Chef Mawa brings another restaurant to Aspen

Restaurant owner and chef Mawa McQueen is bringing exciting changes to Aspen’s dining scene this December.

Chef Mawa, who has been based in Aspen since 2002, continues to broaden her restaurant presence in the local area by now creating two distinct restaurants within the same building in Aspen’s Airport Business Center. 

Her latest move is part of a bigger dream to be part of a community building up the ABC area across from the Aspen Airport as a go-to spot for amazing international food.

“I hope the ABC becomes a hub for culture, for trying new things locally,” Chef Mawa said.

Born in the West African country of Côte d’Ivoire and raised in Paris, Mawa was the eldest of 20 children. She learned to cook so she could feed her siblings, and now her goal is for local diners to expand their horizons, not stick to ordering one item, and try new culinary dishes. 

With this vision in mind, she’s developed two new concepts. A new restaurant, Mawita, which is ideal for casual dinners and hanging out with friends, and a new version of the Michelin-recommended Mawa’s Kitchen, which is set up for special occasions and fine dining.

Mawita

Mawita, a casual Spanish-Mediterranean tapas restaurant, launches Dec. 11. The new dinner-only restaurant will be open seven days a week from 5 to 9 p.m. in a space next to her existing Mawa’s Kitchen.

“Mawita gives guests who want my flavors in a more casual setting a place to gather,” Chef Mawa said. “Walk-ins are welcome at the bar. Come for apres-ski, come for a glass of wine and small plates, come for the energy.”

Mawita will host a menu of small plates that mix Spanish and Mediterranean food with Chef Mawa’s signature African and French flavors. The selection includes dishes like plantain bravas, rotisserie chicken yassa, truffled grit croquettes, and fondue de queso. 

Guests may even recognize a few of the popular dishes from Mawa’s Kitchen reconceived into a new tapas version.

This restaurant also welcomes spontaneous diners.

Mawa’s Kitchen’s makeover begins

Mawa’s Kitchen will also completely change its dinner options starting on Dec. 16. 

Its new dinner repertoire will be a special $148 four-course tasting menu Tuesday through Saturday nights, with an additional option for a curated wine pairing for $75. This exclusive dining experience will showcase Chef Mawa’s unique Afro-Caribbean-French cooking style, built from her more than 30 years of cooking experience.

“Dinner à la carte wasn’t allowing me to showcase the full depth of what I can do as a chef,” Chef Mawa said in a prepared statement. “The tasting menu format lets me tell a complete story through food — honoring my roots while pushing creative boundaries. This is the dining experience I’ve always wanted to create.”

Chef Mawa wants people to know that she prepares food with love, care, and culture — and she wants people to trust her that she’s got their best interests at heart.

Chef Mawa’s two-restaurant model enables her to serve various occasions — from celebratory meals to casual gatherings — while maintaining her commitment to focus on hospitality and culturally rooted flavors. 

“I brought so many fun things on a plate, from the Caribbean, from Africa, from the Middle East,” Chef Mawa said.

Both restaurants are located at 305 Aspen Airport Business Center, with Mawa’s Kitchen in Suite F and Mawita in Suite J. There is free parking in the area. Mawa’s Kitchen operates by reservations only, while Mawita welcomes both walk-ins and reservations. Both can be booked through OpenTable or by calling directly to the restaurant at 970-710-7096.