Vegetarian food hits the slopes: a guide to the best of apres-ski across the country

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 1995 by Amy Plummer

VERMONT

Killington: Get ready for serious high-tech skiing. This season Killington is introducing the world's first heated cabin in the fastest-model gondola lift. If that's not enough to keep you comfortable, all six base lodges and nearly every restaurant around this resort offer vegetarian meals and daily specials. Hemingway's (Route 4 East), which Food & Wine rated as one of the top 2S restaurants in the country, offers special four-course vegan dinners each night, such as a beggar's purse of avocado, shallots and tomato; potato ravioli with truffles; and wild mushroom and lentil salad.

Charity's (Killington Road) makes baked stuffed shells, red pepper ravioli, a garden burger or reuben, tomato mozzarella salad and a stir-fry. Ppeppers Bar Grill (yes, the spelling is correct) on Killington Road also serves a vegetarian reuben, burritos, pasta and wide selection of salads. The Deli at Bear Mountain (inside the base lodge) assembles a fresh mozzarella salad with crushed red peppers, oregano, basil and sun-dried tomatoes, a Greek salad and The Vermonter, a sandwich of Cabot cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and sweet peppers.

CALIFORNIA

Squaw Valley: Featuring great skiing in the High Sierras above Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley has extended its night skiing to higher ground accessible by heated cable car, and has completed the all-inclusive Children's World, a unique supervised ski playground for kids ages 2 to 12. Several new runs and a race course are also open.

Emily's Garden, in the Olympic Plaza, has an entire menu of vegetarian and heart-healthy items, including garden burgers, veggie pitas, salads and baked potatoes. In the Cable Car lobby, the Headwar Cafe serves fresh pasta salads, soft veg tacos and salad sandwiches. The Poolside Cafe at the High Camp Bath & Tennis Club is reputed to have good soups, many of which are truly vegetarian, and a salad bar along with a spectacular view. For dinner, try the black pepper pasta at Graham's (1650 Squaw Valley Road) or cook up your own (if your condo has a kitchen) from organic foods purchased at the Squaw Valley Community Market (I 600 Squaw Valley Road). Other restaurants tend to be very accommodating to dietary needs.

Royal Gorge: A list of vegetarian-accommodating ski resorts wouldn't be complete without North America's largest cross country ski resort, 3 5 minutes from Lake Tahoe. The Wilderness Lodge, accessible only by sleigh or skis (you can be chauffered via sleigh from Summit Station), sets a lunch table that might include minestrone soup, wild rice salad, ratatouille salad and meatless lasagna. Dinner each night features a vegetarian entree, such as strudel, brochettes, pot pie, curry or eggplant au gratin. Great quiches can be found at The Summit Station Cafe, while the Rainbow Lodge, the resort's bed and breakfast, serves European cuisine, such as roasted zucchini stuffed with mushrooms, basil, sun-dried tomatoes and falafel topped with a light tomato sauce

UTAH

Park City: In the heart of the Wasatch Mountains, this charming former mining town 40 minutes east of Salt Lake City has superb powder skiing a stone's throw from an adorable and lively little Victorian village. You'll be hard-pressed to find any restaurant that hasn't thought of the vegetarian diner.