Summit House Restaurant - Crystal Mt. Resort, Washington

Summit House Restaurant

Crystal Mountain Resort

33914 Crystal Mountain Blvd.
Crystal Mountain, WA 98022

(360) 663-2265
https://crystalmountainresort.com/

From Kent, Washington it was a lovely 58-mile drive along pine studded two lane roads leading you to the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort nestled snugly on the side of a small hillside in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and overlooks Mt. Rainier.  To get to the restaurant you need to ride the tram up the hill; it was $23.00 for adults and $18.00 for seniors, Right off the bat we had expended nearly $100.00 for our party of four.  The ride itself is specular affording you a breathtaking view of the small valley you drove thru and the majestic mountains that surround the resort.

Once you arrive at the top and disembark from the tram you are greeted by the majestic panorama of Mt. Rainier and the seemingly magical valley below.  The restaurant is situated at the top of the hill and affords patrons views of the surrounding mountains. Situated at 6,872 feet above sea level, it is billed as Washington’s highest elevation restaurant.  If you dine outside on the patio there is the added bonus of the Mt. Rainier vista.  During the off season, dining service stops at 4:40 and we had arrived around 2:30, so this would be a very early dinner for all of us.

The restaurant is named “The Summit House” and is a casual eating establishment, frequented by off season patrons as well as the avid ski buffs during winter.  A rustic knotty pine clad room with tall windows on both sides of the room and the tables and chairs are rustic pine wood. It should be noted that there were flies inside, some the size of horse flies but; oddly enough they stayed on the glass windows and did not fly around us or the food.

The menu offers a good variety of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, a kids menu and a choice of four desserts. They offer signature cocktails, beer and wine by the glass or bottle. Assorted soft drinks, coffee, tea, hot cocoa and homemade ginger ale and homemade lemonade are also available.  An automatic 20% gratuity is added to tables of six or more and there is a two check per table maximum.

Our choices included the Catch of the Day ($25.00) which was Mahi Mahi with a spicy sauce paired with rice pilaf and grilled asparagus spears. The fish was grilled nicely but the sauce lacked in depth or spice.  The pilaf was overcooked but the taste was adequate, the asparagus spears had a nice al dente snap to them. Next was the grilled Halibut tacos served of flour tortillas and accompanied by refried beans and Spanish rice.

Next we ordered the Grilled Halibut Tacos ($26.00), three tacos served on flour tortillas and paired with refried beans and Spanish rice.  The fish was moist and juicy and topped with a chipotle sauce and a pineapple slaw.  The beans were a bit on the dry side and the Spanish rice was ordinary but still tasty.  You also got a small size container of fresh Salsa which helped to brighten the otherwise mundane flavors of the rice and beans.

The third choice was the New York Strip Steak ($29.00) paired with truffle fries and seasonal grilled vegetables. The steak is topped with herb butter and crispy Shitake mushrooms.  The steak was ordered medium rare and was medium when served but the taste was excellent, it retained its juiciness.   The Truffle fries were the hit of the table, taste, texture and aroma were divine.  This entrée was also served with grilled asparagus.

Our final choice was the Zucchini and Corn Tacos ($16.00), three corn tortilla tacos laden with grilled zucchini, corn, onions, tomatillos and black beans.  The taste was excellent but eating them was difficult because excess moisture wicking into the tortillas caused them to fall apart.  None the less they were delicious.  This entrée was served with the refried beans and Spanish rice also.

We paired our entrees with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Seven Falls Winery in Washington State.  It is a deep coffee, cocoa flavored wine with hints of plum and cherry and a slight under taste of mint.  It paired well with all of our entrée choices.  The bottle price was $39.00 a bit cheaper than the per glass cost for four patrons.

Our server was nice and provided our food and wine promptly, however when she asked how our food was, she added no response when told about the over cooking of the meat. She then asked why we had ventured to the top of the mountain and was informed we were celebrating a birthday; she offered no complimentary dessert even in the light of the cooking of the steak.

Our tram ride and meal came to over $220.00 not including tax and tip, would I go again?  For sure but not for dinner, I would enjoy a bottle of wine out on the patio while savoring a pile of Truffle Fries.

You can check out their summer menu at: https://crystalmountain.scdn3.secure.raxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Summit_Summer-4.pdf

Chicken Cafe - Chicken, Alaska

 

Chicken Café - Chicken, Alaska

September 9, 2006

 The Chicken Café is not on your usual dining route; in fact it’s not on any route to say; unless you are deliberately setting out to go there, you won’t get there.  It is off the Alaska Route 5, the Taylor Highway, where you begin an epic journey along the Top of the World Highway. You can also access it by small plane as there is a small local airstrip.  Since the highway is not maintained from October – March the café is open for business mid March-early October.

The café is on the main road, alongside the general store, bar and mercantile; the entire town site.  Void of any frills or modern conveniences, it reminds you of a late 40s early 50s small diner. This café has been featured on several television specials, the kind of programs that show seldom visited and hard to get to attractions. The Chicken Café proudly boasts that acclaim and being the best food around as well.  Since it’s the only food purveyor around I guess they can safely maintain that boast.

