Best of JH 2010: Foods, goods & services

Thursday, March 11, 2010

By JH Weekly Staff

Jackson Hole, Wyoming -

Best restaurant
GOLD:    Snake River Grill
SILVER:    Rendezvous Bistro
BRONZE:    Trio
 
Best chef
GOLD:    Kevin Humphreys at Cascade
SILVER:    Jeff Drew at Snake River Grill
BRONZE:    Roger Freedman at Rendezvous Bistro
 
Best Chinese restaurant
GOLD:    Chinatown
SILVER:    Ocean City
BRONZE:    Hong Kong Buffet

Best Mexican restaurant
GOLD:    Pica’s Mexican Taqueria
SILVER:    Merry Piglets
BRONZE:    El Abuelito’s

Best Thai restaurant
GOLD:    Teton Thai
SILVER:    Thai Me Up
BRONZE:    Bon Appe Thai

Best Italian restaurant
GOLD:    Osteria
SILVER:    Nani’s Genuine
    Pasta House
BRONZE:    Giovanni’s
 
Best “under the radar” restaurant 
GOLD:    Lotus Cafe
SILVER:    Cafe Ponza
BRONZE:    Down on Glen
BRONZE:    Momo Shack

Best restaurant/bar with a view
GOLD:    Dornan’s
SILVER:    The Granary
BRONZE:    Couloir

Best breakfast joint
GOLD:    Nora’s Fish Creek Inn 
SILVER:    Virginian Restaurant
BRONZE:    Bubba’s Bar-B-Que
 
Best coffee shop
GOLD:    Pearl Street Bagels
SILVER:    Hard Drive Cafe
BRONZE:    Jackson Hole Roasters
 
Best take-out
GOLD:    Teton Thai
SILVER:    Chinatown
BRONZE:    Down on Glen 
BRONZE:    Jackson Whole Grocer
 
Best outdoor dining 
GOLD:    Dornan’s
SILVER:    Teton Thai
BRONZE:    Sweetwater Restaurant
 
Best vegetarian offerings
GOLD:    Lotus Cafe
SILVER:    Jackson Whole Grocer
BRONZE:    Teton Thai
 
Best breakfast burrito
GOLD:    Down on Glen
SILVER:    Terra Cafe
BRONZE:    Nora’s Fish Creek Inn
 
Best burger
GOLD:    Billy’s Giant Hamburgers
SILVER:    Million Dollar
    Cowboy Steakhouse
BRONZE:    Stiegler’s
 
Best French fries
GOLD:    Trio
SILVER:    McDonald’s
BRONZE:    Billy’s Giant Hamburgers

Best sammy
GOLD:    Backcountry Provisions
SILVER:    Creekside Market
BRONZE:    New York City Sub Shop
 
Best salsa
GOLD:    Merry Piglets
SILVER:    Pica’s Mexican Taqueria
BRONZE:    El Abuelito’s
 
Best sushi
GOLD:    Nikai
SILVER:    Masa Sushi
BRONZE:    Sudachi

Best pizza
GOLD:    Café Ponza
SILVER:    Mountain High Pizza Pie
BRONZE:    Village Cafe
 
Best server
GOLD:    Cindy Huhn at the Virginian Restaurant
SILVER:    Chrissy Stretton at Rendezvous Bistro
BRONZE:    Danny Felice at Rendezvous Bistro
 
Best bartender
GOLD:    Jeff Handi at Cadillac Grille
SILVER:    Rasta Kris Scholer at Koshu Wine Bar
BRONZE:    David Johnson at Q Roadhouse
 
Best place to get a martini
GOLD:    Cadillac Grille
SILVER:    Koshu Wine Bar
BRONZE:    Ignight
 
Best place to get a margarita
GOLD:    El Abuelito’s
SILVER:    Pica’s Mexican Taqueria  
BRONZE:    Merry Piglets
 
Best pint of locally brewed beer
GOLD:    Snake River Brewery OB1
SILVER:    Snake River BreweryPale Ale
BRONZE:    Snake River Brewery Lager
 
Best skate/snowboard ski shop
GOLD:    Boardroom
SILVER:    Hoback Sports
BRONZE:    Teton Village Sports
 
