“WOW! Did you really eat all of that?” 

My second-grade teacher wrote this atop my Easter weekend writing assignment. I’d chronicled a Sunday buffet, bite by bite, critiquing subtle flavors and describing textures, musing over presentation and pairings.
My very first food review, at age 7.

And yeah, I really did eat all of it!

My name is Amanda Rae and I’m a lifelong food writer. I’ve always gravitated to food: learning about it, finding it, preparing it, sharing it, and writing about it as a magazine journalist for more than 15 years. Now, on the heels of my eight-year run as “Food Matters” columnist of the Aspen Times Weekly (2013-2021) and after contributing to regional magazines and working in Aspen’s food and beverage industry for nearly a decade, I’m launching Amanda Rae Food. 

Amanda Rae Food’s recent special projects include: “The Aspen Cookbook” (November 2020), the Aspen Dining Sourcebook (Winter 2020/2021), and the December 2020 launch of Everybody Water (#waterwithaheart) in Aspen. Learn more on my PROJECTS page, and please be in touch if food-related giveback missions resonate with you.

I’ve worked in food since age 15, growing up in the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. I’ve prepared fresh pasta in a gourmet marketplace, poured coffee in folksinger Arlo Guthrie’s café, hawked Cutco knives, and started my hospitality career as a server in a fine-dining Italian trattoria. A college internship with BBC Good Food magazine in London combined my passions for cooking and writing; backpacking through Europe brought plenty of food firsts. I’ve bartended among ski bums in Snowmass, served on a luxury event catering team, and assisted personal chefs in Aspen homes. I road-tripped across America for seven months, eating regional cuisine in 28 US states. During a stint with SkyWest Airlines, I continued to seek food in far-flung parts of Canada, Mexico, Central America, Australia’s East Coast, Tokyo, Bali, Cuba, and the Indonesian Komodo Islands. In summer 2019 I launched a pop-up chef’s table experience on a rooftop patio back in downtown Aspen.
At almost every event that summer, we sold out 22 seats.

My next project unites my 11 years of local knowledge with an innate passion for good food: personalized culinary itineraries for Aspen visitors and locals. Count on me to help you choose where to eat for every mood, craving, and group size, including specific suggestions on dishes and pairings. Seeking a private chef to cook a meal at home, stock the fridge, or teach a cooking class? I’ll connect you to the best in town.
And a dinner series may be brewing for summer 2023!
Get in touch to eat well in Aspen and learn from the best : 
amandaeraefood@gmail.com