The Slopeside Lounge

Feb. 5, 2016

Ski Resort Favorite Brings Big West Ambiance to Harbor Springs

The Boyne Resorts have a long and storied history in northern Michigan and, by association, so does Boyne Highlands’ Slopeside Lounge. It’s the place most skiers beeline for at the end of a long day on the hill, kicking off their ski boots, draping their damp jackets over chairs and recounting their best, fastest run over a refreshing drink and a hot, hearty meal.

AMERICAN ROOTS

Originally just a bar with no food service, the Slopeside was eventually graced with a hot dog cart, and then a few menu items imported from the Highlands’ main kitchen. By early 2000, the popularity of the lounge encouraged Boyne to begin offering dedicated selections to the Slopeside crowd, and a full menu was underway in 2004. The menu keeps its roots in American casual dining with a bit of a twist: rich, filling, tasty dishes with flair that aim to help skiers refuel, refresh and get back out on the slopes.

“We definitely have a lot of things that the skiers are looking for,” explained Chris Bryant, Boyne Highlands’ director of food and beverage. “We try to have a nice selection of hearty fare, good portions and classic favorites like our Boyne chili.”

The chili, a true Slopeside staple, is Midwestern through and through —a tomatobased beef chili that surprisingly includes no chili powder.

“We still use the original recipe from our late founder Everett Kircher, who wouldn’t let us use chili powder because he was allergic to it,” Bryant chuckled.

MOUNTAINOUS MEALS

Chili isn’t the only trick up Slopeside’s parka sleeve. A sourdough boule, or bread bowl, loaded with soup is another great choice (a local favorite is the lounge’s chicken noodle), and the potato appetizers are great to share, whether you choose the Potato Skin Toboggans, deep-fried and piled with bacon and scallions, or the Loaded Chips, the Slopeside’s house fries topped with cheddar and pepperjack cheeses, queso sauce and jalapenos.

“We do fantastic burgers, too,” Bryant said. “Two standouts are our Black Diamond Burger, which features Angus beef with applewood-smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms, cheese and caramelized onions, and our Highlands Burger, with grass-fed LEA White Farms beef, your choice of cheese, red onion and an A.1. Steak Sauce aioli.”

The Slopeside’s famed Reuben sandwich also got an upgrade this year, now featuring Sy Ginsburg corned beef, a lighter rye bread, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing.

SALADS AND SKIS

The other side of the menu offers lighter choices that are no less flavorful. The Ponzu Grilled Chicken Salad features Asian lime/ soy sauce- marinated chicken on romaine lettuce with Mandarin oranges, almonds, fried wontons and toasted sesame vinaigrette, while the R.C. Cubano Sandwich places Plath’s smoked pork and smoked ham on toasted French bread with Swiss cheese, pickles, jalapeno slaw and mustard sauce.

Add a refreshing Coke, one of the Slopeside’s craft beer choices, or a coffee drink and your meal is complete in these classic apres-ski surroundings that evoke the resorts of the Colorado mountains or Boyne’s own sister facility in Big Sky, Mont. Antique skis rest above the roaring stone fireplace, vintage photos of the resort under construction hang on the walls, and the Slopeside’s red barrel chairs carry on their own legacy as the most coveted spots to sit in the lounge itself. You can stay indoors and watch the action on the ski hills, step outside to enjoy the fire pit from a wrought iron chair, or just join in the camaraderie with your fellow skiers; the Slopeside is the most likely place you’ll find them.

“It’s that spot where everybody goes to meet up,” Bryant said, “and those chairs are way too comfortable.”

is located at Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs. For a complete menu, seasonal hours and more information visit boyne.com/boynehighlands or call (231) 526-3016.