Open year-round
When dressing for dinner at
the Ahwanee, do not–whatever you do!–think that knocking the mud off your boots means you’re looking good. One of the most formal dining experiences in the National Park system (and we applaud the devotion to its long-held standards), the Ahwahnee’s dress code calls for resort casual: collared shirts and long pants for men, dresses or a pants/blouse combo for women.
Once you’ve buttoned up your collared shirt, settle in for a meal from one of the most devoted-to-his-park chefs anywhere in the National Park system. Percy Whatley, a 2008 semi-finalist for the U.S. Bocuse d’Or team, has helmed the Ahwahnee kitchen for 15 years. With the world coming to his tables, Whatley’s menus–featuring baked vegan chickpea flan, grilled steelhead salmon with du puy lentils, and gluten-free brown rice penne with porcini and lamb bolognese–will make everybody feel welcome. In town on a Sunday? Don’t miss one of the restaurant’s most celebrated meals: brunch. Just don’t climb the Half Dome cables after all that champagne. We don’t want to have to worry about you.
Why haven’t you planned a summer trip to at least one of America’s national parks? What, the promise of majestic mountains, streams that twinkle in the sun, and bears isn’t enough? Come on: bears! Okay, fine, some extra incentive: In or near these six national parks are restaurants that will convince even the pickiest locavores and most ardent urbanites to invest in an annual pass.
Copper River Red Salmon with Lentils, and a Bordeaux Mustard and Herb Beurre Rouge
Chef Jim Nyholm, the McCarthy Lodge
4 servings
INGREDIENTS
4 6-oz. Copper River red salmon filets
1 cup lentils (preferably French green lentils)
1/2 cup red wine
1 Tbsp. chives
1 Tbsp. shallots
1 tsp. tarragon
2 Tbsp. Bordeaux mustard
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 leek stalks, washed and cut into 1/2″ rings
Salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Cook lentils in 4 cups water and 3/4 Tbsp. salt until tender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Sweat chopped leeks in butter. Combine with cooked lentils. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pan sear salmon, skin side first until crisp and then flip. Cook to medium rare. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Deglaze the pan with red wine. Add shallots, lemon juice, and Bordeaux mustard. Bit by bit, wisk the butter into the sauce. Reduce the sauce by 2/3. Finish with fresh herbs and season to taste.
Divide lentils among plates. Top with salmon, skin side up, and drizzle with the finished sauce.
Note: This recipe has not been tested by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen.
Jenna Schnuer writes for the National Geographic Traveler and Entrepreneur. She visited 12 National Parks (give or take) during a seven-month road trip last year.
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