The Mountain House

General Notes

Surprisingly amazing restaurant. The first thing that you'll notice is the amazing vibes -- it's in the middle of the mountains, and the dining room is BEAUTIFUL (make sure you book the glass room dining room with the outdoor views). Lovely views, great ambiance. The dishes don't sound particularly special, but every dish was surprisingly delicious. Also a surprisingly large amount of food. I've been here twice -- once for an anniversary dinner and once for a valentine's day dinner. The first time was an amazing experience for a special occasion. The second time was not as great but I attribute that to the Valentine's Day experience in general.

Positives

> They're known for their wild game and fresh seafood on their menu. One of their flagship dishes is their venison loin -- definitely give that a try if you have a chance!

Dishes Tasted

• ☆☆☆☆ meyer lemon panna cotta -- pomegranate gelee, pecan shortbread. This would probably be amazing if it weren't so sour. It's way too sour.
• ★☆☆☆ chicken supreme -- pommes puree, wilted spinach, black trumpet mushrooms. This is ... just chicken breast with a special sauce. It's decent but pretty unspectacular.
• ★★☆☆ filet mignon -- roasted fingerling potatoes, creamy swiss chard, lobster bearnaise. The first time this got sent out, it was way overcooked. We sent it back and they made us a fresh one that was much better.
• ★★★☆ seared ahi tuna -- mandarin, sunchoke, avocado mousse, citrus vinaigrette
• ★★★☆ venison carpaccio -- black pepper crusted, crispy shallot, pecorino toscano, truffle vinaigrette
• ★★☆☆ chocolate bomb -- dark chocolate mousse, dulce de leche. This is a little too heavy, mostly only ordered this because it was the only other dessert on their menu. I probably would have chosen a different dessert if I had a choice.
• ★★★☆ vanilla buttermilk panna cotta -- poached cherries, crumble. I would prefer without the buttermilk flavor (something more baseline creamy), but overall a very good dessert.
• ★★★★ scottish salmon -- golden potatoes, served with a sauce akin to a beurre blanc with plenty of onions. This combination is DELICIOUS. The salmon is such high quality (nice and fatty + flavorful) and cooked perfectly.
• ★★★★ venison loin -- holy moly, this was incredible. Served with fennel puree, sauteed summer beans, huckleberry jus. Venison is cooked perfectly, all the flavors just come together perfectly, ESPECIALLY the huckleberry jus -- it's a match made in heaven.
• ★★☆☆ veloute -- I don't remember this dish super well, but it was some kind of fried thing made from shrimp paste, and a veloute. I'm not the biggest fan of this soup, the fried shrimp thing was pretty good though.
• ★★★★ lettuce, prosciutto, burrata -- a salad made from little gem lettuce wrapped in prosciutto, served with burrata, pickled radishes, and some kind of vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is amazing, surprisingly well coated with the lettuce. All the components come together perfectly, the prosciutto isn't too salty.
• ★★★★ crudo -- I think it was paired with some cucumber, lemon verbena, some misc fruits, etc. It was SO GOOD. The fish was nice and fatty, perfectly seared, and the flavor combination just worked really well
• ★★★☆ bread + butter -- they make their sourdough in house. It's super soft, and the butter is nice and fluffy. It's also got a hint of honey flavor.
• ★★★★ chips + trout roe dip -- these chips are so good. The trout roe dip is fluffy and a perfect accompaniment.