Dining is Entertainment at Snowshoe’s Newest Gourmet Experience
When Snowshoe Mountain and the Soaring Eagle Lodge Development Partners approached Brian Ball about its newest mountaintop development, Ball agreed not to open the resort’s newest restaurant, but to offer its newest entertainment experience. The restaurateur, already a staple at Snowshoe with the FoxFire Grill and Red Fox restaurants was tapped to bring his expertise and vision to open West Virginia’s three highest establishments this fall for just that reason. Ember, The MarketPlace and Hearth will offer the quality food, service and atmosphere that Snowshoe is so accustomed while presenting the highest quality of dining and entertainment.
“Hip and young, high country meets downtown,” said Ball describing the personality of the mountain’s newest dining establishment. Ember, a fine dining adventure, will offer an element of the West Virginia forest with an urban twist. Ember will showcase a menu featuring food to be shared with family and friends, with many American favorites mixed with a mild Asian American fusion. Guests will have the option of ordering from a bevy of mouth-watering selections and the ability to cook their own meals over Japanese River Rocks.
“Not only do we want to offer patrons a quality meal with unique experience, we want to accentuate this quality time through bonding over a good meal,” said Ball. Out of this concept grew the idea of offering many dishes in portions to be shared throughout the entire table. Ember will also offer such experiences as a gourmet cotton candy station where guests will create and choose artisan flavors for a matchless dessert experience. The semi-private setting of dining pods combined with modern décor and lighting, complete with hundreds of candles, will make guests feel they are truly among nature in this urban forest.
An adjoining establishment, The MarketPlace, will pick up right where Ember leaves off, offering full-meals ready to go all times of the day. Bagels in the morning, sandwiches and picnic baskets in the afternoon, and gourmet diners in the evening will all be prepared and ready for the guest who wants to enjoy a meal in their room or just on the go. The marketplace will also serve as a showcase to Ball’s army of unique food artisans from around the country
“As the development manager for Soaring Eagle Lodge, I have been involved with Brian Ball and our design team on the design of Ember and MarketPlace,” stated David Pray, Soaring Eagle’s project coordinator. “We wanted to have two facilities that would be the centerpieces for the expanding neighborhood and a compliment to the resort. With the creation of Ember and The MarketPlace at Soaring Eagle Lodge, we will create true mountain memories, achieving all of our goals!”
In addition, Snowshoe’s newest mountaintop lodge will offer the complete entertainment experience with 4,000 square feet to enjoy food, friends and fire at Hearth. A social gathering place for Soaring Eagle Lodge guests and owners, Hearth will offer a top shelf bar with small plates and fondue and unique new world wines to be shared among friends. The room’s 80-foot glass front will offer a 150-degree breathtaking view of Snowshoe’s basin, while two equally large fireplaces create the warm, friendly atmosphere of the exclusive, hometown lodge.
“We wanted to offer a complete and memorable experience for the entire family,” said Ball. “With a one acre terrace complete with huge hot tubs, a fire pit and activities such as a resident story teller, we think we are well on our way to creating an entirely unique mountaintop neighborhood in and around Soaring Eagle Lodge.”