Archive for January, 2011

January 31, 2011

Aspen: or, El Jebel Really: Sushi Ya Go Go [Updated]

[Update: The second time was better than the first! I had an outstanding white tuna sushi and they made me a RICELESS El Jebel roll! Love them even more:]

Riceless El Jebel Roll at Sushi Ya GO Go

It’s no secret that I love sushi. However, it struck me that in Aspen I am undeniably landlocked the day I drove past a company advertising itself as “Midcontinent Storage.” CONTINENT! Not midway or midwest or midTexas, but midFREAKINGcontinent. Needless to say, sushi, even if it’s flown in daily, is just not the same.

And it’s expensive.

But there’s a great hole-in-the-wall (not always good for sushi) downvalley option called Sushi Ya Go Go that really everyone should give a shot. They have one of the most innovative sushi dishes I’ve tried in popcorn tuna:popcorn tuna sushi aspen

Tuna wrapped in seaweed and tempura fried. 8 pieces, $8. Incredibly delicious.

They also have a fat, delicious roll called the El Jebel Roll. It has three types of fish, veggies, and roe on the outside. YUM! We ate it before I could snap a pic. Whoops! It was $10ish?

Below are two more sushi pieces we tried, but I wouldn’t really recommend either of them. The yellowtail sashimi was ok, but like grocery store sushi okay. So not really okay for a restaurant. The mahi roll included cooked mahi, which sort of defeats the purpose of sushi. Should have known there’s a reason no one else ever offers mahi.

Also, their prices were sometimes awesome ($6 roll!) but other times oddly expensive ($16 spider roll?). If you can resist temptation, you can eat sushi for cheap!

If we go back, the Vermonster and I will only be ordering popcorn tuna and El Jebel Rolls. Oh, and Purple Haze Sake. Because … well, it’s called Purple Haze Sake. Why wouldn’t we??

60 El Jebel Rd Ste 103, Carbondale, CO 81623-9842

January 28, 2011

Do RipCoreFX, Win a Gold Medal at the X Games

X Games is in full swing, and so am I!

… ok, so maybe you won’t win a gold medal. But Gretchen Bleiler (I have your snowboard pants, Gretchen!), Chris Klug, and Peter Olenik train with RipCore and win gold medals, so …

For more X Games info, click here!

January 27, 2011

Aspen: Honeybee Juice Bar

Just what Aspen needs! Honeybee Organic Juice Bar is a (duh) juice bar that also serves raw treats.

Honeybee green juice

This is Chartreuse Juice. It has cucumber, apples, kale, celery, wheatgrass, and lemon. It is awesome!! ($8 for 16 ounce, $6 for 12 ounce)

Even more awesome, I went in to Honeybee Organic Juice Bar [which is in the atrium of the Ute City Bank Building, kind of between Little Annie's and Burberry], ordered a drink, and quickly realized they don’t accept credit cards. I told the woman to stop making my drink because I didn’t have any cash and she said, “oh, it’s okay, you can just come back sometime. You’re local, right?”

I was floored. I’ve never had someone do that! Gotta love Aspen.

So I went back about a week later and told her I’d like another Chartreuse Juice and to pay her back, and expressed my excitement that she was kind and trusting enough to let me come back to pay her. She said she does it all the time because so many people don’t carry cash.

Seriously. Gotta love Aspen.

And gotta love Honeybee, which actually has a functioning website (so rare here) and is stocked with delicious raw desserts (coconut chia seed balls and mango tongues with honey and nuts!) as well as heartier smoothie options with raw almond milk and “hot & steamy” drinks.

Seriously, go. It’s worth stopping at the ATM.

January 26, 2011

Austin: Manuary Party for the Men

I have never heard of this Manuary idea, but as men are occasionally left out here at this blog (you may like my fashion posts a smidge less than the other fabulous things I write), I feel obligated to post. Plus I really like Dulce Vida tequila.

Sabia, Criquet Apparel, and Dulce Vida Tequila would like to invite your readers to our special Manuary party, next Thursday, January 27.

Details:
Mantastic Event! Thursday, January 27th, 4-8pm at Sabia
Manscape: Sabia hair stylists are offering complimentary neck clean ups on site during the event.
Dress: The gents from Criquet, a locally owned company featuring organic polo and golf shirts, will be on hand to style.
Shop: Enjoy 20% off all shaving tools and products, plus peruse Sabia’s amazing selection of gifts for gals.
Cyclist Wax: For a smooth ride (and legs), 20% off leg waxing for bikers
Imbibe:  Anejo Old Fashioneds will be provided by Austin’s own Dulce Vida Tequila.

Sounds good for the fellas and the ladies, no?

