Italy In America: An Osteria in Jackson Hole

I’m just back from a vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I have never been there before and the surroundings were absolutely stunning. I went skiing, dog sledding and snow shoeing and when my muscles weren’t aching too much went out for some great meals.

One of the highlights was a meal at Il Villagio Osteria, which just opened a few weeks ago in the Teton Village ski area where I was staying. The sleek-looking restaurant is part of the new Hotel Terra, a luxurious new eco-friendly hotel. The night I wandered into the restaurant with my skiing pals, the place was absolutely packed. We were lucky enough to get four seats at the bar and went to work picking out a bottle of wine and our dishes. Being the one with the most Italian wine experience, I was put to the task of selecting a bottle and went with a $42 Barbera d’Alba, which we liked so much we later ordered another one.

We started with salads and calamari. I had panzanella salad – a take on the traditional Tuscan dish of bread and tomatoes – this juicy salad included peppers. It was an excellent way to begin the meal. Next, I had homemade ravioli with a goat cheese filling. I adore ravioli but mine was cooked a little too long and slightly mushy. The real star of the night was the red wine risotto which two of my friends had – I wish I had ordered it. Though we barely had room, we ordered one piece of tiramisu and four forks and the dessert was among the best I have had in an Italian restaurant in the U.S.