What Pairs With Snow? How Alpine Chefs Turn Local Ingredients Into High-Altitude Standouts
Observer ·
At ski destinations around the world, chefs are moving beyond standard après fare with dishes rooted in the landscapes and ingredients around them.
After an exhilarating—and exhausting—day spent cross-country skiing through Tahoe National Forest, comfort food was the only thing on my mind. A pile of brisket nachos was the après-ski pick-me-up I needed. I headed to the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe ’s casual outdoor restaurant, The Backyard, perusing other hearty offerings like St. Louis ribs and a bowl of chili—all standard fare following a day in the snow. Later that night, though, the culinary experience kicked up a notch. At Manzanita, the meal began with a surprise amuse-bouche of Oaxacan-style chochoyotes. Elevated fare like California quail, sourced from Diamond Ranch in Sacramento, sides of Babé Farm Nantes carrots and wild-foraged mushrooms spelled out a far different experience than slope-side nachos.
Lake Tahoe isn’t the only place where refined culinary options have become table stakes, even in remote, snowy settings. In recent years, travelers visiting rural mountain resorts on a wintry vacation can expect fine-dining offerings at hotel properties that rival or even surpass venues in cosmopolitan cities. And while there’s still plenty of room for informal winter snacks after a day on the mountain, the presence of elevated, chef-driven fare at hotels in these rustic areas is a welcome development. As seasonal menus are the driving force for most chefs worth their salt, the question of what, exactly, pairs with snow is a worthy one, and a query that culinarians around the world have begun to answer with gusto.
In anticipation of the shift toward cooler temperatures and snowy destinations, these are the best dishes that showcase chefs at the top of their game in chilly winter settings.
Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe 13031 Ritz Carlton Highlands Ct, Truckee, CA 96161 Aside from the unexpected amuse-bouche of chef Ezra Lorenzo ’s smoked chochoyotes, a preparation of local quail—a richer, earthier fowl than chicken—is a menu star at Manzanita, the Ritz-Carlton ’s upscale contemporary restaurant in the mountains of Truckee, California. “We fry the quail to achieve a beautifully crisp exterior, adding texture and contrast while preserving its delicate character,” Lorenzo tells Observer. Accompanied by a rich chicken jus, subtle citrus notes and an apricot puree balance the plate with brightness and natural sweetness. “This dish is all about the interplay of crisp texture, savory richness and refreshing acidity,” Lorenzo notes. The all-dark-meat bird is a suitable pairing for chilly weather, and while substantial, the delicacy of the fruit keeps the dish from feeling too heavy.
Forestis Dolomites Palmschoss 22, 39042 Brixen (Bressanone), South Tyrol, Italy Since it opened in the summer of 2025, Forestis has enticed travelers with its panoramic, unobstructed views of the Dolomites in northeastern Italy. The vista isn’t the only reason to visit this adults-only retreat—ski-in/ski-out access to the Plose region and distinctive “forest cuisine” from chef Roland Lamprecht are additional draws. On-site dining at Yera, which means “harvest” in ancient Celtic, is a fine-dining ritual set inside a subterranean cave illuminated by firelight. Chef Lamprecht uses traditional techniques like fermenting and low-temperature cooking to transform hyper-local ingredients into full-fledged dishes. A recent standout uses a local variety of pear, pungent sour-milk Graukäse cheese and onion to create a dish that comes together with surprising grace. With no standard cutlery and no phones allowed, the four-hour tasting menu is packed with similarly memorable courses. A singular dining experience that’s a world away from the speed and light of downhill descents, the Yera experience is a welcome special occasion for visitors.
