Executive Chef Barron Knauss chatted with diners in the Veranda, which overlooks the Casia Lodge grounds.
Includes five-course dinners, Sunday brunch
There’s a new dining option in the valley for a gracious, gourmet dinner or a casual Sunday brunch at The Veranda at Casia Lodge, a few miles outside of Twisp on the highway heading over the Loup.
Executive Chef Barron Knaus has been developing menus that feature local ingredients. A five-course dinner will be served Thursday through Saturday, with menus that change quarterly based on the season. Sunday brunch will be less formal, where diners can select from an à la carte menu.
Although Knaus is formally trained as a classical French chef, he has studied cuisines from around the world, including Mediterranean and Asian. Knaus, who’s related to the former owners of the lodge (when it was called Twisp Terrace Lodge), did an internship there during culinary school, orchestrating a multi-course meal. “It’s all I’ve ever done — food has been my life,” Knaus said.
The Veranda five-course dinner features a choice of entrée, soup or salad, small bites and dessert. The summer menu showcases fruit and tomatoes, with distinctive offerings such as pork belly with roasted broccolini and microgreens, and tomato gazpacho with a key lime vinegar float. Entrée choices are a blueberry-glazed filet mignon or seared salmon. Summer dessert will be a buttery shortbread topped with strawberry pastry cream, kiwi gel and mint. The menu will change to highlight the fall harvest.
Brunch choices include a spinach-cheese omelet, eggs Benedict, brioche French toast, a burger, and salmon salad. There’s also a kids’ plate with pancakes or French toast.
The Veranda at Casia Lodge offers gourmet meals that highlight local ingredients that will change with the seasons.
About the experience
Veranda dining is about the overall experience, with an unhurried meal that gives diners a chance to savor the food and admire the view, Knaus said. Wine pairings will be available for every course. Although brunch will be more casual, there are treats for the palate, such as a bloody Mary with cheddar-burger sliders.
Casia Lodge serves meals on a covered veranda and at outdoor seating, both of which offer views of the grounds and the Cascade-Sawtooth range. Diners are invited to come early for dinner or stay after brunch to enjoy a drink at the 19th-century English pub, explore the 300 acres on the Casia grounds, or simply relax and read.
People can also order a party-pack to go, with choices like Mediterranean chicken, New Orleans muffuletta sliders, and Italian pasta. The lodge will also feature fresh-baked breads and pastries.
In addition to the five-course meals, the Veranda is serving private dinners for eight to 20 guests. Diners can choose from three-course family-style dinners or more elaborate five-course meals, which can be customized with advance notice.
They’re also offering catering services for weddings, parties and other events throughout the valley. “We’re open to figuring it out,” Hotel Manager Rebecca Lundquist said. “We can make just about anything happen.”
Casia Lodge’s new owners recognize the property’s distinctive history. It was built by motivational specialist Lou Tice in 1985 as an exclusive private retreat. The current owners are eager to bridge that distance and to welcome locals and visitors to enjoy food and the grounds.
There will be one seating for dinner at 6:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Sunday brunch will be served from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Menus are at casialodge.com. The prix-fixe dinner, for adults only, is by reservation only. Reservations are recommended for the family-friendly brunch, but not required. People can reserve on the website or by calling (509) 416-5463. To schedule a private dinner, call or email veranda@casialodge.com.
