Aspen Adventures

Recap from the Food & Wine Classic

Finally back home after a whirlwind travel day. This weekend in Aspen, Colorado was truly one for the books. I was invited with San Pellegrino to capture content at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, which all happened to take place over my birthday weekend. The Food & Wine Classic has been on my bucket list for YEARS. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a three-day festival of wine tastings, chef demos and bites galore set against the most stunning mountain backdrop. The days consist of seminars and panels, the “Grand Tasting” where you can sample hundreds of food and wine brands, and tons of parties scattered throughout. Here are my top highlights from the weekend!

This is the American West Party

On my actual birthday, we were invited to a party on top of Aspen Mountain. The theme was “cowboy couture,” and we all rode the ski gondola up to the event which was such a fun experience. The views were unreal, looking over the mountain range at sunset. I also got to experience Franklin BBQ’s brisket with pimento cheese on Texas toast cooked by Aaron Franklin himself. It was probably one of my favorite bites of all time. Riding the gondola down the mountain in the dark was also a memorable moment, we saw a shooting star!

Cooking Demos with Antoni Porowski + Giada De Laurentiis

Throughout the weekend, the schedule is jammed packed with cooking demos, chats and seminars with some of the best chefs on the scene. I loved Antoni’s demo, teaching us how to make Polish potato pancakes with caviar. Giada made us a delicious a ricotta crostini with stonefruit mostarda, followed by lemon pasta. I asked them their favorite cheese pairings, and here’s what they said.

“I love cabot clothbound cheddar or gruyère with pistachio cream and flaky salt on a date” - Antoni

“My favorite is a classic aged parmigiano reggiano with a sweet balsamic” - Giada

Wine in the Mine

One of the coolest experiences of the weekend was Wine in the Mine. This is a party held inside and around Smuggler’s Mine, an old silver mine tucked under Aspen Mountain. Guests are invited deep into the caves for wine tastings and bites, surrounded by candlelight and rustic tunnels. Never did I think I’d be eating steak tartare in a mine wearing ballet flats, but there’s a first for everything!

Grand Tastings

The Grand Tastings are the heart of the Food & Wine Classic. It’s basically a giant tented wonderland of food and drink from some of the best chefs, restaurants, wine and spirits around the world. You walk in and are immediately greeted with bites, sips, and beautiful displays at every turn. Think: lobster rolls, caviar bumps, natural wines, espresso martinis, cheese (of course) and so much more. It’s a choose your own adventure tasting experience where you can float from table to table, chat with makers and discover new favorites. A total sensory overload in the best way.

Other highlights included seeing the All American Rejects at Kevin Costner’s Dunbar Ranch, a stunning luncheon cooked by Mike Solomonov and Sarah Grueneberg, and ending our stay at The Little Nell! I am beyond grateful for this experience, and it’s still so surreal to me that this is my job. What the heck.

June has been a crazy one, so I’m hoping to stay put in the northeast to enjoy summer in the Hudson Valley! Ready to get back into the kitchen to bring you some new recipes and more :)

Chat next week!

Marissa