The Prince Karuizawa 1049-1 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano, Japan Just an hour outside of Tokyo by bullet train, the Prince Karuizawa is a serene resort located in the wooded highlands of the Nagano Prefecture. One of the hotel’s main selling points is proximity to the Karuizawa Ski Resort’s 14 trails, which include runs overlooking the active volcano Mount Asama. Both the hotel and its picturesque fine dining restaurant, Beaux Séjours (it loosely translates to “beautiful stay”), recently reopened in 2025 after extensive renovations. The restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlook the pond and the forest beyond, and in this idyllic setting, chef Keiichi Tokita executes a menu that reinterprets French classics using regional specialties from Nagano, renowned for its highland terrain and pure spring waters. A prime example is a Japanese twist on a beloved winter dining staple, the beef Wellington. Tokita’s version brings together local venison and wild boar (inobuta) encased in delicate puff pastry and finished with Shinshu apple puree. Another highlight, a red snow crab rémoulade with turnip ravioli, transforms seasonal vegetables used locally in bubbling stews into a surprising, unexpectedly elegant plate finished with chrysanthemum-green coulis.
Rusty Parrot Lodge 175 N Jackson St, Jackson, WY 83001 Quite literally rising out of the ashes, the historic Rusty Parrot Lodge and its farm-to-table restaurant Wild Sage reopened in Jackson Hole in 2024 following a devastating fire five years prior. In the interim, the resort and venue took a moment to reset and update some of their signature offerings. At Wild Sage, a connection to the landscape of the American West is reflected in their bison loin served with rich bordelaise sauce, cranberries and sunchokes. The meat is sourced from local ranchers, and the chef regularly shops at Jackson Farmers Market for local produce. “It’s exactly the kind of dish I’d want to enjoy after a day spent exploring Jackson Hole in the snow ,” says Matt Stone , the restaurant’s general manager. “It feels rooted in our surroundings while still showcasing a more refined approach to mountain cuisine.” For even more hearty fare after a snow day, try the enormous veal tomahawk, grilled rack of lamb with twice-cooked lamb belly, or pork coppa with Jimmy Nardello peppers.
Pendry Park City 2417 W High Mountain Rd, Park City, UT 84098 Park City Pendry debuted in Canyons Village in 2022, adding both an upscale stay and a number of dining options to one of Utah’s prime ski resort areas. Kita, a Japanese steakhouse from executive chef Kevin Lee , has become a central gathering place for fueling up before and after a trip up the mountain. Alongside sushi and Japanese favorites, an on-site Josper charcoal oven is at the center of a live-fire cooking section. Standout mountain dining selections like the charcoal-grilled elk chop are practically synonymous with the American West, and here, it’s sliced and served with the bone on a wooden plank for dramatic flair. The Josper’s ability to achieve depth, smokiness and beautiful caramelization is unmatched, and other signature dishes like a bison filet or grilled maitake mushrooms with smoked aioli further showcase the technique’s versatility.
Sonnhof by Vitus Winkler Kirchweg 2, 5621 St. Veit im Pongau, Austria 40 miles outside of Salzburg, this family-run boutique hotel is currently helmed by fourth-generation owners Vitus and Eva-Maria Winkler . Chef Vitus Winkler has been steadily improving the hotel’s culinary options since the couple assumed management in 2012, and the property’s fine-dining restaurant, Kräuterreich, officially debuted in late 2024. It didn’t take long for the venue to win international acclaim; it was awarded two Michelin stars in 2025 and Winkler received the French restaurant guide Gault & Millau’s Chef of the Year award in 2026. Winkler is serving remarkable local Austrian fare, including a notable dish called winterbach. Local trout is served with kohlrabi, watercress cream, cucumber ponzu and frozen horseradish “snow” atop a “river stone” composed of activated charcoal. The fish is raw right up until a hot cucumber ponzu is poured over it tableside, gently cooking the flesh and giving it a soft texture. Then, smoked Schotten, a regional whey cheese, is freshly grated over the dish. Every ingredient in the dish reflects the surrounding Alpine environment, bringing winter flavors and local tradition together in a highly technical but deeply meaningful way.
The Hythe, Vail 715 West Lionshead Circle, Vail, CO 81657 The Hythe hotel in Vail debuted in 2021 with the goal of providing elevated après-ski options to Lionshead Village. Head inside and up to their second-floor restaurant, Revel Lounge, for a tableside raclette experience that brings a taste of traditional Swiss and French cuisine to the Rocky Mountains. Raclette, or a thick slice of melted cheese cut directly from a cheese wheel, is spread thickly over other snacky items like charcuterie, crudités and house-pickled vegetables. Revel’s version uses French fromage from Cheese Importers , a specialty cheese shop in Longmont, Colorado, and is served with Fitch Ranch steak tips from the family-owned and operated ranch known for raising Black Angus on the Western Slope. If bubbling cheese isn’t your thing, the Fitch Ranch bison chili is another hearty option for cold-weather dining, and the chance to taste a local delicacy.
