Vulcania — Restaurant in Mammoth Lakes

I'll start this review by acknowledging we didn't eat or drink here. We were there for 10 minutes at most. And our experience was weird to say the least.

We found an outside table and asked if it was ok just to get a drink, as it seemed other people were doing the same. I was abruptly told I needed to check in with the host and asked to follow the server. Turns out they were the host and they spent a minute tapping away on an iPad, she then wandered and appeared to consult with a slight smarter member of staff, presumably the managed. She then returned, gathered 4 full menus and asked me to follow her. I went back to my family at our table. It seemed no information or participation on my part was needed for "check in". And I was allowed to sit with my wife and children again.

The host left and then a team of waiting staff started to lay a table for dinner. I explained it wasn't necessary as we just wanted a drink. One of the staff said "Just in case". Another staff member brought crystal glasses out for us; then another with a carafe of still iced water. I said this is really not necessary, as we just wanted two beers and two juices. "It's just part of the service" was the reply. My reply "As long as I'm not expected to pay for the additional services!" That was met with an uncomfortable shrug.

My wife and I decided that it just didn't feel right. In fact we had a horrible feeling we were going to be stung for a large bill. So we abruptly left the venue and the staff to undo their most excellent table laying.

I acknowledge I didn't pay for a service, so it would be unfair to offer a poor star rating. But Vulcania, if you had simply said at the start "I'm sorry Sir, we are a restaurant, not a bar." we wouldn't have been offended and would have asked for your recommendation for a quiet drinking establishment. But you ended up making us feel uncomfortable and gave our children a good lesson in how not to treat customers.

Must try harder. Because it's...

Wow. Call me a snob, but I never thought I'd see a best-in-class restaurant like this in a place like Mammoth. Vulcania could succeed in Aspen, or Vail. Easily. Will it survive here, amongst a diverse-across-income crowd? We'll see. But make no mistake about it - this place is absolutely top notch.

Let's start with the drinks menu. I had the Negroni. I've traveled across most of Italy, and I'm a big Negroni drinker. Best Negroni I've ever had. Was it the altitude? Perhaps.

Then the dishes. My wife - a complete gnocchi snob. The gnocchi - her eyes rolled into the back of her head. I tried some - so incredibly soft and melt-in-your-mouth... HOW DO THEY DO THIS??!! The pizza - we just ordered the simple margherita - the best way really to judge a place for how well they can make a pizza - very, very good. The crust could have been a bit more burnt/crispy but the sauce was outstanding. The Islalata Tricolore - couldn't get enough if it! The Calamari - absolute perfect balance of spice, acid and deep flavor. The Branzino - wow. Just wow.

Which brings me back to the survival of the restaurant. Our host had mentioned that since she had owned a house here, this was the third restaurant in the space. A big space in an outdoor walking "mall" in the center of town. This is expensive overhead. And the clientele are very income-diverse. I witnessed families with children eating here - and saw the kids all eating the amazing pizza - good!! This is Mammoth, a place so accessible for so many unlike as mentioned earlier, a place like Aspen, a location that comes to mind when sitting in this amazing restaurant.

So, I hope their menu is accessible and affordable enough to ensure their survival. Because Vulcania is a true gem. Well done, Voltaggio Brothers. Two thumbs...

To start of we tried the SMOKED MOZZARELLA FRITTA and the flavor was nice a rich and the marinara sauce complement it well. Once you finish the Fritta you can request the locally baked bread to finish up the rest of the marinara.

CAESAR salad was amazing the dressing is made in house and the flavor is truly one of a kind. If you like Caesar then don't hesitate to order it to set your appetite.

For the main course I tried the BRACIOLE. The presentation and the flavor of the steak to be honest is one of the best tasting steak I have ever had. The polenta fonduta really brings out the richness and flavor of the steak. The broccoli was perfectly crisp and not soggy like you would normally get at other steak houses. If you love steak then give it a try, it might be one of the best tender and flavor steak you might taste.

We finished our meal and everything was going great. Great appetizer, salad, steak. Well we figured we should end this amazing dinner with a bite of the dessert and a cappuccino. So we ordered the tiramisu. This is were things went south quick. When you think tiramisu, you would think like soft delightful dessert. When it arrived at the table I thought they where trying to be clever and do a deconstruct tiramisu. The first spoonful was what the fudge is this because that is exactly how I would describe it, fudge with frozen powered sugar and 3 large pieces of hard candy. It was such a great disappointment that it almost made me forget how good the steak was. Not unless you like fudge don't order the tiramisu because it is nowhere near what you would call a tiramisu.

The overall environment was great and the service was awesome. The steak is one of the best I have ever tasted but no matter what don't order...