Skogen Kitchen — Restaurant in Custer

A lot of rave reviews, and I definitely agree it's worth a visit, but I feel like I'm missing something because we definitely wouldn't come back. Also, definitely make reservations. The atmosphere is really unique, and I love that they have a set up where you kind of get to see "behind the curtains" and watch their professional culinary kitchen. It's really amazing to watch everyone work with the chef. Servers are top notch. I went once for a date night and again for a business meeting. At this point, I refuse to drive back again. The dishes are hit or miss, and when they hit, they are DELICIOUS, absolutely fabulous, but when they miss, it makes the price point really difficult to swallow (no pun intended). For example, the salad, delicious flavors, but drowning in the dressing so much so I felt like I was drinking dill vinegar and couldn't appreciate the fresh ingredients. The s'mores themed desert tasted like my toddler's chocolate pudding with a few smashed store bought graham crackers at the edge. The duck thigh however, was stunning, melt in your mouth, perfectly crisp skin, for the few bites it lasted. Which brings me to the fact their portions really are incredibly small even by fine dining standards. In my last couple decades of eating at high end establishments, this is the only place where I have had to order seconds or leave hungry. Also, the steamed lobster buns are to die for. I actually ordered them again after my main dish because I was still hungry. I absolutely support that their price tag will reflect the high quality ingredients they clearly use, but goodness, even just another handful of pasta, or more of the ingredients making the sides that compliment the main protein? Even humble homemade sourdough bread with olive oil and herb dipping for patrons after being seated? Regardless, I highly recommend that it's on your list to visit at least once, because it is an experience, and it seems like my concerns are rarely echoed by others so I may have had bad luck. It has a beautiful history and shows a really excellent effort to provide a unique fine dining experience in Custer, so hats...

We made reservations over a month in advance, so be patient trying to eat there. We had a table of 6, so we all tried some delicious food, including a secret (appetizer) menu item that you have to ask for. I will add tons of pics for review. I ordered the beef tartare tacos, filet mignon, and au gratin potatoes. I have ordered my steaks the same way for years. (Medium Rare, but more rare than medium). The beef tartare was very well seasoned and had a great presentation. This is where things kind of turn average. My filet was super tender but was way overcooked. Half of the steak was pretty medium rare, but the other half was definitely medium (highly disappointed). The potatoe au gratin was average to sub-par. The potatoes seemed very dry and lacked seasoning. All 3 people that had the filet agreed the potatoes were just average and lacked seasoning (salt). In my opinion, the potatoes were definitely overlooked and could have been better. The lobster steam rolls were good but nothing special. The Beet & Brown Butter Raviolis were absolutely amazing (I would highly recommend them). The Rabbit Leg, Duck Confit, and King Salmon tasted good and were presented well. However, all the dishes seemed to lack finish seasoning. The waitress Destiny was amazing, friendly, and even joked and engaged with us very well! I did wait a while to get a refill on water, but she kept the wine and beer flowing to several members at our party. I enjoyed an americano coffee but I was half done when the side of cream was served.

The Dimock Butter Cake and Double Chocolate Tart were all delicious, but everyone agreed the birthday sorbet was absolutely amazing. My overall rating would be that the service was a solid 4.5, food was a solid 4, beer and wine was a 5, coffee was a 4. I am slightly disappointed in how an amazing steak was overcooked. I have over 150k views on my food reviews, so I would say that I am well versed in all types of food...

This place is a diamond. The absolute best, as in hands down best restaurant that I have ever been to. I have traveled around the world and love eating and cooking, so I have been to a lot of five star places with the big names in the culinary world on the sign, and this place is above all of them. The restaurant is small, and dining is by reservation, so plan ahead, but you see your food being prepared and you have the opportunity to meet the genius chef Joseph and his wife Eliza. Both are very humble and very friendly. On one hand I dont want to tell anyone about Skogen so that I can keep the secret to myself and be selfish, but on the other hand I know it would be wrong to not share this wonderful gem with everyone else because they deserve all of the success that is in their future. From the appetizers to the desserts the flavor combinations are magical. We got the fois gras as an appetizer and immediately knew that we were in for a meal of epic proportions. We had a party of four, along with my two young children, and we all tasted each others meals, I ordered the Szechuan Walleye, and my initial thought was that the Szechuan flavors were going to overtake the mild flavors of the Walleye, I was dead wrong, never before had anyone been able to mellow down the strength of Szechuan and create such a delicious flavor profile to me than Chef Joseph. My wife and father had the suckling pig and once again the flavors showed the time, effort and creativity behind the dish. My mom ordered the ribs, and the tenderness and flavor were astounding. After dinner we had to indulge in dessert, three chocolate lava cakes with homemade ice cream and a salted caramel..........perfection doesn't even come close to being accurate. The staff were very friendly and obviously loved working at this amazing place. Thank you Chef Joseph, Eliza, and your staff at Skogen for an absolutely unforgettable experience that we all can't wait to...