The Last Stammtisch at Wienerstube

Harald going big in the kitchen at Wienerstube.Aspen's venerable Austrian Restaurant, Wienerstube is going bye bye.  The "stube", an Aspen tradition, has served breakfast, lunch and dinner to Aspen-ites and tourists for nearly 50 years.  On 1/31/11 Wienerstube will be turning out the lights for the last time.  A huge closing party is planned for the final weekend Jan. 29-31, but after that Wienerstube must move aside for the new and controversial Aspen Art Museum project.  Some would call it progress, but Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi keeps ringing in our ears.

Stammtisch is a German word that is not easily translated into English.  Basically it means "regular's table" or a "regular get together".  The Stube's famed chef and proprietor, Harald Neuweg established the old-world europeon custom in Aspen  by hosting Stammtisch at the Stube on the first Wednesday of every month.   Last night was the final Stammtisch. 

The Stube was packed for Stammtisch's final go-round.  Regulars such as Ski Legend Klaus Obermeyer, mountain man Christian Messner and beer drinker Johnny Aspen along with plenty of pretty young women reserved their regular spots at Wienerstube.  By 7pm it was Standing Room Only.  The beer was flowing like wine and the tyrolean music from TAG was slightly more festive than normal.   It was another great night at Wienerstube. 

Get your Schnitz fix while you still can. 

Click  The Last STAMMTISCH for PIX

Regulars at The Last Stammtisch at Wienerstube. click for Pix.

Bavarian Babes. click 4 pix. 

Service with a smile. Aspen will miss Wienerstube.

Aspen Highlands: Guest Appreciation Day.

Free Parking, Mini Muffins, Hot Dogs at the bottom of Deep Temerity.  It wasn't a POW day but it wasn't bad.  Another day at the office. 1/5/2011.

Click  4 Pix. GUEST APPRECIATION DAY (GAD)

Going to Work at Aspen Highlands. Photo: AspenSpin.com Click 4 more PIX.

Breakfast at Bonnie's (and more).

Breakfast of Champions. Click 4 pix.The New Years rush in Aspen is over so we can get back to the simple pleasures...un-real natural beauty and ski slopes that are uncrowded by design.  Most of the tourists have flown the coop---thank god it was clear on Sunday so all the private jets and commercial tubs could take off.

Cold, crisp, clear, corduroy with the bluest bluebird skies awaited those who stayed.  After copious laps on 3, a quick BREAKFAST at BONNIE's is a treat prescribed by AspenSpin. Famous for lots of stuff, Bonnie's is a mid-mountain restaurant on Ajax that is not operated by Ski Co.   Aspen Skiing Company is great at mountain management and uphill transportation.....but their food service can be ... how can we you say it nicely.?....institutional.  Bonnie's is great at one thing.  FOOD.  That's why Bonnie's is an institution in Aspen.

El Hombres cooki it 4 u. Click 4 pix.AspenSpin is not afraid to  take a stand, and go on the record. Bonnie's Oatmeal Pancakes is the best breakfast in Aspen.  We usually take one pancake with a side of savory bacon, plenty of butter (to harden arteries and raise cholesterol) and tooooo much syrup.  If you're feeling spunky---drop a couple of eggs on that ---like the ski patrollers do.  You never know who you'll see at Bonnie's.... the entire Ajax Ski Patrol, celebrities, billionaires and probably the few ski bums that are left in Aspen.

See the Bluebird pix;

Click BREAKFAST at BONNIES.

Breakfast at Bonnie's with the first tracks crew from Miller Electrical Services

Happy New Year from AspenSpin.

Fireworks in Aspen. Click 4 Pix.Happy New Year from AspenSpin.  Thank god that's over. Click: Aspen: 1/1/11.

New Year's Eve in Aspen is always a BIG night.  This year; no bomb threats, no celebrity melt-downs, no ponzi schemes--- just good clean fun.  All the show ponies and the G550's made it into Aspen safely.  Shiny puffy coats and barely driven range rovers were a dime a dozen.  Sub-zero temps  (minus 15)greeted  the mini-skirts and high heels on the mall.  Fur coats (dead mascots) helped keep people warm through  2 sets of fireworks.  If "fireworks" were a country, Aspen would capital.  Is it weird that fireworks bore us?

In the past we've described New Year's eve as amatuer night----- but in Aspen the transition to 2011 was very,very professional. Interpret that in a variety of contexts.

Men's Journal & Cohn/Messner/McLendon threw a HUGE bash at Limelight Lodge. 

For the unauthorized photos click:  Aspen 1/1/11

  New Year's Eve in Aspen. Click 4 1/1/11 pix. The Hosts: Ian, Peter and Christian ring in 1/1/11 in Aspen.  Almost Doug Reinhardt and almost celebrity friends spend New Years in Aspen.

Jane's Addiction crushes it in Aspen

Janes Addiction, Belly Up Aspen, 12/30/10. Click 4 pix.In Aspen the "going hard" lifestyle continues. You can't pretend to ski every day and party every night. 

When a hard driving rock band like Jane's Addiction shows up in Aspen,  AspenSpin reacts.  A-Spin took a disco nap and brought the A-Game to Belly Up to see the first of 2 sold-old  Jane's Addiction shows.  

Click 4 Pix: Jane Says

Opening act, Le Butcherettes shared their unique stylings on the Aspen stage as the house began to fill.  Lead singer Teri Gender Bender combined rage, rock and roll and sensuality to create an electric atmosphere.   The SRO crowd was filled with Jane's Addiction fans who were not in Aspen to ski or shop or fine dine or gallery hop--they came to Aspen for one reason--- to see Jane's Addiction.

Jane's Addiction in Aspen. Click 4 pix.Jane's was named the 35th greatest hard rock band of all time by VH1.  Origninal band members Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins imposed their will on the Aspen crowd from the first note.  Farrell admitted to being "wasted" as he took  big swallows from a bottle of red and immediately crowd surfed into the first number.  Navarro kept his cool despite a gaggle of very aggressive "groupie types" at the front of the stage.  One alleged stawker was removed by BUA security seconds after Navarro spied her in the crowd.   The boyz just kept rocking.  Perry puffed a few joints that were offered up from the crowd and dropped f-bomb after f-bomb.  His profane stage patter included lewd and lustful language about sex, drugs and rock and roll.   2 super-sexy back-up dancers, including Mrs Perry Farrell, contibuted to the animalistic, carnal ambience created by the band.

It was a BIG night.  Someone has to do it.  Click 4 pix.  JANE SAYS.