Kudos to Teton Village

winter wonderland!

After a glorious getaway to the slopes, I wanted to praise the hotels and restaurants of Teton Village in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Ski villages have a culture all their own, and often this is especially reflected in available cuisine. However, our meals during this past vacation were great examples of how, even in what was once the domain of elk burgers and bison, tastes are evolving. And, even when it seems like your selection may be limited, all it takes is a little tweaking to turn a vacation meal into something indulgent and cruelty-free.

Most of the time, explaining to a food server that I’m vegan is met with enthusiasm, along with a hint of curiosity and a pinch of admiration; he will not only be accommodating, but he’ll want to talk about my experiences giving up animal-based foods. The few times that I’ve been met with initial skepticism or an air of inconvenience, I’ve been able to notice an almost immediate change in attitude once the server sees that I’m pleasant and eager to keep the tweaking to a minimum by using other items available on the menu as substitutes. (It also helps to tip well, if I plan on coming back… and requesting the same server in the future.)  So, here are some of the wonderful meals we enjoyed after days of great views and powder, and lots of winter-wonderland fun.

Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa
We started our days at Cascade, with a vegan twist on their Traditional Continental Breakfast. Original menu offering: fresh fruit (cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple slices) and berries, yogurt, and banana bread.  Our version: fresh fruit and berries, a toasted bagel (or toasted English muffin, on another morning) in place of the banana bread. Because there was no dairy-free substitute available for our bagel, I asked if they wouldn’t mind giving us some sauteed mushrooms and peppers (available for the omelettes) in place of the yogurt, which was the perfect topping. Finishing off breakfast: coffee with soy milk, which was available though not listed on the menu.  Lunch at Cascade was an even easier tweak: the Garden Muffaletta sandwich was a combination of portobellos, zucchini, grilled tomato, arugula, provolone, and basil aioli on focaccia.  Hold the provolone, and we enjoyed a fabulous cruelty-free lunch!  I had mine with a side of fresh fruit salad; my husband Seth opted for the sweet potato fries.

The Four Seasons
In the hotel’s Lobby Lounge, one evening we had a laid back dinner by the fireplace. Good wine and hold-the-fish sushi. There were plenty of nori roll options for us to savor: grilled asparagus rolls, shitake mushroom, baked tofu, and cucumber rolls. Another evening, at the hotel’s restaurant The Peak, we started with a cup of the Ginger-Carrot Bisque, that had a dollop of macadamia-nut pesto in the center. I ordered the Trio Quinoa Salad, which had three kinds of quinoa placed on a bed of greens, with tomatoes, green onion, avocado, macadamia nuts, and cubes of orange-glazed fried tofu that, crispy on the outside, practically melted in my mouth. I split this salad entree with Seth so that I also could share his homemade Veg Burger that came with sauteed crimini mushrooms and mixed greens. Yum! And for apres ski at The Four Seasons: vegetable spring rolls with sweet Thai chili sauce.

Hotel Terra
The Terra is home to an awesome Italian restaurant, Il Villaggio Osteria. For starters, we had the roasted shitake mushrooms antipasto, cooked with garlic, cilantro, and balsamic soy. In keeping with my tradition of ordering a spinach salad whenever it’s on the menu, I ordered theirs as my main course. Two simple substitutions: in place of the homemade robiola cheese, I asked for roasted red peppers (offered as part of one of the other salad option); and instead of the pancetta (bacon) vinaigrette, I asked for the red wine vinaigrette. A simply delicious variation on one of my favorite dishes!  Meanwhile, Seth decided on the gnocchi. Rather than the cream-based mascarpone sauce, the chef prepared the dish by tossing the pasta with olive oil and a number of herbs and spices. Combined with carmelized onions, roasted peppers, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, the gnocchi was definitely a hit. One more suggestion if you find yourself at this lovely ski village restaurant: try the spaghetti with roasted porcini mushrooms and pine nuts, senza cheese.

Cafe 6311
Lunchbreak at the base of the Bridger Gondola. Seth and I split a Mo’Roccan wrap, comprised of homemade garlic hummus, roasted red peppers, romaine lettuce, and tomato with lemon-mint vinaigrette, all wrapped up in a spicy tortilla that had the distinctive taste of nutmeg to it. Included with the wrap was a serving of cous cous with sweet raisins and almond slivers. Just right for a quick bite in between runs.

Finally, one more thing to rave about: I just love when any hotel I stay in features bath & body products that are cruelty-free. The Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa scores extra points in this category. The bar soap, created exclusively for its guests, was 100% vegetable-based, made with coconut and palm oils; the soap contains no animal byproducts and has never been tested on animals. Nice!

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