Mountain Restaurant

Simply wonderful, top-​quality food made from the heart.
My husband and I had our wedding & rehearsal dinner catered by the fantastically talented, professional and friendly foodies of The Mountain. We wanted delicious, homemade-​quality creative and whole foods for our celebration. The Mountain exceeded our expectations in terms of quality, easiness to work & communicate with, and value.
Emily and her husband run their organization with professionalism and heart. She was so kind and detailed throughout the menu planning process, really going above and beyond, offering not only to coordinate linens, cups, beverages and plates for the wedding, but even the arrangement of our favors & centerpieces, as well as special folding of the napkins she scrupulously matched to our color swatches. A few weeks before the wedding, she said, «If you think of anything else we can help you with, just call us and we’ll take care of it!» We were our own wedding planners, so these words were music to our ears.
Our family and guests are still talking about the grass-​fed beef at the rehearsal dinner & the wedding — one of my bridesmaids said the beef was so good it brought tears to her eyes. She even mentioned how good it was in her holiday form letter! Another guest said it was better than any beef she’d eaten, even in the best restaurants in San Francisco.
I am vegetarian and I was DELIGHTED by the gruyère & sun-​dried tomato quiche (they sun-​dried the tomatoes, themselves!) we served at our brunch wedding. I also loved the salad and made-​to-​order salad dressings; I requested a carrot, ginger & tahini dressing that Emily rocked & I got so many compliments on. The grilled artichokes were scrumptious and the skewers were delicious. You really can’t go wrong; if they offer it, it’s going to be amazing.
Whenever we look back on our wedding meal, we will be able to remember the deliciousness & high quality of the food and how happy everyone was to be eating it — thank you, Mountain.

We were up in Idyllwild for the weekend and there are not many places to eat there, so we decided to try Mountain Restaurant. I am glad we did.
I enjoyed the appetizers we had, the vegetables were so fresh tasting. The main course I had was the beef tenderloin, it was the highlight of the meal and one of the best steaks I have ever had. The brownie for dessert was very good as well.
The wine list is not very big, but I was surprisingly impressed by the one that I tried.
The service was top notch, it is a small restaurant so the server was not overwhelmed. I wish that this place was closer to where we live, I would go here all the time!

My husband and I have been to this restaurant twice and both times it exceeded our expectations. The hostess was prompt and friendly. We ordered drinks and an appetizer to start. Even though they didn’t have diet coke, I loved their root beer from a local vendor. The beet salad was delicious and my husband enjoyed a glass of wine recommended by the hostess.
My husband ordered the beef tenderloin and I had the gnocchi. It was delightful! I’m so glad that this restaurant had been recommended to us by friends in Riverside.
On our second visit we just ordered drinks and dessert. The cherries jubilee was yummy! And it was fun to watch the waitress make it right next to our table. We will definately be back!

Idyllwild’s only fine dining choice.
3.5 stars
After eating pretty much everywhere in this mountain hamlet I think I found the best of the worst. Generally speaking, the food in this town sucks.
Amuse-​bouche — Was a bit of goat cheese between a sliced grape tomato with some fresh pesto.

Pork tenderloin dinner — Sweetish tasting. Was nice, but wasn’t the most visually appetizing plate in the world.
Bread that was provided was quite nice. So was the brownie dessert.
A few notes…
If you dine here in the summer be sure to eat outside. The inside temperature was almost 90 in the dining room (they have ceiling fans but it’s not good enough).
If it’s a special event (birthday /​anniversary) make sure you mention it at the time of reservation.
Recommended.

Based on my standards for «gourmet» restaurants this one definitely met my expectations. The service was friendly and attentive but not overbearing.
Grub:
1.Garlic Butter Rubbed Artichoke grilled and served with green garlic aioli *****
2.Grilled grass fed beef tenderloin with gruyère cheese potato gratin, roasted asparagus served with red wine sauce *****
3.Local Wild Pacific Bass accompanied by mint vinaigrette served over rosemary risotto with roasted seasonal vegetables *****
4. Vanilla Bean soufflé *****
5. Chocolate brownie with caramel/​vanilla bean ice cream **
6. French Press coffee with Vanilla bean whipped cream only $ 3 for half pot! *****
7. Bottle of Cab Sav (half price because we went on Thursday)*****
The damage was around $ 150 which is very reasonable for the quality of food that comes out of the kitchen, which is DELICIOUS! Minus one star because the brownie in the dessert was so hard that part of it was inedible and some areas of the restaurant weren’t as dust free as I would expect. I would definitely come back to this small mountain town and enjoy this wonderful hidden gem again.

