Some late-breaking news from our Ranchweb members:
Newsflash

MONTANA
Lone Mountain Ranch

Feb. 13-16: Mardi Gras Montana –style. In the Mardi Gras “Ski for Beads”  event, you show your Lone Mountain Ranch XC ski trail pass and receive festive Mardi Gras beads. Try a tasty New Orleans Fat Tuesday lunch in the dining lodge on Feb. 16 (from noon to 2) and you’ll find lots of Louisiana specials.

Sunday, March 7: Glide and Gorge. It’s an ideal event for skiers and foodies! Glide along the Ranch XC ski trails, and “gorge” along the way, stopping for gourmet salads/appetizers, like Jambalaya and cornbread, lamb brochettes, shrimp skewers, and delectable desserts. All will be paired with samples from local breweries and wine distributors. Details: $40 per person

Sleigh and Stay special. One night’s lodging in a cozy log Lone Mountain Ranch cabin, a sleigh ride dinner and breakfast the next morning in the Ranch Dining Lodge. Details: $195 per person (based on double occupancy).

Winter Getaways – One or two nights. One night Lone Mountain Ranch Getaway includes lodging in a cozy log cabin, dinner and breakfast in the Ranch Dining Lodge. Details: $195 per person (double occupancy). Two night getaways include two night’s lodging in a cabin, two dinners, one lunch and two breakfasts in the Ranch Dining Lodge; $195 per person/per night (based on double occupancy).

Triple Creek Ranch – Relais & Châteaux
Valentine’s Day Weekend – Feb 12 – 15, 2010. Triple Creek Ranch is always one really romantic hideaway, but on Valentine’s weekend the ranch takes it to a whole new level. Kick back during the day relaxing indoors or venturing outdoors amidst Montana’s stunning winter scenery, then while away evenings in front of a cozy fire in your luxury cabin. Chef Jake prepares  gourmet meals served in a rustic candlelit dining room. Executive Pastry Chef Christopher Whitten will present a selection of chocolate, while wine expert Jeremy White will suggest the correct wine to go with each taste treat. Details: From $650 per couple

Food and wine has become much more important to today’s vacationers, and guest ranches understand that and are responding. In fact, many ranches have made some of their biggest changes in their dining rooms (and most don’t ring the dinner gong anymore, like the cartoon character below). Now all they have to do is convince some travelers that their old ideas about ranch food are, well, so yesterday. Here are the top five dude ranch food and wine myths, debunked.

Myth No. 1: Guests dine every night on barbecue beef, and a plate of beans.

TRUTH: Well, once that was the idea of a perfect meal at a dude ranch. And while that’s perfectly delicious food, the average menu at today’s guest ranch now goes far beyond that in sophistication. At New Mexico’s The Lodge at Chama, Executive Chef Kirk Vandermaat and his staff have one goal: that guests “cherish their days and evenings here at Chama”. Each morning, you  choose your coming evening’s fare from your own personalized menu; options: native selections of elk, bison, trout, and quail; oh, and of course choice steaks.

Myth No. 2: I am trying to stay on a special diet, and a ranch can’t adjust its menu for me.

TRUTH: Many ranches now can accommodate special diets and reasonable requests for options; overall, the result is better quality and more variety. “Food is often fad-driven,” notes Russell True at Arizona’s White Stallion Ranch. “We’ve done macrobiotics for some guests, vegetarian menus; and we adjusted to the no carbs/ high protein movement. Now, were back to less extreme fare,” True says. “We’re not a gourmet ranch, but we try to adjust to mainstream tastes and offer options to people, whether its more chicken or lighter fare. ”

Myth No. 3: I know I can get a nice steak on a ranch, but by the end of the week, I’ll be starved for some fresh veggies.

TRUTH: The ‘locavore‘ movement (where the goal is to eat food grown/produced nearby) has hit the ranch, too; many guest ranches team up with local farmers to make sure that plenty of fresh, local produce is available to their guests. At Three Bars Cattle & Guest Ranch in British Columbia, Tyler Beckley contends that “all of our meals use the finest fresh vegetables available and are cooked to perfection.”

Myth No. 4: I’m on a low-sodium diet, and won’t find anything to eat at a ranch.

TRUTH: Most ranches can offer you low-sodium options—especially if you alert them ahead of time. “We can do low-sodium easily,” says True. “If they want a nice grilled swordfish instead of steak, we’re happy to make the change to healthy options and adjust.”

Myth No. 5: If I want a decent glass of wine with dinner, I’ll have to bring a bottle myself.

TRUTH: At many ranches, you’ll have trouble deciding what wine to try from their wine list. British Columbia, for example, is home to some great white wines, and local ranches will introduce you to some real finds. “We have access to some great, affordable wines in Canada that you don’t see a lot of in the US,” says Tyler Beckley. “My wine list is not over priced or pretentious, and the fun is in finding great wines that are not expensive.” Three Bars also also carries wines from Argentina, Chile, France, Spain, and New Zealand.

White Stallion Ranch brought in a sommalier to put together a wine list that includes selections from all over the world. “It has been hugely popular,” says True.

Times have changed since the days when the dude ranch cook simply fired up the campfire and then served guests with a plate of beans and brisket. Don’t get us wrong: we love cookouts. But as with contemporary cuisine everywhere, the dude ranch dining room has adapted to its share of trends. Now you can usually get low-sodium, low-fat, and even get vegan or other special menus (upon request). And some dude ranches go way above what you’d expect.

Take TRIPLE CREEK RANCH, in Darby, Montana. Here, dinner is a four-course event (prepared by a French Institute-trained executive chef). Of course, house wines are included, or guests may choose to add wine pairings from the ranch wine cellar (and how many dude ranches can boast such a cellar?) featuring premium wines from more than a dozen countries.

Triple Creek Ranch entree

In a dining room with dramatic views of the Bitterroot Mountains, Triple Creek guests are treated to wholesome breakfasts, healthful lunches, and gourmet dinners–even tasting menus. They also have a Chef’s Table giving you an insider’s view of the ranch’s high-tech kitchen. After dinner, nibble on delights from the cheese cart, which include, says the website, “cheeses from the affineurs Hervé Mons, Randolph Hodgson and Luigi Guffanti”. And while the attire for guests is dude ranch casual, the lodge’s dining tables are set with crisp, white tablecloths and flickering candles. It all meets the standards demanded by membership in the exclusive Relais & Châteaux (the ranch has been a member since 1996).

Co-owner Wayne Kilpatrick notes, “We’re more the resort end of the Dude and Guest ranch industry. Guests come to Triple Creek not just to ride, but for the whole bit—romance, too.” Kilpatrick continues, “Our dining room is fine dining, but not communal; it’s more like a restaurant, so guests can spend time by themselves.”

More ranch dining: Another option for elegant dining is Wyoming’s Brooks Lake Lodge; for dinner, the lodge chefs prepare a three-course meal using the freshest ingredients and a regional flare; the menu changes nightly and is always followed by a dessert prepared by their pastry chef.  For great Southern BBQ rib and chicken cookouts, plus homemade soups, breads, and pastries, visit Clear Creek Ranch in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains; it’s open from April through December.

Lisa, owner/chef at the Latigo Dude and Guest Ranch in Kremmling, Colorado, sends us her recipe; she says guests really love these buns on a crisp fall morning or before a winter cross-country ski trek. And, Lisa says, “It makes a bunch, so it’s great for a big holiday party!”