Montagna At The Little Nell - Aspen, Co

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Missy Farren & Associates, Ltd. (212) 528-1691
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The Little Nell's Chef Ryan Hardy Brings Farmhouse Cooking to Aspen

Aspen, CO, November 17, 2005 - "We love to handcraft food," says Ryan Hardy, the new Executive Chef at The Little Nell. For Chef Hardy, whose Farmhouse Cooking is earning rave reviews in the sophisticated resort town of Aspen, handcrafting means more than just making your own pasta. "We are focusing on artisanal products, grown here in the Roaring Fork Valley and the surrounding area, and we're preparing them in simple, traditional ways."

In just three months at Montagna, The Little Nell's award-winning restaurant, the 30 year-old Hardy has already revolutionized the way local products are used in dishes. All-natural, grass-fed beef from a rancher in nearby Carbondale is used for everything from carpaccio with fried baby artichokes to grilled ribeye with romesco sauce. Rabbits from a farm in nearby Delta are braised in Riesling wine and served over polenta. Local eggs, fresh herbs, and greens like Swiss chard find their way into his fresh pasta.

Chef Hardy is pursuing another of his great food passions making his own cheeses from fresh locally-sourced milk - everything from fresh and aged goat cheeses to smooth, creamy ricotta and mozzarella. Now that he has teamed up with The Little Nell's Master Sommelier and winemaker, Richard Betts, The Little Nell can claim the unique position of having both a chef who is a cheesemaker and a sommelier who is a winemaker.

A portion of The Little Nell's wine cellar has been appropriated as a cheese cave, where several homemade prosciuttos also hang amid the 15,000 bottles. "The first thing I did upon my return to Aspen was make a batch of my own bacon, and the prosciuttos soon after that" adds Chef Hardy. Homemade preserves weren't far behind - pear, plum, cherry and peach preserves were all produced this fall with organic fruits from Palisade, CO and are now offered on Chef Hardy's menu alongside his appetizer of homemade chicken liver pate.

"When I speak of Farmhouse Cooking, I am referencing the food you would enjoy during a stay at a bed & breakfast in France or Italy," says Chef Hardy. "Organic ingredients grown by the owners themselves create the base of their menus. Handcrafting as much food as possible here at The Little Nell is just as important, and there are so many great raw materials being produced here in the Roaring Fork Valley to do just that. My wife and I have lived in every corner of the country, but we love the mountains, the food, culture, and the seasonality of everything here in Aspen."

While at his previous post as executive chef of the Coach House on Martha's Vineyard, Chef Hardy also helped found the Vineyard chapter of Slow Food, the international organization devoted to promoting artisanal and sustainable ingredients, and the pleasures of the table. "Food is family to me," he notes, "I think it is important to take a step back from fast food, and focus on the traditional ways of preparing meals."