Went here for getting «a taste of idyllwild»
They even have a wine named after them.
The service was fantastic, the food was great,
and I really enjoyed getting to talk to the pastry chef.
For a little town, Idyllwild can sure put together a delicious meal.
I fell in love with the town and the people here, and will definitely be back for the next MTB event.

This restaurant scored brownie points.
Wanted to sample the best of Idyllwild’s cuisine, we stopped in without a reservation on a Sunday evening. We lucked out with an open table, as the heater’s warmth enveloped us. FYI: country music playing.
Flexible to vegetarians & even vegans, what’s offered on their spring menu were some vegetable sides, value priced too, around $ 6 each. Vegetarians, eat up! Because the fresh kale from a local farm turned out to be the best kale I’ve ever tasted. Actually liked that more than my entrée, as it had a woodsy, smokey flavor to it. Unfortunately, missed a photo op, though rest assured it was a bright, dark green that was not overcooked.
The porcini gnocchi was good, though I’ve had lighter, so would pass on this next time. Besides, the kale is nutritionally more sound for the body.
The in house pastry chef came to our table. I was tempted to try the chocolate coconut tea, but didn’t want to risk a headache zooming down the curvy mountainside. Decided on the brownie (so much for the healthy kale) which was big enough for 2. My hiking friend was so tempted, he even risked his allergies and enjoyed every last morsel.

What a fantastic meal. I couldn’t shut up about it the whole way down the mountain. Service was spectacular and the décor is cute and very comfortable. Don’t let the looks from the outside fool you.
We were served an amuse of steak tartare which was amazing. This was followed by our shallot tart which was equally amazing. The pastry was so fluffy I’m surprised it didn’t float off the plate.
My entrée was the sea bass over couscous and my girlfriend had the pork tenderloin over mashed potatoes. Both were fantastic. My fish was cooked perfectly and the roasted vegetables that came with my dish made me want to cry when they were gone.
I almost never get dessert but I didn’t want this dinner to end so we decided to order some. The pastry chef came out and described the desserts to us. She seemed to be very excited about her creations. It was nice to see her so enthusiastic. We ended up getting the brownie with chocolate whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Perfect in every way. The outside of the brownie had the slightest crunch and the inside was perfectly moist. The raspberry sauce was insane.
I’d drive all the way up there to visit Mountain again. It was wonderful.

On a recent trip to Idylwild, I discovered the Mountain Restaurant. What a gem! If you find yourself on the hill, this is the place. By far the finest restaurant in this sweet town.
My dinner companion and I started off with the goat cheese tartlet with carmelized onions. A delicacy worth the trip up the hill all on its own.
We shared the salmon and the braised beef. Both excellent dishes, very generous portions. I am very particular about ordering beef in restaurants, but at the Mountain, all of their proteins are raised organically. Love that!
I believe the restaurant had just changed hands, and the owners — a young charming couple — were delightful, catering to our every need. Just what we needed after a lovely day of shopping and exploring the art in Idylwild.
There is an extensive wine list, but being a teetotaler, I opted for the french press coffee which was the perfect complement to the fresh apple pie.
Looking forward to my return trip!

