ML - Aspen Peak

Aspen Peak - 2017 - Issue 1 - Summer

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/824799

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 69 of 155

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARKET STREET KITCHEN (CURRY); BY SHAWN O'CONNOR (PORK) Valley vanguard: Two new Basalt restaurants are turning the local- food focus inward by celebrating midvalley agriculture. above: A vegan curry from Market Street Kitchen. here: A pork chop with seasonal succotash from Free Range Kitchen & Wine Bar. LOCALS ONLY TWO BASALT DEBUTS TAKE FARM-TO-TABLE TO HEART. BY ALI MARGO "When I told a customer I had no tomatoes for his burger, he looked at me like I had two heads," says Steve Humble, co- owner with his wife, Robin, of the new Free Range Kitchen & Wine Bar (305 Gold River Ct., Basalt, 970-279-5199; freerange basalt.com) in historic down- town Basalt. But Humble takes his garden-fresh mission seri- ously: "If tomatoes aren't in season, or if I can't get fresh tomatoes, then I'm not going to serve tomatoes." Such a literal approach to the local-food philos- ophy has taken root downvalley, where a new breed of farm-to- table bistro has cropped up. With the likes of Rock Bottom Ranch and Mountain Primal Meat Company nearby, Basalt restaurateurs have found the optimal location for sourcing high-quality local product. That's why Aspenite Mawa McQueen decided to venture downvalley to Willits Town Center, where she opened Market Street Kitchen (499 Market St., Basalt, 970-510-5820; mkstreet kitchen.com). "We saw a real opportunity here, not only in terms of growth but in a demand for quality food and wine," says the classically trained French- Ivorian chef, whose menu spans sweet and savory crêpes, tar- tines, salads, and savory bowls that feature local produce, meat, and cheeses—all in addi- tion to an extensive wine list. "We saw a real need for the kind of elevated food you typi- cally find in Aspen, but with more of a local atmosphere." . SCENE EATS 68  ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of ML - Aspen Peak - Aspen Peak - 2017 - Issue 1 - Summer