edible travel
NATURAL WONDER
Travelers feast on fine cuisine among Yosemite’s granite peaks at Chefs’ Holidays.
WRITTEN BY AMANDA BURDEN
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DNC PARKS AND RESORTS AT YOSEMITE INC.
You’ve been to Yosemite in the summer. You’ve camped under the tall trees, seen your share of scavenging bears, hiked Half Dome, and gazed at the waterfalls surrounded by blooming flowers. But have you been to the country’s most visited national park in the winter with the valley floor covered in white.
Now is the perfect time for both nature enthusiasts and food lovers to travel to the park. The 28th annual Yosemite’s Chefs’ Holidays at The Ahwahnee takes place in January 2013 and features some of the nation’s most innovative and acclaimed chefs.
Chefs primarily hail from the Bay Area. But some travel from New York City, Los Angeles, and even Reno-Tahoe. The program opens with an intimate wine and hors d’oeuvres reception that allows participants to mingle with their favorite chefs. The program features daily cooking demonstrations, with small tastes and recipes doled out and questions answered after the session. Each three-day series ends with a grand, multi-course, wine-paired gala dinner served in the stately Ahwahnee dining room.
Some of last year’s chefs are returning this year, including our own Mark Estee from Campo in Reno, as well as longtime local, natural, and vegetarian food pioneer Annie Somerville of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. Other chefs on the bill this year include Ben “Wyatt” Dufresne of PlumpJack in Squaw Valley, Mark Sullivan of Spruce in San Francisco, Suzanne Goin of Lucques in Los Angeles, and Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto in New York City (see the full schedule in the sidebar, below).
During breaks in the schedule, visitors can get out to explore the epic, natural wonders of the park on their own or in organized events and programs. Activities include a guided snowshoeing hike with a naturalist, skiing at Badger Pass Ski Area, a photography class with an expert from the Ansel Adams Gallery, ice skating at Curry Village, a trip to the giant sequoias, a Mirror Meadow or Bridalveil Fall hike, full moon bike riding, massage, educational ranger talks, children’s programs, theatrical and musical performances, and visiting the Yosemite Museum. Crowds are minimal in Yosemite in the winter, so you can drive around easily. But rather than risk icy and wet roads, take the environmentally friendly electric/diesel hybrid buses to your destinations in the park.
Another popular exploit is to tour The Ahwahnee, which is known for its dramatic architecture (featuring stripped and polished sugar pine and majestic rock reflective of its mountain surroundings), artistic décor, and a cozy setting (complete with toasty wood-burning fireplaces). Make a reservation for lunch or dinner in the historic national landmark hotel’s dining room, which has an AAA Four-Diamond rating.
Also while visiting The Ahwahnee, guests can take part in a behind-the-scenes kitchen and dining room tour. In the 6,500-square-foot kitchen, about 60 employees churn out meals for about 2,000 people a day (which excludes meals for room service, weddings, and other events). The bakeshop produces about 400 loaves of house-made bread per day and the pastry shop makes about 25 dozen cookies per day and 300 to 650 wedding cakes a year. The walk-in refrigerators’ large wooden doors are reminiscent of the time that food was cooled by blocks of ice cut out of Mirror Lake in the winter. The doors could each hold 10 500-pound blocks of ice. The grand dining room, built in 1927, features 35-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as hand-worked wood and metal.
For food off-property, try Degnan’s Deli in Yosemite Village, Wawona Dining Room in the 129-year-old Wawona Hotel, or the beautiful Mountain Room Restaurant in Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. At the Mountain Room, the food is impressive and chef Michael Gover’s specialties include local, organic, and seasonal preparations, including fish and seafood raised sustainably in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch List.
Chefs’ Holidays lodging packages are available at both The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. Two- and three-night packages include overnight accommodations for two, admission to culinary presentations and tastings, admission to the private Meet-the-Chefs reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres, two tickets to the Chefs Holidays Gala Dinner in The Ahwahnee Dining Room, and the behind-the-scenes kitchen tour. For details, visit http://www.Yosemitepark.com/chefs-holidays.aspx.
Yosemite’s Chefs’ Holidays Schedule
Session 1
Jan. 6 – 8
Visiting Chefs
Douglas Keane of Cyrus in Healdsburg, Calif.; Victor Scargle of Lucy in Yountville, Calif.; and Peter Armellino of Plumed Horse in Saratoga, Calif.
Session 2
Jan. 9 – 10
Headliner
Mark Sullivan of Spruce in San Francisco
Demonstrators
Annie Somerville of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco and Ben “Wyatt” Dufresne of PlumpJack in Squaw Valley
Session 3
Jan. 13 – 15
Headliner
Joey Elenterio of Chez TJ in Mountain View, Calif.
Demonstrators
Brian Streeter of Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley and Jesse Cool of Flea Street Café in Menlo Park, Calif.
Session 4
Jan. 16 – 17
Headliner
Mark Estee of Campo in Reno
Demonstrators
Peggy Smith and Sue Conley of Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes and San Francisco and Adam Mali of Brasserie S&P in San Francisco
Session 5
Jan. 20 – 22
Headliner
Matt McNamara of Sons & Daughters in San Francisco
Demonstrators
Daniel Holzman of The Meatball Shop in New York City and David Lentz of The Hungry Cat in Santa Barbara, Hollywood, and Santa Monica
Session 6
Jan. 23 – 24
Headliner
Suzanne Goin of Lucques in Los Angeles
Demonstrators
Waylynn Lucas of Fonuts in Los Angeles and Nyesha Arrington of Wilshire in Los Angeles
Session 7
Jan. 27 – 29
Headliner
David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor in San Francisco
Demonstrators
Kim Alter of Haven, Oakland, Calif., and Laurence Jossel of nopa/nopalita in San Francisco
Session 8
Jan. 30 – 31
Visiting Chefs
Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto in New York City, Jimmy Bradley of The Red Cat & The Harrison in New York City, and Joey Campanaro of The Little Owl in New York City
