Dine Out Challenge, Day 2: The Snow Flies in Aspen
September 22, 2009
The snow falling at the front entrance to Pinons in Aspen, CO.
Snow.
On September 21.
If there were any lingering hopes about summer hanging out for a while after it’s official ending, they were dashed by the early-season dusting that fell as we dined in Aspen last night. While the powder hounds were celebrating, we were more than a bit sad to wave goodbye to the longer days and warmer temps of summer. The snow did seem to offer an appropriate backdrop for our second day of adventure on our Great American Dine Out Challenge.
Admittedly, we were doing the equivalent of camping in our own backyard yesterday; Aspen lies just 45 miles south of our home base in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, so the road trip on this day was a short one! We were headed to Pinon’s, a casually-elegant restaurant located right in the heart of town at the corner of Mill St. and Main St, to dine on contemporary American cuisine.
Our host, Jim, was professional and personable, and was very accommodating to my last-minute changes to our reservation. We expected it to be quiet on a Monday evening during a shoulder season, however the place was bustling with locals. According to their website, this Aspen restaurant is embarking upon its 22nd season offering Aspenites a place to catch up with friends while sharing an enjoyable meal.
We were a bit disconcerted when we asked both our server and Jim about the restaurant’s participation in the Great American Dine Out, neither was familiar with the event or aware that Pinon’s had signed on to take part. Both were gracious in their attempts to find out more about our request and ultimately Jim found that the restaurant was donating a percentage of their total revenue generated this week.
They are offering a smokin’ deal right now: a three-course, prix fixe menu for $38, which includes starter, entree and dessert. Highly recommended are the pork tenderloin in mustard-apricot glaze (kick-ass!) and the roasted free-range chicken. Desserts were delicious as well, with the homemade fruit cobbler just barely winning out over the chocolate bread pudding for top honors at our table.
Pinons will be participating in the Great American Dine Out throughout the week; we encourage all of our friends in the Roaring Fork Valley to head on up to Aspen and partake in a memorable meal while helping to advance the No Kid Hungry campaign.
Up next: Day 3 – Grand Junction, CO
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