January 25, 2011

Austin: Wednesday Steak + Frites

Steak + Frites

Beginning January 26, and offered each Wednesday evening, fabulous restaurant The Carillon will feature a special Steak and Frites menu at $18 per plate. The steaks and frites will vary throughout the season.

The first Steak and Frites Night, will feature  7- to 8-ounce Peppercorn-Crusted Beef Shoulder Tender with Twice-Fried Yukon Gold Potatoes and a variety of Argentinean “ketchups.” Other flavorful cuts of meat Chef Josh Watkins plans to highlight during The Carillon’s Steak and Frites Nights include hangar steaks and flat-iron steaks – cuts of beef that offer a more cost-effective price point but that are incredibly tender and contain more marbling, and therefore more flavor, than the traditional filet or New York strip steak.

The house-made Argentinean ketchups are red and green sauces similar to chimichurri. The rustic red sauce combines a tomato base with plenty of garlic, a simple yet flavorful addition to the plate. A mixture of cilantro and pineapple mint grown in The Carillon’s own herb garden, the green sauce is pureed with garlic, onion, salt and extra virgin olive oil.

thecarillonrestaurant.com

January 25, 2011

Aspen: Everything You Want to Know About the Winter X Games (in pictures)

To watch in Aspen: Spectator Info and map

winter x games schedule

Winter X Games iphone android app

FREE Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert at the base of Aspen Mountain with OutKast rapper Big Boi! Saturday, Jan. 29 at 5:30pm.

More music:

Music at Belly Up During X Games

Thursday – Sunday. Buttermilk Mountain. Aspen, CO. Be there, frozen or no.

January 23, 2011

Buy This Shirt

This Shirt

$29. http://thisshirt.com/

“this shirt exists to make fashion truly functional.  profits from every shirt we sell will go directly to support a specific project. you can literally wear what you care about and excite other people with the possibilities.

our first shirt will raise enough money to build a new schoolhouse in africa.    profits will be donated to an initiative led by the micheal “pinball” clemons foundation in partnership with free the children for $8500 dollars raised a new school will be built.”

I bought one. You should too. thisshirt.com/

January 23, 2011

Austin: Go Gorilla Run!

The Gorilla Run was a HUGE success! 750 people RAN 3.1 miles in downtown Austin with temps under 32 degrees!

CONGRATS to my lil bro, frontman of Achachay!, for organizing the run AND rocking the post-race show!

gorilla run band achachay!

Thanks for the photo, Dad!

gorilla run start

Photo from the Statesman.

January 21, 2011

Aspen: BB’s Kitchen [updated]

BB’s Kitchen is Aspen’s newest top-floor establishment, and what a rooftop it is! It’s more like a complex: BB’s restaurant at the top of the stairs on Cooper Street, the BB’s lounge to your left, and a huge deck for sunning–when it isn’t snowing (it’s not open yet).

The Vermonster and I were lucky enough to snag some pre-opening breakfast nibbles, though I failed to post the blog before the restaurant opened so now this post is less of a teaser of what’s to come and more a description of what you, Aspenites, could enjoy for breakfast tomorrow. With me. 8am. (unreasonably early, blame the houseguests who want to ski a whole day.)

Menus: breakfast is horizontal, dinner tall. Check out the health square on the breakfast menu! So cute.

[Best ever] Bartender Dave suggested we start of with some monkey bread to share, so we did. It was ooey-gooey, sugary-sweet carbfully delightful. Make sure you’re skiing after this, it’s adding multo calories to your day.

Monkey Bread Aspen

For breakfast, I ordered shrimp and grits. Seemed a little odd to me too, but why not? The Vermonster ordered the spicy skillet, and he thought it was too spicy, but I loved it (well, the potato I tried). I am from Texas, after all. It wasn’t grassfed beef, though, so I didn’t eat any of it. Our mystery third person (the bartender’s girlfriend) ordered a waffle. I didn’t try it, but it’s pictured below in case you want to know about BB’s waffles. They offer a bananas foster with butter pecan ice cream version…

They’re not about calorie-counting here. They also make a variety of coffee drinks, grab-n-go tacos, and squeeze a ton of fresh juices, including the most delicious grapefruit juice I have ever had the pleasure of drinking in my life. It was so sweet that I asked if they added sugar and they assured me they did not. WOW!

That reminds me, I need to go get some more grapefruit juice from there … tomorrow.

[UPDATE] Farmer’s Omlette. More grapefruit juice. Delicious breakfast!

Farmer's Omlette at BB's in Aspen

January 20, 2011

I Want This Whole Outfit

(and a place to wear it)

I don’t know what I love more: skinny trousers, houndstooth coat, or maroon matching underlayers. From Celine, featured in Fashionista’s Best of Pre-Fall

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