Bursting with Local Flavours: Summer Dining at Island Lake Lodge

It’s that time of year again – the snow’s melting off The Headwall, the patio umbrellas are opening, and summer menus are hitting tables all over town. 

Up at Island Lake Lodge, this upcoming season’s menus take guests on a culinary adventure rooted in the place, the people, and the season. Paying homage to the land, the selections at both on-site restaurants brim with foraged flavours, ingredients hand-selected from trusted local producers and artisans, and dishes offering a true taste of the Lizard Range. 

From spruce tips delivering a burst of flavour in the Lodge’s homemade yoghurt, to the Stinging Nettle Stracchino featured on the Tamarack Dining Room’s menu, many of this season’s ingredients are sourced from the surrounding mountains, reflecting a deep sense of place, nourishment, and creativity. 

It’s yet to be disputed that after a long day on the trails, or during a much-needed reprieve from the busyness of regular life, nothing hits home like a lunch on the Bear Bistro patio, looking up at the towering Three Bears peaks. With dishes that are both grounded and experimental, this menu offers a healthy dose of intention and originality, as pub classics are turned into something extraordinary.

Take for instance their Corn Dogs served with roasted corn salsa, paprika and lime aioli, crispy shallots, and cilantro. Not to miss is a returning favourite, the Wagyu Smash Burger, where crushed between a house-made sourdough potato bun are two 3oz wagyu patties, cheese slices, and Island Lake’s secret burger sauce. To satisfy a bigger appetite, the Golden Crunch Bowl is a must-try, featuring karaage chicken breast and tonkatsu sauce on a bed of rice adorned with slaw, grilled corn, pickled radish, shredded carrot and sriracha aioli.

For those looking for more elevated fare, the Tamarack Dining Room’s menu features delicacies like the Brant Lake Bavette, served with smoked bone marrow chimichurri, triple cooked potatoes, caramelized onion puree and glazed carrots. For a showstopping meal, order the Lamb Loin – and for a refined twist on a comfort food classic, the Chicken and Waffles are a must-try, featuring fried Cornish hen, potato waffle, huckleberry puree, sea buckthorn hot sauce and crisp vegetables.

With a food philosophy that trickles right down to the drinks, even the cocktails exude a sense of place, reflecting the essence of the Kootenay region. Take for instance the Huckleberry Gin Sour, made with local Fernie Distillers Gin, Huckleberry Syrup and Lemon Juice. Or the Lavendar Lemonade made with lemon juice and lodge-grown lavender.

To take the culinary experience one step further, book a visit to Island Lake for their Foraging Weekend Experience: a two-night accommodation package where guided hikes and refined, multi-course dinners crafted from locally foraged ingredients are thoughtfully woven together. 

Whether you join for an après-hike burger, fine dining at the Tamarack, or the Foraging Experience, a meal at Island Lake Lodge immerses both visitors and locals in the rhythm of the seasons, bringing the freshest flavours directly from the mountains to the plate. www.islandlakelodge.com