We brought two visitors from out of the country here for their the lodge's jazz dinner and had a…read morelovely overall experience. To address some of the previous diners' concerns: no, this is not a swanky, white-tablecloth establishment; yes, it is very rustic, with furnishings that have probably been there for a few decades; and, yes, unless you have exactly 6 people in your party, you will end up sitting at a table with other people. I saw no sign of "filth" in the dining room -- my guess is that may happen more in the daytime, when hikers in muddy boots tromp through the place -- and the woman who acts as not just the server, but also the hostess, busser, and cashier, was on her toes throughout the evening and served the entire room (that's right -- one server for the entire room) in a more expeditious way than I ever could have. I give her and the kitchen major props for keeping the service moving as fast as they did.
Of course, when you go to a restaurant on the summit of a mountain, part of what you're paying for is the experience of eating at 3,500 feet while the sun sets, and it is spectacular. Once we staked out our spots at the table and confirmed our orders with the server, we headed outside, before sunset, to walk the short distance to the overlook (the War Memorial monument is, unfortunately, under renovation and covered in scaffolding), where you can take in a panoramic view of 5 states. We went back out about 30 minutes later while the sun was setting and the moon was rising simultaneously -- this was the evening before the summer solstice -- and it was, in a word, phenomenal.
Now to the food. The lodge serves a three-course, prix-fixe meal for about $35 per person, and it varies almost every evening. If you're vegetarian, be sure to mention this when you make reservations; the kitchen makes a limited amount of covers, so you won't be able to order a veg meal after the fact. Everyone gets the same dessert. This dinner also had the musical component, which is new for the lodge. Our evening's entertainment was a trio who played a mix of standards ("Summertime") and lite jazz. They were solid, if not spectacular (though kudos to the singer, who was excellent), but our guests, having never experienced live jazz before, absolutely loved it.
Two of our party went veg, and for a starter got a basic salad with lettuce, radishes, and cherry tomatoes -- perfectly fine, if a little sweet in the dressing; some black pepper countered it nicely. For an entree, we got pasta primavera with gemelli, butternut squash, portabellas, zucchini, snap peas, green beans, and oven-roasted tomatoes -- each vegetable was perfectly cooked, and the pasta was not drowning in a pool of oil. Can I get an Amen?
Our non-veg party members went for the chicken cacciatore with a side of green beans, and the beef braised in red wine, also served with a side of green beans. They reported that the meat was cooked well and not too chewy, and the sauces were light and tasty. We shared a bottle of wine -- 14 Hands Merlot -- which was just OK for me, but, again, our guests seemed to enjoy it.
For dessert, everyone had profiteroles -- a puff pastry cut in half and filled with bittersweet chocolate mousse and whipped cream. While I scraped off most of the whipped cream (not an issue with theirs -- I'm just not a fan in general), the filling was airy and just sweet enough, with a nice hint of orange.
Overall, the food was a solid B+ -- nothing earth-shattering, but fresh, prepared well, and served promptly. But Bascom Lodge isn't just about the food; it's about the setting and the extras, like the music and the exquisite sunset. And when you keep in mind that all of the supplies have to be trekked up to 3,500 feet and the building and equipment maintained, I think it's a pretty good value for $35. I would definitely pay another visit, especially during a full moon.
