Slim Pickins: A long road to the Grill

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

By Tyler Alford

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Jackson’s most often recommended fine dining establishment has long been the upstairs giant where I knew many of the bussers and a server or two. Snake River Grill has even appeared on Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate for the SRG Eskimo Bars, a decadent and frozen stack of chocolate goodness.
 If you have it in the budget, you have little reason not to go. I visited with a group of five friends, finding the restaurant moderately full, with many patrons appearing to be fleeing or avoiding the chaos of the final hours of the Wine Fest.

Comfortable in our mountain chic setting, several of us ordered a Mountain Sage martini for an opening cocktail. This harmonious blend of gin, passion fruit liqueur and fresh sage made for an acidic and pleasing aperitif.

Next for our group was an order of the steak tartar pizza and onion rings. The pizza was served on a crispy, flat, house-made dough, covered with bits of steak tartar, red onion, capers and a garlic aioli. The onion rings were a study in presentation. Stacked high on an iron with a dark and rich lager batter and served with ranch and a spicy mustard dipping sauce. The transition from presentation to side plate was difficult, like trying to win a game at the county fair, but worth the effort and awkward wrist contortions.

I ordered oysters Rockefeller for a mid-course and was served three plump and delicious West Coast oysters on a bed of rock salt covered with Pernod cream, wilted watercress and topped with parmesan cheese baked golden brown. They were as good of this dish as I have had anywhere else from Boston to the Gulf.

For an entrée, I ordered the chef’s menu addition of Copper River salmon. The filet of deep orange colored fish was cooked perfectly with a bit of rawness in the center and served over a fava bean puree with crispy shiitake mushrooms and olive oil to garnish. At first, the mint in the fava bean puree was overpowering, but coupled properly with the fish and shiitakes, it brought out the salty sweetness of the salmon flesh. We shared a bottle of Russian River pinot noir, and I watched four of the other gentlemen at the table dive into massive burgers that were only half-finished by the time the meal was done. We opted for whiskey for dessert at another establishment and left very full and pleased for around $50 each.

Snake River Grill’s contemporary approach to classic cuisine has made it a Jackson Hole staple for many years now. Many return vacationers have a favorite story or recommendation to share from this wonderfully rich and flavorful menu. The quaint sectioned rooms give the rather large restaurant a cozier feel than I had originally expected and the log cabin interior, iron adornments and game decorations remind you that, yes you’re in Wyoming, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat like a king. JHW

COURTESY SNAKE RIVER GRILL
Snake River Grill’s log cabin ambience.


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Slim Pickins: A long road to the Grill | Planet JH News Article: Restaurants And Dining

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