Rosewood Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin 38 Sentier du Jardin Alpin, 73120 Courchevel, France This mountain retreat—Rosewood’s first-ever ski resort—opened in December 2025. Located at the pinnacle of the Courchevel 1850 village, it’s part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest ski domain in the world. Naturally, the hotel brand’s “sense of place” philosophy spills over into the kitchen. At Salto, chef Gioia Baek serves a historic savory French pastry for winter visitors. A pithivier is a classic stuffed pastry that can be either sweet or savory; here, it’s filled with tenderized Angus beef and smothered in sauce Périgueux, a rich Madeira-based sauce made with black truffles. A pithivier can be ordered as an appetizer for the table, or served individually as an entrée, and the lightness of the pastry and the comforting beef are indicative of the generous and refined dining scene in Courchevel.
Rimrock Banff 300 Mountain Avenue, P.O. Box 1110, Banff, Alberta, T1L 1J2, Canada After a nine-month, $80 million renovation, Rimrock Banff reopened in July 2026 on the slopes of Sulphur Mountain in the Canadian Rockies. Part of the Emblems Collection, the luxury resort is located directly inside Rimrock National Park in Alberta, offering guests access to the park’s untouched UNESCO heritage wilderness. Pastry chef Eunyoung Yun tapped into the national park’s natural beauty by creating a breakfast cake for on-site restaurant Parker’s Table that welcomes guests with ingredients that reflect Canadian terroir. The signature travel cake combines alpine honey from Highland Farms in Longview, Alberta—where bees forage diverse flowers in the foothills, giving the honey a floral element—with steeped pine needle syrup. The earthy aromatics of the pine are offset by the honey’s botanicals, and combine beautifully for a light bite that feels pulled from the surrounding landscape itself. Technically designed as a breakfast treat, the cake is a great pick-me-up before or after venturing out into the bracing cold of the Canadian winter.
Mountain Lodge Telluride 457 Mountain Village Blvd, Telluride, CO 81435 Mountain Lodge Telluride is located at approximately 10,000 feet in the Colorado community of Mountain Village. At Alloy Kitchen, the resort’s new restaurant opened in July 2026, head chef Lonnie Shepard serves up globally inspired alpine cuisine using ingredients like elk meat sourced from Prairie Farms in the bordering state of South Dakota. His secret to working with elk is to let the meat simmer slowly in the tomato sauce itself, building a richer, deeper ragu. “After a day in the snow, you want something that warms you from the inside out,” Shepard says. “Winter cooking is all about that hearty, familiar comfort food, and that’s what this dish is.” Sweet onions from Delta, Colorado, along with garlic, oregano and hand-picked thyme, round out the ragu, which is then tossed with ribbons of pappardelle and finished with whipped mascarpone. Garlic toast made with fresh loaves from Blue Grass Bread, an organic bakery in nearby Norwood, completes the plate. With a refined menu and a laid-back atmosphere, the stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the San Juans add to this restaurant’s cozy feel.
Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel Zug 5, 6764 Lech am Arlberg, Austria Housed in a former village schoolhouse dating back to 1780, this chef’s table at a culinary resort in Zug, Switzerland, offers a noteworthy tasting menu in a tiny two-room venue. Introduced in 2017, the restaurant ramped up in 2022 when chef Julian Stieger (formerly of Eleven Madison Park and Geranium) joined the team. In 2025, he earned two Michelin stars (and the Michelin Young Chef Award) for his 16- to 19-course rotating menu. His seasonal menu includes a recurring signature main course of an Austrian take on Peking duck. This iteration uses birds raised in Vorarlberg and dry-ages them for almost two weeks before they’re roasted, glazed, and served with rice and Szechuan peppercorns. The aging process, a common technique in this region, concentrates the meat’s flavors, which are complemented by rich sweetness and heat. It’s a fitting final course after a day spent on the slopes at Rote Wand Mountain.
