Favorite Mountain For Food?

[thetrailboss]

Which resort do you think has the best foodservice in terms of quality, price, and atmosphere? I've heard good things about the Summit Cafe at Loon this season, but from my experience, I brownbag it. Your thoughts?

From Charlie_schuessler:

"I especially enjoy the Summit Cafe Caribbean meals, the reggae music and the relaxed atmosphere. It is SO much improved from the old configuration, it is not fair to compare."

 

[tekweezle]

Deer Valley is pretty good. that Stein Eriksen lodge is just awesome. They have a real good turkey Chilli over there too.

Intrawest's resorts Whistler/Blackcomb and Stratton are not bad either in my opinion. at our last stay at Whistler, the food was half price for the entire week because the conditions were so bad.

 

[awf170]

ya whistler and tremblant are awsome i thought the restarant at sugarbush was very good(i forget what it was called) I remember that when i went to jay peak the had awsome chicken soup. Alta and snowbird were good. From my experiances the food is way better out west than the east. Everywhere else i think is okay besides sunapee which is IMO terrible(note to sunapee to call something chicken soup it actually has to have chicken)

 

[Zand]

I like the BBQ at Okemo at the Sugar House. I remember having a great burger there a couple of years ago.

Mount Snow had great food in the cafeteria. Very expensive, but awesome for a cafeteria.

Worst food award definitely goes to Sunapee.

 

[Bumpsis]

Given the fact that just about all mountains treat their food service as a major cash cow and mercilessly rob you, I brown bag whenever I can.
I just can't stand the rip off. Like $3 for a cup of tea??

One of my biggest surprises was going from the lunch room at Sugarloaf (the main alpine area) to their X-Country center, just down the road. What a difference!!!

Freshly baked bread, great sandwiches, awesome soups and prices, quite reasonable, what you pay anywhere around Boston for decent lunch like that.

Unless a cafeteria is located on top of a mountain, ski areas really ought to ashamed to charge what they do.

 

[RISkier]

We've largely stopped going into the cafeterias as much as possible. We either brown bag it or go into the actual sit down cafes where available. For example we ate at the Gunstock cafetiria one day, food was at best mediocre and expensive -- next day we went into the lounge where we found the food and service very good and the price was actually a tad cheaper than the cafeteria. The Black Diamond at Wachusett is surprisingly good and much more pleasent than the cafeteria. I love Stowe but the cafeteria food there is awful. Not a fair comparison but the mountain restaurants in the Arlberg were FINE! Fresh breads, spinich dumplings, garlic soup, wonderful sausages... I'm getting hungary.

 

[Vortex]

I like the rest at Nashoba. Not real exspensive and a good little menu. That is more of a dinner instead of lunch.

 

[deadheadskier]

Okemo's food is expensive but good.

The best food however can always be found in the parking lot at Stowe while tailgating in the springtime.

 

[Skimaine4ever]

The Bag restaraunt at Sugarloaf has about the best burger I have ver had.

 

[Greg]

I enjoy sit-down/bar-type restaurants if available. The price is usually only a few dollars more, but the quality of the food is usually signficantly better than the cafeterias. Two of the best that I've been to are Christiansen's at Jiminy Peak and the Mushroom Bar & Grill at Lincoln Peak/Sugarbush. Sometimes if I'm soloing, I'll brown bag it.

 

[ctenidae]

Sunapee's cafeteria is a joke. Warmed over frozen "chicken" fingers and 2-hour old fries are not tasty. We've eaten there maybe twice, when in a hurry to grab a very quick bite. The hotdogs aren't awful, but it's hard to mess those up. The Goosefeathers Pub isn't terrible, as far as resort dining goes. The nachos are pretty good, as is the chili. They serve all beer (even Guinness ) in plastic cups.
The pub (Powder Keg?) at Gunstock's not bad-reasonable prices, decent portions. Service is terrible, thoguh- I guess that's what happens when you don't have proffesional waitstaff. They also often serve beer in a glass, which is a nice change.
Cannon's tiny table service place is bad- very crowded, no organization as to who gets a table. You're basically reduced to lurking over someone waiting for them to finish up so you can grab the table before the other 87 people do. Food was so-so, beer in a plastic cup.

Overall, I'd say resort food is a product of its environment- only one option per class of food, and it's run by the resort, not by a restaraunt pro. If there was some competition, you'd see food/service/price improve dramatically. Alas, that's not going to happen.

 

[thetrailboss]

Given the fact that just about all mountains treat their food service as a major cash cow and mercilessly rob you, I brown bag whenever I can.
I just can't stand the rip off. Like $3 for a cup of tea??

Unless a cafeteria is located on top of a mountain, ski areas really ought to ashamed to charge what they do.

Yep, it is a well known fact that ski areas make up their lost revenue at the food service areas...captive audience. :roll: Had a coworker here who was bitc%^ing about the prices at K-mart, so I told her, "do like we do and brownbag it." Three weeks later I heard her moaning again. "Told you," was all I said. :wink:

As we discussed at the Beast, sometimes when you get a great deal (discount or free tix), we might spend a few $$$ on drinks or food to help out, but otherwise, I almost always brownbag it.

Heck, as the guys know from the Beast Outing, the foodservice folks don't leave Trailboss little love notes. :wink:

 

[ChileMass]

East - little Nashoba Valley. The Outlook Restaurant is fun, the food is terrific, and the people are friendly. Full menu and bar with great variety. I don't think I can name a baselodge or summit lodge at any other eastern hill that has anything other than a cafeteria with over-priced burgers and fries.

West - The Vista House on Peak 9 at Breckenridge rules. Outdoor barbecue and bar with spectactular views and Colorado sunshine. It'll cost you, but it's worth the $$$.

 

[BeanoNYC]

I happen to be a big fan of Hunter's bread bowl with chili that they serve by the bar. Somebody had mentioned Mount Snow's cafeteria. I do like their food (relatively speaking.)

 

[ChileMass]

Heck, as the guys know from the Beast Outing, the foodservice folks don't leave Trailboss little love notes. :wink:

Good ole Ms. Trailboss......

 

[Greg]

You're basically reduced to lurking over someone waiting for them to finish up so you can grab the table before the other 87 people do.

Eat lunch early (like 11 AM) or late (1:30 PM), plus you get to ski slightly less crowded terrain while others eat lunch...

 

[Vortex]

East - little Nashoba Valley. The Outlook Restaurant is fun, the food is terrific, and the people are friendly. Full menu and bar with great variety. I don't think I can name a baselodge or summit lodge at any other eastern hill that has anything other than a cafeteria with over-priced burgers and fries.

West - The Vista House on Peak 9 at Breckenridge rules. Outdoor barbecue and bar with spectactular views and Colorado sunshine. It'll cost you, but it's worth the $$$.

The Outlook that is the name of it. Best set up I have seen.

 

[hiroto]

I was surprised to see Sushi being served at
the cafeteria in Wachusett this season.

 

[hammer]

I've only been to a few cafeterias, but so far the burgers at Crotched are the best ski area burgers I've had.

The lodge atmosphere leaves a bit to be desired, but at least there's a lot of space.

 

[tekweezle]

The Bag restaraunt at Sugarloaf has about the best burger I have ver had.

I agree-the Bag and Kettle at Sugarloaf is a great restaurant.