Tastes: Dining at High Camp

“Squaw has transformed its food to the caliber of a fine dining restaurant.”

By Katherine E. Hill

The dining experience at Squaw Valley USA rates as high as High Camp’s elevation at 8,200’. If you haven’t enjoyed the food at the resort since Executive Chef Scott Rutter took over food operations, you’re in for a treat.

This is not your typical resort fare. Under Scott’s leadership, Squaw has transformed its food to the caliber of a fine dining restaurant, and one of the best dining experiences in the region.

After taking a sunset hike to Squaw Peak with my friend Emily Sullivan, we headed to the Poolside Café at High Camp for dinner. We started dinner with a glass of the Round Hill Pinot Grigio for me and the Mud House Sauvignon Blanc for Emily.

The Sunset Dinner menu features a three-course dinner menu, and we both started with the Cypress Tree Salad. The Tree Salad set the tone for the evening with artfully prepared dishes that complemented the delectable food. The salad featured cucumber (for the tree trunk) with fresh greens (for the leaves) and served with carrot curls, cherry tomatoes and a wonderful honey balsamic dressing.

The first course also featured a Gazpacho, served ice cold, and a soup of the day.

While we waited for our entrees, Chef Rutter prepared some samplings from the lunch menu, along with some winter favorites.

First, we enjoyed the Portobello Truffle Fries from the lunch menu. The delectable strips of Portobello were tempura battered and lightly fried for a wonderful crust and served in a martini glass topped with fresh parmesan, red pepper flakes for a nice kick, fresh chopped parsley and truffle oil, and served with a spicy mayo for dipping. I’m in love with this dish.

Chef Rutter also brought us Crab Cakes served on a clam shell. The crab cakes featured Jumbo Crab, Granny Smith Apples and ginger, which were cooked in a Thai basil-infused olive oil. They were served on purple Thai sticky rice with coconut and topped with a Goldschläger sauce. “It tastes like spring,” Emily remarked.

Next was the Jumbo Lump Crab Martini from the lunch menu, featuring delicious layers of sour cream with key lime juice, black bean puree, guacamole and salsa topped with Jumbo Lump Crab and served with a mixture of fried plantain and tortilla chips.

For the second course, diners can enjoy an array of entrees, with Chef Matt’s Prime Rib one of the house specialties, according to Chef Rutter.

The Prime Rib is slow roasted and served with a plum chutney and cabernet demi-glace with Boursin whipped purple Peruvian potatoes and braised spinach. Diners also can enjoy the Basil Encrusted Tilapia, featuring farm raised tilapia with a Panko basil crust and served with sticky rice and a coconut cream sauce. Chef Rutter said he took a new direction with the seafood this season, given the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

For dinner, Emily enjoyed the Organic Chicken Kebabs, while I had the Vegetarian Primavera. The Organic Chicken Kebobs are prepared with chicken from a farmer in Sacramento with a mustard soy demi sauce and served with rice pilaf, carrots, sugar snap peas and zucchini. “These are the best chicken kebobs I’ve ever had,” Emily said of the dish.

My primavera was wonderfully light and delicious with marinated and sautéed yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, basil, eggplant and sugar snap peas, with a white wine sauce and served over linguine.

We were treated to a dessert sampler prepared by Pastry Chef Duff Holcomb featuring Red Velvet Strawberry Shortcake, Orange Mouse Tower, Key Lime Pyramid with vanilla Panna cotta and a graham cracker crust, and the most decadent and delicious cheesecake we’ve ever had.

Sunset Dinner is served nightly from 5 to 7:30 p.m. for $39 if you ride the Cable Car before 5 p.m., including the Cable Car, and $49 after 5 p.m. Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. For reservations, call (530) 452-7278.