By Jen Murphy
Since 1983, the biggest names in food, wine, and hospitality have converged in Aspen for the crème de la crème of culinary festivals—the Food & Wine Classic. Over three days each June, the town’s hotels and parks transform into stages that host 80-plus cooking demonstrations, spirits seminars, and wine tastings. Throughout the decades, the event has featured luminaries such as Julia Child and Jacques Pépin, and attracted equally famous attendees, including Kevin Costner and Queen Noor of Jordan. The Little Nell serves as the Classic’s unofficial headquarters, hosting at least 30 events, including cellar tastings to restaurant buyouts to mountaintop extravaganzas to seminar tents. Here, festival fixtures share some of their favorite Aspen rituals, from hat shopping at Kemo Sabe to people watching at Crepe Therapy Café.
Mark Oldman
Founder of Bevinars wine media
This will be my 20th year presenting at the Classic, and I never tire of connecting with the uniquely enthusiastic and knowledgeable festival attendees. They energize me like nothing else. But when I crave quiet, you’ll find me at the Aspen Art Museum. Its striking Shigeru Ban–designed building is anything but the typical “white cube,” and its artist-first programming is unique among serious art museums. I love how its rooftop café, Swedish Hill, provides a clean view line to Ajax Mountain.
For a true escape, I head to Maroon Bells. It is the kind of place that makes you stop mid-sentence. Two perfect peaks, a glassine lake, and air so crisp it feels like you just pressed reset on your whole nervous system. On my last visit, we encountered a majestic moose ambling about like it owned the valley, totally unbothered. It turned the whole drive into a nature documentary, no narration required.
I also always make time to do some shopping. I’m obsessed with the characterful hats at Nick Fouquet, which are available at The Little Nell boutique. Each hat is like an art object, with hand-done embroidery, intentional distressing, and other unique details like the signature matchstick in each hat’s ribbon. If I were mayor, Aspen’s official flag would feature Ajax Tavern truffle fries nestled beside a flute of rosé bubbly, with gondolas floating behind. No meal is more iconically Aspen. And sitting at The Wine Bar at The Little Nell is almost a religious experience. The sommeliers are shockingly knowledgeable, and the selection is genuinely one of America’s best. The pro move is to put yourself in the somm’s hands and ask, “What are you excited about right now that’s not on everyone’s radar?” Then just sit back and let them take you on a fantastically vinous voyage.
Stephanie Izard
Chef and partner of Chicago-based BOKA Group, including acclaimed Girl & the Goat restaurant
I’ve been attending the Classic for the last 18 years. I love how you wander out of your hotel room and are right in the mix, mingling with fun folks in the lobby. I like to kick off the day with a hike on the Hunter Creek Trail. Meat & Cheese is just my vibe: casual, tasty, fun. The pastrami sandwich is a must-try. You’ll catch me popping into all the shops to get new Western wear to add to my weekend outfits. Parties go late, and when I need a late-night bite, I get a slice of pepperoni at New York Pizza.
Bobby Stuckey
Master sommelier, alum of The Little Nell, 25-year veteran of the Classic, and co-owner of Colorado-based Frasca Hospitality Groupat restaurant
When I have an early seminar, I run on the Hunter Creek Trail. If I’m ambitious, I’ll run to the Warren Lake area.
Andrew Zimmern
Emmy-winning television host and co-author of The Blue Food Cookbook
Pro Tip: My advice for first-time attendees is to do less. Everyone tries to conquer the Food & Wine Classic like it’s an endurance sport. Pick a few things you care about and then leave plenty of room for wandering, for conversations, for the accidental meal that becomes the memory. Eat early, hydrate constantly, and I think everyone should remember that the best moments often happen standing up, holding a glass, talking to someone you didn’t expect to meet. As someone who’s been going to Aspen since the mid-’60s, I can tell you that Aspen has always rewarded curiosity far more than it ever rewards ambition.
Essential Reservation: For me, Cache Cache is Aspen doing what Aspen does best: over-the-top French bistro cooking that remembers pleasure is the main point of dining in a restaurant. I love what they do with shellfish and fish; their escargots are superb. And the room hums during the Classic with a great mix of locals, chefs, visiting cooks, a lot of gossip, and a lot of theater. But at the same time, it feels lived in and not performative—and nobody pretends here that restraint is a virtue.
