Rich A.
Yelp
I'll admit that I definitely wouldn't have wound up eating sushi.. or even dinner.. at the Matterhorn last night if not for the recommendation of Tim the Wanderer whom I encountered at an upscale restaurant in the village on our first night in Stowe. The Matterhorn is located on Mountain Road on the far outskirts of Stowe and isn't much to look at from the outside (or the inside, really), but - as the locals obviously know (based on the absence of any out of state license plates in the small, but well organized parking lot) - the casual ambiance and much better than anticipated food is well worth the trip.
Tim had recommended the sushi and told us to ask for any server whose name started with a J. We ordered the sushi, but couldn't confirm any of the servers' names started with the tenth letter of the alphabet.
We started with the Ahi Tuna Nachos ($19), comprised of a generous portion of Ahi tuna lightly tossed in sesame oil and served with seaweed salad, Japanese tangy mayonnaise sauce, and creamy wasabi sauce served over crispy fried wontons. The flavors come together in a terrific fashion and the portion is generous enough for at least two hungry adults. I opted for the Samurai roll ($15), made with avocado, tempura asparagus, sriracha, topped with yellow tail, ponzu, cilantro and lemon zest, and the Firecracker roll ($13), made from spicy salmon, mango, cucumber, jalapeños, sriracha, and sesame seeds. The freshness and quality of the ingredients was obvious. My dining companion ordered the TNT roll ($19), made with cucumber, avocado and tuna inside topped with spicy tuna, jalapenos, cilantro and tempura flakes, and the Dynamite roll ($14), comprised of tuna, salmon,
cucumber, avocado, and spicy sauce. My dining companion thought the Dynamite roll was a little too spicy for her tastes, but was amenable to swapping it for the Firecracker roll I had ordered.. which were covered in jalapeños.. so, take that for what you will. The freshness and quality of the ingredients, as well as the care of preparation, was obvious. Once again, Tim hadn't steered us wrong.
Remember.. this is an authentic dive-bar with a loud, energetic, and cramped layout.. not just a fashionable aesthetic curated by image consultants for social media influencers' selfies. The beer list runs the gamut from Blue-collar macrobrews like PBR and LaBatt to hometown favorites like Switchback and Alchemist.
Pro Tip: Make sure you get a TDAP vaccination before making your reservation. Just kidding. Try the Ahi Tuna Nachos.