On our wintery getaway, I wanted to capture some fine dining for my husband and I before the snow was supposed to come down. So, we left our toasty cabin and ventured through the cold, wet evening to dine here.
Upon entering, we noticed… rather, we felt — the chill.
«Our heater has broken down. but, our food is served hot and delicious — and, we have space heaters, «announced our hostess/​server.
So, being adventurous I convinced my less than comfortable husband to stay. We were led to a table next to a space heater and kept our coats on throughout the meal. At one point, we warmed our hands with votive candles. We snuggled and added hot tea to our wine for the evening.
But, it was worth it!
I like to base my review of fine dining chefs from the perspective — Can I recreate this at home? Well, the beet salad… yes. The tartlett? I think not and it was, as Tim said…“The best mini pizza I have ever eaten in my life».
Tim wisely chose the slow cooked brisket served on a bed of creamy taters and I, the porcini mushroom gnocci. Both entrees were amazing in flavor and texture. I would have to try really hard to recreate either of these dishes. And, what I enjoyed about my gnocci was that it didn’t come drenched in alfredo. Oh… and the fried sage leaves were… the bomb.
Upon finishing we were offered a new dessert — for free! It was a raspberry sauced chocolate brownie cream cake. Holla!
We took it home and ate it by the fire.
:)

Very cute, romantic restaurant. The clientele here is definitely in the 50+ age range, but nonetheless, we had to try the #1 rated restaurant in Idyllwild while we were there for the weekend.
We were there for dinner. We started out with their butternut squash soup, which was delicious, but very thick and heavy. Don’t start with the soup if you have a small appetite, it fills you up quick. I had their brisket which was extremely tender, but slightly on the dry/​burnt side. Husband had the beef tenderloin which was very tender. We also had a side of the macaroni because the waiter had suggested it. We barely touched the macaroni, but it was still very good the next day. We took home their pumpkin pie, which was DELICIOUS. I wanted to go back just to get their pie to go, but we didn’t get a chance to. Highly recommend their pumpkin pie!
Overall, we enjoyed our meal. This is a great place to celebrate a special occasion. If we ever go back, I’m going to try their salmon. A couple other customers there were commenting on how amazing their salmon is.

Update; this restaurant is closed. I can understand why our last meal there was subpar. They had raised the rates and decreased the taste. It was so sad to see how they had fallen. They needed to bring back the original chef and staff, they were what made it so great .
Best new restaurant in Southern California. We can’t believe that a restaurant of this caliber has opened up on the mountain. Mountain is superb, the courses are well thought up and executed. The staff is amazing and incredibly attentive. If you are heading up to Idyllwild or close by you must try this great new restaurant. We never used to leave our cabin for dinner now we have to plan one night to dine at Mountain. If you cant make dinner the Sunday Brunch is as good as their dinner Fantastic.

On a trip to Palm Springs for my boyfriend’s birthday I researched good places to eat in the area. Mountain kept coming up and I can see why. Not only is the food unbelievably good, but the place itself is lovely.
We had birthday brunch there and though I’m dying to try the dinner menu I can honestly say they had the best Benedict I’ve ever had… and I love eggs Benedict! Virginia ham, creamy poached eggs (honestly, have no idea how you take something as standard as a poached egg and make it taste better but they have) and the worlds best hollandaise sauce.
The fresh squeezed orange juice was perfect. You really can tell that everything here is made from scratch and though the price reflects that too (15– 30 per person) it’s well worth it.
I can’t wait to go back for dinner… but will have to because it’s like, three hours away and ontop of a mountain.

Unilocal removed my review the first time. So I am reposting it.
This was our first time in Idyllwild. We heard much ado about restaurants such as Aroma, Creek, and Gastrognome. The #1, ultimo restaurant we were recommended was Mountain. We made sure that our reservation was in a day ahead of time, and we geared up for the best «foody experience» in idyllwild. I wish the hype had lived up to the experience.
I will say this. My wife and I are willing to give Mountain another experience IF the owner/​chef/​manager asks us back.
I have been in the food and beverage industry for 15years. In all of my years I have never had a chef treat me, as the chef here did. The hostess and server took care of us. I told our waiter that our 35 $ steak was well done to medium well. We had asked it to be medium rare.
After about 5 minutes the hostess brought out our plate and told us the chef had said the «lighting» made our steak medium well, that it was actually medium rare. We did not disagree just said «well its very grey.» At that point the waiter left and ultimately came back with a 0 $ check. That in and of itself gives me the impetus to come back because the customer service was good. However, by giving us the check for 0 $, it was clear that the chef didn’t want us to stay, and didn’t even want us to even try another dish.
Mountain has food that can be good. That being said, the chef needs to understand the eaters are the ones who make the restaurant. Not the other way around.

