From Killington, Vermont last weekend to Waterville Valley, New Hampshire this weekend, skiings got me beat. Even still, I wish every winter weekend could see some slope time in the Green or White Mountains. I write this post sore and tired, but happy and fulfilled at the same time. I took the day off of work Friday and ventured north with friends that afternoon. Originally we were planning to leave early and ski Friday but the rain kept us off the slopes. Upon arrival we checked into our super nice accommodations at The Town Square Condominiums, just minutes away from the mountain. Shops and restaurants line the ground level buildings in the square and multi-level condos are situated on the second through fourth floors. A touristy spot for sure, met with traditional New Hampshire charms offering a wide range of recreational activities (horse drawn sleigh rides, nordic skiing, ice skating) in addition to comfortable and convenient lodging. However, skiing was the only recreational activity on our agenda. Unless you count drinking beers as a recreational activity. Friday Night at the condo.I didn't take any pictures on the mountain, I was too busy being a ski instructor. It was a long morning on the bunny slope and I got in a good amount of intermediate runs after lunch. The terrain wasn't incredibly challenging but sometimes crusin' the blue square trails is a perfect way to spend the day. We hit up apres ski at Buckets on the second floor of the lodge for $4 Coors Light drafts. We washed the beers down with a huge plate of nachos.Skiing works up a serious appetite. This was one amazing plate of Nachos served with sides of sour cream, guacamole and salsa for $11.50. Saturday night we ventured out for dinner at Coyote Grill, described as Mountain Casual Dining. Though we fared about a 15 minute wait for our 8:00 reservation and the service overall was pretty slow, we knew it was not due to any other reason than the place was jam packed. Plus, they took our reservation only hours before. Our waitress was genuine, friendly and accommodating the entire evening, devotedly apologetic for our continued wait despite the fact that we were completely content to linger and enjoy ourselves some drinks. I drank a Coyote Margarita ($6) followed by a Makers and Ginger over the course of dinner. I feasted on a half of a Wedge Salad Iceburg lettuce, home made bleu cheese dressing, smoked New Hampshire bacon, red onion, roma tomato and candied walnuts.All the ingredients were really fresh, contrasting taste and textures were well executed from the crispiness of the smokey and salty bacon, the crunch of the sweet candied walnuts, the tartness of the onions and the juicy roma tomatoes. The layers of iceberg lettuce welcomed a creamy bleu cheese laced with smooth blue-gray crumbles. For my entree I ordered the Braised Beef Rib ($21) Smuttynose Brown Ale braised boneless rib of beef, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, root vegetable demi glaceFork tender and flavorful beer braised rib sat atop well seasoned Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. A root demi glaze sauce added depth and enhanced flavors. In addition to the menu description the plate also benefited from bite size nuggets of squash, adding a playful sweetness to an otherwise savory dish. Other entrees like the locally raised Grilled Venison Steaks and the Almond Encrusted Chicken fared well, however, seafood dishes saw a tough time in this kitchen. Ahi Tuna came incorrectly prepared and scallops were undercooked. Never the types to send back food, we all agreed, it's no fun to admit a dishes defeat. Our waitress was understanding and replaced as well as comped the not up to par meals. Coyote Grill still deserves praise in my eyes as my food was excellent and our dinner was met with quality service. I'd recommend sticking with a meat or poultry entree and be prepared for a crowd!
After a fun group dinner we hung out at the local sports bar before calling it a night. The weekend saw plenty of Moosin' Around in Waterville Valley. It's always tough to say goodbye to another great ski weekend and hello to Monday in the office....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment