Jeff B.
Yelp
WOW! Seriously...WOW!
I've been to Steamboat several times in the past, but for some reason, never been here for dinner. Well, we made up for that mistake by dining here twice on our ski vacation.
It's located right in the "village", on the way to the gondola, so I imagine it's a hot spot for Apres ski, lunch, etc. Being right on the mountain, it also gets crowded for dinner, so understand that going in. Service was a bit slow, but without reservations, one shouldn't complain and actually should be happy just to get a table.
1st night, I had the bison carpaccio to start, along with my usual perfect Belvedere martini with blue cheese stuffed olives, served straight up, or "wet" as bartenders refer. As a note, when a restaurant makes me the perfect martini, I know we're off to a great start. Carpaccio was Awesome! I mean, AWESOME! For my entree, I had the Alaskan Halibut, and again, this thing was truly AMAZING! It came with a very unique "carrot ginger miso puree" that was simply divine. I had to ask our server exactly what that puree was, as I had never tasted such a wonderfully unique flavor. Easily 1 of the very best Halibut dishes I've ever had.
2nd night ( last night of our trip) was a no brainer, as I remember seeing several items I was dying to try. I'm a huge octopus guy, but far too often, I'm left way underwhelmed with tough meat and a lackluster presentation. Not this time, Thank God! This octo was fantastic. Very tender, great presentation with a watercress salad in the middle with Creme Fraiche. So good! For my entree, I had to go for the Braised Beef Short Rib. This was served over garlic "smashers", with a red wine rosemary reduction, and topped with crispy "tobacco" onions, which were very, very good. The shorty was super tender and flavorful, and that reduction sauce was super rich and wonderful.
We had a 2 party and we spent just under $600, including tip for the 2 dinners, which may sound expensive. OK, it is expensive, but I'll tell you what...it was well worth that price, as both nights were dinners I will remember the rest of my life and I look forward to heading back to Steamboat next season and enjoying another dinner at Truffle Pig.