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Dining 2001 DINING REVIEW
Views eclipse a few lapses at Lake Crescent Lodge CODY WALKER, THE OLYMPIAN
Originally published
July 13, 2001
PORT ANGELES - Enter the lobby of Lake Crescent Lodge and you'll
find, above the fireplace, a "near record" Roosevelt Elk, dead since
1902. The adjoining dining room offers fresher, if less dramatic,
fare.
We spent a recent holiday by the glacier-carved lake, bracketing
a hike in the Hoh Rainforest with breakfast and dinner at the lodge.
The nearby Sol Duc Hot Springs and Hurricane Ridge provided soaks
and scenery, respectively.
The best tables in the dining room are by the north-facing windows,
with views of azaleas, Douglas firs and the 13,000-year-old lake.
American Indian masks and tapestries decorate the walls; blue cloths
cover the tables.
Our breakfast selections included fresh melon ($2.75), a bagel
with cream cheese and salmon lox ($8.50), sourdough French toast
($6.50), eggs and sausage ($7.95) and salmon lox Eggs Benedict ($8.95).
The Eggs Benedict, served with diced potatoes, strawberries and
an orange slice, was especially tasty, as was the cinnamon-kissed
French toast. We had less success with the bagel, a dispiriting
dough-disk that arrived without its promised topping of capers.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the lodge in 1937, dining
on trout and studying the proposal that would create Olympic National
Park the following year. Trout no longer appears on the dinner menu;
current options include salmon, halibut, New York steak and Greek
linguini.
We tried the halibut ($20) and the steak ($18). The former, stuffed
with crab and shrimp and topped with Hollandaise sauce, was something
of a dud -- under- seasoned and overcooked. Yukon gold coin potatoes
and fresh bok choy improved matters (and, to be fair, I heard a
diner at another table report that the same fish had put him "in
Heaven"). The steak was OK -- earth-bound fare, at best.
We enjoyed the seafood chowder ($2.50) and baked Brie ($7, topped
with shaved garlic, pecans, basil and tomatoes) and had no complaints
about the mixed green salad ($5). But the calamari ...oh my. Little
cardboard ringlets. We examined them, taxidermist-like, before sending
them back.
A sweet slice of apple pie with ice cream completed our meal. Outside,
a few birds traced circles; a rowboat floated on the lake. We walked
past the "wicker cozy" sun porch and into a glorious early-summer
evening.
Cody Walker is a writer and teacher who divides his time between
Olympia and Seattle. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous.
Meals are paid for by The Olympian.
Lake Crescent Lodge Dining Room
Three forks: Good
-Location: 416 Lake Crescent Road, Port Angeles, 360-928-3211.
-Food: Average to good. Dinner entrees include stuffed halibut,
New York steak and Greek linguini. We had better luck with breakfast
and dessert.
-Value: Average to good. Entrees top out at $20.
-Beverages: Beer, wine, soft drinks, juice, milk, hot chocolate,
tea, coffee.
-Service: Very good. The waiter offered multiple coffee refills
and helpful hiking tips.
-Atmosphere: Good to very good. Hardwood floors; exuberant masks;
a spectacular view.
-Hours: Breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.; lunch from noon to
2 p.m.; dinner from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.
-Reservations: No. Line up early for tables with lake views.
-Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express. Personal
checks accepted.
-Smoking: No.
-For children: Yes. Special menu includes hot dogs, chicken strips
and macaroni and cheese.
REVIEW GUIDE
Five forks: Excellent
Four forks: Very good
Three forks: Good
Two forks: Average
One fork: Fair
The Olympian Copyright 2001 back to main DINING REVIEWS index
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