receive a star, other restaurants in the region earned “recommended” status from the guide, including Element 47 at The Little Nell, Mawa’s Kitchen in the Airport Business Center, and Prospect at Hotel Jerome.

Since then, there have been several new restaurant openings, an infusion of pop-ups with visiting chefs that have expanded Aspen’s food offerings, and a push for culinary excellence.

In that spirit, The Hotel Jerome has upped its culinary offerings in the past 10 months. The historic hotel kicked off the summer with its “Epicurean Passport” experience that coincided with the 41st Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and currently offers three different dining options for foodies, whether they be guests, visitors, or locals.

From a culinary journey through Colorado at Prospect and an elevated menu at The Garden to a world-class omakase sushi experience at Bad Hariett, there is plenty for food lovers to enjoy at the Jerome before the slow days of the off-season.

Prospect

Nearly three months after landing on the “recommended” list by the Colorado Michelin Guide in September 2023, Prospect at the Hotel Jerome rolled out a tasting menu highlighting local and regional ingredients that showcase the land, rich history, and suppliers of Colorado.

The Journey menu experience honors the property’s long-standing history and tells the story of the Rocky Mountains, its rivers, ranches, orchards, and the terrain surrounding them. A few of the areas highlighted throughout the meal are the Roaring Fork Valley, Independence Pass, verdant forests, luscious wine country, and the rich farmland of Palisade and Paonia.

“Residing in this beautiful area, we realized that not many of the incredible local and surrounding areas’ produce, animals, wines, etc., are being featured in our menus,” said Chef Connor Holdren last year. “Many of the ingredients used in Aspen are imported from other states and countries. With Hotel Jerome’s history and relevance in Colorado, we feel it is our responsibility to share the bounty of the region and pay homage to the hard work of the many farmers, ranchers, brewers, and winemakers.”

The Journey menu features a collection of 11 expressions that create an epicurean journey through the diverse microclimates of the area. The summer menu has evolved to highlight seasonal ingredients that include Colorado rainbow trout with agnolotti, and riverbank watercress; McClure Red Potato x 3 (potatoes prepared 3 different ways); local asparagus; Paonia Valley chicken and morels; Montrose beef and a sweet course featuring wild strawberry, yogurt, and funnel cake. 

An optional local beverage pairing includes Colorado wine, beer, and spirits.

New this summer is “The Taste of the Land” a manageable three-course epicurean adventure through the Colorado landscape that lets guests craft their own experience with a choice of first course, main, and dessert. Additional gifts from the kitchen are designed to complement the menu and add an element of discovery.

aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/dine/prospect

The La Morocha Pop-up in the Garden

The Garden at Hotel Jerome menu for the summer season is a collaboration with La Morocha, featuring a “Mountain to Sea” concept by award-winning Chefs David Castro Hussong and Maribel Aldaco alongside Hotel Jerome’s own Chefs Connor Holdren and Ben Kunert.

La Morocha is a seafood-forward restaurant based in Ensenada, Baja California Norte, Mexico. It was established by the chefs David Castro Hussong and Maribel Aldaco of the celebrated Fauna, which debuted on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022. In 2023, Fauna was crowned The Best Restaurant in Mexico.

The Garden’s menu is organized into two options “Mountains” which highlight the local terroir of Aspen and “Sea” which celebrates Baja’s ingredients and flavors.

Menu highlights include Spring Toast with babaganoush, Marcona almonds, blood orange (mountain), and Arroz a la Tumbada with prawns, clams, mussels, and rice (sea).

aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/dine/the-garden

Taikun Sushi x Bad Harriet Omakase Experience

Following its debut in the winter of 2023, Taikun Sushi returns to Hotel Jerome to take over Bad Harriet and will be open through Oct. 13.

Taikun is the result of a partnership between Japanese sushi chef Kei Yoshino and NYC/Aspen restaurateur Ryan Chadwick (Grey Lady, Nakazawa, Aspen Pie Shop, etc.).

After studying the art of sushi in Japan and working in New York City for a decade, Yoshino partnered with Chadwick and opened Taikun Sushi. The restaurant was meant to be a temporary eight-seat pop-up omakase counter in the Lower East Side of Manhattan but soon became a permanent fixture in the neighborhood. They eventually expanded to Miami and set up short-term pop-ups in the Catskills and Aspen.

The original New York location boasts an adjacent, private speakeasy accessed through a freezer door; so, when it came to partnering with an appropriate Aspen venue for its Aspen pop-up, Bad Harriet was exactly what the team at Taikun wanted.

Housed in the 1904 Victorian next to the Hotel Jerome and the original home of The Aspen Times, Bad Harriet is an underground speakeasy-inspired space with a modern-vintage art deco design that aims to transport guests to a different time while offering an extensive bespoke cocktail menu paired with small bites.

Sourcing ingredients from international markets, including Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market, Taikun offers Bad Harriet guests a meticulously crafted omakase tasting menu that highlights the diversity of seasons, ingredients, and textures. The “chef’s choice” omakase menu unfolds with a curated selection of appetizers, progressing through multiple nigiri courses, and ending with a sweet bite. Taikun also offers a sommelier-curated pairing of Hotel Jerome’s private cellar wine and sake.

Taikun x Bad Harriet omakase service is available Wednesday through Sunday for two seatings at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dining room and cocktail bar seats can be reserved on Tock for $175 per person, with the option to add a private sake cellar pairing for an additional $175 per person.  

taikunaspen.com.

Sarah Girgis is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Aspen Times. She can be reached at 970-429-9151 or sgirgis@aspentimes.com.