Summer Dining at The Summit House

You don’t have to travel overseas to enjoy a splendid alpine meal!

Just behind Mount Rainier in the Cascade Mountain Range lives the Crystal Mountain ski resort. In a addition to a considerable amount of terrain, Crystal Mountain offers a true gem of a restaurant in the Summit House. Talk about views! The above photo was taken while skiing down after a splendid lunch at the highest restaurant in the state. After a morning of skiing (or at least a ride up the chair to the top of the mountain), it’s nice to step inside for a breath of warm air and the promise of a spectacular lunch.

The great news is that you don’t have to brave this weather to enjoy the wonderful menu developed by Chef Aaron Willis. This summer they are offering Sunset Dinners on Friday and Saturday nights; as well as brunches on Sundays. Diners can take in the natural alpine beauty as they ride two chair lifts up (on Saturdays and Sundays) or hike up, to this unique dining experience. Click on Summit House for all of the details.

At 6,872 feet, this mountain-top restaurant is more than just a delicious place to dine – it’s an extraordinary experience. On a clear day, one can see six of the Northwest’s most famous volcanic peaks.

Chef Aaron offers an interesting, well-balanced menu, from which I find it very hard to choose a single item! He is very focused on finding the best quality ingredients from top producers across the country. He works closely with local farmers to bring in a wonderful selection of local, organic produce. This quality translates into the delicious meals, each perfectly prepared and beautifully presented.

Aaron is also the Sommelier, and is always available to recommend the ideal wine to go with a meal. I’m looking forward to trying some of the new seasonal offerings this summer. Here are some of our favorite dishes we enjoyed over the winter.

Classic Fondue

Steak with frites, the frites are tender on the inside, crispy on the outside and drizzled with truffle oil.

This photo does not do the braised short rib with an Asian sauce justice — it is the tastiest, most tender meal!! Chef Aaron has promised me the recipe (which I will share with you immediately, splendid readers)!

A fabulous Croque Monsieur with a slather of creamy bechamel, add an egg for a Croque Madame.

Creamy macaroni and cheese with nuggets of sweet dungeness crab.

Inside-out Vegetable Pie

For something a little lighter, a toothsome salad nicoise with rare ahi tuna.

Another mediocre photo, but these chunks of Portuguese spicy sausages with toasted baguette cubes cannot be left out! The drizzle of olive oil and parsley is just perfection!

During ski season we’ve found it very hard to leave our lovely mountain hut, but ski patrol must clear the mountain at three, and they always start at the top (we’ve enjoyed an escort down on a few occasions)!! Maybe they’ll offer a few rooms next year??

In the summer, diners can take the chair lift down.

I hope you’ll have the chance to experience the thrill of high alpine dining at the Summit House this summer, it’s about a 2 hour drive from Seattle. For accommodations click on Crystal Mountain Lodging, I promise you won’t see any of these….

Whenever I visit a remote restaurant I always wonder about the the behind-the-scene logistics that make “elegant food in a rustic setting” available on a large scale. Last winter, I asked Chef Aaron how they get all of the food and supplies up to the restaurant during the winter months. Over the years, they have perfected a system, but is no small feat.

Here is his response: “We have two scheduled Cat hauls a week, these provide us with 85% of the food and beverage, the rest will come up with staff on the chairs in the morning, or even throughout the day!

On average we bring up 500lbs of food each trip. During the holiday season it can swell to 1000lbs and multiple trips. that’s not including all the wine, beer and drinks that come up periodically as well.

With (wine and beer) factored in, it probably average 1500lbs a week. The same Cat also takes down garbage and cardboard and changes our massive propane tanks out every two weeks.”

Great job Chef Aaron, thank you for making Summit House such a special treat!

Comments

red ticking says

May 20, 2010 at 3:21 pm

emily…this sounds amazing… i was ready to book the dinner and then i saw the croque and now i am not sure… maybe dinner and brunch??? wow it looks yummie and thank you so much for sharing.. any other great tips for our area? lets trade stories! xo pam