Aspen holds a special place in my heart, partly because of XGames, the pinnacle event of my sport, but mostly because I can justify spending too much money on good food in a bougie place like Aspen. And we did it big this year.
After a little crash on one of my training days, we booked it to the Limelight to see if my physio could work some magic before my event in 2 days. She rubbed out my leg as I chowed down on some surprisingly incredible food; the moment I realize I made it in life. The winter salad was a delicious marriage of flavors, the wagyu cheeseburger was tender served with truffle fries, and the calamari was served with a tangy sauce I’d never had before. This food is what really cured my pain.
On my day off, XGames hosted an athlete signing where I got to meet the cutest little snowboarders / skiers, and it was so awesome to see the next generation (who will be taking my job in a couple years), while the XIP lounge served us delicious hors-d’œuvres, and we got to watch some events from a primely located lounge right below the superpipe.
Once the youngins got bored with us, and our stomachs were tired of the teasing, we hit Little Ollie’s as a night-before-comp-meal. The chili oil steamed wontons were the highlight, served with a deliciously spicy, tingly, sweet sauce that we practically lapped up. The rest was decent but nothing standout.
The next day was my comp day, and I ended up with my second XGames medal!! But who cares about that when I can talk about Matsuhisa, the restaurant we went to to celebrate. Everything was absolutely scrumptious: the miso cod lettuce cups were decadent, the bluefin toro is my literal obsession, and the monkfish pâté was fresh and deliciously miso-y. Cannot forget about the yellowtail with truffle and wagyu tacos. It was lush.
Don’t worry, we had the opportunity to dance off the overconsumption at the XGames afterparty and indulge in a different kind of overconsumption. But we had the next day to rest. By rest I mean drive 14 hours to Mammoth for the next World Cup :).
Honorary mention: Jing Aspen. The restaurant we hit last year when I won XGames 2023 gold had a fun atmosphere and amazing fusion food. Their $ugar Daddy roll came with gold flakes on top, very fitting at the time. And their toro tartare is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.
Zoe's World 