You never really know the Christmas season has started until you see a tabloid photograph of Goldie Hawn, decked out in haute Western gear, strolling the snowy streets of Aspen—the winter playground for the very rich and very famous. But the Hawnster, a year round resident of the once sleepy silver mining town, can also be spotted in the summer months when Aspen is just as hopping as it is in high ski season. And this July, all of the A-List Aspen crowd—think Heidi Klum, Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey, Kate Hudson, Zoe Saldana and social New York names like Dennis and Coralie Charriol Paul and Tory Burch—will all be eating at the Chefs Club, the spanking new restaurant at the St. Regis Hotel.
The interior gives a nod to celebrity snow bunnies with a ceiling design of enormous inlaid snowflakes. Overseen by award winning interior designer Lauren Rottet (who was also behind the $40 million renovation of the resort this year), the design is all about rustic chic. The Lauren family would feel right at home amongst the laid-back, yet fancy room with raw wood walls enclosing high-back leather arm chairs, white cloth tables and impeccable service that is more Madison Avenue power spot than Main Street Aspen diner. The menu changes seasonally; a product of a unique partnership with FOOD & WINE. The American cuisine is composed of recipes from world-class cooks like James Lewis, George Mendes, Alex Seidel and Susan Zemanick. So which summer dish should you order after hiking the Aspen mountains or taking a summery swim? “That’s a tie between the sea urchin toast small bite and arroz de galinha (Portuguese-style chicken and rice) entrée,” says Mendes, the man behind the kitchen at New York’s Aldea. “They are based on two of my most popular dishes at Aldea.”
The power tables line the front of the sleek open kitchen and offer the perfect spot to start sipping pre-dinner cocktails with names like “Forest Through the Trees” and “Colorado Comfort.” Just don’t down too many the night before a nature hike! Imbibe slowly—you don’t want to miss the chance to cast a smile at the table next to you, which will most likely be occupied by Jennifer Lopez or a gaggle of glamorous guys and girls.
Chefs Club at the St. Regis Aspen Resort, 315 E. Dean Street, Aspen CO. 970.920.3300