Best bike shop
GOLD:    Fitzgerald’s Bicycles
SILVER:    Hoback Sports
BRONZE:    Wilson Backcountry Sports
 
Best outdoor gear store
GOLD:    Teton Mountaineering
SILVER:    Skinny Skis
BRONZE:    Hoback Sports
 
Best produce
GOLD:    Jackson Whole Grocer
SILVER:    Smith’s Food and Drug
BRONZE:    Jackson Hole
    Farmers Market
 
Best “green” business
GOLD:    Jackson Whole Grocer
SILVER:    Terra Resort Group
BRONZE:    Herb Store and Living Green
 
Best hardware store
GOLD:    Ace Hardware
SILVER:    Sunrise Lumber
BRONZE:    Wilson Hardware
 
Best florist
GOLD:    Lily and Co.
SILVER:    Char-Ral Floral
BRONZE:    Inner Forest
 
Best bank
GOLD:    Bank of Jackson Hole
SILVER:    First Interstate Bank
BRONZE:    Wells Fargo
 
Best place to buy drugs
GOLD:    Stone Drug
SILVER:    Smith’s Food & Drug Store
BRONZE:    Alberstons Sav-on
 
Best locally roasted beans
GOLD:    Jackson Hole Roasters
SILVER:    Snake River Roasting
BRONZE:    Great Northern Roasting
 
Best band
GOLD:    Mandatory Air
SILVER:    Rotating Superstructure
BRONZE:    Steam Powered Airplane
 
Best musician
GOLD:    Anne and Pete Sibley
SILVER:    Peter Chandler
BRONZE:    Judd Grossman
 
Best club DJ
GOLD:    Rocky Vertone
SILVER:    Cutter
BRONZE:    Mikey Thunder
 
Best live music venue
GOLD:    Mangy Moose
SILVER:    Knotty Pine
BRONZE:    Silver Dollar Bar
 
Best western art gallery
GOLD:    Trailside Gallery
SILVER:    West Lives on Gallery
BRONZE:    Legacy Gallery

Best contemporary art gallery
GOLD:    Lyndsey McCandless Contemporary Gallery
SILVER:    Oswald Gallery
BRONZE:    Tayloe Piggott Gallery
 
Best emerging artist
GOLD:    John Frechette
SILVER:    Amy Ringholz
BRONZE:    Ryan Haworth

Best established artist
GOLD:    Amy Ringholz
SILVER:    Tom Mangelsen
BRONZE:    September Vhay

Best thespian
GOLD:    Jeff Bratz
SILVER:    Bob Berky
BRONZE:    Jamie Reilly
 
Best hike
GOLD:    Snow King
SILVER:    Phelps Lake
BRONZE:    Teton Crest Trail

Best golf hole
GOLD:    #11 Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis 
SILVER:    #12 Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis 
BRONZE:    #8 Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis
 
Best sports bar
GOLD:    Sidewinders
SILVER:    South Side Pizza & Pub
BRONZE:    Cutty’s
 
Best ski patroller
GOLD:    Mark “Big Wally” Wolling
SILVER:    Mark “Big Wally” Wolling
BRONZE:    Mark “Big Wally” Wolling
 
Best gay hangout
GOLD:    Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
SILVER:    Rendezvous Bistro
BRONZE:    Osteria
 
Best question we left out
GOLD:    Best teacher
SILVER:    Best newspaper
BRONZE:    Best dog


EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARDS

BEST PLACE TO SPEND A LONELY HOLIDAY
The Virginian Saloon
Inside the smoky corridors of the Virg, it’s easy to forget that outside these walls, families are saying grace over turkey dinners and breathing apple-pie-infused air. Nothing in this bar will remind you of those wholesome holiday moments that you are trying to forget. The neon-colored beer signs and cowboy karaoke bear very little resemblance to better holidays past, filled with twinkling Christmas lights and songs about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Instead of playing Scrabble with grandma, you can chain smoke and shoot down animated deer with other society-bucking miscreants who don’t give two flying farts if its Thanksgiving or not. No eggnog for us. Whiskey and water, please. That coldness in your heart can quickly be warmed by a couple of shots of Jack Daniels. So if you find yourself without a Valentine or without your family on Thanksgiving, and the last thing you need is a reminder of the holidays, The Virginian Saloon is good place to forget. – Christie Koriakin

