Spanish for “little Mawa”—the nickname bestowed upon chef Mawa McQueen by her team at Mawa’s Kitchen next door—Mawita showcases the award-winning chef’s favorite flavors of Spain through her unique European-African lens. “Everything is little: little plates, small bites, and not as expensive,” says McQueen, an Ivory Coast native raised in Paris, who once lived in Barcelona. Her menu highlights tapas (plantain bravas, Wagyu meatballs in mafé [African peanut sauce], tortilla Española, peppers stuffed with salted cod), imported Spanish ingredients (cheeses, charcuterie, Ibérico ham), and spices galore (za’atar grilled red snapper, sizzling Berber prawns, signature jerk salmon). Massive pans of golden paella are meant for sharing, Spanish wines are reasonably priced, and the signature dessert is crepe Suzette, flambéed tableside for two.

Hoping to harness the old-school Aspen energy that hasn’t skipped town but certainly seems to have gone into hibernation in recent years, Golden Horn is a sports bar, gastropub, and game hall named for the legendary restaurant that occupied this same late-1800s building from 1949 to 1996. “We hope to bring back the vitality that’s been lost in Aspen,” says John Bukac, co-owner with Sam Hayes. The duo tapped designer Tim Sack to transform the interior with comforts that feel instantly familiar: a long maple-topped bar; horseshoe banquettes with seating for 75; and wood, stained glass, and historic materials repurposed from local long-gone watering holes. Find classic American bar food with a health-forward twist (salads and protein bowls balance burgers, wings, and an $8 shot and a beer) for lunch and dinner, plus 15 TVs, two pool tables rescued from Eric’s Bar (re-felted and free to play), and a Full Swing golf simulator with 30 games. Says Bukac, “It’s a workhorse for Aspen, for every walk of life.”  

Scheduled to open in June, LoLa41° at White Elephant Aspen promises sushi and global cuisine featuring Mediterranean and Asian flavors from countries located along the 41st parallel (Japan, Korea, China, Italy, Greece, Spain). Rich wood, plush red seating, brass accents, and pulsing music will reprise the sultry, fun atmosphere that characterizes sister restaurants anchoring White Elephant hotels in Nantucket (since 2006) and Palm Beach (as well as a standalone spot in Naples, Florida, and Lola42° in Boston). Expect breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the modest salon with a 12-seat central bar (plus 60 seats outside) and a sumptuous private dining space. 

Opened quietly in late January by the husband-and-wife team of Ricardo Leyvas and Maria J. Cardenas, Amara Kitchen + Wine Bar coasts into summer as if on a breeze from the Aegean Sea. Carbondale—and the Roaring Fork Valley—needed this: a cozy, 47-seat space serving Mediterranean, Turkish, Moroccan, and Lebanese fare plus expertly curated (and exotic) European wines (Cardenas began her career as a sommelier over a decade ago at The Little Nell). The shareable menu comprises meze (chorizo-stuffed dates, whole baked eggplant), stews (traditional Moroccan tagine of oxtail, beef cheeks, and short ribs), grilled proteins (swordfish souvlaki, garlic shrimp, harissa lamb chops with chermoula), and theatrical showstoppers like ouzo-flamed Greek saganaki cheese and a mobile cart with tinned fish on rotation (Portuguese cod, mackerel, spicy sardines, octopus, razor clams). “We create a sauce tableside, served with grilled bread and egg-yolk butter,” Cardenas explains. Open daily at 3 p.m. with a happy hour menu until 4 p.m., Amara showcases a Spanish paella chef every Tuesday. 

Slated to open June 15 with lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch, Gemma by Angelo Elia—the chef formerly of Casa d’Angelo in Aspen (2021–2024)—revamps the former Free Range Kitchen space in Old Town Basalt into an elegant yet rustic Italian trattoria. “We hope to create a fun place with a beautiful vibe, great service, and a big bar,” says Elia, who favors classic recipes from his native Italy. That includes Tuscan dishes from the oven (roast chicken under the brick, oxtail), a suite of appetizers (puntarelle salad with anchovy sauce, Caesar salad for two, tartare, zucchini flowers), meatballs, sausage on the grill, homemade pasta, and pizza for lunch. Signature dishes reprised from the Casa d’Angelo menu: whole branzino, roasted porchetta, fettucine with beef-pork-veal ragù, plus imported dry-aged meats, charcuterie, cheese, and wine. Seating for nearly 100 indoors includes a showpiece private wine room for 25 guests. “Gemma in Italian means ‘gem,’ Elia explains. “It’s beautiful outside, right by the river. We want to create an atmosphere.”