Having spent the night at the Chicken R.V. campsite we were eager for a hot cup of coffee and one of their acclaimed plate-size cinnamon rolls.  Linoleum covers the floors; several booths line the wall and the menu is a chalk board over the main counter.  It’s late in the season and they were closing up soon so the day’s menu choices were limited.  Otherwise, the hungry traveler had a wide choice of items to choose from and all are served trucker style, large portions.

The coffee was hot and the cinnamon rolls warm and they indeed fill the plates. They were oozing with that creamy white, sweet topping common to cinnamon rolls.  The coffee was good, not great, but good and the rolls I found to be a bit much for a smaller appetite, but to a person with a large appetite they would certainly fill the bill.  At another table, down the aisle from us, a couple was having ham and eggs and offered that they had been perfectly prepared.

The owner, a rather boastful lady, proudly proclaimed throughout our stay how impressive she and her establishment were.  Her menu was modest but for the area quite adequate; Hamburgers with a choice of bacon, cheese or the 40 mile variety with a slab of ham; reindeer bratwurst, chili con carne, BLT, hot dogs to name a few.  A small assortment of salads, including chicken and Greek, were offered. All the lunch plates were served with homemade potato salad or coleslaw and a pickle spear.

Prices were within a reasonable range with hamburgers from $8.95 to $14.95, adding a dollar for cheese.  Hot dog plate for $5.95; without salad was $2.95. Salads were $9.95 and a soup and sandwich combo for $6.95.  To top off your lunch she makes homemade pies from frozen ingredients. Since she is not on the main trucking road all items are local, cold-storage or frozen for long mileage transport from the nearby township.  Nonetheless, from gossip supplied by locals, they are mighty tasty.

It’s an experience you need to try, at least once, if ever you find yourself in that area. The nearest “big” town would be Tok Alaska. The next closest would be Fairbanks, Alaska so plan accordingly.  You owe it to yourself to visit Chicken just to say you’ve been there and learn about the name.

The Chicken Mercantile offers souvenirs and other memento of your trip to the far reaches of the Alaskan frontier. The area around Chicken also features gold mining exhibits such as this restored dredge, The Pedro Dredge, an interesting tour. There are no hotels but the area does have a privately operated RV and camping ground.

Perko's Fort Bragg, California

Perko’s
898 S. Main
Ft Bragg, CA
http://www.perkoscafe.com/

August 2010

Arriving late to spend the night in Fort Bragg, we chose to eat our dinner from Safeway, a couple of pre-made sandwiches, chips and soda. As a result, we awoke in morning very hungry and I do think the ocean air helped that along. Adjacent to our hotel was a restaurant called Perko’s. It is part of a chain that covers most of the length of California. From all the cars in their lot it seemed to be a favorite morning gathering spot for the locals, usually a good sign. It certainly was more convenient for us because we didn’t have to drive; just walk down the stairs across the parking lot and presto, we were ready for breakfast.

Perko’s has the appearance of a Denny’s’ or Marie Callender’s or perhaps a Golden Skillet, it offered food and that’s what we were after. We were greeted by a hostess who seated us quickly in a booth and soon we had water, a menu and piping hot coffee in hand. I must add, delicious coffee.

The menus offers the diner a good assortment of breakfast items, from eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, omelets, cold cereal just about anything for anyone. The prices were reasonable and the portions good sized and very tasty and hot. We both got egg dishes with hash browns which were done to perfection. A good crust on the hash browns but not dried out. Eggs over easy were cooked but still provided enough yoke to dig your bread or hash browns in. Bacon was cooked, crisp yet still tender and juicy all together a very good breakfast for a very reasonable price.

The interior is that of most family style places, booths and tables and chairs, it was clean well-kept and the atmosphere was comfortable. The staff was eager and friendly, all in all a very good experience with very good food and service. I would give them a 10 and I would eat again if ever I find myself in Ft. Bragg.

JandD's Family Restaurant - Brigham City, Utah

J&D’s Restaurant
720 So. Main St
Brigham City, Utah
(435) 723-3811

Located on Main Street in Brigham city, J&D’s is truly a family style establishment. Booths are the mainstay with a couple of tables for larger parties and a friendly wait staff and affordable prices. If you prefer the home cooked style of food this is a must try, since the food does resemble what you would prepare at home.

They have a large breakfast menu, some three pages worth, and offer them all day long. The dinner menu offered a nice selection of favorites and they have a daily/weekly special at a nice reduced cost. We all ordered from the lunch/sandwich part of the menu. It states, “All hamburgers are one third pound served lettuce, onions, pickles and tomatoes on request. Add extra patty, $1.89. All burgers and sandwiches are served with your choice of soup, salad, tater tots, sweet potato fries or French fries.”

The fish double dish sandwich ($6.49) was served open faced with cheese on a regular hamburger bun accompanied with tater tots. The BLT ($4.79) was served on toasted white sandwich bread and with a nice mixed salad. The cheeseburger ($4.79) was served as well on a regular hamburger bun with a nice helping of French fries.

I say family style because that is just what it is, no pretentious food presentation, no swirls of some colored sauce, nothing piled on top of a mystery ingredient but most importantly a nice helping was given and not a tiny tid bit nestled in the middle of your plate. The food could have been cooked up in your grandma’s kitchen and would not have tasted better.

While we dined the staff and patrons interacted as old friends, this must be the favorite get together diner for the town. That marks a good place to eat when passing through a strange town, if the parking lot is full it must be the place of choice.