My experiences of Hunter span years. First, part-time as a weekend wanderer in search of farm and food and then, as of spring last year, as a full time resident of West Kill and North Lexington. I’ve worn down the asphalt on 23A thousands of times, back and forth; and yet, the evening I was scheduled to dine at The Prospect at Scribner Hollow, I had only vague notion of where the lodge was located. A shame, as the restaurant is a revelation.

Perspective matters. A change of direction or elevation can seriously alter perception of place. Air quality changes, light transforms, scale is affected. This was the experience in the parking lot of Scribner Hollow: removed from the mundane traffic on 23A, I viewed Hunter Mountain in resonant, resplendent early wintry dusk. A surprise after so many years of banal Hunter/23A experience.

Chef/owner Guy Chirico explains the philosophy of The Prospect: “The burgeoning of local growers has been a tremendous boon to those of us in the culinary trade. The Law of Unforeseen Consequences—dairy farming’s demise made room for micro-agricultural types. We are able to purvey a tremendous variety of ingredients locally. We look to serve the best of everything and don’t look much to the cost. For example, a $2 price difference per pound of chicken at an 8-ounce serving doesn’t make much difference in the big picture. We buy the best quality ingredients and treat them with love and affection, take time to slow cook and simmer. Nothing is pre-prepped. We make everything from scratch. Most items are purveyed locally and the others are from very best non local sources. Bob Kiley at RSK Farm in Prattsville probably grows the best potatoes on the East Coast. Harpersfield Dairy’s wonderful Tilsit cheese is made in the traditional German style, aged in right there in caves on farm. The smoked trout from Lenny Bee in Woodstock comes to us head on, skin on, bone in. We filet to order. That’s why it is so phenomenally moist and delicious. No nasty piece of plastic encasing. Nebraska’s Natural Air Chilled Chicken is completely air chilled, never hits water bath, no antibiotics, no hormones and is just beautiful.”

The Prospect menu changes daily and with the seasons and usually features eight to nine appetizers and twelve to thirteen entrees. The winter menu is heavy on braising and stews. Also on the winter menu are filet of elk, braised bison although the currently it also features a dish—Grilled Tilapia with fresh Pineapple, Mango-Lime Salsa—that is so effervescent and fruity, it practically heralds summer. The other entrée I sampled, the Penne Bolognese—imported Italian Penne with the Chef’s Signature Bolognese Sauce—is a “five hour labor of love.” The Bolognese sauce, that is. The penne is cooked to perfection. A Butternut Squash Roasted Apple Bisque was the Soup du Jour and a petite bowl of thick, comforting puree of local Hudson Valley Macintosh apples and butternut squash. Two exceptional appetizers really showcase the regional flavor. The Maple Hickory Smoked Breast of Duck with Harpersfield Dairy Tilsit Cheese and Preserved Lingonberries successfully blends Austrian heritage—the lingonberries—with excellent, crisp cooked duck slices from Hudson Valley Foie Gras Company and a substantial slice of the Tilsit. The flavors work wonderfully together. Rich, fruity, creamy. Oil Man McCoy Flying Saucer is a farm fresh Pork Sausage with Macintosh Apple Chutney and Preserved Lingonberries. The apple chutney is wondrous, made with Hudson Valley apples, Rip’s Wildflower Honey and maple syrup from Partridge Family Farm. The pork patty is made by hog farmer George McCoy, formerly of Cooperstown environs, now farming in Ohio. (Farmer McCoy struck oil on his farm, hence the “Oil Man” moniker).

Guy’s heritage is Italian and so there are some traditional Italian dishes, like the Suppa di Vongole e Cozze, a long-standing family recipe of Long Island Little Neck Clams and Prince Edward Island Mussels simmered in a spicy tomato sauce. Guy also concocts six different barbecue sauces. The one on the Maple Hickory Smoked Duck Appetizer has thirty different ingredients.

The Prospect will feature a special Valentine’s Day dinner menu of romantic foods for two such as a Platter of Champagne Oysters or Chateaubriand, perhaps Fondue or a Nibbler Platter of Pâté and Cheese or a Wild Game Mixed Grill. Champagne will be served with dinner and live jazz will animate the après ski fireplace lounge.

The Prospect also prominently features another New York State agricultural product: grapes. The Prospect is a leader in promotion of New York state wine in fine dining context. The restaurant received the Restaurant of the Year award from the New York Wine and Grape Association for having the finest collection of New York State wines of any restaurant in the state and the first restaurant to do so that wasn’t located in a wine growing region. The wine menu features approximately 22-30 New York State wines.

“New York State wines that we serve are of superb quality that can compete with anything. We serve Pinot Noirs from Seneca Lake region that are frequently are tested up against Pinot Noirs from France, California and Oregon and, in many cases, the Seneca Lake wines have been winners.” The Prospect also hosts the New York Food & Wine Classic, where the Governor’s Cup is awarded. Special wine dinners, featuring six to seven courses with wine pairings, occur three to four times a year. Interested folks can sign up for a mailing list.

The Prospect also boasts a classic après ski lounge. The restaurant is encased by glass on three sides overlooking Hunter Mountain and is a magical place to view the fireworks at Hunter Mountain on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday and New Year’s.

The Prospect Restaurant at Scribner Hollow is located off Route 23A in Hunter (heading from Hunter towards Tannersville). For more information please visit www.scribnerhollow.com or call 518 263 4211 or 800 395 4683.