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Phone: (559) 683-6800

Simply put Erna's is the only high quality dining experience near or in Yosemite...however the price is very elevated as it is up in the remote reaches and is truly in a class of its own. Expect to spend $90/person for the menu and $40 for a 3 or $70 for a 6 wine flight per person.

As a pure prix fixe menu, Erna's provides a unique menu each evening offering up to 6 courses to choose from.

Erna's is connected to it's sister establishment Chateau du Sureau, which is simply one of the finest upscale bed and breakfasts in California, far outclassing it's local "in Yosemite park" competition at the Ahwahnee Lodge which is highly overrated IMO. Anyone staying at the hotel automatically gets reservations each evening (you don't have to use them). Otherwise you must call for reservations.

The wine is a bit pricey considered it is mostly locally grown and normally inexpensive, but you will get good pairings, and certainly wines from the central valley you will not have tried before. Loved the Westbrook wine farm Viognier-Valdiguie Madera 2005, and the St. Amant Tempranillo Amador 2004.

A few tips on the food, I prefer picking a smaller menu of their better preparations as their appetizer, salad and desserts are not at all inspiring. So here's what I did....the amuse is always creative, their soup chef is a genius and is always simply phenomenal, and their meats are so incredibly juicy and tender.

Some menus I had when I went there:

#1:
* Amuse: Crispy veal sweet breads with caraway and water chestnuts in goulash sauce
* Pan seared sea bass fillet and red cabbage risotto with baby carrots, bok choy and pecorino romano in a bleeding heart radish broth
* Roasted parsnip soup with goose dumpling and chive crepes
* Herb crusted rack of lamb, lentils, boudin noir and puntarelle, rosewater glazed asparagus, juniper lamb jus
* Salad of young field greens, marinated Belgian endive and artichokes, savory-black pepper vinaigrette
* Dark chocolate mousse cake and toasted pecan creme caramel

#2:
* Amuse: Venison pate, lingonberry coulis, spiced pecans
* Acorn squash soup, smoked potato beignet, white truffle foam
* Sliced pork tenderloin, glazed mustard spatzle, braised baby leeks and red cabbage, fennel seed-pork jus

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Tags:

restaurant , california cuisine , viennese cuisine