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For a change of pace and taste, try tapas.
The Arctic char ceviche at Blu Kitchen, where Chef Jarrett Schwartz can be found behind the bar slicing, dicing, and searing.
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My grandmother and I ate our way through Barcelona on a trip to Spain last year. Every night, we’d sample small plates—or, as they’re called in Spain, tapas—from several different restaurants. Sampling, munching, and tasting a little bit of each restaurant’s offerings was a perfect way to experience the city.
The flavors of Barcelona included anchovies and artichokes, grilled asparagus and Iberian ham, spinach with pancetta and chickpeas, cold plates of jamón serrano, and peppers fried in olive oil and topped with sea salt.
After that trip, I found myself craving the sampler style of eating, the noncommittal dinner made up of several mini meals. I would often scan a menu in Jackson, wishing I could have a few bites of each dish.
Well, as it turns out, elk aren’t the only animals that can graze in Jackson Hole. It’s possible to go on a tapas tour and nibble one’s way through this mountain town, sampling the assorted flavors of the Rockies and beyond.
Snake River Grill Executive Chef Jeff Drew added a small plates section to his menu about eight years ago. However, he found that his visitors liked the idea of tapas more than the traditional plates themselves.
“What I found out is that people really want a side dish,” says the chef, who has worked at the popular Jackson restaurant for about a decade. “They don’t want small grilled cheeses or olive platters. They want something that can go with the entrée or stand alone as a small dish. They were trending toward the complex veggies.”
At the Snake River Grill, located on the Town Square at 84 East Broadway, diners can have it all, and have it their way: they can make a meal out of several souped-up small plates, they can nibble while deciding on a main course, or they can pass and share, family-style. The crimini mushrooms, stuffed with melted blue cheese and beef tenderloin, are perfect for popping while perusing; they come four to a plate. Another favorite small plate is the creamed spinach with wild mushrooms and Gruyère cheese.
“If people know they love Brussels sprouts with their meal, we’re going to give them Brussels sprouts, but we’re going to make it special,” Drew says. Those who really love the mini cabbages should order them served with cabernet onions and walnuts. Or, if you like other green veggies, try Drew’s newest addition to the small plates menu: tempura green beans with sriracha dipping sauce.
