I had to be talked into trying the Hunter's Lodge. I really shouldn't have been so hesitant, since my friend doing the talking frequently flies to the far corners of the world for fine food. But when he told me it had sort of mountain/game theme, I had visions of each party eating in the privacy of their own tent while friendly bears in cowboy hats served them. I shouldn't have been so skeptical. When I arrived, I was very pleasantly surprised.
We pulled into a gritty parking lot off the very busy Fort Union Boulevard, parked, and stepped into a cozy log cabin with a roaring fire in a two-story hearth. The setting was simple mountain elegance, and I immediately forgot I was in the middle of the city. While there was a substantial amount of formerly wild game festooning the walls and looking over our shoulders as we ate, we were relieved to see that none of them served us.I believe we might have been served them. The menu features several game offerings, including duck, pheasant, venison, trout and salmon at $24.95-$29.95. There are also more traditional selections, many with a Germanic emphasis. Among them are steaks, schnitzel, chicken and lamb dishes, starting at $15.95. We tried the Hunter's schnitzel, slices of pork tenderloin sauteed in a creamy green peppercorn sauce, topped with fresh wild mushrooms and served with roasted red potatoes, for $16.95. The meat itself was a little tough, but all the trimmings were superb. We also tried the "simply pleasant pheasant," which was more than simply pleasant. Although it was not boneless as the menu indicated, it was tender and juicy in its flavorful Burgundy sauce. It came with delicious croquettes and sauteed squash in a cunning fried potato basket that made you feel it was truly worth $28.95.
Attention to detail makes the other courses stand out as well. The bread, everyone's favorite round rolls from Curtell's, comes with three types of butter: regular, salmon and a house herb. The house salad comes with greens, croutons made on the premises, a sprout-stuffed tomato, and, if you order it, their own exquisite house dressing, a raspberry-walnut vinaigrette. You can select either salad or a variety of homemade soups with your meal. We tried the broccoli cheddar and French onion. Both were fine.
There were a few details, however, that we wished Hunter's would have paid a bit more attention to. One is the design of the heavy wooden tables, which are sufficiently rustic looking but decidedly uncomfortable if you happen to be sitting on the side of one of the oblong tables for four.
Having to straddle a roughhewn table leg does not make the diner feel refined. Nor does watching Heather Locklear cat around Melrose Place, if your table happens to have a view of one of the two very conspicuous televisions at the bar. This can all be remedied by asking to be seated in a booth on the far side of the dining room.
Because you will want to take your time eating, it's important to be as comfortable as possible. It's definitely worth your while to try some of the more exotic appetizers. Although you can nosh the traditional buffalo wings, potato skins and shrimp cocktail, from $3.95 to $7.50, you can also order Hunter's own very succulent version of escargot for $6.95, which come sans shells and nestled under a buttery pastry crust. The chef's specialty is the smoked duck, for $8.95, which is served with pineapple and has the taste and texture more of ham than of game bird.
It's also worth lingering over one of the varied desserts, which run from $2.95 for homemade carmel custard to $10.05 for flaming bananas Foster for two. The champagne sorbet, served in a cookie shell with fresh strawberry puree for $4.95 tempted us, but we opted for the chocolate fondue for Two at $6.25. The strawberries, bananas and kiwis that we dipped in rich hot fudge were the perfect ending to an excellent meal. I'm still wondering why such a fun food as fondue seemed to die out with the '70s. Incidentally, you can also order cheese fondue for two as a romantic main course, $26.95. Nice touch.
While not perfect, (and what restaurant is?) the Hunter's Lodge is a nice, needed addition to the Salt Lake dining scene. Chef's hats off to the owners for such an ambitious undertaking.
Rating: * * * *
Hunter's Logde, 94 E. 7200 South, Midvale, 567-1700. Open Monday through Thursday, 5-9 p.m., 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4-8 p.m. Sunday. Check and major credit cards accepted. Reservations recommended.