Angling Obsession: I’m a fly-fisherman, so I always try to get on the river. I don’t want to give away my prime local spots, but Aspen has some incredible guiding services.
Souvenir Stops: I always pop into Explore Books, a great independent bookstore. And as cliché as it is, I go to Kemo Sabe to look for vintage Navajo silver, and I always get needlepointed collars for my dogs, Luca and Clemmie.
June Rodil
Master sommelier and CEO of Houston-based Goodnight Hospitality
I opened Clark’s Aspen, and it makes me feel like I’m still part of the town. The Little Nell lobby + bar is always my anchor during the Classic. One year during Food & Wine, I literally sat at a table all night with friends, and it turned into this rotating “extra chair” situation of industry people I know and love from around the world, breaking bread and drinking wine.
When I want to get away from the festival for a minute and feel more local and low-key, I head to Zane’s Tavern. It’s not really that quiet because locals love to talk, but it’s the buzzy noise of a small town rather than a raucous festival. Or I go for a peaceful walk through the John Denver Sanctuary. It’s right in town, so it’s easy, and it’s such a nice place to just breathe and bask in the good air.
I always try to make time to shop. Pitkin County Dry Goods has a perfectly edited multi-designer mix and the buyers really know what they’re doing. It feels “Aspen” without being a costume. For treasure hunting, I go to The Little Bird consignment shop. I get a thrill from finding something special and one of a kind, and it always feels like a story piece. On the Sunday after the Food & Wine Classic, I usually end up at Matsuhisa with my closest friends, pretending we’re eating healthy. It’s my exhale after the festival.
Maneet Chauhan
Chef, author, and television personality
My favorite place in Aspen is always the top of the mountain. Last time I was there, we took a gondola ride, which was amazing. It’s a must-visit if you want to see the most breathtaking views.
Cassidee Dabney
Executive chef, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee
I love grabbing a coffee and meandering through the farmer’s market in the morning and then hiking Smuggler Mountain Trail. It’s three miles to the vista and not too challenging.
Wanda Mann
East Coast editor of The SOMM Journal
Go-To Shop: Call me crazy, but Carl’s Pharmacy is one of my favorite places in Aspen. I love that it is the antithesis of a generic chain drug store. It has personality. Inevitably, I will pop in to pick up some toiletries I forgot to pack, and I end up browsing the aisles, especially the wine, lipsticks, and the gift shop upstairs.
Top Table: The locally sourced menu at Bosq lets me taste the flavors of the mountains without having to forage for them myself. Each dish is presented so beautifully, like edible art. But it’s not froufrou; the flavors are exciting, unique, and satisfying—and the service is warm and impeccable. The tasting menu with wine pairings is a decadent and unforgettable adventure.
Breakfast Tradition: If I’m leading a seminar in the afternoon, my morning prep includes a leisurely alfresco breakfast at Crepe Therapy Café. I’ll usually order a savory crepé and a smoothie. I love to sit outside here because it’s an excellent spot for people watching and running into friends. It’s also the perfect vantage point to see all the beautiful dogs out for their walks. I always say the dogs in Aspen are very posh!
Sweet Treat: It’s become a bit of a ritual for me on Sunday afternoon, after leading my final seminar on the last day of the Classic, to head over to Paradise Bakery and treat myself to several scoops of their delicious ice cream. The cookies are also pretty darn tasty.
Sabato Sagaria
Master sommelier, alum of The Little Nell, and co-founder of Apres Cru Hospitality
I love getting inner tubes and floating the Roaring Fork River through the North Star Nature Preserve. It’s the best lazy river ever and a pretty special way to spend the afternoon with friends. Doing that float gave me a whole new appreciation for the simple beauty Aspen has to offer.
Andy Chabot
Alum of The Little Nell and senior vice president of food and beverage, Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain, Walland, Tennessee
When I bring my bike (which I plan to do this year), I love the opportunity to ride to Maroon Lake, overlooking the Maroon Bells. It’s one of my favorite rides for some fun climbing and amazing views. For a quick but challenging hike, I love the Ute Trail. When I lived in Aspen, I used to hike this a few times a week because it’s easily accessible from town. It can be a quick hike, but it’s also a great, steep workout and gives you great views of the town of Aspen from the top.