BEST SPLURGE
Coulior
In less than three years since its opening, the Coulior Restaurant has surpassed rookie status and climbed up Jackson Hole’s culinary ladder. With Chef Wes Hamilton at the helm, this 21-table hideaway, situated at the top of the Bridger-Gondola at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, has earned our gastro-affection for Hamilton’s forward combinations of high quality fare and his sustainable outlook – dishes are made of local, free range meats and local and regional in-season produce. The prix fixe seasonal menu, priced around a hefty $85 per person, or $145 for the wine pairing option, includes a choice of appetizer – try the delicate walu sashimi with citrus and pineapple; intermezzo – a selection of savory soups and salads, and such entrées as buffalo tenderloin, pan-seared opah and wagyu N.Y. strip from Snake River Farms. Dessert is a handsome surprise - a dish of sweet, seasonal delicacies that tend to be as much a work of art as they are toothsome. We also dig the scene, a diverse cadre of diners, from denim clad cowboys and foodie tourists to celebratory couples, older locals in the know (and with the dough) and manager David Eliason and his skilled servers vigilantly patrolling their turf. The mid-mountain eatery recently instated a new way to experience the restaurant’s cuisine. Chef’s Table allows patrons to dine in the kitchen amid the chef and his crew and witness the intense preparation, sweat and love involved in the process. – Robyn Vincent

WORST OUTCOME OF P0PULARITY
Pearl Street Bagels
Unfortunately for its popularity, Pearl Street Bagels is just too small.  As much as I love the place, it’s almost impossible to just enjoy your coffee and bagel without getting the death stare from someone in line who wants your table. If you were to enter at lunch, and see the line extend to the newspaper racks, hearing the echoes of multiple conversations, anxiety would set in instantly.
PSB is the number one coffee joint of choice for many people, and with that honor comes overpopulation. It’s hard to bring your work there and expect to actually focus. You feel like an elephant in a china shop balancing your coffee from one end to the next.  “I’m not cutting in line, sir,” you say to Mr. Evil Eyes.  “Just getting a lid.” Jackson deserves a coffee shop with enough tables and space for its increasing number of inhabitants. Maybe even somewhere with a couple couches and some mellow music would be nice.  But dreams aside, PSB’s congested atmosphere makes my delicious vanilla latte run sour.  – Andrew Munz

BEST UNCONVENTIONAL CHEF
Jarrett Schwartz
Not only has Jarrett Schwartz continued to bring delicious and always interesting food that feels different from the mainstream, he also branched out in the last year. After tinkering with the menu to add hearty value dishes next to the sushi/fusion tapas at Blu Kitchen, he turned his sashimi-creating prowess to Sudachi, of which he is executive chef. – Ben Cannon

BEST PLACE TO STRIKE UP LATE NIGHT CONVERSATION
Cafe Ponza
While some people believe that nothing good happens after midnight, we admit that some of the best things to happen to us (minus the jail time) occurred after our horse-drawn carriage poofed back into a pumpkin. Café Ponza has become our favorite place after midnight to rub elbows with strange and familiar faces for more reasons than its tasty variety of New York slices.  Why, just the other night on an unassuming March eve, after dirty martinis at The Wort and late-night happy hour at The Caddy, Ponza was playing host to a veritable pizza party circus with gyrating ladies, pie-eating, jovial spectators and the colorful, shaved-head pizza slinger “Bear” dancing from the ovens to the register with just the right amount of glee. Ponza’s neighborhood vibe makes inhibitions melt and chatter with unlikely characters very likely. Couple late night pseudo-intellectualism with some artichoke, garlic, sundried tomato pie and the night just got a little more appetizing. – Robyn Vincent

