Shore Lodge Restaurants Refine Menus to Focus on Fresh, Seasonal, Local and Regional Ingredients

McCall, ID (Vocus) June 9, 2010

The menus for the acclaimed dining establishments at Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club, including The Narrows restaurant and Lake Grill, are getting makeovers. In fact, the resort’s executive chef, Eric Gruber, says they’ll be changing constantly, because Shore Lodge is implementing a new philosophy where the menus emphasize fresh, seasonal, local and regional ingredients.

“The menus are changing weekly, if not daily,” says Chef Gruber, who graduated from Scottsdale Culinary Institute with honors and has worked at several four-star, four-diamond restaurants. “They’re like living, breathing entities. We talk to purveyors throughout the Northwest to find out what’s available and then we build our menus around that.”

According to Chef Gruber, about 20 percent to 35 percent of the restaurants’ menus are static, with fish entrees and side dishes being the most prone to change. “We’ll always offer our free-range organic chicken, which is sourced from Niman Ranch out of Boise, and we’ll always have a certified Angus filet mignon and in-season fish on the menu,” Gruber says. “But we’ll suggest pairing them with something that’s in season, which right now include artichokes, morels, Walla Walla onions, and asparagus.”

Other noteworthy changes to The Narrows menu are an a-la-carte approach to dining, a new “small bites” section, and two available portions — large and small — for pastas and curries. “We offer a fine-dining experience without the traditional fine-dining menu,” Chef Gruber says. “Going a la carte and focusing on single dishes instead of traditional entr