One thing local food lovers can always look forward to when winter arrives is the opportunity to try out new restaurants after hitting the slopes. Slated for a Christmas opening in Snowmass Village is Saké, a new sushi bar/Pan-Asian eatery located in Base Village’s former Bia Hoi space. It’s a team effort among the five owners of Slice Italian Bistro and Base Camp Bar and Grill nearby, and the owner of Snowmass’s Little Mammoth restaurant. “Our goal is to offer creative, well-executed, accessible food, as well as an extensive sake menu and pairings,” says co-owner and general manager David Dugan. The industrial-chic space will also get “cozied up,” notes Dugan, and feature a sushi bar as well as a full bar. sakesnowmass.com

Downtown Basalt is getting its first seasonally driven restaurant, Free Range Kitchen and Wine Bar, which will focus on a food-from-scratch philosophy and ingredients sourced from regional family farms and ranches whenever possible. Owners and longtime valley residents Steve and Robin Humble have more than 25 years of experience working in dining and hospitality (most recently as the food and beverage director and catering director at the Roaring Fork Club, respectively). Their first restaurant venture, slated to open in December, will combine rustic chic (wood-plank flooring, exposed-brick and beetle-kill wood walls) with executive chef Flip Wise’s refined, earthy cuisine. Wise—formerly the head butcher at Aspen’s Meat and Cheese Restaurant and Farm Shop and the owner of Open Fire Catering—is passionate about supporting the local foodshed. “He brings a lot of credibility and authenticity to what we want to do,” says Steve Humble. The restaurant will have a full bar with an emphasis on boutique wines, craft beers, and seasonal cocktails. freerangebasalt.com

Meanwhile, the St. Regis Aspen’s signature fine-dining restaurant, Trecento Quindici Decano, offers a fully revamped menu inspired by new executive chef Samir Roonwal’s Indian upbringing, world travels, and experience helming hotel kitchens from Dubai to Toronto. Expect international flavors interpreted via dishes like blistered shishito peppers with Thai basil, lime, and peanuts; Vietnamese bao with short ribs and crunchy salad; and hummus with shredded lamb and pistachio crumbs. Says Roonwal, who arrived here last February, “Food has to be true to its taste, and to the integrity of each product used, to be able to create experiences that tell their own story.” We’re ready to hear—and sample—the tale. stregisaspen.com