Grand Hyatt Deer Valley 1702 Glencoe Mountain Way, Park City, UT 84060 Chef Michael Bauer has found a way to give a classic dish a genuinely interesting, local twist. Since opening its doors in 2024, Remington Hall at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City has sold its fair share of steak frites, but chef Bauer substitutes Utah-raised beef to support local ranch partners. “Our UT47 hanger steak is gold standard, which is equivalent to USDA Prime,” Bauer explains. “All the animals used are hand-selected—an in-house inspector goes around literally hand-picking the cattle for these programs.” With meat that good, there’s no need to mess with a good thing. The steak is grilled and paired with house-made steak sauce and fries. It’s both traditional and accessible, and a go-to for tired skiers and snowboarders who need to replenish their energy quickly after multiple runs. “This steak is packed with beef flavor without the richness of a ribeye,” Bauer says. For those craving something more unique, he also recommends the center-cut bison filet with pomme purée and mushrooms, or a massive elk rack complemented by a juniper gastrique for elevated comfort food on a snowy evening.
Via Walther von der Vogelweide 17, 39031 Brunico (Bruneck) BZ, Italy Italian chef Norbert Niederkofler , nicknamed “the ethical chef” for his work pioneering the CARE’s project that seeks to create sustainable, responsibly sourced cooking, helms several venues in his native South Tyrol, Italy. The most celebrated is his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Atelier Moessmer, which debuted in 2023 in the Italian village of Brunico, where guests can experience Niederkofler’s “cook the mountain” ethos. This no-waste philosophy includes foraging, preservation and working with local producers to use only ingredients from the Dolomites. Dishes like the Insalata Invernal illustrate his commitment to highlighting the mountain’s winter produce using Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) preserved in clarified butter, elderberries in brine, and seared white and yellow turnips for a “rose” in the middle of the plate. Accented with fried and crumbled purple potatoes, Tuscan kale and a porcini-infused and burnt-leek oil, an additional coleslaw dressing of fermented gooseberries and Christof yogurt is served on the side. If that wasn’t enough, a pretzel bread made from a twist of caraway seed dough and chicory dough accompanies the dish. One of 12 to 14 courses served over the course of the meal, each dish reflects only ingredients found nearby that have been preserved or recently foraged for use during the colder months.
Grand Hyatt Vail 1300 Westhaven Drive, Vail, CO 81657, United States Chef Makoto Okuwa ’s blend of contemporary Japanese style and local mountain flavor is what made Makoto Vail a welcome addition to the Colorado town when it opened in February 2024. Okuwa grew up in Nagoya, Japan and worked under masters like Makoto Kumazaki and Shinichi Takegasa, so expect plenty of Edomae-style sushi on the menu like the rolls, sashimi and izakaya found at his eponymous restaurant in Bal Harbour. But it’s his hearty fusion dishes that hit the best during the colder months, particularly the smoked ginger lamb chops served over light-as-air whipped tofu feta. Sourced from the Pacific Northwest, the lamb chops are grilled, then served tableside under a cloche, which is dramatically lifted to allow a billow of hickory smoke to waft out. The flavorful smoke provides a visual spectacle that both enhances the dish and builds on the welcoming warmth of the venue during its busy snowy season.
Cervo Mountain Resort Riedweg 156, Postfach 388, CH-3920 Zermatt Cheese fondue originated in Switzerland, so there’s no better place to indulge in the original slopeside snack than during a wintry visit to Zermatt. At Cervo Mountain Resort , a boutique resort that expanded and reopened in 2020 right at the base of the Matterhorn, the chalet-style restaurant Ferdinand includes an entire fondue section. Of course, every option starts with a base of traditional molten Swiss cheese, and some include decadent add-ons like champagne or bacon. Go local with the Wilhelm Tell, a punchy variation named after a Swiss folk hero that features apple cider, via Swiss producer Cidery Oswald Ruch, walnuts and rosemary. Using 100 percent Valais cheese, it’s a global snack done with hyperlocal ingredients in its birthplace. Even if you never make it up to the mountain, you can get direct views of the Matterhorn right here.
