OMG! This was the best food so far after two weeks in Europe. A great little bar-like place with an outstanding and inventive cocktail list and an equally impressive and eclectic mix of items on the menu.
Where do I start? WOW. I visited Snowboat in the summer with my wife and two daughters. First, the whole place really is shaped like a boat. Great design, neat feel. You walk in to what feels like an apres ski bar / coffee house which I learned later from speaking with the owner is basically how it got started a few years ago. You can tell it would still be a great après ski hangout in the winter with a beautiful deck on the roof. They started serving full meals more recently.
In an unexpected twist, there was a backyard gas grill at then end of the bar and a tiny, makeshift kitchen where two fully-suited chefs were working their magic. As weird as that was, you could certainly smell the flavors coming from that grill and we were intent on finding a seat.
I had read that the chef is Mexican and, after speaking to the bartender, I learned that he was from Holland. And, I think I heard some British accents working in there as well so it's kind of hard to figure out the whole place. But, it had an almost modern English pub feel.
Unfortunately, there were no tables available. But, one of the servers (who seemed to be doing a bit of everything very successfully) invited us up to the bar and she pulled an extra chair over for us. We were warned up front that they were busy, had limited capacity and that there would be a wait. So, we settled in to review the menu and order drinks. The menu was a wonderfully tantalizing mix of Mexican, Asian, bar, gourmet burger and a few other things thrown in there as well. Behind the bar was an incredible mix of homemade liquors and other alcohols from around the world.
As we were perusing the menu, I noticed that the bartender was using lots of fresh ingredients and doing some crazy mixology back there. I was having a great time just watching him. Wife ordered a Pimm's and I got a Hendrick's G&T. Bartender offered me fresh cucumbers and cracked pepper for the G&T.....delish. Pimm's was great as well and was more like a British Sangria, full of fruit.
We ordered our food and then considered a next round of drinks. Got a great chance to speak to the bartender. Even though he was busy, he gave some background on the restaurant and then recommended some drinks. He made a point to let us know that they didn't want to just create a cocktail list or menu like anywhere else. They wanted to be unique. I can definitely say they succeeded.
He recommended an Apelor Sour for my wife (a sweet and sour apple and pineapple concoction including bitters, sugar, pineapple juice, some sorts of alcohol incl. Apelor and a frothy pineapple layer on top) and their version of a Dark and Stormy for me. Both excellent. My wife loved the Apelor and I think it must be on her top 5 list of best cocktails ever. Then, he offered to make my kids an apple juice with the frothy pineapple mixture on top at no charge. They loved it.
For dinner, I got the spicy chicken burrito with potatoes and salad, kids split the chicken satay "burger" (a bit grown up for them but they removed some of the sauce and liked it). Wife got the prawn "burger" (prawns, guacamole, salsa, etc.) and she loved it as well. Everything was fresh and, for the items we tried, I can definitely say that I had never had anything like them before. Food was a little on the spicy side.
This is a small place so get there early. There's just a little bit of seating inside with some tables outside as well. There is a deck upstairs with lounge seating and a bar and, apparently, they use the basement for a tasting menu in the winter but it is closed in the summer.
I don't think I've ever written a YELP review this long but I really fell in love with every aspect of Snowboat from the cocktail and food menus to the people that work there to the vibe. Keep on sailin' Snowboat. We'll be back. read more
