Aspen 2012: Plato's, Montagna, (Butcher's Block) & Ute City.

Plato's at the Aspen Meadows Resort has served us well over the years when we were under some pressure to make a perfomance at the Auditorium, Tent or Hall.  Colette had the Plato Salad Bowl which she presumed would be more substantial, I on the other hand ordered two appetizers - some BBQ chicken wings and veggies as well as foie gras with morels and pineapple that I assumed would be less substantial - so in the end it all worked out.

With a bottle of Sicilian red, no desserts or coffee, our bill before tip was $67.58.

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Montagna has a new chef so of course we wanted to try him out.  The market menu is $26 for 2 courses and $32 for three and we went for exactly the same two: a green tomato gaspacho with nuts that was so-so and a "bouillabaisse" of a scallop, shrimp, mussels, purple potatoes, fennel and leeks in a wonderfully intense crustacean broth.

With a bottle of vinho verde, no desserts or coffee, our bill before tip was $98.10.

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We picniked between concerts with cashews, seaweed and pate with peppercorns from the Butcher's Block, Ak Mak from the City Market and a bottle of La Vielle Ferme from the Grog Shop - for a grand total of $39.09.

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The Ute City has served us well in the past but not today sadly.  Colette had the crab poppers with a weird sauce which tought not much of but I liked and I had the rigatone with pesto which I found edible only with an undeserved amount of extra cheese, freshly-ground black pepper and salt.

With a glass of grenache and one of iced tea, nothing else nor any coffee, our bill before tip was $40.90.