Now that Highbar is, um, off the ground (Down by the Hipster checked it out yesterday), Greg Briar (also owner of Amalia) tells us that by Labor Day weekend he’ll open a second outpost of his restaurant Aspen in Vikram Chatwal’s 212 Hotel. Briar says the dining room, designed by the increasingly ubiquitous-again Steve Lewis, will pair aspen trees with mirrored walls to create the illusion of a forest and that “mandelier” artist Jason Miller is installing his notorious antler chandeliers in a 30-by-30-foot dome over the tables. As with Aspen, there will be nods to Hunter S. Thompson and the sort of “world-class loungey-type D.J.'s,” per Briar, that HST probably would’ve scared off with a bullhorn. Also carrying over from the original location are the bison sliders (plus Kobe beef and Black Angus sliders!) and the tacos and quesadillas. No telling how many more Aspens are in the works, but Briar says that he’s planning to launch Highbars in India, London, and then maybe he'll set the controls for the heart of the sun.

A year ago, we broke news that Greg Brier of Aspen and D’Or was bringing a gigantic outdoor space to the rooftop of the former Hilton Gardens at 48th Street and Eighth Avenue. Now Down by the Hipster hits us with renderings of iCrave’s design for the 200-person rooftop (with 75-person adjoining lounge) opening in May. According to a press release, Highbar's menu will feature “award-winning cocktails” (mojito of the year?), as well as food straight off the grill. More details as we get ’em.

Hell’s Kitchen Gets Roofied [Down by the Hipster]

An overtime lawsuit isn’t the only shake-up happening in Aspen’s kitchen — Greg Brier’s lodge-themed spot has a new head chef. Robert Betanzos formerly cooked at Pacific East, the Hamptons eatery that Diddy was rumored to be buying from feuding owners Aram Sabet and Michael Castino (disco broker Steven Kamali is now shopping Pacific East at $6.5 million). As you can see from the new menu, Chef Betanzos is moving from small plates (though the bison sliders stay) to entrées such as wild salmon with beluga lentils and beets — many of them made with ingredients from Hope Farmyard, which practices sustainable agriculture. What a reputation improver!

Aspen menu
Related: Workers Lodge Complaint Against Aspen

Greg Brier, owner of Amalia (where Ivy Stark may checking out), may be in hot water because of alleged labor-law violations at his ski-lodge-themed restaurant, Aspen — and we don’t mean the Jacuzzi. Attorney Michael Falliache has brought a lawsuit against Brier and Aspen alleging that six named employees (including line cooks and a dishwasher) worked at pay rates such as $303 for 60 hours per week (i.e. about $5 per hour) with no overtime or regular breaks. “This is a typical case of a restaurant hiring workers who are at a disadvantage and taking advantage of them by not paying them overtime or minimum wage,” Falliache told us. The class-action suit represents the grievances of fifteen workers who, should they win, probably won’t be celebrating with a ski vacation.

Jose Zurita et. al vs. Aspen and Greg Brier [PDF]