Dining Guide

If you want to dine next to a celebrity, best get a reservation at the restaurant run by Ketchum’s celebrity chef. That would be Scott Mason, whose Ketchum Grill is in one of the charming old houses left standing in the face of demand for grand accommodations. And the bonus is the fabulous food, featuring Mason’s famous innovations, ultra-fresh ingredients and service that combine to earn Ketchum Grill a nod as one of the eight best ski-town restaurants in America by Snow Country Magazine.
The cuisine is “New American, with Idaho emphasis,” which means such entrées as Grilled Black Canyon Idaho Elk, Braised Idaho Lamb Shank and Duck with Mountain Huckleberries. Mason and his wife Anne (pastry chef for the restaurant) are supporters of the movement to promote local, seasonal food, with a dedication to healthy, natural and homemade. There is an excellent wine list, as well.
The boyishly handsome Mason is usually seeing to the fish, the steaks, all the great stuff that comes out of the kitchen. But on occasion he’ll come out to meet and greet. Asked what celebrity customer made the Masons know they had “made it,” they replied: “Lance Armstrong. But JFK Jr. was a regular in his day.” Oh, did we forget to mention Mason bikes to work most days, even in the winter?