A spring break visit to Jackson Hole promised moose sightings, snowy mountain vistas, world-class skiing and plenty of cowboy boots. Add herds of grazing elk, galleries popping with contemporary Western art and tickets to see the Moose hockey team slap shots across the ice at the Snow King Center, and you’ve got the makings of a wonderful time in Wyoming.
“There’s no way I could live in the city again,” says Jason Williams, owner of Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris. A skilled wildlife photographer, Williams took us on a tour through the National Elk Refuge, handing out binoculars and pointing out big horn sheep and telling us about the wolves and bears in the surrounding Grand Tetons.
Wildlife is part of the landscape. In fact, the speed limit on area roads goes from 55 mph during the day to 45 mph at night so drivers have more time to avoid hitting a moose or other animal.
Leaning local on the menu
“Buffalo and elk have a huge draw on the menu,” says executive chef Kevin Humphreys of Spur Restaurant at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village. He says, “Buffalo is similar to grass-fed beef. It’s a lean meat and has a dry aged beef flavor.”
Originally from St. Simons, Ga., Humphreys moved to Jackson 15 years ago. “I came out for a summer and fell in love with it.”
Popular dishes on the menu at Spur include buffalo sliders and fries covered in elk gravy, a play on the Canadian dish called poutine. “We braise buffalo and elk for seven hours and then shred into the gravy and top with a local farmhouse cheddar,” Humphreys says.
At Hayden’s Post in the Snow King Resort, state products proudly star on the menu such as a Wyoming Whiskey Manhattan and a Wyoming Angus Beef Burger on buns made by artisan bakers at 460 Bread.
“There’s an emerging dining scene here, and the majority of restaurants use local ingredients as much as possible,” Humphreys says. “I use beer from Snake River Brewing to make an ale mustard and to braise buffalo.”
There’s even a restaurant called Local. On the menu there — seared coffee-rubbed elk medallions with a huckleberry demi-glace.
In the summer months, when visitors flock to hike, bike, and go fly-fishing and river rafting, there’s plenty of trout on the menu and locally grown vegetables. If you’re not game for game, the Jackson dining scene is diverse. Bin-22 is a wine and tapas bar with charcuterie platters and creative salads. The menu at Il Villaggio Osteria features Mediterranean fare for mountain appetites including house-made fennel sausage for pizzas and pastas and dark chocolate “salami” for dessert.
Game on nutrition
Both buffalo (bison) and elk are lean meats with less than 200 calories per 4-ounce serving. Bison and elk are good sources of vitamin B-12 and the minerals iron and zinc.
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