You’ve eaten party flyers for breakfast and considered hanging doormen with velvet ropes—admit it, you’re jaded. For escapism minus a mid-week ski trip, Aspen (the lounge, not the city) creates a sublime setting only a Colorado native and Clubland icon, owner Greg Brier (Groovejet), and NYC nightlife vet, designer Steve Lewis (Limelight, Marquee), could pull off. PETA-friendly Lucite deer heads, distressed wood floors, and a copper bartop make the front lounge playfully sexy, while birch trees “growing” visible through the windows take you away from Manhattan entirely. Small portions let you eat light or taste the gamut from bison sliders to trout tacos. For a true hideaway, take a tangy Shooting Star cocktail into the private Gonzo room, a tribute to the late Hunter S. Thompson. A majestic wood table and antler candle holders are as inspiring as the writer’s quotes splattered on the wall. On weekends a serious sound system kicks the restaurant vibe to club proportions. Open Mon.-Fri. noon-3pm and 6pm-midnight, Sat. 6pm-midnight.

aspen-nyc.com