After spending a few nights in June Lake, we headed back to Mammoth Lakes. Being a bit early for check in, we headed off to the Twin Lakes area and took a nice walk and got some views of the falls.
When it was time for an early dinner, we headed back to the Emberz BBQ trailer.
We had enjoyed both the Heirloom Tomato salad and the Elk Sausage the last time. So we made sure to order those items.
That tomato salad was so refreshing; still a favorite.
Loved the smokey-savory elk sausage as well.
Didn’t care for the bland beans; though the potato salad was better this time around; not overly dressed as before.
While we were eating; the really nice gentleman came out and handed us some cornbread; gratis.
As I mentioned in my previous post…..so far, Emberz has been our favorite food stop in Mammoth Lakes.
Emberz BBQ
120 Commerce Dr.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
The next morning we woke and did the fun and easy MacLeod Lake Trail.
We had lunch at Old New York Deli & Bakery which I’ve posted on twice already.
Then the Missus just “needed” to do another hike during the early afternoon, so we did the Crystal Lake Trail.
Which along with the beautiful lakes had some lovely views as well.
Which even JJ appreciated.
When dinner time came along, we headed across the street to the Village. We noticed that there seemed to be an event going on.
Turns out that Mammoth has a yearly Reggae Festival in July and we just happened to be here on this weekend.
Several booths and lots of people enjoying the music!
On our previous trip to Mammoth we had wanted to dine at Vulcania, an Italian style restaurants, but was told that patio dining was not yet available. So, we decided to head on over. This time the patio was set-up and we had a nice table outside here we could enjoy the music.
We ended up getting two apps and one main for dinner,
Seeing Beef Carpaccio ($24) on the menu…well, of course I had to get that, right?
I’d say that this was more of a salad. The vinaigrette was so strong that it overwhelmed the beef. And even more strange was where those french fry looking things at top…they were hash browns! Still, I got my arugula fix, right?
We also got the Mortadella Toast ($23). The bread was nicely toasted, but was just your run of the mill ciabatta…like you’d get at the market.
Standard issue Mortadella, but I liked the Pistachio Mustard, which while nicely pungent, had a nice nutty-savory tone to it and went nicely with the Mortadella and (yet more) Arugula.
For our shared main we went with the Ravioli Bolognese ($30). I was looking forward to seeing how the lamb ragu was going to taste.
This was very over-sauced, so definitely an American style dish, definitely not the “Ragu” like we got in Emilia-Romagna! The ravioli was on the chewy side and the flavor of lamb was quite mild. I know that mint is supposed to go well with lamb, but in this case that was a distraction.
We enjoyed the service and the vibe, but am not sure we’ll return.
Vulcania
6201 Minaret Rd. #240
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
And of course, we ended the evening right across the way at Shelter Distilling, another place I’ve posted on before.
We enjoy sitting on the back patio area to enjoy an after dinner cocktail. And JJ likes the shade here as well!
Shelter Distilling
100 Canyon Blvd. #217
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
The next morning we had leftovers for breakfast and then checked out of the Westin. We headed back to the Twin Lakes area and went to take a look at the Tamarack Lodge.
Apparently, the Cabins on the grounds are dog friendly, but not the lodge itself. Still…..
And of course we walked along the lakes again and saw this posted on the bridge.
And JJ even had a morning “dip”!
And then we headed back home.
The Missus (and JJ) can’t wait to return to Mammoth!