Hoback Club 3355 W Cody Lane, Teton Village, WY 83025 The recently opened Hoback Club is one of the most exclusive venues in Jackson Hole, and its on-site dining venue, The Great Hall, is no different. If you manage to score a table here, executive chef Russell Ferguson is already two steps ahead of the weather, as exemplified by his decadent Duck with Snow entree. “Duck has long been a centerpiece of holiday and festive tables, and it’s one of my favorite things to cook in winter,” he says. “This dish pairs the rich meat with seasonal winter fruits, warm spices and earthy root vegetables.” Sourcing from specialty poultry producer Grimaud Farms in Stockton, California—where birds are raised cage-free with no antibiotics, steroids, or growth hormones—Ferguson serves the duck breast medium rare, crediting French chef André Daguin of Gascony with popularizing the style. “We treat it like a fine steak,” he says. Lentils braised in Guinness, seared bok choy and dried currants complete the preparation, making this nourishing plate a natural fit when the cold weather arrives.
Storfjord Hotel Øvre Glomset 110, 6260 Skodje, Norway In western Norway, Storfjord Hotel is a remote retreat set among acres and acres of protected woodlands, overlooking the village of Glomset. Water views of the fjord itself and the nearby Sunnmøre Alps create a tranquil environment, enhanced by the Scandinavian-style lafta architecture featuring whole timber and round logs. Located alongside the water’s edge, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, the Boathouse, offers a seven-course experience inside an actual historic boathouse. From this vantage point, guests can try to make out the secret locations where chef Florian Harnisch and his team drop their crab pots to fish for the local shellfish delicacy. “Seafood is delicious year-round, but it is at its best in late fall and throughout the winter,” Harnisch says, recommending the locally caught crab with caviar and chicken consommé for winter dining. The crab meat is cooked and combined with chives, lemon zest and pickled turnips sourced from the Valldal valley for texture. Topped with clarified consommé, Belgian Gastro-Unica caviar and tarragon grown in the hotel’s own garden, the course is an expert distillation of Norwegian cuisine. “I love the combination of meat and seafood—surf and turf—and it’s one of my favorite dishes,” Harnisch adds.
The Dolder Grand Kurhausstrasse 65, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland On the edge of Zurich, The Dolder Grand is a gateway to the Swiss Alps, and its wooded setting overlooking the city affords incredible views of Lake Zurich and the surrounding mountains. Renowned for its dining, the Restaurant, by chef Heiko Nieder , has held two Michelin stars since 2010, and launched a five-seat chef’s table experience in March 2026. But one of chef Nieder’s most over-the-top dishes is available à la carte: a preparation of Swiss mountain potatoes that are sourced from the Albula Valley in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Previously served with caviar, the menu recently shifted to a preparation that includes white truffle from Alba, Italy, spinach from regional farmers and egg yolk. The milk and eggs used in the creamy potato puree come from Zurich Oberland, and though it looks a little bit like snow itself, this hearty plate can warm through any chill.
The Cloudveil 112 Center Street, Jackson, WY 83001 Wyoming restaurateurs Gavin Fine and Roger Freedman of the Fine Dining Restaurant Group debuted their Parisian brasserie-style restaurant, The Bistro, in 2021 at The Cloudveil in Jackson Hole. Located right on the Town Square, the concept is an update of their acclaimed Rendezvous Bistro, which served as an informal dining room in the community for two decades. Regulars know you can never go wrong ordering the trout. A fish native to the region, the presentation changes throughout the year, and has encompassed everything from trout almondine to a lemon caper butter presentation. No matter the finish, the fish is always grilled first, then complemented with delicate, mountain-inspired ingredients. A recent set included the fish, sourced from nearby Idaho, with grilled wild mushrooms, black truffle spring peas and beetroot puree. Add on some cheesecake with Rocky Mountain huckleberries to stave off the cold.