Our second day in Aspen we decided to take the bus from Snowmass, to avoid the parking nightmare downtown. Due to a grant of some kind, the bus from Snowmass to Aspen is now completely free. Last time I was here it was something like $2 each way to ride the bus into town. Definitely a good improvement, and hopefully someday all the buses in Aspen will be free, like they are in Park City.

The bus ride was probably quicker than driving into town because buses bypass all of the traffic in their own HOV lane. Once in town, we hit the streets, talking to as many restaurants as possible. One of our immediate favorites is a place called Explore Bistro. This little organic vegetarian bistro is tucked inside the top level of a quaint book store, inside an old Victorian house. You would never know a restaurant was there if it wasn’t for the sign outside. We asked around and everyone seems pretty fond of this place. We plan on eating there sometime in the next week, so keep an eye out for our review.

While exploring Aspen, we stumbled across a gourmet pizza place called Brunelleschi’s. The bartender was quick to chat us up when we walked in, and informed us that September is now officially bourbon month. He proceeded to pour out two shots, even though it was only about three in the afternoon. Casey was stoked when he gave her a fresh rose from a vase nearby, along with the shot. Nothing like a free shot 2 minutes after you walk into someplace. Definitely a good first impression, and a good way to earn favorable reviews in the future. Nice job Brunelleschi’s.

We also ran into a couple very friendly locals at New York Pizza, just a few blocks over. What is it with pizza places staffed by the coolest people in town? They offered us a couple free slices of their HUGE New York style pizzas, and we went for the veggie with feta and artichokes. The crust was perfectly thin in the New York tradition, and the toppings were fresh. The best thing about New York Pizza is they are open until 2:30am, so you can grab a slice before you head home for the evening on a night out.

Later that night we were back in Snowmass and looking for some dinner. It was about 9pm, which is a horrible hour to find food in the off-season. The only place still serving was a bar on the top level of the Snowmass Mall called Zane’s Tavern. The place was pretty crowded, and there was only one bartender taking care of everyone. He was doing a great job though, despite the fact he was in a mortorcycle accident just a few hours before. Zane’s has a large bar menu with traditional pub sandwiches and burgers, along with a unique Mexican menu. Casey ordered the enchiladas and I went for the house special, flautas. The food blew us away. We were expecting bland bar food, but what came out was flavorful and fresh. Definitely check out Zane’s if you are in Snowmass looking for some late night Mexican along with some local beer.

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