On Monday night, Austin-based McGuire Moorman Hospitality opened its first restaurant outside of Texas: a second iteration of popular West Sixth Street spot Clark’s in Aspen, Colorado. Owners Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman were drawn to Aspen because of the space they found eighteen months ago, the former home of beloved restaurant and bar Little Annie’s, a popular spot for locals to belly up to the bar for their house special—a shot and a beer for $3.50. “We love to spend time in the mountains skiing in the winter and then riding bikes and hiking in the summer,” McGuire says. “Tom grew up coming here to ski, but it was really that we fell in love with the building and found the spirit of Aspen to be similar to Austin in the way they support small businesses.” Like their other high-cool-quotient spaces in Austin, the new location is filled with design details like a refurbished mahogany bar, floors and walls of handmade Mexican tile, and refined white marble and brass elements. We asked McGuire to share his guide for the city (outside of Texas, of course) that he loves the most.
Eat and Drink
My house is a bit out of town, so we always bring up lots of Stumptown coffee. I need three cups to get going. Sometimes I ride my bike into town and grab a smoothie from Jus next to the restaurant.
I love Meat & Cheese for lunch. I always order their Vietnamese Noodle Salad with rotisserie chicken. It makes me miss Elizabeth Street Café a little less.
For dinner, I’m a sucker for Matsu. The locals eat upstairs at the more casual bar, but I love to bring friends and crew downstairs for huge boats of sushi and bamboos of sake. It’s a super fun restaurant that’s aging really well.
I also like to eat a late dinner or have a drink at Cache Cache. They have a fantastic wine selection and hospitality from the owner, Jodi. It feels a bit like the Jeffrey’s bar of Aspen.
See and Do
Hunter Creek is my easy daily hike close to town, and I’ve been running hills up West Buttermilk Road near my house with team members.
For a bike ride, we love riding to Woody Creek Tavern with the crew for margaritas and Mexican food.
Shop
I’ve been going to Miner’s Building almost daily during construction—it reminds me of Breed & Co. in Austin. I also love the cheese case, meats, and small selection of groceries at Meat & Cheese.
Stay
The folks at Hotel Jerome have been super friendly and supportive. The Hotel’s J Bar is a great local spot, even though it’s in a fancy hotel. They recently added a nice outdoor courtyard and expanded their pool. It’s a nice spot for lunch with the dogs.
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