SIX 89
When we were in Aspen, one night we got in a bus and drove to Carbondale to eat at Six 89. It is about a 45 minute drive from Aspen. A bit of a schlep but an adventure.
Foodies in Carbondale. They also own another restaurant in town called Phat Thai which is supposedly rocking. This had been the third time back for one person in our group.
The menu is really interesting. It was actually hard to decide what to order. We split a few things as a group to try. These tastes actually ended up being my favorite.
Crispy eggplant chips. Thinly sliced eggplant rounds deep fried in really ground up bread crumbs and a dusting of confectioners sugar which made them sweet. I could have eaten a bag myself. The other taste treat was the fried preserved lemons. Served stacked. Slices of lemons that were deep fried covered in a light dusting of bread crumbs. Very different. The last split was Lobster Mac and Cheese. Old fashioned elbow noodles (the same they use in Kraft today ) with mascarpone and fontina and chunks of lobster that must have been added at the very end because they weren’t overcome with cheese but the taste of lobster stood out by itself. Very good. We also had the grilled Milagro ranch sausage which I didn’t really like the taste.
The kids were at a different table but I tasted what they had. I started with a grilled pear, arugula and pancetta salad tossed with a chardonnay vinaigrette mixed with honey. Could have been really good but all the flavors just sort of melded together. Jessica had a salad with 3 greens with pomegranate, pumpkin seeds and French feta. A really interesting combo of flavors. Simple. Emily and Josh had Miso Duck Spring Rolls served with a thai slaw and lime vinaigrette. Good flavors inside but the roll was way too thick to appreciate the flavor of the filling. Fred had the roasted Burrata. A small baking dish filled with Burrata over a layer of sourdough filled with roasted sweet peppers and crispy basil on top. The Burrata was delicious but the peppers took away from the taste of the cheese.
Main courses were mixed. I had the miso and honey glazed black cod. It was so salty that I could barely eat it. It was served over roasted parsnips that were absolutely delicious. I would have eaten just a whole plate of those. Fred had the special. Hanger steak with melting blue cheese over the top. It was okay. The girls had peppered yellowfin Tuna. They both decided they really didn’t love peppered food. I can relate.
As a whole, we had a great time. The wines were wonderful. The company was great. If I was in Carbondale again, I’d stop by. Truth is, the menu was better than the food. Driving 45 minutes from Aspen, questionable.