BEST BUSINESS TO SUPPORT
Valley Bookstore
Everywhere you go it seems someone is saying that books are a thing of the past. With sales of the Amazon Kindle rising through the roof, and the highly anticipated Apple iBook application arriving soon, it’s hard to argue otherwise. On the other hand, for those of us who go against the electronic book movement, there’s nothing more comforting and tangible than a bookstore. Valley Bookstore has been a local icon for decades, but it’s going to need the help of its locals to survive the e-book’s ascent. For a business that’s been around since 1951, Valley Bookstore consistently takes care of its patrons. You can count on them to always have the newest releases in the store as well as all the buzz-worthy books you’ve heard about.  No, it may not have the insane deals or volume of Amazon, but the employees are helpful and knowledgeable with the constructive Staff Favorites leaflets hanging off shelves. If the book you’re looking for isn’t in the store, they’ll order it for you and have it in your hands in four business days. They even offer locals a 10-percent discount on all books. If there was one store that would be sorely missed, it would be this one.  – Andrew Munz (Disclaimer: Munz worked behind the counter at Valley Bookstore last summer.)

BEST RETAIL EXPERIENCE
Stone Drug
Tokers give themselves away when they chuckle at the name, but Jackson’s only independently owned pharmacy is nothing to laugh at. In an age when big boxes have stamped out Mom-and-Pop operations, Stone Drug keeps chugging along in a different dimension; a time-warped slice of plaza at 840 Broadway. The pharmacists still wear the white coats and stand, like, 10 feet above the customer. Where else in these United States can a consumer fill a prescription, renew his fishing license, grab a box of 12-guage shells, and pick up an egg of pantyhose for the old lady all in one place? It’s Wal-Mart without the 200,000 square feet. Open every day and, yes, they deliver. – Jake Nichols

BEST LOCAL ATMOSPHERE
Snake River Brewery
To those of us who have been here most of our lives (myself included), it’s becoming hard to find a place that isn’t filled with strange faces. The one place that remains as amusing and comforting as ever is our local brew pub. For a place that even honors its locals and frequent patrons (see: The Mug Club), the pub is always consistent in its mellow flavor and attitude towards all who enter. The waitresses are typically as amusing and sprightly as the beer in your pint glass, and the savory hot wings have been touted as being the best in the valley. Rarely does the pub let me down, and, unlike walking into the Silver Dollar on Tuesday nights, I actually recognize the people sitting at the bar and chatting with the waitresses. It’s a place where those of us who know the terms “Hefe”, “A.K.”, “Disco”, and “Danimal’s” head with our steins firm in hand. Overflowing with great brews and the type of warmth you’d expect at home, Snake River Brewery is what Jackson Hole is all about. – Andrew Munz

BEST PLACE I WOULD’VE LIKE TO HAVE A SECOND JOB AT RIGHT ABOUT NOW
Anthony’s Italian Restaurant
Anthony’s has been gone for a few years now, but that didn’t stop last year’s voters from naming it one of the best Italian restaurants in Jackson Hole. Few people voted for it this year, but I, for one, wish now more than ever that Anthony’s still existed. It’s not because I long for any different Italian food, which maybe I kind of do, but because if Anthony’s were open, I like to think I would get a second job there. Oh, things aren’t so bad enough (yet) that I would apply at just any restaurant, but working at Anthony’s would have suited me fine. Have you heard the stories? Did you ever work there? There was no indoctrination – and indoctrination is the part I just can’t be bothered with anymore – except to be yourself. Sarongs, turbans, employees sneaking in at night and using an office loft as a bedroom – that I could deal with. – Ben Cannon

BEST BAR I WISH WAS OPEN IN THE OFF-SEASON
Burke’s Chop House
As far as bistro-style steak houses go, Jackson has several good ones from which to choose, and I do occasion each of them for various reasons, from Trio’s coziness to Rendezvous Bistro’s scene, and of course they both serve wonderful food. But when I want a burger or traditional steak and a glass of wine, I pull up a stool at Burke’s Chop House. The ladies behind the bar are always nice and the burgers always done just to my liking. Unfortunately, it can get busy with out-of-towners during peak seasons, and one time a staff member thought it was just fine to turn up the television and invite in his friends to watch the game while I was having a nice time with my lady sans obnoxious noise. For the first reason, I wish Burke’s would stay open a few nights a week during the off-season. For the second, I wish Jackson Hole had a service industry training school (Disclaimer: I have been a bad Jackson Hole server). – Matthew Irwin

