When you think of typical ski resort food, the first thing that comes to mind might be the standard chicken fingers, fries and pizza. While of course Cranmore offers those choices (what ski area wouldn’t?) they have shaken up their menus for the season introducing some new and exciting options for the ski season.
Tucked away on the back side of the Main Base Lodge, is Red Sled Chicken and Waffles. New for 2020, this food venue serves up a fun take southern comfort food, such as the obvious chicken and waffles, featuring in-house hand battered fried chicken tenders with sweet maple syrup, fried chicken sliders with waffle “buns,” dessert waffles smothered in fresh fruit and whipped cream, and waffle fries. It’s open on Saturdays and daily during vacation periods, and because of its location, Chicken & Waffles is a hidden gem (for now at least), and often has much shorter lines than the main cafeteria.
Looking for a meal with a view? Cranmore’s Summit Meister Hut offers just that. Open daily from 11am – 3pm, a Meister Hut “must eat” is the resort famous, cannot miss-out on, grilled cheese. Plenty of melty cheese sandwiched between perfectly toasted bread. Pair that with a pint of Tuckerman Ale or warm hot cocoa, with stellar views of the Moat Mountains and Mount Washington and you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re a Cranmore Season Passholder you also have a few reasons to visit the Meister Hut, especially on powder days. If it snows 6 inches or more, determined by the Cranmore snow report, Cranmore will issue a “Strudel Alert.” The first 100 passholders with a valid season pass to get to the Meister Hut between 11am – noon will receive a slice of house-made warm apple strudel. Sounds like a sweet deal to me!
For Après ski, sit-down lunch, or dinner, head to Zip’s Pub. Located at the front of the resort, stepping inside will transport you back in time with its post and beam architecture and walls plastered with historic photos of the resort. Not only will you find friendly bartenders and live music on Saturday afternoons, Zip’s is the perfect place to meet and catch up with friends and family after a day on the slopes. On Saturday nights they offer a new family style, all you can eat 3-course pasta dinner from 6pm – 8pm, with a screening of a different ski movie each week. It’s incredibly affordable at only $15.99 for adults and $10.99 for kids under 10, plus it makes planning dinner a breeze. It includes a chef attended pasta station with a variety of meats and sauces, garden salad, breadsticks and a freshly baked brownie sundae with Gifford’s vanilla ice cream for dessert.
If you’re a Zip’s regular, get your name on the waitlist for the coveted Cranmore Mug Club. The annual Mug Club membership will get you your own mug for the season, a larger pour of tap beer, discounts on Zip’s menu items, a ticket to the end of season Mug Club Dinner and the ability to say you’re in the Mug Club.
Whether you’re here for the food, drinks or fun on the slopes, Cranmore has a little something for everyone. Check out all of the fresh updates both on and off the slopes for this season!