Chef Emily Oyer is set to take over Alpin Room in Snowmass

Dec. 2 is an auspicious day for local chef Emily Oyer. Not only is it her birthday, but also the day she first interviewed with Aspen Skiing Co. for a job at Cloud 9 that would lead to her relocating to Aspen.

“It was 2019, and my ex-wife and I had signed our divorce papers. I wasn’t running away from my issues, but I was ready for a fresh start,” she said. “I had been to Aspen twice, and I wanted to be in the mountains. That had been my dream for a long time, so it was the perfect opportunity.”

Since then, she has been on a wild ride, which has included a couple of seasons at Cloud 9, manning the kitchen at Jimmy’s at the height of the pandemic, time as a private chef, and a short stint at Dalwhinnie Farms. Not to mention two Food Network appearances, which included a win on “Chopped 420,” earning her a $10,000 prize, as well as participating in “Beat Bobby Flay.”

Next up for Oyer is taking over the kitchen at the refreshed on-mountain fine dining establishment Alpin Room on Snowmass Ski Area, which is set to re-open on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

Running a kitchen of her own is a dream that has been a long time coming. A Virginia Beach native, Oyer said that she grew up loving food but never thought about cooking it. Then, at 14, she got a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant and worked her way up through the ranks. She’s worked in the industry ever since.

“I’ve had every job in the kitchen from dishwasher to line cook,” she said. “Eventually, I went to culinary school, and I found my love of dough. I fell in love with bread, all different kinds of bread. In 2013, I became a head baker. So I have done it all, and I am ready to run a restaurant now.”

The Alpin Room is located at 10,486 feet at the top of the Alpine Springs lift on Snowmass, in what locals will remember as the old Gwyn’s High Alpine Restaurant space. The menu is Alsatian, which leans French, though as Oyer pointed out the “Alps include France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria,” so there is a little bit of everything.

She said she has revamped about 95% of the menu ahead of the new opening.  

“The soups are staying the same and a couple of the table options,” she said. “I am trained in French foods, so I’m bringing in a classic chicken cordon bleu. I have a pork tenderloin with apricot demi glaze with potatoes and asparagus, and we’re doing an Oktoberfest burger with caramelized onions and pastrami bacon, which will have a pretzel bun from Open Sesame. I want to keep the menu as local as possible.”

The space itself has gotten a refresh for the winter season that compliments the big windows and view. Oyer said that Alpin Room is the biggest square footage restaurant on the four mountains and seats about 95 people. Guests can ski up, take their boots off, and change into slippers before heading to a table.

A new addition is breakfast service, Tuesday-Sunday.

“My thing is good food done well,” she said. “I am a firm believer that you don’t have to spend a ton of money on ingredients to create something that tastes incredible. I think people overlook vegetables as just a side dish, and they deserve more attention and appreciation. If you want to come sit down and have a meal that is great anytime no matter what you pick, that’s my goal.”

Sarah Girgis is the Publisher for The Aspen Times. She can be reached at 970-429-9151 or sgirgis@aspentimes.com.