We would say there are a plethora of eating options and huckleberries at this stunning national park.
Some national parks have one — maybe two — dining options. One is always in the lodge — if there is a lodge. But not Grand Teton National Park. For the park’s 13 dining options, executive chef Josh Conrad and his team pull out all the stops with as many sustainable, organic, and local ingredients as possible, including seafood sourced under Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines. Even the coffee — a Rainforest Alliance-certified shade-grown crop — gets a gold star. Start the day at Pioneer Grill, a 1950s-style diner where breakfast means huckleberry pancakes, the Mountain Man Breakfast (a burly platter with Idaho trout), and other morning favorites given a Rocky Mountain twist. Linger long enough to grab a huckleberry milkshake. (Huckleberries are a regional fruit — and a staple at Grand Teton.)
For lunch the options are myriad, but it’s dinner where the options impress. Bid adieu to the sun at the Blue Heron Lounge while sipping on a huckleberry mojito and nibbling on local cheese accompanied by honeycomb and sage-huckleberry chutney. Snazz it up at the Mural Room with buffalo carpaccio given huckleberry gastrique, the Mural Room Salad with a whiskey old-fashioned vinaigrette, or a pork tomahawk chop with a decadent bourbon-peach compote. The lot comes with a stunning view of the namesake peak — and a cheery glut of huckleberries. Lighter on the berries but higher on the falutin’ is The Dining Room at Jenny Lake Lodge, where local ingredients meet classical techniques. Beet pasta ravioli comes with a roasted-carrot emulsion, pork cheeks are plated with foie gras bread pudding, yellowtail tuna gets a vanilla-pumpkin seed dressing, and the concept of national park dining is forever changed.
From the October 2018 issue.
For more information on Grand Teton National Park’s dining options, visit the park’s website. To make reservations at Jenny Lake Lodge, call 307.543.3351. Photography: Grand Teton Lodge Company.
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