Skadi — Restaurant in Mammoth Lakes

I can't speak highly enough of this restaurant and it's staff. My husband and I were staying at the hotel overnight, but got into a car accident and our vehicle was totaled. After getting dropped off at the hotel and dealing with our insurance company, it was 8:30PM in the evening. They don't have UberEats and Doordash out here and since we didn't have a car, we didn't feel comfortable walking at night to any nearby restaurants after the traumatic incident we just went through and especially since most close around 9PM.

This restaurant is elegant, a local fine dining experience, and they were completely booked for the evening with reservations. I walked down to the restaurant and asked if it was possible if they would allow for a takeout order and told them our story of what happened. The staff were so kind they said it wouldn't be a problem and they allowed us to order some food to go. They even offered to allow us to eat at the restaurant, but given the day we had and the disheveled state we were in, we didn't feel like it would respect the atmosphere of the restaurant.

When the food was ready, Chef Ian hand carried the food to our room on plates and just asked if we could bring them back the next day since food service is not something the hotel normally does. Not only were we starving, but the food was so delicious, we quite literally licked our plates clean. We had ordered the chicken breast with the mushroom risotto and it was the best chicken breast I think I have ever had. It was so moist and tender and the skin on the breast was so light and crispy...I wish we had ordered more food, but all the more reason for us to come back again.

Thank you so much Chef Ian! You and your staff...

This place is popular and in high demand so be sure to book your reservations well in advance. I tried making a reservation 5 days ahead of time but they were fully booked. I did not originally think there would be no availability on a Thursday that far in advance but I realize now I should have booked earlier knowing that this restaurant is on everyone’s radar. We ended up getting squeezed in the following day at 8pm (kind of late for us to eat dinner but we weren’t going to complain!) We were happy to be there and the vibes were welcoming. We sat at the bar near the kitchen so it felt like an intimate experience. The food was good, but if you are a fine dining expert this will not wow you. I ordered champagne, we each ordered a salad, split the tomato bisque, and ordered starters as our main dishes. It definitely felt like there was pressure to order an entree each for that higher bill, and I could feel the judgement, but we both felt inclined to order what we wanted, money not an issue, and that just happened to be starters. And by the end of our time there we both were very satiated. Skadi is definitely placed higher on the upscale food list for Mammoth, which is not necessarily the place you come for prime cuisine, but they are definitely trying to set the tone! Each plate is prepared with intention. I hope Mammoth can place itself more on the map as a location a foodie might want to explore. Skadi could be the catalyst for...

Hello Chef Ian and Todd, Nick and I wanted to thank you for one of the best meals we’ve ever had in our life last night!

We were absolutely blown away by everything from food to service to overall atmosphere. You have managed to create the perfect upscale dining experience without an ounce of pretension. We felt right at home from the second we walked in.

We were in love with every plate we had. The venison sausage on the corn pancake was the perfect balance of sweet and salty due to the delicious blueberries. The goat cheese on the salad was wonderful and creamy and went perfectly with the figs. I loved the duck crisped to perfection and wonderful crispy spätzle, and Nick enjoyed the variety of meats on the pork plate. The desserts were out of this world too, especially the cocoa merengue (I think that‘s what the round crispy chocolate cake was). The perfect amount of crisp!

Todd was a delight to talk to, with everything from local tips to sports education, and great wine recommendations. His knowledge of the menu was superb. Thank you again for the hiking tips!

Finally, we loved all the pictures and artifacts around the place, especially the old skis. We also wondered if the pictures in the bathroom were from the chef’s hometown, as there was a sign that was the same as his last name, I think.

Thank you so much for the delicious food and hospitality, we...