Tucked back in the grass-covered courtyard of the Hotel Jerome, this restaurant manages to make outdoor dining elegant. Umbrella topped tables offer clear views of Aspen Mountain. Executive chef Todd Slossberg, who has been nominated as the "Best Chef in the Southwest," offers some unusual takes on some usual dishes like the chili and sugar cured Muscovy Duck Breast, the New York Strip with melted onions, and the butter poached Maine Lobster Stew. Or if you are in the mood for lighter fare, there are grilled pizzas and plenty of salads to choose from.

It is not often that you will find a restaurant that describes itself as serving "fierce" American food. But this Aspen favorite is so popular that no one ever stops to puzzle what "fierce" food actually means. This is one of those rare restaurants that knows how to blend casual with elegance and make it work. The main course menu features certified Black Angus steaks such as filet mignon, 35 day dry-aged rib eye, and a porterhouse for two, which is so big it looks like a throw pillow. The bar offers the largest tequila and mescal list (over 50 choices) in the nation.

This restaurant is so Italian that one almost feels compelled to furnish a passport just to enter. It is a refreshing change to step into an Italian restaurant that does not consider a red-and-white checkered tablecloth as a decorative mandate. Instead, the dining area exudes a Tuscan charm with muted pastel stucco walls, designer Italian chairs and lights that resemble illuminated wasps nests. It offers the only carpaccio bar in town which features mouth treats like smoked buffalo, seared ahi and Beluga caviar. The main menu taunts the tongue with authentic dishes such as the Breaded Veal Cutlet and the Roasted Cornish Hen. All pasta and focaccia bread are made fresh daily.

This Tuscany-inspired restaurant is an authentic trattoria. The dimly lit dining room's low ceilings and closely positioned tile-topped tables exude an intimate, family feel. The main entrees feature authentic Northern Italian dishes in hearty portions, along with meaty offerings like grilled veal and filet mignon. The pasta dishes are the most affordable entrees on the menu and come in all sorts of varieties. An excellent wine list features a wealth of Italian offerings. Restaurant opens daily at 5:30p.

For over a decade now, this friendly restaurant has been handling Aspen's sushi fix by offering the town's largest selection of fresh fish. If you are looking for a fun and boisterous dining experience try to snare a seat at the sushi bar. For a tamer dining setting wander towards the back of the room where conversations are hushed and border on intimate. Octopus, flying fish egg and jumbo clams are just a small sampling of its many sushi offerings. There are also plenty of sushi rolls, sashimi combinations and innovative salads. Chilean Sea Bass, Pacific Rim Lobster Tail and Strip Steak Teriyaki are musts on the entree list.

World-renowned chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, whose gourmet Japanese food has filled stomachs in New York, London and Los Angeles to high praise, is now working his magic in Aspen. The interior is so stark and simple that it somehow drips with style. Seating options include table, booth or sushi bar. It is not often that one can say that everything on the menu is outstanding, but this restaurant is one of the rare exceptions. Specialty dishes include mussels in a spicy garlic sauce, and Tuna Tataki. It also offers an array of sashimi options.

There is a good honesty about this restaurant in that what you order is what you get. Too often these days restaurants place presentation ahead of food. Consequently, when you order a steak it comes out the size of an Advil gel cap and looks like the chef was trained by an Impressionist painter rather than by a culinary school. The Steak Pit, fortunately, does not fall into this category. The menu, as expected, serves prime rib, sirloin steak, filet mignon, beef kabobs and New York strips, all of which are charbroiled to order and include salad, bread and choice of potato. There are also plenty of seafood options too. The salad bar, which is so big it could apply for statehood, is almost a meal in itself.

Few, if any, Aspen restaurants can match Mezzaluna for its combination of great food and a lively bar scene. But it is this fusion that makes it so popular and prompted Gourmet Magazine to rank it as one of the top three restaurants in Aspen. The interior is Los Angeles hip: marble tables, big glass windows and tall potted plants. If you can secure a window table it is a great perch for people watching both inside and outside. If you covet booze-addled Happy Hours this is the place to go. The entrées feature an array of pasta, fish and meat dishes. There is also an audacious selection of avant-garde pizzas including one that features French onion with Swiss cheese and smoked bacon.

Trying to distinguish one Mexican restaurant from another is difficult. Most, if not all, serve big plates with six digit calorie counts. Su Casa, however, is refreshingly different for it emphasizes low calorie fare that does not sacrifice on taste. Despite the downstairs location, this restaurant has a lively atmosphere which at times feels like permanent Mexican style celebration. The menu serves the usual array of tacos, burritos and enchiladas. It also cooks specialty dishes like Carnitas, Camorones, and Chillies Rellenos. Salads such as the Yucatan, Avocado and Tostada are all generous in size.

For any first-time visitor who wants to experience the glitz and glamour of Aspen, this is the spot. For two years in a row it has been voted as Aspen's "best place to see and be seen". The interior somehow manages to blend cozy with contemporary in a minimalist manner. If you need culinary direction, opt for one of its signature dishes such as the Bamboo Salmon or the Ruby Red Trout. Sushi lovers can choose from over 30 items. The sake list, the largest in the mountains, offers 12 varieties. Reservations are strongly recommended.