There is NOTHING in Idyllwild that even comes close to the amazing food served at this restaurant. Gastronome, horrible! Gave them 2 chances. Aroma Café, horrible the first time, just Ok the second. But this, The Mountain Restaurant, is the real deal, and I’m from Los Angeles and am used to eating well. Chef Brian is a star!!!
The salmon with caper berries, the slow roasted butternut squash, the lamb, the heirloom tomatoes with basil infused olive oil, the shaved celeriac, fennel and green bean salad with horseradish dressing … holy moses, I’m having a deep Anthony Bourdain moment right now. With every bite my toes would curl just a little tighter, and my eyes roll back a little farther, it’s that good.
They only charge a $ 10 corking fee, so it’s good to bring a bottle with you, if you don’t, they have great selections for about 25 — 30 bucks, or super waiter, Justin, can help you make a great selection. You are looking at $ 100 — 125, with a 18% tip for two people, but you gotta do it. The service, the atmosphere, and most of all the food makes it so worth it.
We were so impressed that we recently had our wedding reception at The Mountain on August 12, 2010. Brian and Courtney KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK! The food, wine, and service were all exceptional!
Next time you are in Idyllwild, do not miss an opportunity to have dinner or brunch at The Mountain!

Knowing nothing about the restaurants in Idyllwild, we decided to call ahead to make reservations. To our surprise there weren’t any tables available inside of the dining room. The only option was the patio which worked out fine because we were all rocking camping chic apparel. Later on in the evening, I saw that we were the youngest group in the restaurant and probably wouldn’t have felt as comfortable inside anyway.
From start to finish, the meal went well. Even with our split check request and a really picky eater among us, our waiter accommodated us, was patient and got some laughs out of us. They started us off with a salmon tartare amuse bouche. The light citrusy fish contrasted perfectly with the crisp buttery crostini. Next we got some focaccia. Also delicious. Everything else that followed was prepared nicely and delighted us. I ordered the grilled grass fed beef tenderloin (with gruyère cheese potato gratin, roasted asparagus and red wine sauce served with fresh grated horseradish and celeriac remoulade and onion jam). My photos may make the food look petite but the individual plates were more like platters. In addition to my meal, I managed to try the Wild Alaskan salmon (grilled and served over creamy potato purée with garlic roasted asparagus and a fresh relish of grape tomatoes, kalamata olives and caper berries served with a lemon basil dressing), tender slow braised lamb) with garlic confit, roasted red peppers and marjoram served with creamy potato purée, lemon and herb gremolata and Medjool date jam and applewood smoked then grilled duck breast (with roasted corn and parmesan soft polenta, tarragon jus, and sautéed zucchini ribbons). We were told that the caper berries in the salmon dish would taste different from capers but they tasted the same if not without a firmer texture and with a slightly less tangy taste. The lamb was mellow, didn’t have as robust an aroma that I associate with lamb. If I was told that it was a beef pot roast, I wouldn’t have second guessed. The duck breast was massive. We also all sampled some dessert: strawberry shortcake (fresh baked sweet biscuit, local strawberries and honey whipped mascarpone with a strawberry syrup), dark chocolate panna cotta (with roasted hazelnut shortbread, caramel, and crème fraîche), and Meyer lemon tart with caramelized Italian meringue. Of the bunch I liked the panna cotta best. It went well with their French press coffee. Our last surprise were the walnut praline short bread cookies that came along with our checks.
The combination of: a great patio atmosphere, great service food in a mountain setting resulted in a pleasantly surprised and happy bunch of weary campers that just wanted something besides a Mountain House backpacking meal.

This place has to be on your list if you are visiting Idyllwild. I had endive salad which had the most excellent creamy blue cheese I’ve ever had. The ox tail, my entrée, was cooked just right with a ton of flavors. A bit of yam with the beef topped with fried parsley just melted in my mouth.
To finish it off, we had lemon tart with meringue. It was so pretty that I didn’t want to touch it. Freshly brewed French press coffee paired with lemon tart just lifted me up higher than the clouds.
Along with heavenly delicious food, our waiter gets A+ for excellent service.

