On-mountain haute cuisine – long an allure in the Alps – has finally made an appearance in the high country at North American ski resorts.
Although restaurants in many base villages have gone gourmet, on-mountain menus generally limit themselves to burgers and hot dogs. Today there’s new food for thought, with snow resorts serving on-piste repasts such as Kobe-beef chili and grilled venison sausages in elegant, sit-down settings.
Check out some of the fine cuisine at these restaurants atop some of the West’s most notable summits.
Summit House Bistro — Crystal Mountain, Wash.
Northwest cuisine and scenes dazzle at the top of Crystal Mountain and Summit House, Washington’s highest restaurant. Views sweep to Mount Rainier and the Cascade Range including six of the region’s most famous volcanic peaks.
Reflecting its mountain milieu, the restaurant features an open pine-beam ceiling and antler chandeliers. As guests warm up and survey the menu in front of a wood-burning fireplace, sommelier Aaron Willis will likely offer a sparkling Muscat to refresh and open the palate. Appetizers may include Pernod prawns or fondue Savoyard followed by pistachio-crusted rack of New Zealand lamb, vegetarian ricotta gnocchi or baked Alaskan halibut, all carefully prepared by Chef Chris Kamp. (360) 663-2265, www.skicrystal.com
Couloir — Jackson Hole, Wyoming
This new restaurant, set at 9,095 feet, is situated at the base of Headwall and overlooks namesake Corbet’s Couloir, the resort’s rite-of-passage, signature run. Clear flavors and contrasting textures characterize winter-warming dishes such as ox-tail ravioli, braised lamb shank, or the signature buffalo tenderloin smoked over alderwood. A well-planned wine list promises perfect pairings. (307) 739-2675, www.jacksonhole.com
Alpenglow Stube — Keystone, Colo.
Sure, we could extol the vistas from 11,444 feet or the craftsmanship of the Douglas fir beams and copper kitchen. We could praise succulent oysters and shrimp on the buffet, or exquisitely tended entrees such as pomegranate-glazed venison loin and roasted pheasant. And a choice of over 700 wine labels. But our favorites remain the sheepskin slippers proffered when boot-clad guests arrive… so your feet can enjoy lunch too. (800) 354-4FUN, www.keystone.snow.com
Eagle’s Eye Restaurant — Kicking Horse Resort, B.C.
A gondola brings diners to Canada’s highest restaurant (7,700 feet), the aptly named Eagle’s Eye. Views from the stone and timber chalet offer 360-degree panoramas of surrounding peaks. Celebrating the heritage of British Columbia, the decor includes a Native-style eagle mask carved from a single piece of 500-year-old red cedar.
Influenced by classic French technique and inspired by local ingredients, the chefs showcase salmon, buffalo, elk and other native cuisine that celebrate the distinctive character of the province. Don’t forget to pair courses with a wide selection of fine wines from the nearby Okanagan Valley. (866) ski-kick, www.kickinghorseresort.com
Cloud Nine — Aspen Highlands, Colo.
No surprise that this gemütlichkeit mountain hut with its sunny deck at 10,740 feet would look at home on the slopes of Kitzbühel or St. Anton as chef/owner Andreas Fischbacher hails from Austria. Tyrolean, too, is the prix-fixe menu with choices including raclette and venison ragout. Finish with a strudel, and you’ll almost think you see the Alps instead of the Maroon Bells. (970) 923-8715, www.aspensnowmass.com
 Lookout Cabin — The Canyons, Utah
Lunch on the edge is the specialty at this ridgeline restaurant where a glass-paneled deck leaves nothing between you and drop-dead views of the Wasatch peaks. The menu provides a passport to global tastes. Start with the avocado and crab stuffed ahi tuna roll or crab and asparagus quesadillas. Main courses include grilled salmon or a Reuben sandwich crafted around Black Angus beef pastrami. (435) 615-2892, www.thecanyons.com
Roundhouse — Sun Valley, Idaho
Opened in 1936, Sun Valley is America’s first winter resort. And Roundhouse is America’s first on-mountain restaurant, featured in the Sun Valley Serenade film starring Sonja Heine.
Arrayed around a four-sided stone fireplace, the dining room overlooks Ketchum and Big Wood Valley. Dining choices include grilled trout and sautéed elk loin with German knodel accompanied by music from a lederhosen-clad accordion player. You’ll work up an appetite just getting here – 88 stairs climb from slope to restaurant. (208) 622-2371, www.sunvalley.com
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