Post-Ski Meal Most Worth the Wait

Where: Wildflower Restaurant at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

What'll Snow You: The three-month prep time of the cedar-planked wild B.C. salmon

Cool Conditions: After slaying some of Whistler-Blackcomb's 8,171 acres, who wants so-so sandwiches and soggy fries? At the grand Fairmont, executive chef Vincent Stufano uses locally grown and organic ingredients to create cuisine as world-class as the surrounding terrain. But there's one dish that's so out-there…well, you have to experience it. Better order early, though. Stufano starts preparing the aged maple glaze for his cedar-planked salmon when the rest of the world is still celebrating Labor Day. The season-long process involves 200-liter oak barrels, whiskey, maple syrup, even more whiskey, and four daily stirrings. After the chef immerses a choice filet of wild salmon in the concoction, he bakes it on cedar. The result tastes like the sea swept up to meet the forest, just like British Columbia itself. A bottle of the B.C. Blasted Church Pinot Noir, B.C. Dungeness crab cakes, and the lemon tart round out the meal. What a sweet mix.

The Cold Cash: Dinner, $210 for two, including tax and tip; rooms from $429 per night

Wildflower Restaurant
Tel: 604 938 2033