Summer sees the best brand and restaurant pop-ups flock to the Hamptons, but as the weather gets colder, those same activations head north to iconic ski destinations all over the world. Aspen is the hot ticket of the upcoming 2020 to 2021 winter season, with brands like Armani opening gorgeous, alpine-inspired pop-up stores. And Aspen’s status is about to go through the roof, as renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten opens a winter residency serving delectable plant-based après-ski cuisine. The forthcoming restaurant pop-up, abcV, will spend the season at The Snow Lodge in Aspen.
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The restaurant, abcV, will serve only vegan and vegetarian fare, interrupting a culinary atmosphere that relies so heavily on meat and rich après-ski meals. This fresh take on healthy and invigorating après-ski cuisine is aligned with The Snow Lodge’s wellness programming; the hotel, sister property of The Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York, emphasizes holistic health, often inspiring their guests with curated activations like the upcoming seasonal restaurant from Jean-Georges.
"From the beginning, wellness has been a focus and key pillar at our properties; now more than ever, I want to continue that,” said founder and creative director of Snow Lodge Jayma Cardoso. “Many restaurants in Aspen are meat-focused, and I had a desire to offer something new to the community. I look forward to serving our guests the finest plant-based, artisanal, eco-friendly dishes that are full of flavor and sure to be crowd-pleasers."
Bringing in a critically acclaimed chef like Jean-Georges, known for his long-standing, Michelin-starred institutions (from Jean-Georges Beverly Hills to New York City favorite, ABC Kitchen), is a huge step in the right culinary direction for The Snow Lodge and Aspen on the whole. And to see a beloved chef, who is synonymous with high-end French cuisine and in fact hails from Alsace, root après-ski cuisine in plant-based ingredients, will make the new seasonal restaurant further stand out.
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Using local Aspen ingredients, and serving skiers and snowboarders at the base of the mountain with two afternoon seatings and dinner each evening from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., abcV will be overseen by Executive Chef Neal Harden. But the master himself, Jean-Georges, is slated to pop in several times over the course of the winter residency.
