The evening starts at one of the hotels in Big Sky where everyone loads into a couple snowcats (some people inside, and some people riding on top!) and we take a trip up the side of the mountain to the yurt. It's about a 20 minute ride up and it's unheated, so by the time we get to the yurt we're ready to be warm! The yurt is nice and toasty inside, and there are bowls of hot french onion soup waiting for us. This is where the gloriously delicious food begins, and this soup is to die for. SO GOOD. After the soup, the waiters (otherwise known as the 4 guys who run the whole operation, wearing plaid flannel shirts and headlamps) come around and ask how you'd like your tenderloin. Then they go off and cook it, leaving a little break in the meal and time for sledding.
Yes, sledding. They provide sleds and a little run down the mountain a ways and people are encouraged to go out and play in the snow. We went with Colt and Susie and Kevin and Noelle, and while Noelle took one run, it was mostly the guys who had fun sledding. And boy did they have fun! I'm thinking they tried to max out the weight limit on the sled when they piled three grown men onto one sled and took it down!
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| From Yurt Dinner |
You can see how much fun they had, though, and they worked up a bit of an appetite just in time to come back in, warm up, and enjoy the rest of the meal.
The rest of the meal is served family style, with large bowls of local vegetables, mashed potatoes (the BEST mashed potatoes you will ever have, by the way.) and the meat. Mmmm... the meat. When you make your reservation, you have the option of Salmon or Beef Tenderloin. We go for the tenderloin. I get mine well done, and it is still SO tender. It's amazing. Plus, they give you Montana sized portions. And then they come around asking if you'd like seconds. Always take the seconds. It's so good. And then, they come around asking if you'd like thirds. Seriously. It's like an all you can eat meal of the best food ever. I don't know how food this good comes from ski bums in plaid flannel shirts wearing headlamps, but it does. It's incredible.
About the time you can't eat any more, they clear your plate and you get to spend some time visiting and listening to the music played by a local musician. We took a little time to toast Colt and Susie and Kevin and Noelle on their upcoming weddings, in March and September. Cheers!
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| From Yurt Dinner |
As you can see, dinner is by candle light, so it's hard to get good pictures, but makes for a nice atmosphere!
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| From Yurt Dinner |
All in all, the evening is great, and just about the time you think it can't get any better, they bring out dessert... fondue. And not just any fondue, but fondue made from melted down Toblerone, so it is just as smooth and delicious as could be. Dipping choices include pound cake, bananas, apples, and oranges. I recommend a cube of pound cake paired with an orange slice in the chocolate. It keeps the pound cake from falling off the skewer, and it's a yummy pairing. We ate until we were pretty sure they were going to have to roll us down the mountain to get us back home.
The pace of the evening is very relaxed, and perfect for spending some time with friends. Many of the people who go to the yurt dinner are visiting from other places and book through the hotel, but we met some local people as well, and, obviously, we are local too! It's a really fun evening, and we recommend it if you're looking for a nice evening out, and something out of the ordinary.
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| From Yurt Dinner |