I’ll get to the painful part first: Wife and I walk into the place at 729 for our 730 reservation. Waiting in the small waiting area to be seated are 3 couples. A quick glance at the tables shows 4 empty tables for 2 and 1 table for 4. The empty tables were set minus wine glasses. The hostess tells us it will be a few minutes. She looks frazzled and the two wait staff looked pissed at her. We end up getting seated 20 minutes later. The whole episode was a little ridiculous. No, I wasn’t in a hurry, I was on vacation. All I wanted to do was sit down and get a glass of water. The only thing between me and the empty table was an incompetent hostess.
Wait service: Oddly enough, very good. After the whole hostess episode I was expecting that the waitress would leave us seated for an hour before getting to us. In retrospect, I’m pretty sure she was as angry at the hostess as we were.
Food: My steak was awesome and the strawberry shortcake was delicious. Great ingredients and sides.

Sooo delicious, I would have never imagined such a place existed in Idyllwild. My boyfriend and I had a pleasant meal at Café Aroma our first night there, but the Mountain wins hands down for best restaurant on the Hill.
The dining room is small, cozy and unpretentious. The waiter was the «chupacabra» of fine restaurants — incredibly friendly, talkative and willing to provide recommendations.
We started with the veal sweetbreads which, while not my first choice due to my qualms about eating glands, were absolutely delicious. My boyfriend ordered the spiced lamb with yogurt sauce which was the best lamb I’ve ever had, and we eat a lot of lamb. I had the braised beef which was also incredible, though I wished I’d ordered the lamb after trying his dish.
I think the wine list absolutely deserves mentioning as well, especially for borderline alcoholics like myself. It was painstakingly whittled down to a few stellar picks that went extremely well with everything on the menu. The most expensive bottle was something like $ 66 and glasses ranged from $ 7-​$ 12, which was surprising for a restaurant of this caliber.
We’re considering a summer camping trip to Idyllwild just to revisit the Mountain, it’s that good.

Without a doubt, I had one of the best meals of my LIFE (in any city… on any continent…) at Idyllwild’s new «Mountain Restaurant» last night.
After having been seated by the lovely Courtney — who greeted us at the door as if we were old family friends — we were then almost immediately «culinarily» delighted with a gift from the chef: a tasty little work of art, which hinted ever so perfectly at the utter joy we were about to experience.
I’ll not even attempt to describe the many incredible dishes (and glasses!) that followed … you’ll have to experience them yourself, yet they can easily be called phenomenal. The table service was also right-​on, as Justin (our waiter, an import from Los Angeles) didn’t hesitate to make recommendations throughout the evening, thus further enhancing this truly fantastic dining experience.
Dish after delectable work-​of-​art dish was followed by a heavenly share-​fest of simultaneously light and rich desserts — and then Brian Ayers, Mountain’s chef-​extraordinaire, visited our table to make certain our experience had been a pleasant one. Pleasant? INDEED… and it seems evident that Mountain Restaurant will most certainly need to add «Fine Dining» to its logo.
During such trying economic times, these lovely and talented people have taken the risk to invest their extraordinary skills into the casual intimacy of Idyllwild — may they continue to grace us! OooH LaLa & Bön Appetit
P. S. Their cuisine is cleverly known as «Slow Food» … which — with its local and organic, healthful and thoughtful foundations — is the absolute antithesis of fast-​food.
[Addendum: It’s not just us on Unilocal —– check out the press section (AND menu!) on their website: www​.the​moun​tain​restau​rant​.com]
UPDATE: 7÷10÷10
Almost one year later, this heavenly spot has only gotten BETTER (which didn;t even seem possible)…and now, they’re open for BRUNCH on Sundays too !!!
Really, this place is NOT to be missed if you’re coming to Idy (note that Thursday is ½ price bottle of wine night, and that they’re closed on Tues/​Wednes — so plan accordingly!!)