August Recap
And just like that we are at the end of Summer, looking ahead to the Fall! Time has flown by over at the PARC Aspen headquarters [AKA our new office space!] and with all the excitement buzzing throughout town as we welcome Labor Day Weekend, we think it's best to share a brief August recap with our loyal readers!
The first half of August was all hands on deck! We kicked off the month by hosting a family style brunch tasting featuring items from our Sunday brunch menu. Executive Chef Mark Connell and Sous Chef Robert Regan experimented with flavor profiles unique to the region and to their backgrounds in the culinary industry. A couple of the crowd favorites were the combination of our PARC Aspen Breakfast Pastry Basket [Donut Holes, Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Chip Scones] with the homemade Cinnamon Rolls, the Fresno Chili Eggs Benedict and the all time MVP, the Colorado Trout Hash. The Fresno Chili Eggs Benedict was our twist on the classic dish emphasizing Mark’s time in New Mexico; he infused the fresno chili into a creamy hollandaise sauce to add that final kick. For the Colorado Trout Hash, Mark and Robert created a smoked salmon potato cake to serve as the base and garnished with some charred scallions and a dollop of the fresno chili hollandaise.
On the heels of the brunch tasting, the entire team participated in our first community PARC Aspen event on the patio at the restaurant space. Hosted by local artist and realtor Lea Novgrad, the team was treated to a two-hour painting session! The first hour was dedicated to self expression and stress release where each team member was given a white canvas to paint anything they could imagine. The second hour was set aside for everyone to contribute to one canvas in order to create a shared work of art. Everyone’s masterpiece now hangs in the new PARC Aspen office headquarters, which is the perfect segway into our office move in mid month.
Team PARC Aspen Community Event
The finished products from each team member!
After many months of anticipation and patience, the offices of PARC Aspen were finally ready to move in. Thanks to the help of our contractor David Mansor and interior designer Joan O’Haver, the outdated office space on Monarch St. received a new lease on life! The design is similar to what will be found in the restaurant space; a modern farmhouse feel with rustic furniture and clean lines. Below are a few snapshots from inside.
Our final two weeks of August blew right past us. We hosted our second, and by far most successful, dinner tasting kitchen at Maryanne and Harley’s house. The guest list was packed full of some town heavy hitters like Raphael Derly, Nicole Henning, Ryan and Sherri Eisenmann and Sonya Vega of Mezcal Doña Vega! In honor of her attendance, our beverage team crafted up a delicious cocktail featuring Jalapeno-Infused Tequila, Doña Vega Mezcal, Fresh Oregano, Lime Juice and Homemade Simple Syrup, which was paired with the first course: Tomato Sundae, Bitter Greens and a Goat Cheese & Olive Oil Sorbet. The rest of the menu featured items like our Organic Chicken Breast “Coq-Au-Vin”, Beef Tenderloin Two Ways [Prime & Choice Cuts] and a Layered Carrot Cheesecake. [Some of these items will be featured on our winter dining room menu]
To close out the month, we participated in another community event this time focusing on team building through establishing trust. Madie Bailey, Director of Operations, was in charge of planning the activity and enlisted Andrea Palm-Porter of the Roaring Fork Leadership group to assist. During the two-hour session, we learned about the basis of trust in the workplace, how to establish open lines of trust communication and what values matter most to us! The information we gained in the short time frame was invaluable and will be a cornerstone for how we onboard our new employees!
With all that went on in August, it is exciting to take a moment and reflect on how far we have come as a team. Now that September is here, we can shift our focus to the theme of the month: ONBOARDING! Stay tuned to learn more about our hiring process and when we plan to start hosting interviews for interested candidates.
Know someone that would be a good fit for us? Have them email their resume to management@parcaspen.com to schedule an interview! Be sure to follow us on social media to stay up to date on construction changes and a chance to catch the PARC Aspen team in action!
