It’s this weekend, kids. If you didn’t have the $1,185 to buy the big tickets, or even the $295 to buy a 1-day pass (steal! if that’s your cup of tea anyway), you can still enjoy the Food & Wine melee with the rest. Word on the street is that there are over 100 private parties in addition to the official Food & Wine events, and the shops and stores along the mall are pulling out all the stops to get people inside (read: free wine and food).
Since I didn’t win two free passes from the plastics site, I’ll be wandering around town looking for cool stuff to participate in. I pretty much equate this to a fancier SXSW, where you don’t need anything but your own two feet to walk around and get into some fun parties and events.
I mean, Aspen is a small town. There are only so many places for celeb chefs Jacques Pepin, David Chang, Giada DeLaurentiis, Michael Symon, Morimoto, Thomas Keller, and Top Chef judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons to go …
From my short time here, I’d recommend they:
- Get chippers at Paradise Bakery
- Try Brexi Brasserie – it’s just across the street from the main part of the fest, and it’s AWESOME
- Eat a burger + sweet potato fries from J Bar or Belly Up, both feature free-range meat and crisp fries
- Get the Kale Salad at Peach’s Corner Cafe. People watch. Eat your delicious, refreshing salad.
- Hike Aspen Mountain. You need to burn calories, and the view cannot. be. beat.
- Visit Carl’s Pharmacy. A General Store throwback if I’ve ever seen one. You must go upstairs too.
Also, the newly-expanded Saturday Farmer’s Market opens this weekend. It’s located on E. Hopkins from Hunter to Galena and features produce, meats, and artisan crafts from across Colorado. I can’t wait to hit it up!
Last bit of advice for Food & Wine, from a festival-going, wine-drinking pro: Pace yourself. Drink lots of water. FIJI water is owned by an Aspen family and freely distributed within the festival, take advantage of it. Also, wear a huge, fashionable hat and sunscreen. Waking up hungover AND sunburned just adds insult to injury.