Some Aspen restaurants keeping doors open this offseason

Town may be emptying out, but for the locals who still have to go to work or take the kids to school every day during mud season, a few Aspen bars and restaurants are keeping their doors open.

Take Ryno’s, which has never closed for more than a day or two for maintenance since opening for business in 2012. With a lot of restaurants in its niche closed down, it makes sense for Ryno’s to stay open, said general manager Jenna Conti.

“We like to cater to the locals,” Conti said. The hours are the same, and the pizzeria is offering $10.99 lunch options and other specials in addition to its regular happy hour this spring.

With screens hanging all around the restaurant, Ryno’s caters to customers looking to watch baseball, hockey or the NBA playoffs as well as young athletes who come in after their games for team dinners.

“The kids play games and the parents get to eat and drink,” Conti said. “We all win there.”

Foodie hot spot Meat & Cheese also is open year-round, with a slightly earlier closing of 9 p.m. every day.

“Mainly we stay open because we try to stay local,” said Ame Wang, restaurant manager. “We like to give back to the community, so we try to give them a place to go in offseason.”

Meat & Cheese is a combo restaurant and shop, selling farm-raised products in addition to the cheese and cured meats from its parent company, Avalanche Cheese Co.

“We make cheese all year round, so we might as well stay open,” Wang said.

In that spirit, Meat & Cheese is handing out 15 percent off coupons for the farm shop to guests who dine with them.

“I’ve been here my entire life, and every offseason we battle with that ‘where do I go?’” Wang said. “We like to give people a good option.”

Here’s a list of restaurants currently open in Aspen, according to data provided by the Aspen Chamber Resort Association. Some establishments are closing for a couple days out of the week or are only open for dinner, so you might want to call ahead if you’re making plans.

520 Grill

Acquolina

Asie

Aspen Brewing Co.

Aspen Over Easy

Aspen Kitchen

Bangkok Happy Bowl

Brunelleschi’s Dome Pizza

Butcher’s Block

CP Burger

Domino’s

Grateful Deli

Hickory House

Hooch

Hops Culture

Ink Coffee

Jimmy’s Bodega (closing Sunday to May 21)

Jour de Fete

Jus

Justice Snow’s (closing Monday to May 23)

Kenichi

L’Hostaria

Limelight Lounge

Little Ollie’s

Louis Swiss Pastry

Main Street Bakery & Cafe

Maru

Matsuhisa

Meat & Cheese

Mezzaluna

Mi Chola

Monarch

Paradise Bakery

Peach’s

Plato’s

Poppycock’s

Red Mountain Grill

Red Onion

Rustique

Ryno’s

Spring Cafe (closing May 16 to 30)

The Square Grouper

Starbucks

Su Casa (closing Sunday to May 25)

Taster’s

Upper Crust

Victoria’s Espresso

White House Tavern

Woody Creek Tavern

Zocalito

jill@snowmasssun.com