Petit Trois with Dustin Wilson, Chef Ludo Lefebvre, and Sabato Sagari.
Petit Trois/Courtesy photo
The best restaurants inspire emotion. And the best wine experiences take you to another place.
This week, Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s Petit Trois Aspen in the MOLLIE Aspen hotel made its nouveau debut, achieving both goals. The first public seating took place on Dec. 11, as in Thursday night, when the restaurant launched a casual but classic culinary experience, serving cuisine that satisfies the soul while pouring wines that transport diners to the vineyards of France.
Petit Trois Aspen is the third iteration of Chef Lefebvre’s collection of Parisian-style bistros. The first two are in Los Angeles, one on North Highland Ave. in Hollywood and the second on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. Since the opening of Petit Trois l’Original in 2014, it has been a must-stop for those who crave the concept of a little corner bistro tucked into a city far from Paris that replicates the original experience.
Ludo Lefebvre is one of the most creative culinary figures of our/his generation. Raised in Burgundy, he began his culinary journey 40 years ago working in Michelin-starred kitchens at the age of 14 under chefs like Alain Passard, Pierre Gagnaire, Marc Meneau, and Guy Martin. In 1996, he took his talents to California, where he became a celebrity, appearing on all of the top cooking programs and publishing popular cookbooks. But he always did things his way, creating LudoBites pop-ups and selling fried chicken out of the LudoTruc. He has a long history in Aspen, visiting frequently, especially during the Food & Wine Classic. This past June, he was the featured chef at Hotel Jerome’s Epicurean Passport benefit for LA Fire Relief.
The new Petit Trois, just off the lobby of the ever-evolving MOLLIE Aspen, is an intimate and simple rendition of a typical French bistro. The menu is exactly what one would hope for: Burgundy Escargots (with those cute little snail shell tongs and tiny forks), perfectly prepared Steak Tartare (topped with an egg yolk), a hefty bowl of Mussels Mariniére in white wine, a lemony Trout Almondine with capers, and a Filet au Poivre that holds a flavorful hint of peppered heat. You know, bistro food. Oh, and the baguette served with silky, salty Bordier butter is to die for.
But one of the most exciting things about Petit Trois Aspen is the wines and the wine people associated with it. The restaurant is a partnership with New York-based Apres Cru Hospitality, a company that was founded by former Little Nell food and beverage director Sabato Sagaria and ex-Nell sommelier Dustin Wilson, amongst others. Apres Cru provides capital and hospitality expertise to culinary concepts and currently has a number of ski town projects in the works.
Both Sagaria and Wilson are Master Sommeliers who are beloved and respected amongst the wine community nationally and, especially, here in Aspen. Running the day-to-day wine program at Petit Trois is another longtime local wine guy with ties to The Little Nell, Matsuhisa, and more recently Saint Ambroeus, Derek Reijmer. He is an Advanced Sommelier in the Court of Master Sommeliers program as well.
“We wanted to create an accessible and affordable wine list that went with the Bistro concept,” explained Sagaria about the Petit Trois wine offerings while he was here for the opening week. And they have done just that.
With around 100 total selections, including a handful of rosé, a dozen or so Vin Pétillante (bubbles), and the rest blanc and rouge wines, the list features selections from throughout the great wine regions of France. And 80% of the list is under $150 a bottle, with the majority right around $100 each. For Aspen, circa ski season 2025-26, this is an extremely affordable list.
Diners can select familiar wines by the glass from the single-page (front and back) list, but there are a number of interesting regions and wines by the bottle that are a joy to explore. A Corsican vermentino (Italian), a field blend from Alsace, and a pair of aligoté are all on the blanc by-the-bottle list. And the rouge wines include a healthy selection of gamay, a few wines from Jura, and a case worth of assorted grenache and syrah.
My wife and I were invited to come experience, the friends and family opening of Petit Trois and participate in the staff’s “shake down cruise” as they got the kinks out before regular service began. To pair with our meal, a bowl of cheesey and rich French onion soup followed by steak frites I thought a substantial syrah might be a nice choice on this winter’s eve.
Smack in the middle of the list were three selections from the Northern Rhône region of France. All were right around the same price, $100, but they were from three different producers. I thought I’d play it safe with the J.L. Chave “Offerus,” a known entity from Saint-Joseph. But when I asked sommelier Derek Reijmer about which of the three wines he would recommend, he began to explain the wines and the region in detail. “Of course, these three appellations are very different,” he enthused as he talked of St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, and Cornas. “The Domaine Vincent Paris ‘Granit 30’ Cornas refers to the angle of the granite slope, with the subtler ‘Granit 30’ degree slope softening the syrah a bit.” I went with the Vincent Paris for $105 and had a perfect bistro food and wine pairing that took me to both the streets of Paris and the rocky hillsides of Cornas.
In addition to the French wines, there is a smattering of wines from influential California producers, including a Presqu’ile Chardonnay from the Sta. Rita Hills, a Napa “Village” Cabernet Sauvignon from Steve Matthiasson, and the Hirsch “San Andreas Fault” Pinot Noir. All inspired choices.
Oh, and if you have a hankering for something with a little more age and pedigree, ask to see Reijmer’s small leather-bound, hand-written list of additional gems that are also a little pricier.
In this holiday season, we are fortunate to welcome a casual, comfortable new restaurant from some longtime Aspen wine pros and a celebrated chef to the community. This is the kind of place that will, like a fine wine, age well.
Bon Appetit.
Dining and Cooking