BEST LARB
Thai Me Up
Man, I crave this stuff. Lime, cilantro, thai chilies, kaffir lime leaves, red onions and chopped meat (tofu or chicken) – all together called Larb Gai, and it’s pretty simple to make (my lady and I make it at home), but Thai Me Up makes the best I’ve had. Order this starter at the East Pearl restaurant and brewery with a side of white rice, and you’ve got a full meal at around $10. I like to use chopsticks to prevent myself from eating it too quickly. – Matthew Irwin

YUMMIEST TOM YUM
Bon Appe Thai
Thai food can be a full-sensory event; level five spice has been known to set off all kinds of bodily alarms from acute pain, ringing in the ears, sweating, swelling, burning, and some I won’t mention here. A more relaxing way to get all the sensory goods will be found at the understated urban cafe Bon Appe Thai on Pearl Avenue with a bowl of their authentic Tom Yum soup. This treasure chest is full of prickly bits like Kafir lime leaves, lemon grass, hed fang mushrooms and unidentifiable roots that must be fished out by hand with each spoonful. Combine this with the perfect marriage of conflicting and pungent vapors of hot and sour and the soup will have fulfilled some the aforementioned senses of eating Thai. Have a seat by the window and watch Jackson go by with a glass of wine and bowl of Tom Yum.  — Mary Grossman

BEST COUNTRY KITCHEN
The Blue Lion
The food is rich, the staff well-mannered and the decor straight out of a Crabtree & Evelyn catalog, but more than anything, the Blue Lion is consistant. Since I arrived in Jackson in 1998, it has been the coveted place to work because it really packs in the tourists, dizzy and happy after a long day on the snowcoach. The cozy cabin on North Glenwood, turned into a restaurant in 1978, is one of the few places left for the affluent diner who has tired of asking the waiter to explain the funny words on the menu. “Rack of Lamb” – now that’s a dish one can sink his teeth into. – Matthew Irwin

BEST GLUTEN-FREE
Lotus Café
Just about any restaurant these days has alternatives for gluten-free eaters. Thai Me Up is among my favorite because just about anything on the menu can be adapted, but let me tell you about an experience I had this summer. On Town Square for the farmers market, I stopped by the Lotus Café tent for a gluten-free muffin. I walked away, sipped my coffee, took a bite of the muffin, stopped and walked back to the tent. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I asked for the gluten-free muffin.” “That is it,” said owner Amy Young. “Are you sure? I’m allergic.” “Yep.” “But it’s so good.” “Thank you.” The North Glenwood eatery also has GF naan, Woo-hoo! – Matthew Irwin

BEST UNDER THE RADAR (BUT IN YOUR FACE) RESTAURANT
Sanchez
It may be the row of shrubbery between the patio and the sidewalk, because some people never seem to see Sanchez Mexican Restaurant. Yet, having lived five years in Southern California, I find the taqueria on the corner of Pearl and South Glenwood to be closest to the border for Jackson Hole in preparation and price. Moreover, I can hardly think of a better patio for a sunny afternoon of people watching. – Matthew Irwin

BEST WAY TO SPEND A WEEKEND MORNING
Shades Café
A visit to Shades Café reminds me of weekend breakfast with my family – that is if my family included a folk band or a Celtic band, friendly conversation, more than cold cereal and talk about how to “get out” later in the day. During the winter, I feel at home when my sunglasses cloud over as I enter; during the summer, I approach to music from the patio away and think of backyard barbeques. Both seasons, seating gets tight, but I think of it as cozy. And by the time you make your order, seats will have opened – you may just have to do it Euro style and share a table – something my family actually did. – Matthew Irwin

Photo: Bob Arndt, owner of Jackson Whole Grocers (center, right) poses with staff by Mary Grossman

BEST BUNS
The Bunnery
A lot of new bakeries seem to be springing up these days, but one of Jackson’s classic nooks continues to reign as one of our favorites.
The Bunnery gets our vote for Best Buns. From their mammoth sticky buns to the delicious and healthy O.S.M. – made from oats, sunflower and millet – The Bunnery still bakes some of the valley’s best bread. – Ben Cannon







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Best of JH 2010: Foods, goods & services | Planet JH News Article: General News

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